Mulholland Falls (1996)

In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers:

Peter Dexter (story) (as Pete Dexter), Floyd Mutrux (story)

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Connelly

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Max Hoover
Melanie Griffith	...	Katherine Hoover
Chazz Palminteri	...	Elleroy Coolidge
Michael Madsen	...	Eddie Hall
Chris Penn	...	Arthur Relyea
Treat Williams	...	Colonel Nathan Fitzgerald
Jennifer Connelly	...	Allison Pond
Daniel Baldwin	...	McCafferty
Andrew McCarthy	...	Jimmy Fields
John Malkovich	...	General Thomas Timms
Kyle Chandler	...	Captain
Ed Lauter	...	Earl
Larry Garrison	...	Perino's Maitre d'
Chelsea Harrington	...	Lolita
Johnna Johnson	...	Bar Woman

Storyline

This film is about the adventures of a 1940's special anti-gangster police squad in Los Angeles, the infamous 'Hat Squad.' The four members of this squad are big, tough, no-nonsense cops who don't hesitate to break the law, if it suits their purposes. When a local woman is murdered, their investigation turns up the fact that she had been romantically linked to several prominent men and had secret films taken of her liaisons. Since one of those men is the powerful U.S. Army General at the head of the then-new Atomic Energy Commission and another is the (married) leader of the Hat Squad, complications ensue. The FBI even gets involved in an attempted cover-up.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | murder | military | 1950s | breasts | 

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Taglines:

The power of love vs. the love of power

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abuso de poder

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Studios - 5800 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,306,221, 28 April 1996, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$11,500,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Largo Entertainment,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

DTS DTS-Stereo

Color:

Black and White (home movie sequences) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Body count: 6 (not counting the pilot whose fate is unknown).

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Goofs

In opening scene of Jennifer Connelly's boudoir, she is shown smoking a 100mm cigarette. Other characters, including Nick Nolte, smoke similar cigarettes throughout. The first such cigarette in 100 mm length was introduced only later, in 1966, by R.J. Reynolds. Until 1966, "King Size" (roughly 80-85 mm) was the longest cigarette available.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Perino's Maitre d': Good evening, gentlemen can I check your hats, please?

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Connections

Referenced in Gangster Squad (2013)

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Soundtracks

Harbour Lights
Written by Jimmy Kennedy and Will Grosz (as Hugh Williams)
Arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Performed by Aaron Neville

User Reviews

An Unexpected and Pleasant Surprise.

After years of reading bad reviews about Mulholland Falls, I recently turned on this DVD with low expectations and was totally surprised by how much fun this great little popcorn movie was; right down to the soundtrack . Great cast, great look and about as much logic and charm as the old 50's detective magazines. After seeing Nick Nolte in this, I'm now hoping to see him in a future Tarrantino movie. Nolte would also be a perfect fit in one of the upcoming Sin City sequels. I also have new respect for Roger Ebert, one of the few critics who enjoyed the movie for what it was meant to be. It seems to me that those who didn't like this movie, missed its point. While this isn't Academy Award material, it's a hell of a lot better than the critics would make you believe it was.