As corruption grows in 1950s LA, three policemen - the straight-laced, the brutal, and the sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.
1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime.
Written by Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>
Anachronisms:
When Bud White confronts Ed Exley in the hospital just outside the morgue, a modern lit "EXIT" sign above the door can be clearly seen in the background.
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Quotes
[first lines]
Sid Hudgens:
[voiceover]
Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth." Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway. See more »
Crazy Credits
At the end of all the credits, there is a brief scene from "Badge of Honor"
featuring a dedication.
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"Hit the Road to Dreamland"
(1942) Music by Harold Arlen Lyrics by Johnny Mercer Performed by Betty Hutton Courtesy of Capitol Records Under license from EMI-Capitol Special Markets
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