Line #373 Characters/TheLAQuartet


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	Characters from the following books by Creator/JamesEllroy.
4
5	* ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia''
6	* ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''
7	* ''Literature/LAConfidential'' (This film version [[Characters/LAConfidential1997 has its own character page]])
8	* ''Literature/WhiteJazz''
9	* ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''
10	* ''Literature/ThisStorm''
11
12	!!LAPD
13	[[folder:Bucky Bleichert]]
14	!!Officer Dwight W. "Bucky" Bleichert
15
16	A former middleweight boxer who joined the LAPD to escape being conscripted into the military.
17	----
18
19	* AlliterativeName: Bucky Bleichert.
20	* AntiHero: He's cynical, shrewd, cold, voyeuristic, and has a ''violent'' temper, but his heart's ultimately in the right place and he's a loyal friend. He also blackmails Madeline Sprague into having sex with him.
21	* BeenThereShapedHistory: Bleichert was a participant in both the Zoot Suit Riots as well as the Black Dahlia murder.
22	* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:Discovering Lee was the mastermind behind the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery and actively used him to eliminate witnesses shatters Bleichert and destroys a lot of his faith in the man. Discovering that he covered up crucial evidence to the Black Dahlia case in exchange for a massive bribe from Georgie Tilden only destroys it further.]]
23	* CallingTheOldManOut: He berates his father for his abuse, indirectly causing his mother's death, and in his view forcing him to snitch on Hideo Ashida and his other Japanese friends thanks to him joining the German Bund Party. He then caps it off by using the winnings from his fight with Lee to put him in a nursing home filled with Jews, viewing it as an IronicHell for his father.
24	* CategoryTraitor:
25	** He ''forced'' himself to forget how to speak German just to spite his father.
26	** His fellow police believe this [[spoiler: after he turns in John Vogel and results in Fritz's suicide.]]
27	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Bleichert's mother died while he was still a child when she drank rubbing alcohol that a scammer sold her and claimed was booze, leaving him trapped with an abusive father. After a successful career as a middleweight boxer, he joined the LAPD to escape the draft, only for his father's membership in the Germand Bund Party to cause Alien Squad to blackmail him into snitching on his Japanese friends, something that still haunts him.
28	* DeadpanSnarker: Bucky is very prone to snarking, especially whenever he's around [[DumbMuscle Koenig]].
29	* DirtyCop: While he's downright tame compared to many of his colleagues, he blackmails Madeline Sprague into having sex with him with his knowledge of her involvement in the Black Dahlia case and Vogel's influence results in him becoming increasingly prone to beating suspects. Still, a very mild example by 1940s LA, especially in James Ellroy's books.
30	* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:He ultimately leaves Los Angeles behind and reunites with Kay in Boston to rekindle their relationship.]]
31	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Bleichert finds himself in the middle of the Zoot Suit Riots where the LAPD is called in to restore order but he hates the idea of fighting the Navy or the Mexican victims. So he flees.
32	* FamedInStory: Had a decent local heroes reputation due to his boxing career.
33	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Bleichert starts having an extended fantasy about lesbians while investigating the crime that goes into graphic detail.
34	-->"I thought about women with women. Not lez types. Soft girls with hard edges."
35	* GreenEyedMonster: He covets the Sprague's wealth, especially since they're first-generation Americans like Bucky and his own family, but are separated by wealth and power.
36	* JerkassHasAPoint: Bleichert doesn't want to spend any time on the Black Dahlia case even before he becomes judgemental about her lifestyle. He points out that this is the case that is best left to the FBI and the focus the LAPD is giving it is distracting from other murderers, including one Bleichert and Blanchard were hunting.
37	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's cold and somewhat unhinged, but his heart's generally in the right place and he's deeply loyal to Kay and Lee.
38	* LightningBruiser: Bucky specialized in being one of these as a boxer. He puts on considerable weight to fight Blanchard in the boxing match [[spoiler: and ends up losing clean.]]
39	* MyGreatestFailure: He deeply regrets selling out Hideo Ashida to the LAPD with false evidence to save his own career, especially since Hideo was only persecuted out of paranoid bigotry.
40	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Bleichert has this reaction to the killings of the four pot users he was trying to shake down for information on a local child molester.
41	* NaziGrandpa: Actually, Nazi Father. His despised father is an avowed Nazi whose ties to a Neo-Nazi organization jeopardized Bleichert's efforts to join the LAPD. This is just one of the many reasons Bleichert despises his father.
42	* NotSoStoic: Bucky's pretty stoic right up until he beats Blanchard to a pulp for [[spoiler:supposedly killing Junior Nash]], and he only gets worse from there.
43	* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: He's racist and homophobic, as well as making some quite sexist judgments of Elizabeth Short.
44	* ProperlyParanoid: He automatically suspects the worst of everyone around him, which actually makes him a fairly skilled detective due to his talent at picking up on lies and inconsistencies.
45	* RankUp: Goes from patrolman to Warrants detective based on his performance during the boxing match.
46	* RedOniBlueOni: He's the stoic and composed Blue to Blanchard's Red. Where Blanchard is emotional and is prone to outbursts, Bleichert is cold to the point he's called out on it.
47	* SanitySlippage: His increasing obsession with the Black Dahlia case, Vogel's influence, and [[spoiler:Blanchard's disappearance]] results in the previously professional and composed Bleichert becoming increasingly impulsive and violent. It gets to the point where he nearly strangles a prostitute to death while hallucinating her to be the Black Dahlia.
48	* TheStoic: He's fairly composed, especially compared to Blanchard. At least, at first. As the Black Dahlia case and [[spoiler:Lee's disappearance]] starts to wear on him, he gradually starts to lose it and his violent temper becomes increasingly apparent.
49	* TheStoolPigeon: Bleichert ratted out two of his Japanese friends to get into the LAPD. It is notable, even among the incredibly racist LAPD, that this marks him as someone untrustworthy.
50	* TakenOffTheCase: [[spoiler: He loses his job at Warrants as well as his role in the Black Dahlia case after beating a teenage suspect for giving a false confession.]]
51	* TookALevelInJerkass: He becomes increasingly violent and angry under Fritz Vogel's influence, and his obsession with the Black Dahlia case only makes him more unstable. [[spoiler:It eventually results in Kay leaving him after she catches him having sex with Madeline, who had styled herself after Elizabeth Short.]]
52	* UndyingLoyalty: He's deeply loyal to Blanchard and Kay. [[spoiler:It's a shame Blanchard didn't return the favor.]]
53	* UnstoppableRage: Whenever he gets mad, Bucky's about as unstoppable as you'd expect a former boxer to be. Notably, he's able to pummel Blanchard (who had beaten him in their staged fight at the beginning of the novel) into submission with ease once he [[spoiler:seemingly kills Junior Nash]].
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Lee Blanchard]]
57	!!Sergeant Leland C. "Lee" Blanchard
58
59	A charismatic former boxer turned LAPD officer and Bucky's partner. Lee is somewhat famous for having stopped a bank robbery early in his career, and a rising star in the department.
60	----
61
62	* AddledAddict: He's addicted to Benzedrine, and he uses it often to help keep himself awake when he has to deal with a massive workload. He starts using it increasingly frequently as he investigates the Black Dahlia case to the point that Kay and Bucky actively worry that he's undergoing SanitySlippage.
63	* BeenThereShapedHistory: Was both a police officer during the Zoot Suit Riots and also investigated the Black Dahlia murder.
