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[[folder:Pierce Patchett]]
!!Pierce Moorehouse Patchett
A wealthy pimp and industrialist.
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* FauxAffablyEvil: He's very friendly and polite, but it masks just how ruthless and evil he is.
[[/folder]]
!!Pierce Moorehouse Patchett
A wealthy pimp and industrialist.
----
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's very friendly and polite, but it masks just how ruthless and evil he is.
[[/folder]]
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[[folder:Jack Vincennes]]
!!Det. Sgt. John "Trashcan Jack" Vincennes
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.
!!Det. Sgt. John "Trashcan Jack" Vincennes
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.
to:
!!Det.
A morally jaded cop
An honest, yet ruthless and
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* AlliterativeName: '''E'''dmund '''E'''xley.
* AmbitionIsEvil: He starts off as well-meaning, but Ed's ambition starts to consume him and he grows increasingly if obliviously more invested in ensuring a promotion than justice.
* AntiHero: He's a ruthless opportunist, but Ed is genuinely dedicated to seeing justice done at any cost. Even as he develops into a WellIntentionedExtremist, it's still with the goal of seeing justice happen.
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Book version only: [[spoiler: Ed Exley undergoes this arc as he slowly turns from being a ByTheBook HeroWorshiper TheFettered Cop into being a CowboyCop and ManipulativeBastard halfway between Bud White and Dudley Smith. Ironically, it's because he does become utterly devoted to his belief in justice.]]
* BestServedCold: In the novel. After Bud and Stensland beat him up while wearing masks as revenge for ratting them out for their participation in Bloody Christmas, Ed instantly identifies them by their body language and begins plotting his revenge. He primarily focuses on getting back at Stensland, hiring two patrolmen to follow him and catch him in a parole violation.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Ed starts off the novel with a rather simplistic worldview, dividing the world into lawbreakers and law-abiding citizens. While he's the only one willing to stand against the LAPD's corruption and a deeply pragmatic man, he also has a hard time recognizing the morally gray or understanding how criminals think.
* BornDetective: Preston raised both his sons to follow in his footsteps as a cop, and to dedicate themselves to the ideal of "absolute justice". Ed eventually joined the LAPD himself to follow in his father's footsteps, and uses his mentoring to become an excellent detective.
* BreakingSpeech: Whenever he interrogates someone, he utilizes their every weakness and insecurity to break them down into confessing. It's demonstrated most effectively when he interrogates the Nite Owl suspects and proceeds to thoroughly break each of them down mentally until one of them confesses to rape.
* BrokenPedestal: In the book, he has a case of hero worship/one-sided rivalry with his father, a legendary LAPD detective turned construction magnate. A big chunk of the story is Ed learning his father was not the paragon of virtue he thought him to be.
* ByTheBookCop: Exley follows the rules to the letter and frowns at how his colleagues violate them at a moment's notice, making him quite unpopular in the casually corrupt LAPD. He grows out of this.
* CopCriminalFamily: [[spoiler:Ed is consistently dedicated to cleaning up the LAPD's corruption and seeing real justice done, even as he moves into morally darker territory. As he discovers, his father Preston was actually a corrupt cop who helped cover up the Dr. Frankenstein killer's identity.]]
* CrazyJealousGuy: The book version of Exeley reacts to [[spoiler: Inze's cheating]] with disgust and outrage.
* TheDeterminator: Book version. By the end of the book, he's willing to burn down the entirety of his life to get at his enemies. Still true, albeit downplayed, in the movie.
* DirtyCoward: Ed is frequently accused of being this. Inez points out that while he's given her social connections and money, he hasn't done anything for her that would actually cost him anything. She argues that his reluctance to use violence isn't a sign of morality, but cowardice. Indeed, he faked being a war hero simply to escape fighting in World War II. [[spoiler:Despite this, he ultimately proves to be willing to sacrifice everything if it means taking down Dudley.]]
* FairCop: Described as being quite handsome.
* FakeUltimateHero: Ed is regarded as a war hero for killing an entire regiment of Japanese soldiers during World War II. In reality, he found the soldiers already dead and faked killing them so he'd be sent home from the war. He's still legitimately brave, but Ed himself notes that he's just not very good in a physical fight.
* FishOutOfWater: Part of the reason he doesn't fit in at the LAPD is because he's one of these. Most officers come from a working-class background, but Ed is a rich kid and socialite. Not only that, but he's dedicated to following the letter and spirit of the law in an organization filled with [[CowboyCop rule-bending]] and [[DirtyCop outright corrupt]] cops, and where PoliceBrutality is routine.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: ZigZagged. He's extremely popular with the citizens of Los Angeles because of his reputation as a war hero and how he reported on the Bloody Christmas incident, but his fellow officers despise him for being TheStoolPigeon. However, Ed manages to curry Chief Parker's favor and starts advancing through the ranks.
* GentlemanDetective: Ed comes from a wealthy background. He's the son of Preston Exley, a famous LAPD detective and construction magnate, and as a result Ed is very well-educated and famous. Most officers regard him as out-of-touch both because of his background and because he frowns on the LAPD's general corruption.
* GuileHero: Ed is extremely cunning and intelligent, and relies primarily on his wits. He's an excellent investigator, and despite being rather asocial, he's quite good at figuring out social dynamics and how to figure out people's weaknesses. It both helps him ingratiate himself with the LAPD's upper echelons and makes him an excellent interrogator.
* HeroicBSOD: He has one in the book, when he finds out [[spoiler: his father and Ray Dieterling covered up the Atherton murders]].
* HumbleHero: Subverted. Ed plays the act of being one of these to improve his reputation, but he's arrogant if not overtly so and tends to think of himself as above his colleagues.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Despite generally protesting PoliceBrutality and despising Bud for his use of it, Ed beats up Stensland after he's arrested while he's handcuffed. Inez calls him out on it, pointing out how he's acting just like the man he claims to despise.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Ed's morally upright and one of the few, if not the only good cops in the LAPD, as well as one of the least prejudiced characters in the Quartet. He's also a cold, blunt, and unfriendly man who views himself as above his colleagues, and a ruthless political animal.
* JerkassHasAPoint:
** Ed regards his colleagues at the LAPD with barely disguised contempt and views himself as above them, resulting in them hating him. Considering that most of them are prone to horrific acts of PoliceBrutality, casually racist, and corrupt, it's hard not to blame Ed for looking down on them.
** While he's condescending and insensitive about it, Ed rightfully points out that he's made sure Inez's rapists will face justice and be executed, and that making them suffer even further is just pointless vengeance.
* KnightInSourArmor: He becomes this by the end of the book.
* KnightTemplar: At the beginning of the book, Ed has shades of this before getting into the Nite Owl case. He's dedicated to "absolute justice" and, while willing to compromise, very much believes that any violation of the law should be harshly punished. By the end of the book, he's become far worse.
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: By the time of ''White Jazz'', he's a ruthless WellIntentionedExtremist who commits numerous crimes in the name of seeing justice done, but he's nowhere near as evil as Dudley Smith and he ultimately wants to purge the LAPD of its rampant corruption.
* LivingLieDetector: He can almost instinctively tell when people are lying or telling the truth, which helps make him an excellent interrogator. He's even able to identify that the Nite Owl suspects are being honest that they didn't commit the massacre.
* 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.
* ManipulativeBastard:
** A heroic version. He plays the Nite Owl suspects against each other, making each one think the other is a traitor.
** In ''White Jazz'', Exley has become this in order to try to bring down Dudley Smith down. Every action he takes is calculated and full of deniable assets.
* MoralityPet: While usually cold and blunt, Ed's quite nice to Inez Soto and shows a softer, even gentle side around her.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: Klein points out Ed is quite similar to Dudley in how he manipulates and discards people. It's one of the few times someone manages to get a reaction out of Ed.
* OpportunisticBastard: Ed is dedicated to rising through the ranks, no matter what it takes. He's willing to take any opportunity he can to advance his station, and it works out quite well for him. [[spoiler:By the end of the Quartet, he's built up enough goodwill that he's able to run for governor.]]
* PerpSweating: He shows a great talent for this, and he's widely regarded as one of the LAPD's best interrogators. When he interrogates the Nite Owl suspects, he expertly plays them against each other and gets them to confess to raping Inez Soto - though this unfortunately presses Bud's BerserkButton and causes him to storm in and start assaulting them.
* PhonyVeteran: Downplayed. Ed did serve in World War II, but the incident that gave him a reputation as a war hero was entirely fake. He's alleged to have killed an entire platoon of Japanese soldiers; in reality, Ed found them already dead and set up the scene to make it look like he killed them so he'd be sent home.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Downplayed, especially by the standards of ''The LA Quartet''. While he uses a few slurs, he's mostly unprejudiced and rarely judgmental of minorities like most of the cast.
* PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes: Ed can be polite and charming, but he's generally cold and blunt with people he doesn't respect. His ArchEnemy Dudley Smith is by contrast folksy and amiable to conceal the depths of his depravity.
* PragmaticHero: Despite his idealism, Ed is a deeply pragmatic man and a political animal. He makes sure to pick his battles, always tailors his behavior to blend in with whatever crowd he's consorting with, and he's at times willing to lie if it benefits him, as seen with how he earned his reputation as a war hero.
* ProxyWar: Starts one of these with Dudley White in ''White Jazz.''
* SecretlySelfish: Inez argues he's not obsessed with justice so much as he is his own ambition, and argues that his desire to lawfully interrogate the Nite Owl witnesses is borne from a desire to torment Bud.
* ShrinkingViolet: Downplayed. He's willing to socialize if it benefits him, but Ed prefers his own company and is rather introverted except around his loved ones. However, he's not insecure nor does he have a lack of self-confidence, and in fact has these qualities in abundance. He just doesn't care for how corrupt his fellow officers are.
* SociallyAwkwardHero: Interestingly subverted. Ed is a very stoic and unfriendly man to his colleagues, which makes him rather unpopular in the LAPD. However, he's quite adept at social situations and can be extremely charismatic when he wants to be, and he's very much a politician with a badge. The implication is he doesn't socialize with his colleagues because he thinks he's above them and doesn't see them as worth his time rather than any awkwardness.
