Thu 14 Feb 2008
L A. CONFIDENTIAL. Unsold television pilot, 2003. Keifer Sutherland, Josh Hopkins, Melissa George, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Eric Roberts. Director: Eric Laneuville. Based on the novel by James Ellroy.
Filmed in 1999, says IMDB, as part of a deal with HBO in 2000 as the first installment of a 13-part mini-series. When that didn’t happen, Fox took interest, but in the end, they also turned it down. Their loss, and ours.
The date 2003, by the way, is when the cable network Trio finally aired it as part of a long marathon of similar bankrupt and cancelled projects.
I’ve not read the book, which is number three in Ellroy’s series of 1950s L.A.-based novels: The Black Dahlia was the first; number two was The Big Nowhere; and the fourth was White Jazz. I’ve also not seen the full-length movie version of L. A. Confidential (1997), a huge gap or gaffe on my part (take your pick), but at least you can say that this review of the TV version is unbiased in terms of any sort of comparisons, or any other kind of useful information.
This TV film, all that was ever made, is only 50 minutes long, and it ends with a large TO BE CONTINUED across the screen. Just as all of the pieces were coming together! Utter frustration.
Keifer Sutherland, not yet a 24-carat star, is Det.-Sgt. Jack Vincennes in this one, the role played by Kevin Spacey in the film. Melissa George is would-be movie starlet Lynn Bracken, played by Kim Basinger in the movie. I could go on and on like this, but the TV version is not the same story as the earlier version (or so I’m told), but essentially a different (and ultimately longer) adaptation of the book, produced and created by men with different ideas, limitations and goals in mind.
Basic story: Vincennes, having killed an innocent man during a drug bust gone bad, tries to make up for it by anonymously sending money to the dead man’s widow. This means that he needs more money than he makes, which means in turn that he has to go on the take. Not a good idea when Internal Affairs is watching, not to mention the editor and publisher of Hush Hush Magazine.
The TV version is visually striking in color, but in terms of overall production values, I doubt that it holds up in that regard to the movie. Note to self: watch the movie, and report back.
[UPDATE] I haven’t found any images to add to this review, but for as long as it’s there, you can watch this short pilot online in five parts, beginning with http://www.truveo.com/Part-1of-5-LA-Confidential-TV-pilot-Kiefer/id/1356656397
[UPDATE #2] 03-07-12. As suspected, the video above is no longer there. See the comments, though, for information as to how to find a copy.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Thanks. I hadn’t heard of this pilot.
One oddity: In the movie, James Cromwell has great fun with the Dudley Smith character, giving him an over-the-top accent I assume is Scottish. The actor in the TV version plays the character without an accent, except for one word, where he appears to slip into the movie character.
I’d have watched more of this if more had been made.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
“Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
February 14th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Very interesting, Peter. I don’t want to put you on the spot if it’s been a while since you’ve seen the movie, but what other differences, big or small, can you say there were between the two?
— Steve
February 16th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Let’s see …
Marilyn Monroe figures as a character in the TV pilot, as a blackmail victim. I believe she is referred to as America’s darling or great sex symbol or, at any rate, in terms indicating she was a big deal. This could reflect a couple of differences from the movie.
For one, I don’t remember her as a character in the movie, though the entry on imdb.com does say the movie used archival footage of her. For another, though I don’t remember whether the movie or the novel specify the dates of their setting, I always had the idea the story took place in the 1940s. Was Marilyn Monroe as big a star in the 1940s as the TV pilot makes her out to be?
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Detectives Beyond Borders
“Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
February 16th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Besides the archive footage, an actress named Nectar Rose is credited by IMDB as playing Marilyn Monroe in the movie. (One of her first acting roles.) She didn’t receive any film credit, though, so that part of the story must have been underplayed.
But you’re right. The pilot for the would-be TV series seemed to make it clear that the Marilyn Monroe shakedown was going to be an important part of what was going to come next. That’s the way I understood it, but who knows. Maybe it was only going to be an one-time reference.
I haven’t come across any specific date for any of the versions of L. A. Confidential, but from the pilot, it felt like the 1950s to me, maybe 1956 or 1957. The 1940s is too early. I don’t think Marilyn would have been a big enough star in the 1940s to be worth a blackmail attempt.
— Steve
March 13th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Marilyn Monroe didn’t become a star until at least 1952.
December 30th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
I believe the accent was Irish. I might be wrong. Also, do you think this would have affected Kiefer’s later role on 24 if it got picked up? Anyway, I think it was pretty good for a tv pilot but I prefer the movie. I might be biased though, seeing that Russell Crowe is my favourite actor lol.
March 6th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
I saw it.
It’s no loss at all – best to stay buried.
…
Everyone in that is lucky it was turned down.
It regurgitates and tries to imitate everything in the movie. Refused to do anything new and only does what’s already been done.
Ends up a boring pale shadow of a legend.
Do a new take – fine – there was endless material in the book they could have used – but just try to imitate was already done the best possible – doomed to failure
March 6th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
I must add that using some material doesn’t mean a thing when the presentation is like ghosts in a haunted house. In fact the new material doesn’t come across as new when the delivery and punchlines are the same.