64	* TheBigGuy: Was a heavyweight boxer before he became a police officer and still primarily is known for his punching power.
65	* BrokenAce: He's a rising star in the LAPD with a bright future and Loew's favor, but he's a Benzedrine addict still haunted by his sister's disappearance and likely death. [[spoiler:Not to mention that his reputation is all based on a lie.]]
66	* CelibateHero: Isn't sexually involved with his girlfriend and is implied to be unable/unwilling to due to having sex with a woman when his sister was kidnapped.
67	* CowboyCop: Blanchard is initially presented as one; he's a deeply passionate cop who is prone to emotional outbursts, is willing to operate outside the law, and he will kill suspects in self-defense. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed he's a full-blown DirtyCop who was far less principled than he presented himself as.]]
68	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:He was chopped apart with axes by the Rurales under Captain Vasquez's orders. Later, it's revealed it was Madelaine Sprague.]]
69	* DarkAndTroubledPast: His sister was abducted and most likely killed while he was having sex with his girlfriend, and he blames himself for it especially since he had resented her for being his father's favorite. It influences his obsession with the Black Dahlia case.
70	* DeadpanSnarker: He's very prone to wisecracking and snarks almost constantly. Bleichert even lampshades it a few times.
71	* FalseFriend: [[spoiler:He took advantage of Bleichert's loyalty to trick him into killing the only witnesses to the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery by provoking them into a gunfight.]] He does still seem to genuinely care about Bucky, but it's still filtered through a lot of selfishness.
72	* FamedInStory: Was a well-respected heavyweight boxer.
73	* FreudianExcuse: His little sister, Laurie, disappeared as a child and he believes she was murdered by a degenerate of some kind. As such, he is particularly motivated in solving Elizabeth Short's murder.
74	* ItsAllAboutMe: He definitely has shades of this. [[spoiler:When Bleichert beats him for supposedly killing Junior Nash[[note]]which Blanchard admitted to to cover for his meeting with Emmet Sprague[[/note]], Blanchard flees to Mexico and declares to anyone who will hear that Bleichert is dead to him. He completely ignores that not only had he done far worse to Bucky, but the impact his disappearance will have on Bleichert and Kay.]]
75	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Blanchard is initially set up as a ruthless but heroic man who genuinely wants justice for Elizabeth Short and a genuinely good guy. [[spoiler:However, over the course of ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' it becomes clear that Blanchard is a deeply selfish DirtyCop who will happily violate any of his supposed principles for money.]]
76	* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler:He's apparently murdered sometime after he flees to Tijuana under the orders of Captain Vasquez to steal the loot he got from the bank robbery. This turns out to be a RedHerring and it was actually Madelaine Sprague stealing back her father's blackmail money from him.]]
77	* ItsPersonal: His little sister's death motivates him to want to solve the Black Dahlia case.
78	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Kay believes he wanted her and Bleichert to hook up.
79	* RankUp: Goes from patrolmen to Warrants detective due to his boxing career as well as the bank heist he solved.
80	* NotSoAboveItAll: Blanchard has been depicted as a stone cold badass for much of the early book but is loudly crying after killing two people in the botched information shakedown.
81	* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: He's throws around the most slurs out of everyone in the series, and he at one point taunts a Mexican man by mockingly repeating Spanish and noting he'll probably get the death sentence because of his ethnicity.
82	* PutOnABus: [[spoiler:He flees to Tijuana halfway through ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' during his mental spiral, [[BusCrash where his actions eventually result in him being murdered by the Rurales.]]]]
83	* RescueRomance: Kay fell in love with him because he rescued her from Bobby De Witt.
84	* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Bleichert's Blue. Lee is emotionally compromised and impulsive, while Bleichert is calm to the point of being accused of outright coldness.
85	* SexlessMarriage: Doesn't have relations with Kay despite being in love with her.
86	* StepfordSmiler: He's cheerful and affable to a fault, but it's an act that hides a massive guilt complex, which isn't even getting into his Benzedrine addiction and [[spoiler:his corruption.]]
87	* TakenOffTheCase: [[spoiler: His increasingly erratic behavior combined with an explosion of rage after watching a porn film starring Elizabeth Short results in this.]]
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder: Mal Considine]]
91	!! Captain Malcolm "Mal" Considine
92
93	A LAPD officer promoted to captain. He is involved in a custody battle with his wife, Celeste.
94	----
95	* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: Considine's massive efforts to keep custody of his son end up meaning nothing as he dies taking down the Wolverine killer.]]
96	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Meeks, Smith, and other ostensibly far more badass characters give Mal Considine a wider berth than his otherwise unassuming demeanor would seem to require because, during his stint as an Army officer in Europan theater of World War II, when he witnessed the inside of a concentration camp first-hand, he walked into a room where the camp's commander was held and unloaded his sidearm into the latter's face. {{Subverted}} when we discover that Considine is guilty of DomesticAbuse.
97	* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler: Mal takes a bullet to the face.]]
98	* CowboyCop: Mal gradually becomes this to keep custody of his son and to take down the Wolverine. [[spoiler: It gets him killed.]]
99	* DealWithTheDevil: Mal is only interested in retaining custody of his son. He makes a deal with DA Loew and later Claire De Haven to try to keep it.
100	* DomesticAbuse: Mal proceeds to beat his wife so badly that she needs reconstructive surgery. [[spoiler: This was triggered by her claim the Nazi he killed was actually not sexually abusing her and in fact sabotaged the gas chambers at a death camp.]]
101	* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler: Is one of the two protagonists who dies in the book.]]
102	* MoralityPet: Mal has this reaction after he beats his wife to the point their son tries to stop him.
103	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Mal has this reaction after he beats his wife to the point their son tries to stop him.
104	* RankUp: Is promoted as part of his deal with the DA to investigate communism.
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Jack Vincennes]]
108	!!Det. Sgt. John "Trashcan Jack" Vincennes
109
110	A morally jaded cop and consultant for the popular show ''Badge of Honor''. Jack is a blackmail victim of Dudley's as a result of his own crimes but his conscience leads him to slowly work towards doing the right thing.
111	----
112	* AccidentalMurder: Jack showed up to a stakeout while drunk and high, and when it escalated into a shootout he began firing randomly. He accidentally killed an innocent couple, much to his own horror. Dudley had it covered up, and holds it over Jack's head so he'll work for Dudley and assist in his plans.
113	* AddledAddict: Jack was previously an alcoholic junkie to the point it impacted his job. It culminated in him accidentally shooting two civilians when he got into a shootout while high, which Dudley used to blackmail him into his services. Jack quit drugs and booze afterwards out of guilt.
114	* AffablyEvil: He starts off as this. He's a DirtyCop guilty of murder and blackmail, but he's also extremely charming, witty, and friendly. Joan Morrow discusses this, contrasting Jack's amicable yet ruthless personality with [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ed]]'s staunch morals.
115	* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: Part of his backstory. He showed up to a stakeout drunk and high, and when it escalated into a shootout Jack accidentally killed an innocent couple while trying to gun down an attacker.
116	* AntiVillain: Jack is a murderer and a corrupt cop who helps ruin countless lives for his own publicity, as well as somewhat reluctantly aiding in Dudley's schemes. However, he's guilt-ridden over his own actions and hates himself for what he's become, keeping him firmly sympathetic despite being a horrible person.
117	* TheAtoner: He [[spoiler:accidentally kills a young couple, and to make it up to their kids, sends money each month]].