* TheSocialExpert: Ed is very adept at social situations and politicking. He's very charismatic and knows just how to ingratiate himself with his superiors. On the flip side, he's also very adept at identifying people's weaknesses and the right ways to get them to do what he wants, making him an excellent interrogator and helping him immensely with his attempts to rise the ranks.
* TheSpock: Ed is always focused on the big picture and what will benefit him and his goals in the long run. He's coldly logical about everything and dedicated to the greater good, and by the time of ''White Jazz'' he's very willing to sacrifice people if it means a positive end result.
* TheStoic: He rarely shows any emotion and remains calm at almost all times. Most of the LAPD hates him because he's not just a ByTheBookCop, but very cold and asocial. He also rarely loses his cool even in the worst of situations; it's only when he's been personally betrayed that Ed starts showing real emotion on the surface.
* StoicSpectacles: Exley wears a set, mostly because he's BlindWithoutEm. They reflect both his cold personality and his mercilessness towards people who break the law.
* TheStoolPigeon: A heroic version; Exley believes in upholding the law, even if it means ratting out his fellow (corrupt) officers.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Where Jack and Bud are corrupt and sleazy, Ed is morally upright and principled. He becomes a darker character over the course of the book, but he still remains fundamentally well-meaning and dedicated to justice.
* TookALevelInJerkass: He's much more ruthless and cold in ''White Jazz'' than in the previous book.
* WellDoneSonGuy: In the book, he would bend over backwards to win his father's approval, and he's tormented by the knowledge his late brother was Preston's favorite. [[spoiler: Well, until he learns his father let a child-killing psychopath walk because it was his best friend's son, and covered it up.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He evolves into this over the course of the novel, becoming much more ruthless and amoral in the name of seeing justice done. It reaches its apex in ''White Jazz'', where he mercilessly manipulates and breaks the law to finally take down Dudley Smith.
* WhatTheHellHero: Inez calls him out for trying to prove the Nite Owl suspects innocent, pointing out they will almost certainly not be prosecuted because in 1950s LA, no one will care about a Mexican woman being raped. Ed takes this to heart, and tries to help get her back on her feet.
* WideEyedIdealist: Ed is dedicated to the idea of absolute justice and views the world with BlackAndWhiteMorality, which blinds him to the moral complexities of the world around him and how to deal with the corruption around him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Jack Vincennes]]
!!Det. Sgt. John "Trashcan Jack" Vincennes
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.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: He starts off as well-meaning, but Ed's ambition starts to consume him and he grows increasingly if obliviously more invested in ensuring a promotion than justice.
* AntiHero: He's a ruthless opportunist, but Ed is genuinely dedicated to seeing justice done at any cost. Even as he develops into a WellIntentionedExtremist, it's still with the goal of seeing justice happen.
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Book version only: [[spoiler: Ed Exley undergoes this arc as he slowly turns from being a ByTheBook HeroWorshiper TheFettered Cop into being a CowboyCop and ManipulativeBastard halfway between Bud White and Dudley Smith. Ironically, it's because he does become utterly devoted to his belief in justice.]]
* BestServedCold: In the novel. After Bud and Stensland beat him up while wearing masks as revenge for ratting them out for their participation in Bloody Christmas, Ed instantly identifies them by their body language and begins plotting his revenge. He primarily focuses on getting back at Stensland, hiring two patrolmen to follow him and catch him in a parole violation.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Ed starts off the novel with a rather simplistic worldview, dividing the world into lawbreakers and law-abiding citizens. While he's the only one willing to stand against the LAPD's corruption and a deeply pragmatic man, he also has a hard time recognizing the morally gray or understanding how criminals think.
* BornDetective: Preston raised both his sons to follow in his footsteps as a cop, and to dedicate themselves to the ideal of "absolute justice". Ed eventually joined the LAPD himself to follow in his father's footsteps, and uses his mentoring to become an excellent detective.
* BreakingSpeech: Whenever he interrogates someone, he utilizes their every weakness and insecurity to break them down into confessing. It's demonstrated most effectively when he interrogates the Nite Owl suspects and proceeds to thoroughly break each of them down mentally until one of them confesses to rape.
* BrokenPedestal: In the book, he has a case of hero worship/one-sided rivalry with his father, a legendary LAPD detective turned construction magnate. A big chunk of the story is Ed learning his father was not the paragon of virtue he thought him to be.
* ByTheBookCop: Exley follows the rules to the letter and frowns at how his colleagues violate them at a moment's notice, making him quite unpopular in the casually corrupt LAPD. He grows out of this.
* CopCriminalFamily: [[spoiler:Ed is consistently dedicated to cleaning up the LAPD's corruption and seeing real justice done, even as he moves into morally darker territory. As he discovers, his father Preston was actually a corrupt cop who helped cover up the Dr. Frankenstein killer's identity.]]
* CrazyJealousGuy: The book version of Exeley reacts to [[spoiler: Inze's cheating]] with disgust and outrage.
* TheDeterminator: Book version. By the end of the book, he's willing to burn down the entirety of his life to get at his enemies. Still true, albeit downplayed, in the movie.
* DirtyCoward: Ed is frequently accused of being this. Inez points out that while he's given her social connections and money, he hasn't done anything for her that would actually cost him anything. She argues that his reluctance to use violence isn't a sign of morality, but cowardice. Indeed, he faked being a war hero simply to escape fighting in World War II. [[spoiler:Despite this, he ultimately proves to be willing to sacrifice everything if it means taking down Dudley.]]
* FairCop: Described as being quite handsome.
* FakeUltimateHero: Ed is regarded as a war hero for killing an entire regiment of Japanese soldiers during World War II. In reality, he found the soldiers already dead and faked killing them so he'd be sent home from the war. He's still legitimately brave, but Ed himself notes that he's just not very good in a physical fight.
* FishOutOfWater: Part of the reason he doesn't fit in at the LAPD is because he's one of these. Most officers come from a working-class background, but Ed is a rich kid and socialite. Not only that, but he's dedicated to following the letter and spirit of the law in an organization filled with [[CowboyCop rule-bending]] and [[DirtyCop outright corrupt]] cops, and where PoliceBrutality is routine.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: ZigZagged. He's extremely popular with the citizens of Los Angeles because of his reputation as a war hero and how he reported on the Bloody Christmas incident, but his fellow officers despise him for being TheStoolPigeon. However, Ed manages to curry Chief Parker's favor and starts advancing through the ranks.
* GentlemanDetective: Ed comes from a wealthy background. He's the son of Preston Exley, a famous LAPD detective and construction magnate, and as a result Ed is very well-educated and famous. Most officers regard him as out-of-touch both because of his background and because he frowns on the LAPD's general corruption.
* GuileHero: Ed is extremely cunning and intelligent, and relies primarily on his wits. He's an excellent investigator, and despite being rather asocial, he's quite good at figuring out social dynamics and how to figure out people's weaknesses. It both helps him ingratiate himself with the LAPD's upper echelons and makes him an excellent interrogator.
* HeroicBSOD: He has one in the book, when he finds out [[spoiler: his father and Ray Dieterling covered up the Atherton murders]].
* HumbleHero: Subverted. Ed plays the act of being one of these to improve his reputation, but he's arrogant if not overtly so and tends to think of himself as above his colleagues.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Despite generally protesting PoliceBrutality and despising Bud for his use of it, Ed beats up Stensland after he's arrested while he's handcuffed. Inez calls him out on it, pointing out how he's acting just like the man he claims to despise.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Ed's morally upright and one of the few, if not the only good cops in the LAPD, as well as one of the least prejudiced characters in the Quartet. He's also a cold, blunt, and unfriendly man who views himself as above his colleagues, and a ruthless political animal.
* JerkassHasAPoint:
** Ed regards his colleagues at the LAPD with barely disguised contempt and views himself as above them, resulting in them hating him. Considering that most of them are prone to horrific acts of PoliceBrutality, casually racist, and corrupt, it's hard not to blame Ed for looking down on them.
** While he's condescending and insensitive about it, Ed rightfully points out that he's made sure Inez's rapists will face justice and be executed, and that making them suffer even further is just pointless vengeance.
* KnightInSourArmor: He becomes this by the end of the book.
* KnightTemplar: At the beginning of the book, Ed has shades of this before getting into the Nite Owl case. He's dedicated to "absolute justice" and, while willing to compromise, very much believes that any violation of the law should be harshly punished. By the end of the book, he's become far worse.
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: By the time of ''White Jazz'', he's a ruthless WellIntentionedExtremist who commits numerous crimes in the name of seeing justice done, but he's nowhere near as evil as Dudley Smith and he ultimately wants to purge the LAPD of its rampant corruption.
* LivingLieDetector: He can almost instinctively tell when people are lying or telling the truth, which helps make him an excellent interrogator. He's even able to identify that the Nite Owl suspects are being honest that they didn't commit the massacre.
* 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.
* ManipulativeBastard:
** A heroic version. He plays the Nite Owl suspects against each other, making each one think the other is a traitor.
** In ''White Jazz'', Exley has become this in order to try to bring down Dudley Smith down. Every action he takes is calculated and full of deniable assets.
* MoralityPet: While usually cold and blunt, Ed's quite nice to Inez Soto and shows a softer, even gentle side around her.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: Klein points out Ed is quite similar to Dudley in how he manipulates and discards people. It's one of the few times someone manages to get a reaction out of Ed.
* OpportunisticBastard: Ed is dedicated to rising through the ranks, no matter what it takes. He's willing to take any opportunity he can to advance his station, and it works out quite well for him. [[spoiler:By the end of the Quartet, he's built up enough goodwill that he's able to run for governor.]]
* PerpSweating: He shows a great talent for this, and he's widely regarded as one of the LAPD's best interrogators. When he interrogates the Nite Owl suspects, he expertly plays them against each other and gets them to confess to raping Inez Soto - though this unfortunately presses Bud's BerserkButton and causes him to storm in and start assaulting them.
* PhonyVeteran: Downplayed. Ed did serve in World War II, but the incident that gave him a reputation as a war hero was entirely fake. He's alleged to have killed an entire platoon of Japanese soldiers; in reality, Ed found them already dead and set up the scene to make it look like he killed them so he'd be sent home.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Downplayed, especially by the standards of ''The LA Quartet''. While he uses a few slurs, he's mostly unprejudiced and rarely judgmental of minorities like most of the cast.
* PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes: Ed can be polite and charming, but he's generally cold and blunt with people he doesn't respect. His ArchEnemy Dudley Smith is by contrast folksy and amiable to conceal the depths of his depravity.
* PragmaticHero: Despite his idealism, Ed is a deeply pragmatic man and a political animal. He makes sure to pick his battles, always tailors his behavior to blend in with whatever crowd he's consorting with, and he's at times willing to lie if it benefits him, as seen with how he earned his reputation as a war hero.
* ProxyWar: Starts one of these with Dudley White in ''White Jazz.''
* SecretlySelfish: Inez argues he's not obsessed with justice so much as he is his own ambition, and argues that his desire to lawfully interrogate the Nite Owl witnesses is borne from a desire to torment Bud.
* ShrinkingViolet: Downplayed. He's willing to socialize if it benefits him, but Ed prefers his own company and is rather introverted except around his loved ones. However, he's not insecure nor does he have a lack of self-confidence, and in fact has these qualities in abundance. He just doesn't care for how corrupt his fellow officers are.
* SociallyAwkwardHero: Interestingly subverted. Ed is a very stoic and unfriendly man to his colleagues, which makes him rather unpopular in the LAPD. However, he's quite adept at social situations and can be extremely charismatic when he wants to be, and he's very much a politician with a badge. The implication is he doesn't socialize with his colleagues because he thinks he's above them and doesn't see them as worth his time rather than any awkwardness.
* TheSocialExpert: Ed is very adept at social situations and politicking. He's very charismatic and knows just how to ingratiate himself with his superiors. On the flip side, he's also very adept at identifying people's weaknesses and the right ways to get them to do what he wants, making him an excellent interrogator and helping him immensely with his attempts to rise the ranks.
* TheSpock: Ed is always focused on the big picture and what will benefit him and his goals in the long run. He's coldly logical about everything and dedicated to the greater good, and by the time of ''White Jazz'' he's very willing to sacrifice people if it means a positive end result.
* TheStoic: He rarely shows any emotion and remains calm at almost all times. Most of the LAPD hates him because he's not just a ByTheBookCop, but very cold and asocial. He also rarely loses his cool even in the worst of situations; it's only when he's been personally betrayed that Ed starts showing real emotion on the surface.
* StoicSpectacles: Exley wears a set, mostly because he's BlindWithoutEm. They reflect both his cold personality and his mercilessness towards people who break the law.
* TheStoolPigeon: A heroic version; Exley believes in upholding the law, even if it means ratting out his fellow (corrupt) officers.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Where Jack and Bud are corrupt and sleazy, Ed is morally upright and principled. He becomes a darker character over the course of the book, but he still remains fundamentally well-meaning and dedicated to justice.
* TookALevelInJerkass: He's much more ruthless and cold in ''White Jazz'' than in the previous book.
* WellDoneSonGuy: In the book, he would bend over backwards to win his father's approval, and he's tormented by the knowledge his late brother was Preston's favorite. [[spoiler: Well, until he learns his father let a child-killing psychopath walk because it was his best friend's son, and covered it up.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He evolves into this over the course of the novel, becoming much more ruthless and amoral in the name of seeing justice done. It reaches its apex in ''White Jazz'', where he mercilessly manipulates and breaks the law to finally take down Dudley Smith.
* WhatTheHellHero: Inez calls him out for trying to prove the Nite Owl suspects innocent, pointing out they will almost certainly not be prosecuted because in 1950s LA, no one will care about a Mexican woman being raped. Ed takes this to heart, and tries to help get her back on her feet.
* WideEyedIdealist: Ed is dedicated to the idea of absolute justice and views the world with BlackAndWhiteMorality, which blinds him to the moral complexities of the world around him and how to deal with the corruption around him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Jack Vincennes]]
!!Det. Sgt. John "Trashcan Jack" Vincennes
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.
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
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[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
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!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
!!Officer Wendell "Bud" White
A
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* AlliterativeName: '''W'''endell '''W'''hite.
* AwesomeByAnalysis: One of the first signs in the novel that Bud's a genuinely competent detective is when he's able to realize Ed faked killing a Japanese platoon to earn a reputation as a war hero simply by recognizing Ed had to have shot them all at the same time, which Bud knows is highly implausible.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: His father beat his mother to death and ran away while the young Bud was tied up to the radiator. That was the reason he became a police officer and a WifeBasherBasher.
* DefectiveDetective: Bud is a competent investigator, but he's crippled by his anger issues and his lingering trauma from his DarkAndTroubledPast. As a result, he's a very unstable RabidCop whose use of violence makes him regarded as a DumbMuscle.
* DumbMuscle: Everyone thinks of him as little more than a dumb brute only good for cracking heads, even himself.
* DumbassNoMore: Throughout most of ''Confidential'', he's regarded as little more than a DumbMuscle even by himself. Midway through, he uses money passed to him by Stensland to enroll in and pass a forensics course offered by the FBI, and after studying hard passes the sergeant's exam (after failing it twice before). On his own, he cracks both the Nite Owl case and a related series of prostitute murders.
* EveryoneHasStandards: He and Stensland beat up Ed for getting the latter fired, but Bud is unwilling to take the revenge further. He's disturbed when Stensland keeps threatening Ed and even contemplates murdering him at the opening of Dream-a-Dreamland.
* FreudianExcuse: He watched his father beat his mother to death in front of him while he was handcuffed. Bud's PoliceBrutality is borne from him venting his frustrations about this and the fact he was never able to murder his father.
* GeniusBruiser: He's a very tough guy and is generally only seen as a mindless thug but he's also a talented detective and much smarter than he thinks he is.
* LovingParentCruelParent: Not him but rather his parents. Bud's father was an abusive, loutish drunk, while his mother was kind and nurturing. Bud's father eventually murdered her in a fit of rage and handcuffed Bud next to her corpse, the trauma of which caused Bud to [[FreudianExcuse grow up]] to become a vicious DirtyCop.
* NeverMyFault: He holds a grudge against Ed for snitching on the cops who participated in the Bloody Christmas incident, especially because while Bud came out unscathed, his partner Stensland was fired. At no point does it occur to Bud that it never would have happened had he and his colleagues not been beating unarmed suspects.
* PoliceBrutality: A specialty of his. Bud will absolutely savage people if they've hurt a woman, and he's well-known in the department for beating confessions out of people. Dudley comes to recruit him because he likes Bud's willingness to use violence, and how he blends it with genuine competence unlike his other colleagues.
-->'''Dudley Smith:''' I admire you as a policeman - particularly your adherence to violence as a necessary adjunct to the job.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: In the novel, Bud uses racial slurs quite frequently, as do most protagonists in ''Literature/TheLAQuartet''. He also agrees with Dudley's belief that Los Angeles's black population needs to be "contained".
* UndyingLoyalty:
** Even as he learns of Stenland's less savory actions, White still wants revenge for his death. The book explains that when White first came on the force, Stensland was the one who taught him how to channel his rage into police work, particularly when going after men who abused women.
** In the novel, Bud has this to the LAPD as a whole. Even when snitching on his colleagues for the Bloody Christmas incident would help salvage his career, Bud defiantly refuses to talk. His career is only saved because Dudley decides he could be useful.
* WifeBasherBasher: He'll beat the living daylights out of domestic abusers or anyone who hurts women.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
----
* AwesomeByAnalysis: One of the first signs in the novel that Bud's a genuinely competent detective is when he's able to realize Ed faked killing a Japanese platoon to earn a reputation as a war hero simply by recognizing Ed had to have shot them all at the same time, which Bud knows is highly implausible.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: His father beat his mother to death and ran away while the young Bud was tied up to the radiator. That was the reason he became a police officer and a WifeBasherBasher.
* DefectiveDetective: Bud is a competent investigator, but he's crippled by his anger issues and his lingering trauma from his DarkAndTroubledPast. As a result, he's a very unstable RabidCop whose use of violence makes him regarded as a DumbMuscle.
* DumbMuscle: Everyone thinks of him as little more than a dumb brute only good for cracking heads, even himself.
* DumbassNoMore: Throughout most of ''Confidential'', he's regarded as little more than a DumbMuscle even by himself. Midway through, he uses money passed to him by Stensland to enroll in and pass a forensics course offered by the FBI, and after studying hard passes the sergeant's exam (after failing it twice before). On his own, he cracks both the Nite Owl case and a related series of prostitute murders.
* EveryoneHasStandards: He and Stensland beat up Ed for getting the latter fired, but Bud is unwilling to take the revenge further. He's disturbed when Stensland keeps threatening Ed and even contemplates murdering him at the opening of Dream-a-Dreamland.
* FreudianExcuse: He watched his father beat his mother to death in front of him while he was handcuffed. Bud's PoliceBrutality is borne from him venting his frustrations about this and the fact he was never able to murder his father.
* GeniusBruiser: He's a very tough guy and is generally only seen as a mindless thug but he's also a talented detective and much smarter than he thinks he is.
* LovingParentCruelParent: Not him but rather his parents. Bud's father was an abusive, loutish drunk, while his mother was kind and nurturing. Bud's father eventually murdered her in a fit of rage and handcuffed Bud next to her corpse, the trauma of which caused Bud to [[FreudianExcuse grow up]] to become a vicious DirtyCop.
* NeverMyFault: He holds a grudge against Ed for snitching on the cops who participated in the Bloody Christmas incident, especially because while Bud came out unscathed, his partner Stensland was fired. At no point does it occur to Bud that it never would have happened had he and his colleagues not been beating unarmed suspects.
* PoliceBrutality: A specialty of his. Bud will absolutely savage people if they've hurt a woman, and he's well-known in the department for beating confessions out of people. Dudley comes to recruit him because he likes Bud's willingness to use violence, and how he blends it with genuine competence unlike his other colleagues.
-->'''Dudley Smith:''' I admire you as a policeman - particularly your adherence to violence as a necessary adjunct to the job.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: In the novel, Bud uses racial slurs quite frequently, as do most protagonists in ''Literature/TheLAQuartet''. He also agrees with Dudley's belief that Los Angeles's black population needs to be "contained".
