L.A. CONFIDENTIAL

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL   

by Brian Helgeland

Based on the novel by James Ellroy

November 16, 1995

Minor Revisions

FADE IN:

OVER the opening strains of "I LOVE YOU, CALIFORNIA," a

MONTAGE: a mixture of headlines, newsreel footage and

live action. Economy Booming! Postwar Optimism! L.A.:

City of the Future! But most prominent among them:

GANGLAND! Police photographers document crime scenes.

The meat wagon hauls ex-button men to the morgue. Where

will it end?

EXT. L.A. SKYLINE - SUNSET

Palm trees in silhouette against a cherry sky. City

lights twinkle. Los Angeles. A place where anything is

possible. A place where dreams come true. As the sky

darkens, triple-kleig lights begin to sweep back and

forth.

EXT. MANSION (HANCOCK PARK) - NIGHT

The KLEIG LIGHTS are out front. Valets hurry to park a

line of elegant cars.

MAYOR (V.O.)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you

the future of Los Angeles!

INT. HANCOCK PARK MANSION - BALLROOM - NIGHT

The MAYOR yanks a cloth to reveal a MODEL of L.A. criss-

crossed by an elaborate FREEWAY SYSTEM. The CROWD oohs.

A COUNCILMAN claps. A SOCIETY MATRON nods her approval.

PIERCE PATCHETT, 50, tuxedoed, watches off to one side.

A behind-the-scenes power broker, Patchett exudes

authority much more so than the Mayor does.

MAYOR

The Arroyo Seco freeway is just

the beginning. We're planning

freeways from Downtown to Santa

Monica, from the South Bay to the

San Fernando Valley. Twenty

minutes to work or play is the

longest you'll have to travel.

More applause. One REPORTER asks a little too loudly...

REPORTER

How many bodies you think Mickey

Cohen'll be able to hide in all

that cement?

The Mayor wears a plastic smile, ignores it.

INT. THE MOCAMBO - NIGHT

A CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER pops snapshots, but the real action

is on the floor where MICKEY COHEN does a wicked "Lindy

Hop" with THREE different GIRLS at once. A fireplug of a

man, he hardly seems a public menace. Nearby is his

bodyguard JOHNNY STOMPANATO. Over it all:

HUDGEONS (V.O.)

Meyer Harris Cohen, Mickey C to

his fans. He's the big moocher,

local L.A. color to the nth

degree. You know Mickey. He runs

dope, rackets and prostitution.

He kills a dozen people a year.

But who you may not know is

bodyguard Johnny Stompanato.

His hair in a slick pompadour, Stompanato keeps an eye on

Cohen and comes onto a CIGARETTE GIRL at the same time.

HUDGEONS (V.O.)

Johnny's handsome, ladies, but the

real attraction is below the belt.

Second only to Steve Cochran, he's

sometimes known as 'Oscar' because

of his Academy Award-size

appendage.

Mickey works a sweat on the dance floor. A bottle of

champagne pops; Stompanato reacts, nearly draws a pistol

from his shoulder holster. As he laughs at himself...

INT. HUSH-HUSH MAGAZINE OFFICE - DAY

Lurid page one headlines cover the wall where SID

HUDGEONS types. The essence of sleaze, Sid is the

publisher-photographer-writer of Hush-Hush magazine and

keeper of inside dirt supreme. As he continues...

HUDGEONS (V.O.)

Remember, dear readers, you heard

it here first, off the record, on

the Q.T. and very Hush-Hush.

INT. HANCOCK PARK MANSION - BALLROOM - NIGHT

The party continues. The Mayor has moved off to the side

with the power brokers. Patchett is a presence.

MAYOR

We're selling an image, gentlemen.

Beautiful weather. Affordable

housing.

(re: model)

Trouble-free transportation. And

the best police department in the

world to keep it all running

smoothly.

EXT. STOREFRONT - NIGHT

A dozen people watch a display windoe TELEVISION as it

rolls the opening of the hit show "Badge of Honor." Over

familiar THEME MUSIC, "Sgt. Joe Reno" (actor BRETT CHASE)

walks the streets of Los Angeles.

CHASE (V.O.)

My name? Joe Reno. The city?

Los Angeles. A big town. Full of

all sorts of people. It's my job

to help them. I like what I do.

I'm a cop.

INT. HANCOCK PARK MANSION - BALLROOM - NIGHT

The Mayor continues.

MAYOR

But with a second rate Al Capone

out there, L.A. looks like Chicago

in the '30s. Something has to be

done.

As Pierce Patchett nods sagely.

INT. OLYMPIC AUDITORIUM - NIGHT

Wrestler GORGEOUS GEORGE primps and poses before flatten-

ing an opponent with a drop kick.

INT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT

An enthusiastic crowd adjusts their 3-D glasses.

EXT. COHEN MANSION (BEVERLY HILLS) - DAY

In monogrammed silk pajamas, Mickey Cohen answers the

door, his pet BULLDOG Mickey Jr. at his feet. The police

are waiting. REPORTERS' flashbulbs pop.

POLICE OFFICER

Mr. Cohen, you're under arrest.