118	* {{Blackmail}}: Dudley and Loew employ him to serve as a bagman and take photos of their enemies doing illicit activities so they can blackmail them.
119	* BrilliantButLazy: He's a talented detective but is far more concerned with his fame than cracking cases. Russ Millard notes that Jack only puts in the bare minimum of work in Ad Vice because he finds it boring and only puts in just enough effort not to get fired.
120	* BrokenAce: Jack is famous, a local hero, charming, witty, and handsome. However, beneath his sterling reputation is a DirtyCop guilty of murder who is tormented by self-loathing and cripplingly obsessed with fame.
121	* DefectiveDetective: He's both corrupt and a murderer on top of his love of the spotlight ''Badge of Honor'' gets him. He was even worse in the past while on drugs, which led to him accidentally shooting a young couple dead.
122	* DirtyCop: He's very corrupt. Jack has murdered people in cold blood in the past to prove his loyalty, and he works as a bagman for Dudley Smith to help further his and Ellis Loew's plans via blackmail.
123	* EvenEvilHasStandards: For as homophobic and corrupt as Jack is, he's genuinely outraged that Timmy Valburn is cheating on Billy Dieterling with Bobby Inge.
124	* FakeUltimateHero: Thanks to Sid's articles, Jack is regarded as a local hero and he's admired by many for busting drug addicts and dealers alike. In reality, Jack is a wreck and a DirtyCop who has murdered severe people and his accomplishments are all part of a sleazy scheme to get publicity. He's even a semi-willing participant in Dudley Smith's schemes.
125	* ForcedIntoEvil: Downplayed. Jack is plenty shady on his own and has murdered people of his own volition, but he participates in Dudley's schemes because of the blackmail material Dudley has on him.
126	* HeteronormativeCrusader: He's morally disgusted by gay people and views them as sexual deviants. He's mostly disgusted at first with Patchett's enterprise because he caters to gay people, and he's quite cruel to Timmy Valburn simply because of his sexuality.
127	* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Jack is ultimately his own worst enemy, and his self-destructive behavior is ultimately the reason for a lot of his suffering. Dudley wouldn't be able to blackmail him if he hadn't shown up to work high and accidentally shot an innocent couple, which causes him no end of suffering. And his unhealthy obsession with his own fame alienates everyone around him.
128	* {{Hypocrite}}: While working in Narcotics, he became addicted to drugs while still being tasked to hunt down drug dealers and drug addicts. He admittedly quit after accidentally killing two civilians during a drug trip, but he's still well-aware that if it were revealed he'd be ruined.
129	* InSeriesNickname: He's known as "Trashcan Jack" in the novel by his colleagues, for the time when he murdered a man and dumped the corpse in a dumpster.
130	* ItsAllAboutMe: He's perfectly willing to ruin people's lives for the crime of [[FelonyMisdemeanor smoking pot]] or [[HeteronormativeCrusader being gay]] if it helps him keep his fame. He only gets involved in the Nite Owl investigation because he was trying to find something to bring himself back into the spotlight - and then to try and find the blackmail material Sid has on him.
131	* KillerCop: He's a murderer several times over. He murdered a perp and dumped his corpse in a trash can as part of some kind of initiation ritual into the LAPD, and he also accidentally murdered a young couple while in a drug-addled haze.
132	* ALighterShadeOfBlack: He's corrupt, but unlike most of the {{Dirty Cop}}s populating the LAPD, Jack is well-aware he's a horrible person and draws the line at wanton murder. In a world where torturing and flat-out executing people is common practice among the police, it makes him a relatively lesser evil.
133	* MayDecemberRomance: The middle-aged Jack strikes up a relationship with Karen Morrow, who is still in her twenties.
134	* MoralityPet: His girlfriend Karen Morrow brings out Jack's softer side and he actively tries to hide his sleazier activities from her because he doesn't want to disappoint her.
135	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He's guilt-ridden over the murders he's committed. While he's especially horrified of having accidentally killed two civilians and sends their children money regularly, he's also regretful of having murdered a criminal as part of an initiation ritual.
136	* NobleBigotWithABadge: Jack isn't particularly noble at first, but he's one of the few {{Dirty Cop}}s in the LAPD to feel guilty about what he is and he shies away from pointless murder and brutality. He eventually decides to do the right thing and try to redeem himself.
137	* NominalHero: He starts off as this. Jack isn't trying to expose the villains' plans for any altruistic reason, but because he thinks it will help rejuvenate his fading fame. He later shifts to trying to find the files Sid is blackmailing him with so the murders he's committed won't be exposed.
138	* OhCrap: While he keeps himself outwardly composed, internally Jack panics when he starts suspecting that Sid knows about Dudley's blackmail material and is threatening him to stay away from the Bobby Inge case.
139	* PoliceBrutality: He was involved in the Bloody Christmas assault, although only in as far as a single punch when one of the victims stained his suit with blood. It's still enough to have the brass blackmail him into testifying, though.
140	* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Jack refers to minorities primarily through racial slurs and shows some antisemitic attitudes, even calling Loew a slur when he brings Karen to watch Jack testify against his colleagues. He's also very homophobic and is irrationally disgusted by gay people.
141	* RecoveredAddict: Jack was formerly a junkie and an alcoholic, but he quit after he shot an innocent couple while drunk and high.
142	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Jack is famous in L.A. for his consultant role on ''Badge of Honor'' and his work in Narcotics, and he's widely regarded as a hero. In reality, Jack is a DirtyCop, blackmailer, and murderer obsessed with fame. He's also aware of this, and it's one of the reasons Jack hates himself so much.
143	* VillainousFriendship: Subverted. He gets along well with Sid Hudgens, but there's no real friendship between them and the two are simply using each other. Sid is also quite willing to threaten Jack when he starts becoming a threat to his plans and tries to blackmail him.
144	[[/folder]]
145
146	[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
147	!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
148
149	A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
150	----
151	* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:He's shot in the face by an unknown assailant in 1947.]]
152	* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:He's killed by an unidentified assailant completely unrelated to the plot of ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia''.]]
153	* DumbMuscle: Koenig's strong and prone to police brutality, but he's as dumb as a rock and absolutely incompetent. The only reason he's a sergeant is because Vogel took the exam for him.
154	* LiteralMinded: Thanks to his stupidity, Koenig sometimes takes Bleichert's sarcasm literally.
155	--> '''Bleichert:''' No shit, Sherlock.\
156	'''Koenig:''' My name's not Sherlock.\
157	'''Bleichert:''' [[DeadpanSnarker No shit.]]
158	* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Koenig shuts down Bleicherts attempt to get off the Black Dahlia case by pointing out he outranks him.
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	[[folder:Russ Millard]]
162	!!Lieutenant Russ Millard
163
164	The shift commander of the Warrants Division and an all-around honest cop.
165	----
166
167	* BigGood: In ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia''. He is the only decent cop in the LAPD and who encourages Bleichert to do the right thing.
168	* KilledOffForReal: Dies as part of the investigation into Dudley Smith.
169	* NiceGuy: He's a friendly, upstanding man and one of the only cops in the ''Quartet'' not to have any major personality defects.
170	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Russ returns in ''Literature/LAConfidential'', and is largely aligned with Exley. Fearing for the safety of the Nite Owl Suspects, advises Exley he's got them stashed for safekeeping. They escape, and the aftermath causes him so much guilt and shame that he has a fatal heart attack.