* UndyingLoyalty:
** Even as he learns of Stenland's less savory actions, White still wants revenge for his death. The book explains that when White first came on the force, Stensland was the one who taught him how to channel his rage into police work, particularly when going after men who abused women.
** In the novel, Bud has this to the LAPD as a whole. Even when snitching on his colleagues for the Bloody Christmas incident would help salvage his career, Bud defiantly refuses to talk. His career is only saved because Dudley decides he could be useful.
* WifeBasherBasher: He'll beat the living daylights out of domestic abusers or anyone who hurts women.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 107,110 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
to:
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
!!Det. Sgt. John "Trashcan Jack" Vincennes
A
Added DiffLines:
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* TheAtoner: He [[spoiler:accidentally kills a young couple, and to make it up to their kids, sends money each month]].
* {{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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: For as homophobic and corrupt as Jack is, he's genuinely outraged that Timmy Valburn is cheating on Billy Dieterling with Bobby Inge.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* {{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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MayDecemberRomance: The middle-aged Jack strikes up a relationship with Karen Morrow, who is still in her twenties.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* RecoveredAddict: Jack was formerly a junkie and an alcoholic, but he quit after he shot an innocent couple while drunk and high.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
----
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* TheAtoner: He [[spoiler:accidentally kills a young couple, and to make it up to their kids, sends money each month]].
* {{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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: For as homophobic and corrupt as Jack is, he's genuinely outraged that Timmy Valburn is cheating on Billy Dieterling with Bobby Inge.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* {{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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MayDecemberRomance: The middle-aged Jack strikes up a relationship with Karen Morrow, who is still in her twenties.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* RecoveredAddict: Jack was formerly a junkie and an alcoholic, but he quit after he shot an innocent couple while drunk and high.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bill Koenig]]
!!Sergeant Bill Koenig
A member of Warrants Division known for his bad temper and stupidity.
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Moving.
Added DiffLines:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Preston Exley]]
!!Preston Exley
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.
----
* 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.]]
* DeathByAdaptation: He's a PosthumousCharacter in the film, having been merged with his late son Thomas Exley.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Inez]]
!!Inez Soto
->'''Portrayed By:''' Marisol Padilla Sánchez
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.
----
* DemotedToExtra: Is one of the most important characters in the book but is in only a couple of scenes.
* 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.
* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: In the book, she tells him her rapists were involved in the Nite Owl murders.
* 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.
* 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.
* TheMistress: Exley makes her this in the book and it feeds into her resentment of him as a lover.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Timmy Valburn]]
!!Timmy Valburn
An actor who voices Moochie Mouse and Billy Dieterling's boyfriend.
----
* 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.
* 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.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He threatens to use his connections in Hollywood against Jack to stop him from exposing his sexuality.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bobby Inge]]
!!Bobby Inge
A gay prostitute who distributes porn for Pierce Patchett.
----
* CombatPragmatist: When Jack tries to arrest him, Bobby escapes by throwing vodka in his face and running while Jack's distracted.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He rarely appears onscreen, but Jack's pursuit of him causes him to start investigating with the villains' conspiracy.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Karen Morrow]]
!!Karen Morrow
Jack's idealistic girlfriend and later wife.
----
* BreakTheCutie: Karen starts off as idealistic and perky, but after marrying Jack she quickly becomes disillusioned with him and his self-destructive personality.
* 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.]]
* 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.
[[folder:Preston Exley]]
!!Preston Exley
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.
----
* 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.]]
* DeathByAdaptation: He's a PosthumousCharacter in the film, having been merged with his late son Thomas Exley.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Inez]]
!!Inez Soto
->'''Portrayed By:''' Marisol Padilla Sánchez
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.
----
* DemotedToExtra: Is one of the most important characters in the book but is in only a couple of scenes.
* 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.
* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: In the book, she tells him her rapists were involved in the Nite Owl murders.
* 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.
* 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.
* TheMistress: Exley makes her this in the book and it feeds into her resentment of him as a lover.
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Timmy Valburn]]
!!Timmy Valburn
An actor who voices Moochie Mouse and Billy Dieterling's boyfriend.
----
* 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.
* 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.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He threatens to use his connections in Hollywood against Jack to stop him from exposing his sexuality.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Bobby Inge]]
!!Bobby Inge
A gay prostitute who distributes porn for Pierce Patchett.
----
* CombatPragmatist: When Jack tries to arrest him, Bobby escapes by throwing vodka in his face and running while Jack's distracted.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He rarely appears onscreen, but Jack's pursuit of him causes him to start investigating with the villains' conspiracy.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Karen Morrow]]
!!Karen Morrow
Jack's idealistic girlfriend and later wife.
----
* BreakTheCutie: Karen starts off as idealistic and perky, but after marrying Jack she quickly becomes disillusioned with him and his self-destructive personality.
* 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.]]
* 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.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Moving.
Changed line(s) 516,520 (click to see context) from:
!!!Others
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
to:
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
[[folder:Raymond Dieterling]]
!!Raymond Dieterling
A
Changed line(s) 522,531 (click to see context) from:
* AscendedExtra: Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and helps the LAPD against communists.
* 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.]]
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
to:
* 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.]]
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in her and Blanchard's apartment to seduce Bleichert. It doesn't work, in part, due to Bleichert
* MsFanservice: Much attention is paid to how describing beautiful Kay Lake is
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
Changed line(s) 534,537 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Lorna Maltikova]]
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
to:
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress
!!Billy Dieterling
Raymond's son and
Deleted line(s) 539,543 (click to see context) :
* AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
* 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
Changed line(s) 546,549 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Elizabeth Short]]
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
to:
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and
Changed line(s) 551,559 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
to:
*
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Bobby De Witt subjected her
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* FemmeFatale: She's a
*
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in her
* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems
* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and egotism appears to be a coping mechanism from
* MsFanservice: Much attention is paid to how describing beautiful Kay Lake is and
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't
* 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.
* LittleBlackDress: Elizabeth has gained her reputation as the Black Dahlia because she always wore black outfits
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
Changed line(s) 562,565 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Georgie Tilden]]
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
to:
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and
Changed line(s) 568,570 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
to:
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Emmett disfigured him with AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a knife family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant andframed him 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it forthe Black Dahlia murder, but Tilden is a necrophiliac psycho who was complicit in the murder, so it's hard to feel bad for him.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.as much money as possible.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant and
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it for
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
Changed line(s) 573,576 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
to:
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the
Changed line(s) 578,581 (click to see context) from:
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
to:
* 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.
* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems to have
* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: She was entirely real, though
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to
Changed line(s) 584,587 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
to:
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who
Added DiffLines:
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
----
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
----
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
----
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Moving.
Changed line(s) 276,281 (click to see context) from:
!! LA County Police
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the Wolverine killings.
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the Wolverine killings.
to:
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating
!!Deputy Chief Thad Green
The deputy chief of the
Changed line(s) 283,294 (click to see context) from:
* {{Archenemy}}: The Wolverine killer becomes the focus of his obsession.
* 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.]]
* 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.
* ByTheBookCop: Starts as one of these but gradually becomes a CowboyCop the more he becomes obsessed with the Wolverine killings.
* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees to help investigate communist activity for more support in finding the Wolverine.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid to avert anyone finding out about his homosexuality]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer is motivated by his own repressed homosexuality.
* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
* TheHeroDies: Danny is the first of the protagonists to die due to being [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide.]]
* HoneyPot: Is sent to seduce Claire de haven as part of his investigation into communist activity.
* 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.
to:
* ArmoredClosetGay: Danny Upshaw thinks
*
* ByTheBookCop: Starts as
* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer
* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
* TheHeroDies: Danny is the first of the protagonists to die due to being [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide.]]
* HoneyPot: Is sent to seduce Claire de haven as part
* JurisdictionFriction: The LAPD and LA County Sheriff's Department are loggerheads over Cohen. Thus Danny gets stonewalled by
Changed line(s) 297,302 (click to see context) from:
!!District Attorney's Office
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and the ''real'' head of Warrants Division. Later elected to District Attorney.
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and the ''real'' head of Warrants Division. Later elected to District Attorney.
to:
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney
!!Lieutenant Arthur "Art" De Spain
Preston Exley's best friend and
Changed line(s) 304,313 (click to see context) from:
* 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.''
* 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.]]
* 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.
* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: He's short-tempered, entitled, and throws a hissy fit whenever things don't go his way.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Buzz Meeks takes the opportunity to burn down his house with all of the grand jury's accumulated evidence on the communists.
* 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.
** 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.
* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this in ''The Big Nowhere'' in order to make a name for himself.
to:
* 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.]]
* 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.
* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
* {{Jerkass}}:
* LaserGuidedKarma: Buzz Meeks takes the opportunity to burn down his house with all of the grand jury's accumulated evidence on the communists.
* PersecutingProsecutor: He's very willing to cut corners to get what he wants,
** 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
* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this in ''The Big Nowhere'' in order to make a name for himself.
Changed line(s) 316,323 (click to see context) from:
!!Criminals
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
to:
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the
Changed line(s) 325,332 (click to see context) from:
* AffablyEvil: Mickey Cohen is a ruthless gangster but a pleasant enough man with his own code of honor.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
* 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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real life was known to have a hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* 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.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
* 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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real life was known to have a hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* 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.
to:
*
* ArmoredClosetGay: Danny Upshaw thinks he's this, flirting with
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit
* BotheringByTheBook: Danny Upshaw uses the fact that food and beverages are
*
* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees to
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid to avert anyone finding out about his homosexuality]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer is motivated by
* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
* TheHeroDies: Danny is the
*
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real life was known to have a hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most
*
Changed line(s) 335,338 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Buzz Meeks]]
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen and Howard Hughes. Becomes one of the protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere.''
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen and Howard Hughes. Becomes one of the protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere.''
to:
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and
Changed line(s) 340,350 (click to see context) from:
* {{Antihero}}: Is a corrupt DirtyCop and a general scumbag but wants to make up for [[spoiler:driving Danny Upshaw to suicide.]]
* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
* 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.]]
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and nearly shooting Dudley himself.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Buzz is killed by Dudley Smith a week after the events of ''The Big Nowhere.'']]
* 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.]]
* 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.
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem himself.
* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
* 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.]]
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and nearly shooting Dudley himself.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Buzz is killed by Dudley Smith a week after the events of ''The Big Nowhere.'']]
* 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.]]
* 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.
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem himself.
to:
*
* ArmoredClosetGay[=/=]StraightGay: [[spoiler:Loew is a
*
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw
* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
*
*
* TheFixer:
* PersecutingProsecutor: He's very willing to cut corners to get what he wants, and
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In ''White Jazz'', Mickey Cohen is no longer the feared gangster he used
** Averted in the movie - [[spoiler:He originally refused to cooperate in Smith's
* KilledOffForReal:
* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this in ''The Big
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Buzz kills a DirtyCop
* 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.
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem
Changed line(s) 353,355 (click to see context) from:
[[folder: Johnny Stompanato]]
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
to:
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
Changed line(s) 357,361 (click to see context) from:
* ButtMonkey: to Bud White.
* DemotedToExtra: from the book (where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) to the film.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* 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.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
* DemotedToExtra: from the book (where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) to the film.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* 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.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
to:
* ButtMonkey: to Bud White.
AffablyEvil: Mickey Cohen is a ruthless gangster but a pleasant enough man with his own code of honor.
*DemotedToExtra: from EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Bizarrely, Mickey is one of the few characters in the book(where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) who seems to be genuinely motivated by disgust at the film.
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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter:One He's based on the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real life was known to have a hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of thefew Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* 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 themovie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* 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.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]real Mickey's reputation.
*
* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Bizarrely, Mickey is one of the few characters in the book
* HistoricalDomainCharacter:
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real life was known to have a hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* 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
* 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.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
Changed line(s) 364,369 (click to see context) from:
!!!Others
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A former cop turned pimp who frequently confesses to the murders of prostitutes.
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A former cop turned pimp who frequently confesses to the murders of prostitutes.
to:
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A former cop
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned
Changed line(s) 371,375 (click to see context) from:
* DirtyCop: Played with. He is a cop who has turned to sex trafficking and hates himself for it.
* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to the murder of prostitutes despite just being a pimp.
* 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.
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
to:
* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:Even when Dudley has
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and
* TheFixer: Buzz Meeks has this job for
* FalseConfession:
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In ''White Jazz'', Mickey Cohen is
*
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Buzz kills a DirtyCop in self-defense and Danny Upshaw is blamed for
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession
* PrivateDetective: Buzz is the head of security for Howard Hughes, which roughly gives him
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to
Changed line(s) 378,381 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Junior Nash]]
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
to:
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
Changed line(s) 383,384 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
to:
* DemotedToExtra: from the
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the book his real-life manslaughter is brought up to
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
Changed line(s) 387,390 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
to:
!!Sally Stinson
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A
Changed line(s) 393 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
to:
* ButtMonkey: She's destitute DirtyCop: Played with. He is a cop who has turned to sex trafficking and hates himself for it.
* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to thepoint she was forced into prostitution, and John and Fritz Vogel beat her to murder of prostitutes despite just being a pulp to learn pimp.
* ReluctantMonster: Sally Stinson notes that Issler'swhereabouts.constant false confessions are motivated by his guilt over his profession, but it's clearly not enough for him to stop.
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to the
* ReluctantMonster: Sally Stinson notes that Issler's
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
Changed line(s) 396,399 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Bobby De Witt]]
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
A violent pimp who Lee Blanchard arrested for the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery.
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
A violent pimp who Lee Blanchard arrested for the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery.
to:
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A
Changed line(s) 402,407 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.
to:
* AssholeVictim: Pretty much everything that can go wrong for Bobby does, culminating KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler:Lee murders him in [[spoiler:Blanchard hiring Mexican hitmen to murder him]], but a fit of rage under the belief he killed Elizabeth Short.]] [[spoiler:Though it's hard later revealed Blanchard ''hadn't'' killed him, and had confessed to feel bad for him given the abuse he put Kay through.
* KarmicButtMonkey: He's [[spoiler:framed for bank robbery]], sentenced to five years in prison, is beaten to a pulp byBleichert to cover up he had accepted a massive bribe to bury crucial evidence to 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.Black Dahlia case.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
* KarmicButtMonkey: He's [[spoiler:framed for bank robbery]], sentenced to five years in prison, is beaten to a pulp by
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
Changed line(s) 410,420 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* 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.
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is a bisexual man himself.
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* 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.
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is a bisexual man himself.
to:
* 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.]]
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was an abused young orphan boy created by a mentally ill woman to giveButtMonkey: She's destitute to the church before he found his rich father, only to be sexually abused by him. He point she was also a witness to the Sleepy Lagoon murder but too scared of the killer [[spoiler: Dudley Smith]] to come forward.
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* ScaryTeeth: The killer mutilates his victims' corpses using a set of dentures he fashioned out of wolverine teeth. Buzzforced into prostitution, and Mal get to see this in person during the climactic shootout.
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering themJohn and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he isFritz Vogel beat her to a bisexual man himself.pulp to learn Issler's whereabouts.
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was an abused young orphan boy created by a mentally ill woman to give
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* ScaryTeeth: The killer mutilates his victims' corpses using a set of dentures he fashioned out of wolverine teeth. Buzz
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is
Changed line(s) 423,426 (click to see context) from:
!! Communists
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
A beautiful upper-class woman who is a major leading figure among the Hollywood Left.
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
A beautiful upper-class woman who is a major leading figure among the Hollywood Left.
to:
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
A
Changed line(s) 429,448 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.]]
* {{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.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is something that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* 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.
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
* 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.]]
* {{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.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is something that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* 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.
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
to:
* BrokenPedestal: Claire Katherine De Haven is a figure on 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 Hollywood social circuit abuse he put Kay through.
* 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, andis a communist sympathizer in order [[spoiler:is murdered on Blanchard's orders shortly after]]. However, given his abuse of Kay and countless other women, it's difficult to help people in need. feel bad for him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[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.
* FemmeFatale: Is a key factor in driving Danny Upshaw to his death.Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[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.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working-class values butColeman Healey]]
Coleman Maskie isa rich UptownGirl who uses her connections to get herself as well as her friends out of trouble with the authorities.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lotillegitimate son of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: ProtectingReynolds Loftis Loftis. He is something that enables driven insane by a combination of witnessing the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evilSleepy Lagoon murder, his father sexually abusing him, and vile. Whenever a communist party member does something wrong, they have to be protected.
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.his crush choosing his father over him.
* 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
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler:
* FemmeFatale: Is a key factor in driving Danny Upshaw to his death.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working-class values but
Coleman Maskie is
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
Changed line(s) 451,456 (click to see context) from:
* AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
* 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.
* 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.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
to:
* AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the drop ofBandagedFace: Bandaged Face: Danny Upshaw hears a hat, tells horrific stories lot about her family during bed, and seems fascinated by her resemblance to Elizabeth Short.
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke thisa kid with Bleichert by saying she had sex with Elizabeth Short once. {{Subverted}} in that it makes bandages covering a supposedly burned face who used to hang around Marty Goines and help him deeply uncomfortable, though whether it's because of commit burglaries. In reality, the same sex nature of her liaison or bandages were the fact Elizabeth aftermath of plastic surgery. [[spoiler: The bandaged kid was horribly murdered or both is unclear.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparentlyColeman Masskie, Reynolds Loftis' illegitimate son. Reynolds commissioned a facelift from Terry Lux to make Coleman resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to him perfectly, as part of his own twisted incestuous fantasies. At the case.
* SpoiledBrat: Emmett gives her pretty much everything she could ever want, and she still slums ittime he was seen with the poor bandages, Coleman was recovering from his second visit to Lux, to undo this job by breaking every bone in his face.]]
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot ofLos Angeles the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* 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.
* DepravedBisexual: Coleman's sexuality is questionable as he abuses gay men but also lusts forfun, Claire De Haven. He does, however, have a sincere lust for Danny Upshaw.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well ashaving engaged in [[spoiler:an affair Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship withElizabeth Short]].
him after getting him plastic surgery.
*RebelliousPrincess: She's wealthy RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* 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 thedaughter climactic shootout.
* SerialKiller: Is one ofa powerful conservative businessman, gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men butshe prefers to spend her time slumming it in the poorer parts of Los Angeles.he is a bisexual man himself.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the drop of
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke this
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently
* SpoiledBrat: Emmett gives her pretty much everything she could ever want, and she still slums it
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of
* 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.
* DepravedBisexual: Coleman's sexuality is questionable as he abuses gay men but also lusts for
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with
*
* 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
* SerialKiller: Is one of
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but
Changed line(s) 459,462 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Emmett Sprague]]
!!Emmett Sprague
A wealthy and influential Scottish businessman.
!!Emmett Sprague
A wealthy and influential Scottish businessman.
to:
!!Emmett Sprague
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
A
Changed line(s) 465,472 (click to see context) from:
* AffablyEvil: He's friendly and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and a Nazi sympathizer to boot.
* 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".
* 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.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her with his views.
* 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".
* 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.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her with his views.
to:
* AffablyEvil: He's friendly BrokenPedestal: Claire Katherine De Haven is a figure on the Hollywood social circuit and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and is a Nazi communist sympathizer in order to boot.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Afterhelp people in need. [[spoiler: She also enabled a known rapist and murderer get away with his pet dog brought 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.
* 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 hima newspaper reporting on the deal know she knows that made him rich, Emmett shot the dog so he could have it stuffed he's a gay man.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working-class values but is a rich UptownGirl who uses her connections to"commemorate the moment".
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from workingget herself as well as her friends out of trouble with Mickey Cohen, the authorities.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system andall 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.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest menpolice in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is something that enables theconstruction boom Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil andusing shoddy practices.
vile. Whenever a communist party member does something wrong, they have to be protected.
*HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive SmugSnake: Claire believes she's beyond reproach and can win in the public eye despite the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US foughtpapers as well as system are all stacked against us.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from theGermans in World War II.