COHEN

Bullshit. What's the charge?

POLICE OFFICER

Non-payment of federal income tax.

COHEN

BULLSHIT.

EXT. GRAUMAN'S CHINESE - DAY

JOHN WAYNE gets his hand prints in the sidewalk.

EXT. WESTCHESTER BEAN FIELD - DAY

MIGRANT WORKERS hurry to finish the harvest. We PAN

TO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS who wait impatiently with bull-

dozers under a "Spirit of the Future" BANNER. As the

last picker leaves the field, the bulldozers move in,

leveling the bean rows to make way for a housing tract.

EXT. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE - STEPS - DAY

Flashbulbs pop as Mickey Cohen exits and starts down

the steps. Accompanied by his LAWYERS, bodyguard

Stompanato and mob lieutenants DEUCE PERKINS and NATE

JANKLOW, Cohen ignores REPORTERS' shouts.

REPORTER

How's your bullshit now, Mickey?!

As Cohen gets into a waiting car, the media turn their

attention to District Attorney ELLIS LOEW. A singularly

ambitious man, Loew loves the spotlight.

LOEW

Today is an auspicious one for the

city of Los Angeles. Mickey Cohen

has just been sentenced to ten

years in federal prison for

failure to pay income tax.

(MORE)

LOEW (CONT'D)

As the District Attorney for Los

Angeles County, it is my pleasure

to declare our great city

organized crime free. It is truly

the dawning of a new day.

The SONG ENDS and so does the MONTAGE.

INT. PACKARD (ACROSS FROM BULLOCKS WILSHIRE) - NIGHT

December 24th. Wendell "BUD" WHITE, 30, stares at the

enormous Christmas tree on the deco platform over

Bullocks' entrance. An LAPD cop, Bud's rep as the

toughest man on the force has been well earned. In the

back seat, with cases of Walker Black and Cutty Sark, is

Bud's partner -- DICK STENSLAND. Older, but also a tough

hump, "Stens" sucks on a pint of Old Crow.

The passenger door opens and Mickey Cohen bodyguard

Johnny Stompanato slides in. Guinea handsome, Johnny

wears his curls in a tight pompadour. With his boss

behind bars, he's out of work. Bud just stares at him.

STOMPANATO

Officer White. I heard you got a

hard-on for wife beaters.

BUD

And you fuck people up for a

living. That don't make me you.

Capisce, shitbird?

Stompanato smiles. Nervous. Through the window, Bud

watches a Salvation Army Santa palm coins from a kettle.

STENSLAND

Bud ain't in the mood for small

talk, Stompanato.

STOMPANATO

Look, Mickey C's doing time and

half the other guys who'd hire me

are dead or left town. I need

money. If your snitch-fund's

green, I'll get you some fucking-A

collars.

Impatient, Bud tugs at a finger, CRACKS a KNUCKLE.

STOMPANATO

There's this guy. He's blond and

fat, about forty. Likes the

ponies. Been pimping his wife to

cover his losses. Knocks her

around to keep her in line.

Bud's eyes narrow at this last bit of info. Stompanato

holds up a slip of paper.

STOMPANATO

I figure the address is worth

twenty.

Bud digs into his wallet, pulls out twenty bucks,

exchanges it with Stompanato. Stompanato smiles smugly,

grabs a bottle of Scotch from the back.

STOMPANATO

Yuletide cheer, fellas.

Without warning, Bud grabs Stompanato's tie and yanks,

slamming his forehead into the dash.

BUD

Happy New Year, greaseball.

EXT. 1486 EVERGREEN - NIGHT

A stucco job in a row of vet prefabs. A neon Santa

sleigh has landed on the roof. Through the front window,

we see a fat guy browbeating a woman. Puff-faced, 35-

ish, she backs away as he rages at her.

The Packard pulls up out front. Stensland could care

less.

STENSLAND

Leave it for later, Bud. We got

to pick up the rest of the booze

and get back to the precinct.

Bud KILLS the IGNITION, picks up the radio.

BUD

Central, this is 4A-31. Send a

prowler to 1486 Evergreen. White

male in custody. Code 623 point

one. Domestic assault and

battery. I won't be here, but

they'll see him.

EXT. 1486 EVERGREEN - BUD - NIGHT

steps to the house. Inside, we hear SLAPS, MUFFLED

CRIES. Bud grips an outlet cord coming off the roof and

yanks. The sleigh crashes to the ground with REINDEER

EXPLODING around it. A beat. The fat guy runs out to

investigate, trips over Rudolph.

Bud pounces. Fat guy takes a swing, misses. Grabbing

fat guy's hair, Bud smashes his face to the pavement.

Once, twice. Teeth skitter down the walk.

BUD

Touch her again and I'll know

about it. Understand? Huh?

Another face full of gravel. Fat guy's WIFE watches with

apprehension from the steps as Bud cuffs her husband's

hands behind his back, empties his pockets. A cash roll

and car keys. Bud looks over at her.

BUD

You got someplace you can go?

She nods. Bud hands her the keys and the cash.

BUD

Go get yourself fixed up.