171	* OnlySaneMan: Millard is one of the only genuinely well-adjusted LAPD officers in the ''Quartet'', and spends most of his time trying to encourage the best influences of his fellow officers.
172	[[/folder]]
173
174	[[folder:Harry Sears]]
175	!!Sergeant Harry Sears
176
177	Millard's partner, a mild-mannered man with a major stutter.
178	----
179
180	* BewareTheNiceOnes: His unassuming demeanor and stutter makes him easy to underestimate, but he's absolutely competent at his job and scarily good at interrogations, being able to break suspects without so much as laying a finger on them.
181	* SatelliteCharacter: He doesn't get much characterization outside of being Millard's partner.
182	[[/folder]]
183
184	[[folder:Dudley Smith]]
185	!! Dudley Smith
186
187	A successful but rightfully terrifying policeman, Dudley is a brutal officer with a particular disdain for minorities known for going too far where cruelty is concerned. Unsurprisingly, he's quite corrupt and acts as the main antagonist of the series overall. For his film incarnation see [[Characters/LAConfidential1997 here]].
188	----
189	* AxCrazy: Dudley is quite the charming gentleman, but it all masks that he's a brutal sadist who commits the most heinous crimes with glee.
190	* BadBoss: Dudley is quite nice and friendly to his allies and is willing to give them material benefits, but he ultimately doesn't give a damn about them. He will betray them if it benefits him or if they [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlive their usefulness]], no matter how long they've worked alongside him.
191	* BigBad: There are tons of villains in the quartet but as soon as he's outed as the perpetrator behind the Sleepy Lagoon murder in the climax of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere'', he becomes the central figure behind much of the corruption and chaos in Los Angeles. The next two novels keep him as the primary antagonist despite other villains with their own schemes and he remains active until the end of ''Literature/WhiteJazz''.
192	* BigotWithABadge: Dudley Smith was already established as a racist DirtyCop in previous ''Literature/LAQuartet'' books but the majority of his EvilPlan in ''Literature/WhiteJazz'' is designed around exclusively marketing heroin to the black population of Los Angeles in hopes of keeping them "contained."
193	* BigotryException:
194	** Dudley is bigoted against every minority, but he's willing to ally with the Jewish [[PersecutingProsecutor Ellis Loew]] because he shares Dudley's far-right politics. Dudley still refers to him with antisemitic slurs and condescendingly claims he's a good man in spite of being Jewish, but still shows some possibly sincere fondness for him.
195	** Despite all his bigotry and homophobia, he genuinely did care about Hideo Ashida and consider him a friend, despite him being both a Japanese-American and gay.
196	* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: While instructing Jack to help him blackmail some influential celebrities and politicians, Dudley objects to Jack's blunt assessment that's what they're going to do. Dudley prefers the term "reciprocity of friendship".
197	* TheChessmaster: Dudley grows into a devious mastermind by the time of the original ''Literature/LAQuartet'', managing to stay in the shadows and play the criminal game from most of the police and protagonists while plotting to consolidate the city's crime underneath him.
198	* ControlFreak: He's a vicious racist and abusive family man. Not wanting his niece dating a Hispanic, he literally tortures her boyfriend to death to get rid of him and years later stops by her college campus to remind her what he'll do if she goes against his racist dating demands again.
199	* TheCorruptor: He's great at getting his hooks into people and the likes of Lee Blanchard, Hideo Ashida and even Bud White for a time all fall prey to his scheming to make them worse and worse to his benefit.
200	* CowboyCop: In his younger days, Dudley's violent tendencies get the top brass to dispatch him for easy solutions to dangerous criminals, at one point he and his underlings simply approach a confirmed rapist with shotguns to viscerally blow the man apart.
201	* TheDon: A variation, since he is a DirtyCop, but certainly qualifies, since he aspires to have control of all the criminal activities of Los Angeles.
202	* DragonInChief:
203	** In ''Literature/LAConfidential'' he goes from an enforcer under Pierce Patchett to relegating his "partner" to a scared survivalist with the Nite Owl shooting. Between his threats and intelligence, Patchett is left helpless on the sidelines while Dudley runs amok as the true power between them.
204	** ''Literature/WhiteJazz'' has him quite broker the deal for JC Kafesjian and the LAPD, acting more like an enforcer to the higher up corrupt cops but shows through the novel he's once again the real power in the organization despite his rank as a mere Captain.
205	* TheDreaded: Dudley's most eerie ability is that nearly everyone he meets feels something foreboding about him. Many of his intros to viewpoint characters have them saying they feel uncomfortable or even scared around him.
206	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Generally averted, as Dudley betrays even alleged close friends, and is so neglectful of his actual family that he frequently forgets his children's names. However, he genuinely does care about Hideo Ashida and [[spoiler:sincerely mourns his death.]]
207	* EvilMentor: He serves as this to Bud White, trying to help him become even better at being a DirtyCop and make him into another one of Dudley's loyal henchmen. Bud for his part is terrified of Dudley and never warms up to him, although he appreciates that Smith lets him beat and kill suspects with impunity.
208	* EyeScream: The assault that leaves him permanently disabled also sees his attacker brutally tearing one of his eyes out.
209	* AFatherToHisMen: Dudley affects this image to gain loyalty from his men, but in reality it's subverted. Despite some of his underlings' almost cultish loyalty to him and Dudley's fatherly demeanor, he's very quick to throw them under the bus if it benefits him.
210	* FateWorseThanDeath: Dudley Smith ends up with brain damage severe enough that it renders him non-lucid for long periods of time and no longer a threat to anyone. He ends up cared for by nurses and the subject of various biopics.
211	* FauxAffablyEvil: Despite the ominous feeling of dread his very presence seems to instill in everyone, Dudley plays the part of a mild mannered, almost-fatherly figure, peppering his dialogue with lexicons, insisting on being referred to by first name and playing chummy with his fellow officers.
212	* FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence: Dudley is racist against all minorities, but he has a special hatred for black people and he's motivated primarily by finding a way to "contain" them away from white people out of a genuine belief they're inherently threatening.
213	* FirstNameBasis: Insists on being called by his first name and does the same to other characters, trying to present a friendly image to hide his true, monstrous nature.
214	* FromCamouflageToCriminal: He worked as an OSS spymaster during World War II, and he's a corrupt cop behind nearly all of the crime and misery in Los Angeles.
215	* GreaterScopeVillain: He's neither seen nor mentioned in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' but ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' reveals he's the reason why Lee's in so deep as a DirtyCop in the first place, having corrupted him into becoming a criminal hitman in the first place.
216	* HeroKiller: For a given value of hero, but [[spoiler:Buzz Meeks is one of the main protagonists of ''The Big Nowhere'' and does his best to combat Dudley's criminal empire. Dudley murders him in the prologue of ''LA Confidential''.]]
217	* {{Hypocrite}}: Dudley--in an atypically blunt fashion--exclaims his need to suppress minorities into being docile. Yet when Jack confirms that Dudley wants him to '[[UnusualEuphemism run bag on]]' (shake down) his celebrity friends for campaign money, Dudley takes umbrage and states that he prefers the term '[[BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord reciprocity of friendship]]', though it's exactly what Dudley wants Jack to do.
218	* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: [[spoiler:Dudley ends up with brain damage and is cared for by a variety of nurses while ranting incoherently about containment in between singing Irish songs]].
219	* InSeriesNickname: He's frequently referred to as "Dud" by his associates.