HUAC.
*RacistGrandpa: He YouAreWhatYouHate: Claire is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer rich woman who embarrasses abuses her with his views.connections to protect her friends from the consequences of their actions. She's also a communist.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After
* 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
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working-class values but is a rich UptownGirl who uses her connections to
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from working
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is something that enables the
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil and
*
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the
*
Changed line(s) 475,478 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Ramona Sprague]]
!!Ramona Sprague
Madeleine's drug-addicted and resentful mother.
!!Ramona Sprague
Madeleine's drug-addicted and resentful mother.
to:
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
Changed line(s) 481,486 (click to see context) from:
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is the actual murderer of Elizabeth Short.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with her and her resemblance to their daughter.]]
* 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.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with her and her resemblance to their daughter.]]
* 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.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
to:
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at theactual murderer drop of Elizabeth Short.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping witha hat, tells horrific stories about her family during bed, and seems fascinated by her resemblance to their daughter.]]
Elizabeth Short.
*TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke this with Bleichert by saying she had sex with Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her once. {{Subverted}} 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.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* RichBitch: Ramona believes her own husband is beneath her and despises the working class. Her story at the table alsothat it makes fun of Bleichert's home neighborhood.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the starthim deeply uncomfortable, though whether it's because of the novel.]]same sex nature of her liaison or the fact Elizabeth was horribly murdered or both is unclear.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with
*
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* RichBitch: Ramona believes her own husband is beneath her and despises the working class. Her story at the table also
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
Changed line(s) 489,492 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Martha Sprague]]
!!Martha Sprague
Madeleine's artistic sister.
!!Martha Sprague
Madeleine's artistic sister.
to:
Changed line(s) 495,496 (click to see context) from:
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends the entirety of Bucky's dinner with the Spragues sketching a drawing of him and Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
to:
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends AffablyEvil: He's friendly and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and a Nazi sympathizer to boot.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After his pet dog brought him a newspaper reporting on theentirety of Bucky's dinner deal that made him rich, Emmett shot the dog so he could have it stuffed to "commemorate the moment".
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from working withthe Spragues sketching a drawing of him Mickey Cohen, and Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on anyall of the Sprague family, or even met them, without apartments he built are shoddily constructed tenements; fifteen of them collapsed during an earthquake and killed everyone inside, which he quickly covered up.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses hersending clues to the police.]]with his views.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After his pet dog brought him a newspaper reporting on the
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from working with
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her
Changed line(s) 499,503 (click to see context) from:
!!!Others
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
to:
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal
!!Ramona Sprague
Madeleine's drug-addicted and
Changed line(s) 506,514 (click to see context) from:
* AscendedExtra: Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and helps the LAPD against communists.
* 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.]]
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
* 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.]]
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
to:
* AscendedExtra: Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and helps AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is the LAPD against communists.
* 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.actual murderer of Elizabeth Short.]]
*GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these inher and Blanchard's apartment her resemblance to seduce Bleichert. It doesn't work, their daughter.]]
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection to Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her inpart, due to Bleichert being in no mood due to having just killed two people.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, andsuch a horrific way. Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claimscompletely confused at the evidence leading to her until she explains she was driven mad with jealousy over Georgie's affair.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky andBlanchard don't have sex despite living together as is in general a couple.stuck-up prude.
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
* 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.
*
* 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.
* 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.
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection to Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her in
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
Changed line(s) 517,520 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Lorna Maltikova]]
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
to:
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
!!Martha Sprague
Madeleine's artistic sister.
Changed line(s) 523,526 (click to see context) from:
* AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
* 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
* 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
to:
* AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a family of these as {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends the thought entirety of returning terrifies her.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogantBucky's dinner with the Spragues sketching a drawing of him and confrontational. Within a matter Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any ofminutes, she's brought the Sprague family, or even met them, without her sending clues to the point of tears and pathetically begs Millard, Bleichert, and Sears not to send her back to her parents.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.police.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any of
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
Changed line(s) 529,532 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Elizabeth Short]]
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
to:
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and
Changed line(s) 534,542 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
to:
*
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Bobby De Witt subjected her
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* FemmeFatale: She's a
*
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in her
* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems
* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and egotism appears to be a coping mechanism from
* MsFanservice: Much attention is paid to how describing beautiful Kay Lake is and
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't
* 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.
* LittleBlackDress: Elizabeth has gained her reputation as the Black Dahlia because she always wore black outfits
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
Changed line(s) 545,548 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Georgie Tilden]]
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
to:
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and
Changed line(s) 551,553 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
to:
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Emmett disfigured him with AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a knife family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant andframed him 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it forthe Black Dahlia murder, but Tilden is a necrophiliac psycho who was complicit in the murder, so it's hard to feel bad for him.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.as much money as possible.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant and
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it for
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
Changed line(s) 556,559 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
to:
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the
Changed line(s) 561,564 (click to see context) from:
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
to:
* 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.
* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems to have
* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: She was entirely real, though
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to
Changed line(s) 567,570 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
to:
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who
Added DiffLines:
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
----
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
----
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
----
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7 (click to see context) from:
* ''Literature/LAConfidential'' (This book [[Characters/LAConfidential has its own character page]])
to:
* ''Literature/LAConfidential'' (This book [[Characters/LAConfidential film version [[Characters/LAConfidential1997 has its own character page]])
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Moving to applicable page.
Changed line(s) 148 (click to see context) from:
A vastly different character in the novel series compared to the [[Film/LAConfidential film]], tropes will be split according to the medium.
to:
A vastly different character in 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 novel main antagonist of the series compared to the [[Film/LAConfidential film]], tropes will be split according to the medium.overall. For his film incarnation see [[Characters/LAConfidential1997 here]].
Deleted line(s) 150,153 (click to see context) :
!! Novel:
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.
----
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.
----
Changed line(s) 205,209 (click to see context) from:
!!Film:
A highly decorated and friendly police Captain completely altered from his book counterpart, Dudley's a cop trying to pave the way for a new Los Angeles who's got a great relationship with his men and willing to do what it takes to keep criminals at bay, though he's got some secrets of his own.
As the character is a WalkingSpoiler, spoilers will be left unmarked beneath.
A highly decorated and friendly police Captain completely altered from his book counterpart, Dudley's a cop trying to pave the way for a new Los Angeles who's got a great relationship with his men and willing to do what it takes to keep criminals at bay, though he's got some secrets of his own.
As the character is a WalkingSpoiler, spoilers will be left unmarked beneath.
to:
A highly decorated and friendly police Captain completely altered from his book counterpart, Dudley's a cop trying to pave the way for a new Los Angeles who's got a great relationship with his men and willing to do what it takes to keep criminals at bay, though he's got some secrets
[[folder:Jack Tierney]]
!!Captain Jack Tierney
The commander of
As the character is a WalkingSpoiler, spoilers will be left unmarked beneath.
Changed line(s) 211,240 (click to see context) from:
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]]. In the book, we know from the beginning--from the previous ''book''[[note]] ''The Big Nowhere'' [[/note]], actually--that he's rotten. In this movie, it's a big WhamShot when he kills Jack, [[TheReveal revealing himself to be the villain.]] The movie also removes his racist personality present in the books.
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: Dudley Smith is friendly and mentoring to Edmund Exley in the movie, serving as a ParentalSubstitute. In the book, Dudley utterly hates Exley and the latter despises the former. This is due to Dudley being combined with Exley's father in the film (see CompositeCharacter).
* AdaptationalVillainy: While far less viscerally evil than his horrific, racist book counterpart, without any adaptations of the prequel novels Dudley had no interaction with his underling Hideo, whose death brings him to tears in the books.
* AnyLastWords: "You have a valediction, boyo?", said as he enjoys watching Jack--who'd just caught on to evidence of his crimes--bleed out.
* BatmanGambit: He's a master at manipulating his officers into doing what he wants, including sending Exley on a wild goose chase in his desire for glory and manipulating Bud into wanting to kill him later to tie up loose ends. It's his underestimation of Bud's ability to think for himself that proves to be Dudley's undoing.
* BigBad: He wants to take the niche left by Mickey Cohen and will not share it with any possible collaborator like Pierce Patchett or Sid Hudgens.
* BigBadFriend: To half the cast, with whom he has a good relationship while manipulating them. For his part, he's sociopathically cheerful in letting them be as his pawns until they catch wind of his plot for LA or become a hindrance to him.
* TheCaptain: In the books it takes longer for him to climb the ranks but the film has Dudley as a police captain through the whole story and the protagonists report to him.
* CompositeCharacter: The Dudley Smith of the movie is a combination of the titular character as well as Preston Exley. Much of the latter's dialogue is given to Dudley, establishing a fatherly mentoring relationship with Edmund Exley that doesn't exist in the book.
%%* DaChief: He's one of the rare villainous examples.
* DeathByAdaptation: Dudley survives the original novel version of ''Literature/LAConfidential'', and his war with Ed Exley is continued into the sequel, ''Literature/WhiteJazz''. Ed shoots him in the back in the film.
* DiabolicalMastermind: The truncated plot has Dudley with far less competition in conquering the crime world of Los Angeles and he's the true power behind the scene whom even his ostensible partner, Pierce Patchett, is just another pawn to.
* DirtyCop: Only the dirtiest. He uses his resources and power as a high-ranking cop to fill the power vacuum left by Mickey Cohen. He's a mobster with a badge.
* EvilOldFolks: He's incredibly capable in a gunfight and has the highest kill count in the film with 10 deaths to his name.
* FauxAffablyEvil: It's part of what makes him so chilling, his ability to make others completely trust him. Even after he's been exposed, he still never fully loses his charm.
* FirstNameBasis: He refers to everyone by their first, formal names such as calling Exley by "Edmund" and Bud White by "Wendell". He asks people to call him Dudley to soften his image.
* InTheBack: He dies when Ed manages to find his morals and fight through the temptation of Dudley's promises for his career, blasting Dudley in the back as the only way to stop him when Dudley's planned things to look like a cop responding to a shooting call.
* KarmicDeath: He's shot in the back by Ed as a criminal who'd arranged the scene so he could evade justice, something he thought Ed was too soft to do as per his questioning of Ed's ability as a detective.
