History Trivia / LAConfidential

!!The book:

* ReferencedBy: Barney Stinson is a major character in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', and is named after a heroin dealer who is mentioned in passing in the book.

!!The film:

* AbilityOverAppearance: Creator/JamesEllroy describes the character of Bud White as the biggest cop on the L.A. force. Noting that he wasn't even 6 foot, Creator/RussellCrowe decided to move into an apartment so small that he had to duck to get into the doorways and could barely stand up in. Crowe said this worked in making him feel like a "giant" by the time he came to the set to shoot.
* AllStarCast: Creator/KevinSpacey, Creator/RussellCrowe, Creator/GuyPearce, Creator/KimBasinger, Creator/DannyDeVito, and Creator/JamesCromwell. In some ways a retroactive example, as it was both Crowe's and Pearce's StarMakingRole.
** Ironically since there were so many important characters the producers could not afford a huge star. At the time Danny De[=Vito=] was probably the best known actor, but has a secondary part. Kevin Spacey and James Cromwell had just hit it big with recent successful roles, but still weren't exactly household names. Kim Basinger had not been in a hit for nearly a decade and in any movie period for three years. Crowe, Pearce, and Creator/SimonBaker were all completely unknown (in America).
* ApprovalOfGod: Creator/JamesEllroy loved the film. He approved of the joke with Exley insulting the real Creator/LanaTurner, despite usually being irritated by that kind of AnachronismStew (as Turner didn’t start dating Johnny Stompanato until a few years after the film is set).
* BillingDisplacement: Creator/KevinSpacey is listed first, though Creator/RussellCrowe and Creator/GuyPearce's roles are more substantial in the film. This is probably an effort to establish Vincennes as a DecoyProtagonist, considering he was the most famous actor in the film. Crowe was an unknown at the time, and only later became a "name" actor. The even lesser-known Pearce, whose character Exley is the main protagonist, is given third billing after Crowe and Spacey. In the cover, Pearce and Crowe are barely visible, Spacey is larger but pushed to the side, and a shot of Creator/KimBasinger dressed in VaporWear takes up half the space.
* CareerResurrection: Creator/KimBasinger's first major motion picture after a string of flops and some nasty behind-the-scene politics at the beginning of the decade put her career on ice.
* DawsonCasting:
** [[TropesAreTools An odd example]]. At the time of filming, Creator/KimBasinger was in her mid-forties, while Veronica Lake, whom Lynn Bracken "portrays", was in her early thirties at the time the movie takes place. So this is either a straight example and Lynn is supposed to also be significantly younger than the actress portraying her, or Lynn is in fact much older than Veronica Lake, but is "playing" her due to her strong resemblance. It should be noted that when she's with Bud and is just being Lynn she looks noticeably older than when she's in her Veronica Lake look. In the book, Lynn Bracken is 29 years old when she's first introduced.
** Inverted with Amber Smith, who plays Susan Lefferts aka: Creator/RitaHayworth, who was ten years younger than Hayworth would've been at the time.
* DeletedRole: Erotica B-movie diva Monique Parent filmed a small part playing what she called a "glorified extra who had been surgically altered into a Creator/GraceKelly clone." She hoped being in such a prominent film would help her move from low budget erotica into mainstream films, but her scene ended up on the cutting room floor.
* DuelingMovies: In contest with ''Film/MulhollandFalls (1996)''.
* DyeingForYourArt: Creator/KimBasinger stated that when she was preparing for her role, she had to dye her long hair blonder than usual, but the intense chemical procedure in short time destroyed her natural hair entirely and she had to cut it short days before shooting starts, making make up team rush to find a wig made with real hair that could fit to the character.
* FakeAmerican: Of the three lead actors, only Creator/KevinSpacey is truly American. Creator/GuyPearce and Creator/RussellCrowe are Aussies[[note]]or to be precise, an Englishman and Kiwi who both grew up in Australia[[/note]]. In the 'Making of' featurette, the producer relates his reaction to the casting decision.
-->''You want to make a period crime film, set in Los Angeles, starring two Australians?''
* FakeIrish: Creator/JamesCromwell as Irish-American Dudley Smith, with a pretty decent accent.
* MethodActing: Creator/JamesEllroy told Creator/RussellCrowe that Bud White didn't drink, so Crowe didn't have a drink for the entire shoot.
* PlayingWithCharacterType: Creator/JamesCromwell was cast specifically due to playing as Arthur Hoggett in ''Film/{{Babe}}''.
* ReferencedBy: The band Music/RoloTomassi take their name from a minor character in this film.
* StarMakingRole: For Creator/RussellCrowe and Creator/GuyPearce, but especially Crowe.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Twice the project was pitched to television: first, producer David L. Wolper wanted to produce the project as a mini-series, and later, it was being developed as a weekly series by Creator/{{HBO}}. A pilot that starred Creator/KieferSutherland as Jack was produced, but the series was not picked up afterwards.
*** CBS was going to make another TV version in 2020 which would have reportedly been very faithful to the novel, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be shut down.
** Music/ElmerBernstein was the original composer.
** The role of Bud White was originally written with Creator/MichaelMadsen in mind. Creator/MelGibson was also considered.
** Creator/LorraineBracco, Creator/GeenaDavis, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/TeriHatcher, Creator/AnjelicaHuston, Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/MegRyan and Creator/ReneRusso were among those who turned down the role of Lynn Bracken.
** Twenty years after the movie's release, Helgeland and Ellroy developed a sequel story to bet set in the mid-70's and recruited both Crowe and Pearce to return, along with Creator/ChadwickBoseman as a young police officer. Warner Brothers, however, passed on making it.
----