220	* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: In ''Literature/WhiteJazz'', he [[spoiler:gets a beating that leaves him so broken and brain damaged he'll never be able to hurt anyone again]].
221	* KnightTemplar: Dudley is so deeply racist he believes Los Angeles's black population and minorities in general needs to be "contained" and kept docile for the greater good, which drives many of his actions.
222	* LargeAndInCharge: He's not the tallest character in the setting, unlike his film version but Dudley is well over 6' and mentioned to have a broad, intimidating frame and a Lieutenant and later police Captain.
223	* ManipulativeBastard: Dudley's perfectly happy to string people along into thinking they're on a team and dispose of them after they've [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived their usefulness]], with even his alleged friend and partner for well over a decade Mike Breuning becoming a quick patsy to die once Dudley's done with him.
224	* MaskOfSanity: A very subdued and disturbing one. He never loses his cool demeanor, and he comes off as a rational individual but psychologically trained characters outright believe he's ultimately motivated by an enjoyment of hurting people.
225	* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Dudley likes to present himself as well-intentioned, but he's motivated primarily by racism and his own greed.
226	* PoliceBrutality: Many of the characters engage in intimidation tactics to get confessions but Dudley's the worst of all as a vicious murderer who tortures a young man to death out of racism; literally strangles a baby to death; and sets up a program to beat and scare criminals out of LA.
227	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Given the time, most of the characters are casually bigoted and Dudley presents at the same level but in private he's far worse, literally beating a Mexican boy to death for dating his niece and intending to distribute his heroin to predominantly black neighborhoods to "contain" them.
228	* PowerFist: He forces the prisoners witness to the Bloody Christmas incident to retract their statements that Bud participated in beating them by beating them into it with brass knuckles. When Dudley shows them to Bud, they're chipped and covered with blood.
229	%%* ProxyWar: Dudley and Exley begin one of these in ''Literature/WhiteJazz''.
230	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: [[spoiler:Receives one in ''Literature/WhiteJazz'' that ends in him getting brain damage and losing an eye.]]
231	* OfficerOHara: Plays up his folksy Irish mannerisms as a means of softening his image.
232	* RabidCop: He's vicious when bracing people about the Sleepy Lagoon Murder, which turns out to be a killing he committed himself out of brutal racism.
233	* {{Sadist}}: He's defined by his enjoyment of hurting people and seems to get off on feeling powerful from it. After discovering Danny Upshaw's homosexuality and knowing a scheduled polygraph test will destroy Danny's career, he literally kisses Danny on the lips as a final mockery, something that ends up driving the broken Danny to suicide.
234	* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Dudley always uses two-dollar words even in casual conversation. Ed even describes him as a "lexophile with a brogue".
235	* TheSociopath: Subverted. Dudley is extremely violent and depraved beneath his gentlemanly exterior, and he has no hesitation about betraying even longtime allies if it suits him with no remorse. Yet he genuinely does come to care about Hideo Ashida despite his rampant bigotry and homophobia, [[spoiler:even weeping when he dies.]]
236	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: During the Nite Owl investigation, both Deputy Chief Green and Russ Millard commiserate that despite working with him, they don't particularly like Dudley and are disturbed by his virulent racism.
237	* VillainProtagonist: ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and ''Literature/ThisStorm'' cast him as a POV character during the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII setting... being Dudley, he uses the conflict to become a war profiteer with an assortment of vile schemes preying on oppressed Japanese-Americans.
238	* VillainRespect: He has some admiration for Bud White's brutality and bravery at least in the sense that it makes him a good underling, and protects him from the aftermath of the Bloody Christmas incident because he doesn't want to waste Bud's potential.
239
240	[[/folder]]
241
242	[[folder:Jack Tierney]]
243	!!Captain Jack Tierney
244
245	The commander of Warrants Division.
246	----
247
248	* DaChief: He's the head of Warrants Squad, and prone to screaming down any of his subordinates that dare annoy him.
249	* PuppetKing: As Tierney himself admits, Loew is the one who really runs the show at Warrants Division.
250	[[/folder]]
251
252	[[folder:Fritz Vogel]]
253	!!Sergeant Friedrich "Fritz" Vogel
254
255	Koenig's more intelligent partner.
256	----
257
258	* AbusiveParents: He's emotionally abusive of John and constantly insults him to his face.
259	* ButtMonkey: He gets absolutely no respect from his colleagues. Captain Tierney outright mocks him in front of the rest of Warrants Division, and people spread various embarrassing rumors about Vogel's personal life.
260	* DirtyCop: To the point that the rest of the LAPD is collectively ashamed of him, which says a lot considering how corrupt the entire department is. Unfortunately, thanks to his status as Loew's right-hand man, he's still given considerable leeway and [[spoiler:makes him able to ruin Bleichert's reputation when he nearly exposes his attempts to force innocent men to confess to the Black Dahlia murder.]]
261	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He shoots himself in the head after Bleichert exposes his crimes.]]
262	* {{Jerkass}}: He's a brutal, spiteful thug with no qualms about beating confessions out of innocent men, and he's extremely petty and confrontational to boot. Not even his son is safe from Fritz's verbal abuse.
263	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: For all his faults, he does seem like he genuinely likes Bleichert and wants him for a partner. However, the second Bleichert angers him, it becomes clear that Vogel viewed him as a naive rube he could mold into a YesMan and he instantly turns against him.
264	[[/folder]]
265
266	[[folder:John Vogel]]
267	!!Officer John Vogel
268
269	Fritz Vogel's good-for-nothing son.
270	----
271
272	* {{Jerkass}}: He's a violent moron who beats prostitutes as a past-time.
273	* WellDoneSonGuy: Fritz frequently insults him and throws homophobic slurs at him.
274	* WouldHitAGirl: Beats up a prostitute in order to get information out of her.
275	[[/folder]]
276
277	[[folder:Ray Pinker]]
278	!!Ray Pinker
279
280	A forensic chemist working for the LAPD.
281	----
282	* DeadpanSnarker: He's constantly making sarcastic remarks.
283	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off a real man who really did work for the LAPD.
284	* PluckyComicRelief: He's a notably comical character who constantly cracks jokes, providing levity in the otherwise extremely dark ''Literature/LAConfidential''.
285	[[/folder]]
286
287	[[folder:William Parker]]
288	!!Chief William H. Parker
289
290	The police chief of the LAPD.
291	----
292	* AscendedExtra: He's a minor supporting character in the original Quartet, but he's a major character in the prequels and a viewpoint character in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
293	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real LAPD chief.
294	* InternalReformist: Extremely downplayed. Parker's fine with PoliceBrutality, but he's one of the few to frown on using it pointlessly and sides with Ed because of this.
295	* MinorMajorCharacter: He doesn't appear all that much in ''L.A. Confidential'', but the fact that both Dudley and Ed have his favor plays a major role in the plot.
296	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed. He's fully complicit in the LAPD's corruption and quite willing to listen to Dudley, but he takes a liking to Ed for his staunch morals and frowns on outright police brutality for the most part.
297	[[/folder]]
298
299	[[folder:Mike Breuning]]
300	!!Detective Mike Breuning
301
302	A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
303	----
304	* UndyingLoyalty: He's deeply loyal to Dudley, and Bud notes his devotion is slavish and almost cult-like.
305	[[/folder]]
306
307	[[folder:Richard Carlisle]]
308	!!Detective Richard Carlisle
309
310	A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
311	----
312	* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley in an almost cult-like fashion.