* LargeAndInCharge: He towers over the likes of Jack, Exley and White. And he is played by James Cromwell, one of the tallest actors ever (2 meters tall!).
* LeanAndMean: Unlike the book version who's described as broad, James Cromwell gives Dudley a tall yet thinner frame and he remains just as diabolical as ever.
* ManipulativeBastard: He expertly manipulates Bud White and Ed Exley. He knows exactly what they want and uses that knowledge to push them in the direction he wants them to go in. He's so good at manipulating them, nobody even suspects him until he makes one vital mistake.
* OfficerOHara: Complete with James Cromwell providing an off-the-boat accent and stereotypical expressions.
-->''"I wouldn't trade places with Edmund Exley right now for all the whiskey in Ireland".''
* ParentalSubstitute: He serves as this for Exley and White in the film, in different ways. Bud sees him as more of a traditional father-figure, where Ed admires his police career. The ending reveals how expendable they really are to him.
* SayingTooMuch: He mentions Jack's last words of "Rolo Tomasi" to Ed, tipping Ed off that Dudley was the Jack's murderer.
* TheSvengali: He plays the role of mentor alternatively to Bud White and Ed Exley. His real plan however, is to manipulate them into doing his dirty work in tying up loose ends without them knowing it. Smith knows that Exley has the potential to become a SpannerInTheWorks due to his ConstantlyCurious nature and IncorruptiblePurePureness, so he tries to keep him in the dark as much as possible. What Dudley doesn't count on is that Bud White shares Exley's curiosity and desire for justice, and he's not just the DumbMuscle that Dudley [[UnderestimatingBadassery believes him to be]].
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's a well-respected upstanding LA Police Captain, in addition to being a remorseless murderer. Even after dying, he's still framed as a heroic cop who died helping Bud and Ed rather than the monster he really was.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's very difficult to talk about his character without revealing his true nature.
* WhamShot: A literal example. The first indication that he's evil is when he turns around and shoots Jack Vincennes.
* AWolfInSheepsClothing: To the public, he's an upstanding police officer. In reality, he's a remorseless criminal who uses his occupation as a cover for his illicit activities.
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: Dudley Smith is friendly and mentoring to Edmund Exley in the movie, serving as a ParentalSubstitute. In the book, Dudley utterly hates Exley and the latter despises the former. This is due to Dudley being combined with Exley's father in the film (see CompositeCharacter).
* AdaptationalVillainy: While far less viscerally evil than his horrific, racist book counterpart, without any adaptations of the prequel novels Dudley had no interaction with his underling Hideo, whose death brings him to tears in the books.
* AnyLastWords: "You have a valediction, boyo?", said as he enjoys watching Jack--who'd just caught on to evidence of his crimes--bleed out.
* BatmanGambit: He's a master at manipulating his officers into doing what he wants, including sending Exley on a wild goose chase in his desire for glory and manipulating Bud into wanting to kill him later to tie up loose ends. It's his underestimation of Bud's ability to think for himself that proves to be Dudley's undoing.
* BigBad: He wants to take the niche left by Mickey Cohen and will not share it with any possible collaborator like Pierce Patchett or Sid Hudgens.
* BigBadFriend: To half the cast, with whom he has a good relationship while manipulating them. For his part, he's sociopathically cheerful in letting them be as his pawns until they catch wind of his plot for LA or become a hindrance to him.
* TheCaptain: In the books it takes longer for him to climb the ranks but the film has Dudley as a police captain through the whole story and the protagonists report to him.
* CompositeCharacter: The Dudley Smith of the movie is a combination of the titular character as well as Preston Exley. Much of the latter's dialogue is given to Dudley, establishing a fatherly mentoring relationship with Edmund Exley that doesn't exist in the book.
%%* DaChief: He's one of the rare villainous examples.
* DeathByAdaptation: Dudley survives the original novel version of ''Literature/LAConfidential'', and his war with Ed Exley is continued into the sequel, ''Literature/WhiteJazz''. Ed shoots him in the back in the film.
* DiabolicalMastermind: The truncated plot has Dudley with far less competition in conquering the crime world of Los Angeles and he's the true power behind the scene whom even his ostensible partner, Pierce Patchett, is just another pawn to.
* DirtyCop: Only the dirtiest. He uses his resources and power as a high-ranking cop to fill the power vacuum left by Mickey Cohen. He's a mobster with a badge.
* EvilOldFolks: He's incredibly capable in a gunfight and has the highest kill count in the film with 10 deaths to his name.
* FauxAffablyEvil: It's part of what makes him so chilling, his ability to make others completely trust him. Even after he's been exposed, he still never fully loses his charm.
* FirstNameBasis: He refers to everyone by their first, formal names such as calling Exley by "Edmund" and Bud White by "Wendell". He asks people to call him Dudley to soften his image.
* InTheBack: He dies when Ed manages to find his morals and fight through the temptation of Dudley's promises for his career, blasting Dudley in the back as the only way to stop him when Dudley's planned things to look like a cop responding to a shooting call.
* KarmicDeath: He's shot in the back by Ed as a criminal who'd arranged the scene so he could evade justice, something he thought Ed was too soft to do as per his questioning of Ed's ability as a detective.
* LargeAndInCharge: He towers over the likes of Jack, Exley and White. And he is played by James Cromwell, one of the tallest actors ever (2 meters tall!).
* LeanAndMean: Unlike the book version who's described as broad, James Cromwell gives Dudley a tall yet thinner frame and he remains just as diabolical as ever.
* ManipulativeBastard: He expertly manipulates Bud White and Ed Exley. He knows exactly what they want and uses that knowledge to push them in the direction he wants them to go in. He's so good at manipulating them, nobody even suspects him until he makes one vital mistake.
* OfficerOHara: Complete with James Cromwell providing an off-the-boat accent and stereotypical expressions.
-->''"I wouldn't trade places with Edmund Exley right now for all the whiskey in Ireland".''
* ParentalSubstitute: He serves as this for Exley and White in the film, in different ways. Bud sees him as more of a traditional father-figure, where Ed admires his police career. The ending reveals how expendable they really are to him.
* SayingTooMuch: He mentions Jack's last words of "Rolo Tomasi" to Ed, tipping Ed off that Dudley was the Jack's murderer.
* TheSvengali: He plays the role of mentor alternatively to Bud White and Ed Exley. His real plan however, is to manipulate them into doing his dirty work in tying up loose ends without them knowing it. Smith knows that Exley has the potential to become a SpannerInTheWorks due to his ConstantlyCurious nature and IncorruptiblePurePureness, so he tries to keep him in the dark as much as possible. What Dudley doesn't count on is that Bud White shares Exley's curiosity and desire for justice, and he's not just the DumbMuscle that Dudley [[UnderestimatingBadassery believes him to be]].
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's a well-respected upstanding LA Police Captain, in addition to being a remorseless murderer. Even after dying, he's still framed as a heroic cop who died helping Bud and Ed rather than the monster he really was.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's very difficult to talk about his character without revealing his true nature.
* WhamShot: A literal example. The first indication that he's evil is when he turns around and shoots Jack Vincennes.
* AWolfInSheepsClothing: To the public, he's an upstanding police officer. In reality, he's a remorseless criminal who uses his occupation as a cover for his illicit activities.
to:
*
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: Dudley Smith is friendly and mentoring to Edmund Exley in the movie, serving as a ParentalSubstitute. In the book, Dudley utterly hates Exley and the latter despises the former. This is due to Dudley being combined with Exley's father in the film (see CompositeCharacter).
* AdaptationalVillainy: While far less viscerally evil than his horrific, racist book counterpart, without any adaptations of the prequel novels Dudley had no interaction with his underling Hideo, whose death brings him to tears in the books.
* AnyLastWords: "You have a valediction, boyo?", said as he enjoys watching Jack--who'd just caught on to evidence of his crimes--bleed out.
* BatmanGambit: He's a master at manipulating his officers into doing what he wants, including sending Exley on a wild goose chase in his desire for glory and manipulating Bud into wanting to kill him later to tie up loose ends. It's his underestimation of Bud's ability to think for himself that proves to be Dudley's undoing.
* BigBad: He wants to take the niche left by Mickey Cohen and will not share it with any possible collaborator like Pierce Patchett or Sid Hudgens.
* BigBadFriend: To half the cast, with whom he has a good relationship while manipulating them. For his part, he's sociopathically cheerful in letting them be as his pawns until they catch wind of his plot for LA or become a hindrance to him.
* TheCaptain: In the books it takes longer for him to climb the ranks but the film has Dudley as a police captain through the whole story and the protagonists report to him.
* CompositeCharacter: The Dudley Smith of the movie is a combination of the titular character as well as Preston Exley. Much of the latter's dialogue is given to Dudley, establishing a fatherly mentoring relationship with Edmund Exley that doesn't exist in the book.
%%*
* DeathByAdaptation: Dudley survives the original novel version
* DiabolicalMastermind: The truncated plot has Dudley with far less competition in conquering the crime world of Los Angeles and he's the true power behind the scene whom even his ostensible partner, Pierce Patchett, is just another pawn to.
* DirtyCop: Only the dirtiest. He uses his resources and power as a high-ranking cop to fill the power vacuum left by Mickey Cohen. He's a mobster with a badge.
* EvilOldFolks: He's incredibly capable in a gunfight and has the highest kill count in the film with 10 deaths to his name.
* FauxAffablyEvil: It's part of what makes him so chilling, his ability to make others completely trust him. Even after he's been exposed, he still never fully loses his charm.
* FirstNameBasis: He refers to everyone by their first, formal names such as calling Exley by "Edmund" and Bud White by "Wendell". He asks people to call him Dudley to soften his image.
* InTheBack: He dies when Ed manages to find his morals and fight through the temptation of Dudley's promises for his career, blasting Dudley in the back as the only way to stop him when Dudley's planned things to look like a cop responding to a shooting call.
* KarmicDeath: He's shot in the back by Ed as a criminal who'd arranged the scene so he could evade justice, something he thought Ed was too soft to do as per his questioning of Ed's ability as a detective.