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/JamesEllroy described Creator/KevinSpacey's performance as "some of the best self-loathing I've ever seen on screen".

* CreatorChosenCasting:
** Creator/CurtisHanson cast Creator/RussellCrowe after seeing him in ''Film/RomperStomper'', finding him "repulsive and scary, but captivating".
** Creator/JamesEllroy described Creator/KevinSpacey's performance as "some of the best self-loathing I've ever seen on screen".

* ApprovalOfGod: Creator/JamesEllroy loved the film. He described Creator/KevinSpacey's performance as "some of the best self-loathing I've ever seen on screen". He also approved of the joke with Exley insulting the real Lana Turner, despite usually being irritated by that kind of AnachronismStew (as Turner didn’t start dating Johnny Stompanato until a few years after the film is set).

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/CurtisHanson cast Creator/RussellCrowe after seeing him in ''Film/RomperStomper'', finding him "repulsive and scary, but captivating".
* DawsonCasting: [[TropesAreTools An odd example]]. At the time of filming, Creator/KimBasinger was in her mid-forties, while Veronica Lake, whom Lynn Bracken "portrays", was in her early thirties at the time the movie takes place. So this is either a straight example and Lynn is supposed to also be significantly younger than the actress portraying her, or Lynn is in fact much older than Veronica Lake, but is "playing" her due to her strong resemblance. It should be noted that when she's with Bud and is just being Lynn she looks noticeably older than when she's in her Veronica Lake look. In the book, Lynn Bracken is 29 years old when she's first introduced.
** Inverted with Amber Smith, who plays Susan Lefferts aka: Rita Hayworth, who was 10 years younger than Hayworth would've been at the time.

* DawsonCasting: [[TropesAreTools An odd example]]. At the time of filming Kim Basinger was in her mid-forties, while Veronica Lake, whom Lynn Bracken "portrays", was in her early thirties at the time the movie takes place. So this is either a straight example and Lynn is supposed to also be significantly younger than the actress portraying her, or Lynn is in fact much older than Veronica Lake, but is "playing" her due to her strong resemblance. It should be noted that when she's with Bud and is just being Lynn she looks noticeably older than when she's in her Veronica Lake look. In the book, Lynn Bracken is 29 years old when she's first introduced.

* ReferencedBy: The band Music/RolloTomassi take their name from a minor character in this film.

* DawsonCasting: [[TropesAreTools An odd example]]. At the time of filming Kim Basinger was in her mid-forties, while Veronica Lake, whom Lynn Bracken "portrays", was in her early thirties at the time the movie takes place. So this is either a straight example and Lynn is supposed to also be significantly younger than the actress portraying her. Or Lynn is in fact much older than Veronica Lake, but is "playing" her due to her strong resemblance. It should be noted that when she's with Bud and is just being Lynn she looks noticeably older than when she's in her Veronica Lake look. In the book, Lynn Bracken is 29 years old when she's first introduced.