313	[[/folder]]
314
315	[[folder:Thad Green]]
316	!!Deputy Chief Thad Green
317
318	The deputy chief of the LAPD and Ed's superior.
319	----
320	* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: He's a ReasonableAuthorityFigure who throws around a few racial slurs, though he's horrified by the volume of Dudley's bigotry.
321	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's one of the few officers to frown on using PoliceBrutality to get confessions, and he's quite supportive of Ed while still acknowledging how much his fellow officers dislike him. He also recognizes Dudley Smith is bad news specifically because of his racism, as well as trusting the kindly Russ Millard instead.
322	[[/folder]]
323
324	[[folder:Art De Spain]]
325	!!Lieutenant Arthur "Art" De Spain
326
327	Preston Exley's best friend and one of Ed's mentors.
328	----
329	* MentorInSourArmor: He's quite cynical about the LAPD and its office politics, and tries to dissuade Ed from being a ByTheBookCop. He still does his best to mentor him and help him succeed.
330	[[/folder]]
331
332	!! LA County Police
333
334	[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
335	!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
336
337	A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the Wolverine killings.
338	----
339
340	* {{Archenemy}}: The Wolverine killer becomes the focus of his obsession.
341	* ArmoredClosetGay: Danny Upshaw thinks he's this, flirting with multiple women and cultivating a reputation as a ladies' man. In fact, it's more EveryoneCanSeeIt and the realization of this contributes to [[spoiler: Danny's suicide.]]
342	* BotheringByTheBook: Danny Upshaw uses the fact that food and beverages are under the control of LA County to threaten people he can't technically arrest in Los Angeles proper.
343	* ByTheBookCop: Starts as one of these but gradually becomes a CowboyCop the more he becomes obsessed with the Wolverine killings.
344	* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees to help investigate communist activity for more support in finding the Wolverine.
345	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid to avert anyone finding out about his homosexuality]]
346	* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer is motivated by his own repressed homosexuality.
347	* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
348	* TheHeroDies: Danny is the first of the protagonists to die due to being [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide.]]
349	* HoneyPot: Is sent to seduce Claire de haven as part of his investigation into communist activity.
350	* JurisdictionFriction: The LAPD and LA County Sheriff's Department are loggerheads over Cohen. Thus Danny gets stonewalled by the LAPD when he first tries to investigate the Goines murder. A free hand in running the case is his top condition for joining the anticommunist task force.
351	[[/folder]]
352
353	!!District Attorney's Office
354
355	[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
356	!!Ellis Loew
357
358	The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and the ''real'' head of Warrants Division. Later elected to District Attorney.
359	----
360
361	* AmbitionIsEvil: Loew is planning a massive union-busting witch hunt for communists in order to bring attention to his political campaign. It causes no end of trouble at the end of ''The Big Nowhere.''
362	* ArmoredClosetGay[=/=]StraightGay: [[spoiler:Loew is a closeted homosexual, but shows no effeminate traits. Nor does he show any sympathy for "some homo actor" who died.]]
363	* AssholeVictim: He may have reluctantly helped [[spoiler: Dudley]], but was still an arrogant SmugSnake of a lawyer. Notably, this is the first time Exley is fine with White's PoliceBrutality.
364	* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
365	* {{Jerkass}}: He's short-tempered, entitled, and throws a hissy fit whenever things don't go his way.
366	* LaserGuidedKarma: Buzz Meeks takes the opportunity to burn down his house with all of the grand jury's accumulated evidence on the communists.
367	* PersecutingProsecutor: He's very willing to cut corners to get what he wants, and encourages officers to use violence to get information out of their suspects.
368	** Averted in the movie - [[spoiler:He originally refused to cooperate in Smith's corruption and wanted to prosecute them, but was then blackmailed.]] - but played straight in the book; he is mostly funded by extortion [[spoiler: run by Jack]] and only wins the DA campaign thanks to his opponent being framed [[spoiler: also by Jack]]. His downfall comes when [[spoiler: Ed]] uses these to leverage himself above [[spoiler: Dudley]] in the police chain of command.
369	* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this in ''The Big Nowhere'' in order to make a name for himself.
370	[[/folder]]
371
372	!!Criminals
373
374	!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
375
376	[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
377	!!Mickey Cohen
378
379	An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
380	----
381	* AffablyEvil: Mickey Cohen is a ruthless gangster but a pleasant enough man with his own code of honor.
382	* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
383	* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Bizarrely, Mickey is one of the few characters in the book who seems to be genuinely motivated by disgust at the abuse and ill-treatment of the women under his protection. This along with other PetTheDog moments, makes him closer to a NobleDemon than most characters, including the protagonists.
384	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
385	* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real life was known to have a hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
386	* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
387	* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
388	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly, he is prone to keeping his temper and only using force when necessary or when his code is broken. A sharp contrast to the real Mickey's reputation.
389	[[/folder]]
390
391	[[folder:Buzz Meeks]]
392	!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
393
394	An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen and Howard Hughes. Becomes one of the protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere.''
395	----
396	* {{Antihero}}: Is a corrupt DirtyCop and a general scumbag but wants to make up for [[spoiler:driving Danny Upshaw to suicide.]]
397	* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
398	* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
399	* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:Even when Dudley has Buzz at gunpoint, Buzz still tries to shoot him without a hint of fear. He's also able to take most of his assailants with him.]]
400	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and nearly shooting Dudley himself.]]
401	* TheFixer: Buzz Meeks has this job for Howard Hughes. He covers up his various affairs with actresses both underage and otherwise. He also cleans up for Howard's friends.
402	* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In ''White Jazz'', Mickey Cohen is no longer the feared gangster he used to be despite being out of prison. He only holds a few small gambling businesses and is firmly under Dudley Smith's control.
403	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Buzz is killed by Dudley Smith a week after the events of ''The Big Nowhere.'']]
404	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Buzz kills a DirtyCop in self-defense and Danny Upshaw is blamed for it due to the fact they'd been in a confrontation the previous day. [[spoiler: This leads to Danny's suicide.]]
405	* PrivateDetective: Buzz is the head of security for Howard Hughes, which roughly gives him this feel before he's hired by the Grand Jury and becomes indistinguishable from a cop.
406	* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem himself.
407	[[/folder]]
408
409	[[folder: Johnny Stompanato]]
410
411	Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
412	----
413	* ButtMonkey: to Bud White.
414	* DemotedToExtra: from the book (where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) to the film.
415	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
416	* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the book his real-life manslaughter is brought up to Ed; said death means Ed has no evidence linking Dudley Smith to anything.]]
417	* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
418	[[/folder]]
419
420	!!!Others
421
422	[[folder:Charles Issler]]
423	!!Charles Issler
424
425	A former cop turned pimp who frequently confesses to the murders of prostitutes.
426	----
427
428	* DirtyCop: Played with. He is a cop who has turned to sex trafficking and hates himself for it.
429	* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to the murder of prostitutes despite just being a pimp.
430	* ReluctantMonster: Sally Stinson notes that Issler's constant false confessions are motivated by his guilt over his profession, but it's clearly not enough for him to stop.
431	* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
432	[[/folder]]
433
434	[[folder:Junior Nash]]
435	!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
436
437	A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
438	----
439
440	* KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler:Lee murders him in a fit of rage under the belief he killed Elizabeth Short.]] [[spoiler:Though it's later revealed Blanchard ''hadn't'' killed him, and had confessed to Bleichert to cover up he had accepted a massive bribe to bury crucial evidence to the Black Dahlia case.]]