This simply cannot be done as Jack Vincennes died in Dudley’s kitchen and in the film , (not the novel) died whispering ‘Rollo Tomasci’ – that can never be changed – it’s legend- introducing him again is just trying to coattail his legacy – you might get some spinoff dollars from some diehard fans but you will never get greatness or even good ratings.
The movie was not simply good , but great for other reasons apart from standard movie making (see the DVD extras).
…
Now they could extract some of those ideas and do Elroy’s’ other novels as a TV series with the ideas of ‘Uptempo Noir’ or ‘Contemporary Tone Period Piece’ or ‘triple Protagonists’ or other story-lines from LA Confidential with a totally different title.
IT someone really wanted to do LA Confidential for the novel they would have to totally ignore the movie and have a completely new vision – that’s the only way it could be interesting enough to get an audience.
..
Another problem with the TV series here is it does what the film refused to do – which is set up a single star – the film had three protagonists of equal status.
BOING! BOING! There goes Sutherland – get rid of him…
Also the Jack V both the book and the film was not so squeaky clean good as Don S. Jack V did not go from error to apologetic and seeking redemption in one second as in the TV parking lot. He was much darker and his redemption was only after a long road of further nastiness accompanied by guilt and slef-destruction..nowhere near the MR. Nice Guy in the TV pilot.
In the film his darkness was shown only as a sell-out that was shown as eventually gnawing at him and turning him – The Sutherland Character is only the character TV people think that TV audiences want same old guy in a different body.
Formula, formula formula..
formula dullness
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BTW
James Cromwell uses an “Irish accent ” which in fact is a hodge podge of various real Irish accent. The Director loved it and gave him a green light.
March 7th, 2012 at 12:49 am
I have watched it twice now. I’m looking at the 3-Disc DVD. This inspires me to want to write a some kind of contemporary slant on LA not this but something completely different, I got something in mind but I can’t define it, I’ll know it when I think it.
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So much more is wrong with the TV Pilot – the writing, the characterization.
..
Marilyn Monroe is played like a character from one of her fluff films instead of like the tough cookie she was.
…
The hush-hush guy is made an omniscient narrator which is not credible and out of place- in the movie he only narrated when appropriate – as an editor reading his copy overlaid on scenes to introduce the film and give flavour and understanding to the atmosphere – he was not omniscient narrator like a big lol he got iced 3/4 though his omniscience.
Bud Smith acts like a wuzz when offered a strong arm position ” whining “I’ll do anything you want” – totally out of character – he was deliberately written that way so as to not upstage Kieffer.
Exley’s part was also underwritten and made to look weak so as not to upstage Sutherland – so this is doing what Hanson was dead agaisnt in the film.
..
Backstory with Bud White just before he pops the woman beater COME ON you back story Hollywood freaks, you’re just writing by PC rote, people don’t need back story to get angry when they see evil deeds right in front of them, today’s forefront becomes tomorrows backstory and people don’t flashback on their back-stories in combat.
I know they wanted to work his backstory in somewhere but that was far too cartoon
– as Bruce Lee said “Sometimes popping a perp is just popping a perp”.
—->
…
Kieffer DOES do a good job, especial role-playing it as a pusher quite admirable in one scene but this TV series is doomed for him. Good thing he went on to ’24’ which was groundbreaking in concept.
Sid Hudgens’s character is well cast for looks, but his energy is a little pulled back and I guess no one can follow De Vito here.
Melissa George (Lynn Margaret Bracken)
is very well cast and does her part very well.
Now why does Eric Roberts (Patchett) always get those roles? I have a hard time separating past-Eric form Eric-Patchett.
The photographer -rape -probably murder scene at the end reminds me of a contemporary case , in Australia? where the Photog raped and killed a model on the beach and the photos he took showed the growing fear in her eyes as she realized he was not kosher Don’t know if it was in the book
The whole thing came across somewhat a little playing as if the audience were dunces to point things out to them like I’d almost expect the “flashing arrow”
—>
So that’s my first impressions – I (JUST FINISHED) watched the movie, then the movie with commentary, then all the special features , then the LA TV pilot last (which was a surprise).
I got Hanson’s vision to the brim and I really admire what he and his team all did – and this is one of the rare times I saw the author (James Ellroy) happy with the film of his book.
Just gut feeling, the TV Pilot had it’s moments but I really really really didn’t like the pilot and think it is no wonder they buried it.
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Thanks for publishing my comments.
(corrected my email)
March 7th, 2012 at 1:06 am
BTW
Sorry – your video link is not good.
The pilot is on Disc 2 of a 3 disk special edition (3rd disk is selected songs from the movie)
Notice:
03 Betty Hutton – Hit the Road to Dreamland
04 Kay Starr Wheel of Fortune
Notice the idea of a bright uptempo Noir – that was carried over into the TV pilot – it’s good – and I like the (uptempo) period film time slices scattered in the pilot.
—>
I’ve though about this a myself for a while before I found this realization – a bright sunny Neo Noir.
March 7th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Gord
Thanks for all of the comments, including the one about the bad link. I had a feeling that the original video was not going to be there long, so it’s good to know that the pilot is included in the special edition DVD. I’ll have to get a copy!
— Steve