* DawsonCasting: [[TropesAreFlexible An odd example]]. At the time of filming Kim Basinger was in her mid-forties, while Veronica Lake, whom Lynn Bracken "portrays", was in her early thirties at the time the movie takes place. So this is either a straight example and Lynn is supposed to also be significantly younger than the actress portraying her. Or Lynn is in fact much older than Veronica Lake, but is "playing" her due to her strong resemblance. It should be noted that when she's with Bud and is just being Lynn she looks noticeably older than when she's in her Veronica Lake look.

* ReferencedBy: The band Music/RolloTomasi take their name from this film.

* ReferencedBy: The band

** Ironically since there were so many important characters the producers could not afford a huge star. At the time Danny De[=Vito=] was probably the best known actor, but has a secondary part. Kevin Spacey and James Cromwell had just hit it big with recent successful roles, but still weren't exactly household names. Kim Basinger had not been in a hit for nearly a decade and any movie period for three years. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Creator/SimonBaker were all completely unknown (In America).

* BillingDisplacement: Creator/KevinSpacey is listed first, though Creator/RussellCrowe and Creator/GuyPearce's roles are more substantial in the film. This is probably an effort to establish Vincennes as a DecoyProtagonist, considering he was the most famous actor in the film. Crowe was an unknown at the time, and only later became a "name" actor. The even lesser-known Pearce, whose Exley is the main protagonist, is given third billing after Crowe and Spacey. In the cover, Pearce and Crowe are barely visible, Spacey is larger but pushed to the side, and a shot of Creator/KimBasinger dressed in VaporWear takes up half the space.

* DawsonCasting: An odd example. At the time of filming Kim Basinger was in her mid-forties, while Veronica Lake, whom Lynn Bracken "portrays", was in her early thirties at the time the movie takes place. So this is either a straight example and Lynn is supposed to also be significantly younger than the actress portraying her. Or Lynn is in fact much older than Veronica Lake, but is "playing" her due to her strong resemblance. It should be noted that when she's with Bud and is just being Lynn she looks noticeably older than when she's in her Veronica Lake look.

* FakeAmerican: Of the three lead actors, only Creator/KevinSpacey is truly American. Creator/GuyPearce and Creator/RussellCrowe are Aussies[[note]]Or to be precise, an Englishman and Kiwi who both grew up in Australia[[/note]]. In the 'Making of' featurette, the producer relates his reaction to the casting decision.

* FakeAmerican: Of the three lead actors, only Creator/KevinSpacey is truly American. Creator/GuyPearce and Creator/RussellCrowe are Aussies[[note]]Or to be precise, an Englishman and Kiwi who grew up in Australia[[/note]]. In the 'Making of' featurette, the producer relates his reaction to the casting decision.

* FakeAmerican: Of the three lead actors, only Creator/KevinSpacey is truly American. Creator/GuyPearce and Creator/RussellCrowe are Aussies. In the 'Making of' featurette, the producer relates his reaction to the casting decision.

* ApprovalOfGod: Creator/JamesEllroy loved the film. He described Creator/KevinSpacey's performance as "some of the best self-loathing I've ever seen on screen".

** Ironically since there were so many important characters the producers could not afford a huge star. At the time Danny De[=Vito=] was probably the best known actor, but has a secondary part. Kevin Spacey and James Cromwell had just hit it big with recent successful roles, but still weren't exactly household names. Kim Basinger had not been in a hit for nearly a decade and any movie period for three years. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Simon Baker were all completely unknown (In America).

* AGoodNameForARockBand: [[http://www.rollotomasi.com/ Rollo Tomasi]] certainly thought so.

** Ironically since there were so many important characters the producers could not afford a huge star. At the time Danny DeVito was probably the best known actor, but has a secondary part. Kevin Spacey and James Cromwell had just hit it big with recent successful roles, but still weren't exactly household names. Kim Basinger had not been in a hit for nearly a decade and any movie period for three years. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Simon Baker were all completely unknown (In America).

** Creator/LorraineBracco, Creator/GeenaDavis, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/TeriHatcher, Creator/AnjelicaHuston, Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/MegRyan and Rene Russo were among those who turned down the role of Lynn Bracken.