441	[[/folder]]
442
443	[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
444	!!Sally Stinson
445
446	A prostitute working under Issler.
447	----
448
449	* ButtMonkey: She's destitute to the point she was forced into prostitution, and John and Fritz Vogel beat her to a pulp to learn Issler's whereabouts.
450	[[/folder]]
451
452	[[folder:Bobby De Witt]]
453	!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
454
455	A violent pimp who Lee Blanchard arrested for the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery.
456	----
457
458	* AssholeVictim: Pretty much everything that can go wrong for Bobby does, culminating in [[spoiler:Blanchard hiring Mexican hitmen to murder him]], but it's hard to feel bad for him given the abuse he put Kay through.
459	* KarmicButtMonkey: He's [[spoiler:framed for bank robbery]], sentenced to five years in prison, is beaten to a pulp by Bleichert the day after his release, and [[spoiler:is murdered on Blanchard's orders shortly after]]. However, given his abuse of Kay and countless other women, it's difficult to feel bad for him.
460	[[/folder]]
461
462	[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
463	Coleman Maskie is the illegitimate son of Reynolds Loftis. He is driven insane by a combination of witnessing the Sleepy Lagoon murder, his father sexually abusing him, and his crush choosing his father over him.
464	----
465
466	* BandagedFace: Bandaged Face: Danny Upshaw hears a lot about a kid with bandages covering a supposedly burned face who used to hang around Marty Goines and help him commit burglaries. In reality, the bandages were the aftermath of plastic surgery. [[spoiler: The bandaged kid was Coleman Masskie, Reynolds Loftis' illegitimate son. Reynolds commissioned a facelift from Terry Lux to make Coleman resemble him perfectly, as part of his own twisted incestuous fantasies. At the time he was seen with the bandages, Coleman was recovering from his second visit to Lux, to undo this job by breaking every bone in his face.]]
467	* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
468	* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
469	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was an abused young orphan boy created by a mentally ill woman to give to the church before he found his rich father, only to be sexually abused by him. He was also a witness to the Sleepy Lagoon murder but too scared of the killer [[spoiler: Dudley Smith]] to come forward.
470	* DepravedBisexual: Coleman's sexuality is questionable as he abuses gay men but also lusts for Claire De Haven. He does, however, have a sincere lust for Danny Upshaw.
471	* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
472	* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
473	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
474	* ScaryTeeth: The killer mutilates his victims' corpses using a set of dentures he fashioned out of wolverine teeth. Buzz and Mal get to see this in person during the climactic shootout.
475	* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
476	* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is a bisexual man himself.
477	[[/folder]]
478
479	!! Communists
480
481	[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
482	A beautiful upper-class woman who is a major leading figure among the Hollywood Left.
483	----
484
485	* BrokenPedestal: Claire Katherine De Haven is a figure on the Hollywood social circuit and is a communist sympathizer in order to help people in need. [[spoiler: She also enabled a known rapist and murderer get away with his crimes as well as protected Reynolds Loftis despite the fact he had sex with his own son.]] This ruins the opinion of Mal Considine, who carried a torch for her.
486	* FemmeFatale: Is a key factor in driving Danny Upshaw to his death. [[spoiler: Arranging a movie screening of her having sex with a man to gauge his sexual interest in both, letting him know she knows that he's a gay man.]]
487	* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working-class values but is a rich UptownGirl who uses her connections to get herself as well as her friends out of trouble with the authorities.
488	* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
489	* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
490	* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is something that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
491	* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil and vile. Whenever a communist party member does something wrong, they have to be protected.
492	* SmugSnake: Claire believes she's beyond reproach and can win in the public eye despite the fact the papers as well as system are all stacked against us.
493	* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
494	* YouAreWhatYouHate: Claire is a rich woman who abuses her connections to protect her friends from the consequences of their actions. She's also a communist.
495	[[/folder]]
496
497	!!Civilians
498
499	!!!The Spragues
500
501	[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
502	!!Madeline Sprague
503
504	The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
505	----
506
507	* AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
508	* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the drop of a hat, tells horrific stories about her family during bed, and seems fascinated by her resemblance to Elizabeth Short.
509	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke this with Bleichert by saying she had sex with Elizabeth Short once. {{Subverted}} in that it makes him deeply uncomfortable, though whether it's because of the same sex nature of her liaison or the fact Elizabeth was horribly murdered or both is unclear.
510	* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
511	* SpoiledBrat: Emmett gives her pretty much everything she could ever want, and she still slums it with the poor of Los Angeles for fun, as well as having engaged in [[spoiler:an affair with Elizabeth Short]].
512	* RebelliousPrincess: She's wealthy and the daughter of a powerful conservative businessman, but she prefers to spend her time slumming it in the poorer parts of Los Angeles.
513	[[/folder]]
514
515	[[folder:Emmett Sprague]]
516	!!Emmett Sprague
517
518	A wealthy and influential Scottish businessman.
519	----
520
521	* AffablyEvil: He's friendly and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and a Nazi sympathizer to boot.
522	* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After his pet dog brought him a newspaper reporting on the deal that made him rich, Emmett shot the dog so he could have it stuffed to "commemorate the moment".
523	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from working with Mickey Cohen, and all of the apartments he built are shoddily constructed tenements; fifteen of them collapsed during an earthquake and killed everyone inside, which he quickly covered up.
524	* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
525	* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
526	* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
527	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
528	* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her with his views.
529	[[/folder]]
530
531	[[folder:Ramona Sprague]]
532	!!Ramona Sprague
533
534	Madeleine's drug-addicted and resentful mother.
535	----
536
537	* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is the actual murderer of Elizabeth Short.]]
538	* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with her and her resemblance to their daughter.]]
539	* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection to Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her in such a horrific way. Bleichert is completely confused at the evidence leading to her until she explains she was driven mad with jealousy over Georgie's affair.]]
540	* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
541	* RichBitch: Ramona believes her own husband is beneath her and despises the working class. Her story at the table also makes fun of Bleichert's home neighborhood.
542	* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
543	[[/folder]]
544
545	[[folder:Martha Sprague]]
546	!!Martha Sprague
547
548	Madeleine's artistic sister.
549	----
550
551	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends the entirety of Bucky's dinner with the Spragues sketching a drawing of him and Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
552	* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any of the Sprague family, or even met them, without her sending clues to the police.]]
553	[[/folder]]
554
555	!Dieterling Family
556
557	[[folder:Raymond Dieterling]]
558	!!Raymond Dieterling
559
560	A famous owner of an animation studio and Preston Exley's business partner.
561	----
562	* MrAltDisney: He's clearly inspired by Creator/WaltDisney, being the creator of an animation studio famous for its characters such as [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse Moochie Mouse]] and [[WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck Danny Duck]].
563	[[/folder]]
564
565	[[folder:Billy Dieterling]]
566	!!Billy Dieterling
567
568	Raymond's son and a closeted gay man.
569	----
570	[[/folder]]
571
572	!!!Others
573	[[folder:Kay Lake]]
574	!!Kay Lake
575
576	A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
577	----
578
579	* AscendedExtra: Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and helps the LAPD against communists.
580	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Bobby De Witt subjected her to brutal physical abuse and forced her into prostitution, [[spoiler:which motivated Lee to frame him for the bank robbery.]]
581	* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
582	* FemmeFatale: She's a beautiful woman with a checkered and mysterious past, though she's given much more depth than the typical Femme Fatale, and it's clear form the get-go she cares about Lee and Bleichert.
583	* FemaleGaze: Kay Lake suggests this is why she enjoys watching the boxing match between Bleichert and Blanchard. Both of the men getting sweaty without their shirts.
584	* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in her and Blanchard's apartment to seduce Bleichert. It doesn't work, in part, due to Bleichert being in no mood due to having just killed two people.
585	* MsFanservice: Much attention is paid to how describing beautiful Kay Lake is and how good she looks naked, particularly when she's trying to seduce Bleichert.
586	* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
587	* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
588	[[/folder]]
589
590	[[folder:Lorna Maltikova]]
591	!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
592
593	An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
594	----
595
596	* AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
597	* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant and confrontational. Within a matter of minutes, she's brought to the point of tears and pathetically begs Millard, Bleichert, and Sears not to send her back to her parents.
598	* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
599	* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it for as much money as possible.
600	[[/folder]]
601
602	[[folder:Elizabeth Short]]
603	!!Elizabeth Short
604
605	An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
606	----
607	* ConsummateLiar: Pretty much everyone who knew her notes that Elizabeth constantly told outrageous lies, most often claiming that she was married to or in a relationship with a war hero.
608	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: A GlasgowGrin was carved into her face. Elizabeth Short was also tortured for two days before she was disemboweled and cut in half. Sadly, it was TruthInTelevision.
609	* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems to have done nothing wrong or even noteworthy to a modern reader.
610	* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and egotism appears to be a coping mechanism from having abusive and neglectful parents who flat-out admit they don't care that she's dead.
611	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: She was entirely real, though James Ellroy fictionalized the investigation into her death to give her more closure than she got in real life.
612	* LittleBlackDress: Elizabeth has gained her reputation as the Black Dahlia because she always wore black outfits as a way to attract the attention of directors.
613	* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
614	* SmallNameBigEgo: As multiple people point out, she simply assumed she was the next big talent without putting any real work into her acting skills simply because she dressed in all black.
615	* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
616	[[/folder]]
617
618	[[folder:Georgie Tilden]]
619	!!Georgie Tilden
620
621	Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
622	----
623
624	* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Emmett disfigured him with a knife and framed him for the Black Dahlia murder, but Tilden is a necrophiliac psycho who was complicit in the murder, so it's hard to feel bad for him.]]
625	* AxCrazy: He has a perverse obsession with dead bodies and frequently digs them up and collects their body parts. [[spoiler:When Bleichert enters his home, Tilden immediately tries to murder him with a scalpel.]]
626	* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
627	[[/folder]]
628
629	[[folder:Vasquez]]
630	!!Captain Vasquez
631
632	A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
633	----
634
635	* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
636	* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
637	* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
638	[[/folder]]
639
640	[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
641	!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
642
643	A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
644	----
645
646	* FalseConfession: He is one of the many men who confess to murdering the Black Dahlia but did not.
647	* {{Jerkass}}: While he clearly didn't kill Short, he's still a creep with some very misogynistic views on women.
648	[[/folder]]
649
650
651	[[folder:Preston Exley]]
652	!!Preston Exley
653
654	Ed Exley's father. Preston is a former LAPD officer famous for capturing the Dr. Frankenstein killer, who capitalized on his fame and used it to become a construction magnate.
655	----
656	* AffablyEvil: Preston is a friendly, cultured man who is quite polite and well-mannered. [[spoiler:As Ed learns, he's also corrupt and got his position through moral compromises.]]
657	* DeathByAdaptation: He's a PosthumousCharacter in the film, having been merged with his late son Thomas Exley.
658	* OpportunisticBastard: He taught Ed to be as opportunistic as he was so he could succeed, and always encourages his son's ruthless careerism. Preston himself is just as ruthless as Ed, but has the charm to back it up.
659	* OutlivingOnesOffspring: His son Thomas was killed prior to the novel. Ed is well-aware Thomas was his father's favorite, fueling his desire to impress the man.
660	* ParentsAsPeople: He's a loving father to Ed, but it's clear to Ed that his late brother Thomas was his favorite and that Preston isn't satisfied with how stoic and uncharismatic Ed is.
661	[[/folder]]
662
663	[[folder:Inez]]
664	!!Inez Soto
665	->'''Portrayed By:''' Marisol Padilla Sánchez
666
667	A student who is kidnapped and raped by the main suspects of the Nite Owl killings. Exley's attempts to verify their role in the massacre conflict with her want for vengeance.
668	----
669
670	* DemotedToExtra: Is one of the most important characters in the book but is in only a couple of scenes.
671	* FramingTheGuiltyParty: In the movie, knows that the police won't care about a young Mexican girl being raped, but will stop at nothing to kill the criminals if they think they killed six white people. So she goes along with the frame job to get justice. In the book, she does so to make Exley feel better. Later, she throws it back in his face.
672	* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: In the book, she tells him her rapists were involved in the Nite Owl murders.
673	* MalignedMixedMarriage: Ed Exley has a long affair with Inez Soto, who he meets during an investigation. He never marries her, because it's the 1950s, and marrying a Mexican woman would hurt his police career.
674	* ManipulativeBitch: Book only. However justified, she proceeds to play on Exley and Bud's feelings both to make herself feel better as well as lies about a murder investigation.
675	* TheMistress: Exley makes her this in the book and it feeds into her resentment of him as a lover.
676	* UngratefulBitch: Exley believes this of her given he's provided her a home and job as well as position. Inez believes this means he considers her just a whore.
677	* SympatheticAdulterer: Averted. While the book Inez has many reasons to resent Exley's treatment of her, she deliberately seeks out Bud White (the man Exley hates MOST) to have her affair as well as continues it for four years.
678	[[/folder]]
679
680	[[folder:Timmy Valburn]]
681	!!Timmy Valburn
682
683	An actor who voices Moochie Mouse and Billy Dieterling's boyfriend.
684	----
685	* AmbiguouslyEvil: It's left unclear at first if he's involved in something sinister, or if Timmy opposes Jack's investigation simply because he doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
686	* JerkassHasAPoint: Jack treats him as unreasonable for opposing his investigation, but Timmy's primary grievance is that he simply doesn't want his sexuality to be exposed.
687	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He threatens to use his connections in Hollywood against Jack to stop him from exposing his sexuality.
688	[[/folder]]
689
690	[[folder:Bobby Inge]]
691	!!Bobby Inge
692
693	A gay prostitute who distributes porn for Pierce Patchett.
694	----
695	* CombatPragmatist: When Jack tries to arrest him, Bobby escapes by throwing vodka in his face and running while Jack's distracted.
696	* SmallRoleBigImpact: He rarely appears onscreen, but Jack's pursuit of him causes him to start investigating with the villains' conspiracy.]]
697	[[/folder]]
698
699	[[folder:Karen Morrow]]
700	!!Karen Morrow
701
702	Jack's idealistic girlfriend and later wife.
703	----
704	* BreakTheCutie: Karen starts off as idealistic and perky, but after marrying Jack she quickly becomes disillusioned with him and his self-destructive personality.
705	* BrokenPedestal: She idolizes Jack at first, but comes to gradually hate him after seeing the darker sides of his personality. [[spoiler:However, when he confesses his crimes to her, she appreciates his honesty and decides to try and save their marriage.]]
706	* WideEyedIdealist: She starts off as this, admiring Jack for stopping her from trying marijuana and viewing him as a hero. She becomes increasingly cynical over time.

Context Characters / TheLAQuartet