* LargeAndInCharge: He towers over the likes of Jack, Exley and White. And he is played by James Cromwell, one of the tallest actors ever (2 meters tall!).
* LeanAndMean: Unlike the book version who's described as broad, James Cromwell gives Dudley a tall yet thinner frame and he remains just as diabolical as ever.
* ManipulativeBastard: He expertly manipulates Bud White and Ed Exley. He knows exactly what they want and uses
* PuppetKing: As Tierney himself admits, Loew is the
* OfficerOHara: Complete with James Cromwell providing an off-the-boat accent and stereotypical expressions.
-->''"I wouldn't trade places with Edmund Exley right now for all the whiskey in Ireland".''
* ParentalSubstitute: He serves as this for Exley and White in the film, in different ways. Bud sees him as more of a traditional father-figure, where Ed admires his police career. The ending reveals how expendable they
* SayingTooMuch: He mentions Jack's last words of "Rolo Tomasi" to Ed, tipping Ed off that Dudley was
* TheSvengali: He plays the role of mentor alternatively to Bud White and Ed Exley. His real plan however, is to manipulate them into doing his dirty work in tying up loose ends without them knowing it. Smith knows that Exley has the potential to become a SpannerInTheWorks due to his ConstantlyCurious nature and IncorruptiblePurePureness, so he tries to keep him in the dark as much as possible. What Dudley doesn't count on is that Bud White shares Exley's curiosity and desire for justice, and he's not just the DumbMuscle that Dudley [[UnderestimatingBadassery believes him to be]].
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's a well-respected upstanding LA Police Captain, in addition to being a remorseless murderer. Even after dying, he's still framed as a heroic cop who died helping Bud and Ed rather than the monster he really was.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's very difficult to talk about his character without revealing his true nature.
* WhamShot: A literal example. The first indication that he's evil is when he turns around and shoots Jack Vincennes.
* AWolfInSheepsClothing: To the public, he's an upstanding police officer. In reality, he's a remorseless criminal who uses his occupation as a cover for his illicit activities.
Changed line(s) 243,246 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Jack Tierney]]
!!Captain Jack Tierney
The commander of Warrants Division.
!!Captain Jack Tierney
The commander of Warrants Division.
to:
!!Captain Jack Tierney
The commander of Warrants Division.
!!Sergeant Friedrich "Fritz" Vogel
Koenig's more intelligent partner.
Changed line(s) 249,250 (click to see context) from:
* DaChief: He's the head of Warrants Squad, and prone to screaming down any of his subordinates that dare annoy him.
* PuppetKing: As Tierney himself admits, Loew is the one who really runs the show at Warrants Division.
* PuppetKing: As Tierney himself admits, Loew is the one who really runs the show at Warrants Division.
to:
* DaChief: AbusiveParents: He's emotionally abusive of John and constantly insults him to his face.
* ButtMonkey: He gets absolutely no respect from his colleagues. Captain Tierney outright mocks him in front of thehead rest of Warrants Squad, Division, and prone to screaming down any of his subordinates people spread various embarrassing rumors about Vogel's personal life.
* DirtyCop: To the point thatdare annoy him.
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.]]
*PuppetKing: As Tierney DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He shoots himself admits, Loew is in the one who really runs head after Bleichert exposes his crimes.]]
* {{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.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: For all his faults, he does seem like he genuinely likes Bleichert and wants him for a partner. However, theshow at Warrants Division.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.
* ButtMonkey: He gets absolutely no respect from his colleagues. Captain Tierney outright mocks him in front of the
* DirtyCop: To the point that
*
* {{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.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: For all his faults, he does seem like he genuinely likes Bleichert and wants him for a partner. However, the
Changed line(s) 253,256 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Fritz Vogel]]
!!Sergeant Friedrich "Fritz" Vogel
Koenig's more intelligent partner.
!!Sergeant Friedrich "Fritz" Vogel
Koenig's more intelligent partner.
to:
Changed line(s) 259,264 (click to see context) from:
* AbusiveParents: He's emotionally abusive of John and constantly insults him to his face.
* 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.
* 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.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He shoots himself in the head after Bleichert exposes his crimes.]]
* {{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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He shoots himself in the head after Bleichert exposes his crimes.]]
* {{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.
* 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.
to:
* 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.
* 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.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:He shoots himself in the head after Bleichert exposes his crimes.]]
* WellDoneSonGuy: Fritz frequently insults him and throws homophobic slurs at him.
* WouldHitAGirl: Beats up a prostitute in order to get information out of
* 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.
Changed line(s) 267,270 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:John Vogel]]
!!Officer John Vogel
Fritz Vogel's good-for-nothing son.
!!Officer John Vogel
Fritz Vogel's good-for-nothing son.
to:
!!Officer John Vogel
Fritz Vogel's good-for-nothing son.
!!Ray Pinker
A forensic chemist working for the LAPD.
Changed line(s) 272,275 (click to see context) from:
* {{Jerkass}}: He's a violent moron who beats prostitutes as a past-time.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Fritz frequently insults him and throws homophobic slurs at him.
* WouldHitAGirl: Beats up a prostitute in order to get information out of her.
to:
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off a real man who really did work for the LAPD.
* PluckyComicRelief: He's a
* WellDoneSonGuy: Fritz frequently insults him and throws homophobic slurs at him.
* WouldHitAGirl: Beats up a prostitute
Changed line(s) 278,281 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Ray Pinker]]
!!Ray Pinker
A forensic chemist working for the LAPD.
!!Ray Pinker
A forensic chemist working for the LAPD.
to:
!!Ray Pinker
A forensic chemist working for
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
Changed line(s) 283,285 (click to see context) from:
* DeadpanSnarker: He's constantly making sarcastic remarks.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off a real man who really did work for the LAPD.
* PluckyComicRelief: He's a notably comical character who constantly cracks jokes, providing levity in the otherwise extremely dark ''Literature/LAConfidential''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off a real man who really did work for the LAPD.
* PluckyComicRelief: He's a notably comical character who constantly cracks jokes, providing levity in the otherwise extremely dark ''Literature/LAConfidential''.
to:
* DeadpanSnarker: AscendedExtra: He's constantly making sarcastic remarks.
a minor supporting character in the original Quartet, but he's a major character in the prequels and a viewpoint character in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's basedoff a on the real man who really did work for LAPD chief.
* InternalReformist: Extremely downplayed. Parker's fine with PoliceBrutality, but he's one of theLAPD.
few to frown on using it pointlessly and sides with Ed because of this.
*PluckyComicRelief: 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.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed. He'sa notably comical character who constantly cracks jokes, providing levity fully complicit in the otherwise extremely dark ''Literature/LAConfidential''.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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based
* InternalReformist: Extremely downplayed. Parker's fine with PoliceBrutality, but he's one of the
*
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed. He's
Changed line(s) 288,291 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:William Parker]]
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
to:
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
!!Detective Mike Breuning
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
Changed line(s) 293,297 (click to see context) from:
* 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}}''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
to:
* AscendedExtra: UndyingLoyalty: 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}}''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed. He's fully complicit in the LAPD's corruption and quite willing to listendeeply loyal to Dudley, but he takes a liking to Ed for and Bud notes his staunch morals devotion is slavish and frowns on outright police brutality for the most part.almost cult-like.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based on the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed. He's fully complicit in the LAPD's corruption and quite willing to listen
Changed line(s) 300,302 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Mike Breuning]]
!!Detective Mike Breuning
!!Detective Mike Breuning
to:
!!Detective
Changed line(s) 305 (click to see context) from:
* UndyingLoyalty: He's deeply loyal to Dudley, and Bud notes his devotion is slavish and almost cult-like.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: He's deeply Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley, and Bud notes his devotion is slavish and Dudley in an almost cult-like.cult-like fashion.
Deleted line(s) 308,315 (click to see context) :
[[folder:Richard Carlisle]]
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
----
* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley in an almost cult-like fashion.
[[/folder]]
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
----
* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley in an almost cult-like fashion.
[[/folder]]
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None
Changed line(s) 159 (click to see context) from:
** Dudley is bigoted against every minority, but he's willing to ally with the Jewish [[AmoralAttorney 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.
to:
** Dudley is bigoted against every minority, but he's willing to ally with the Jewish [[AmoralAttorney [[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.
Changed line(s) 294 (click to see context) from:
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off of the real LAPD chief.
to:
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off of on the real LAPD chief.
Changed line(s) 325 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
to:
* ArmoredClosetGay: Danny Upshaw thinks he's this, flirting with multiple women and cultivating a reputation as a ladies ladies' man. In fact, it's more EveryoneCanSeeIt and the realization of this contributes to [[spoiler: Danny's suicide.]]
Changed line(s) 334 (click to see context) from:
* JurisdictionFriction: The LAPD and LA County Sherriff'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.
to:
* JurisdictionFriction: The LAPD and LA County Sherriff's 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.
Changed line(s) 345,347 (click to see context) from:
* 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 in the end of ''The Big Nowhere.''
* AmoralAttorney: 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.
** 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.
* AmoralAttorney: 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.
** 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.
to:
* AmbitionIsEvil: Loew is planning a massive union busting union-busting witch hunt for communists in order to bring attention to his political campaign. It causes no end of trouble in at the end of ''The Big Nowhere.''
* AmoralAttorney: 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.
** 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.''
* AmoralAttorney: 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.
** 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.
Changed line(s) 349 (click to see context) from:
* AssholeVictim: He may have reluctantly helped [[spoiler: Dudley]], but was still an arrogant SmugSnake of a lawyer. Notably is that this is the first time Exley is fine with White's PoliceBrutality.
to:
* AssholeVictim: He may have reluctantly helped [[spoiler: Dudley]], but was still an arrogant SmugSnake of a lawyer. Notably is that Notably, this is the first time Exley is fine with White's PoliceBrutality.
Changed line(s) 351 (click to see context) from:
* {{Jerkass}}: He's short-tempered, entitled, and throws a hissy fit whenever thinks don't go his way.
to:
* {{Jerkass}}: He's short-tempered, entitled, and throws a hissy fit whenever thinks things don't go his way.
* 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.
** 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.
** 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.
Changed line(s) 368,369 (click to see context) from:
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-life was known to have a hair trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-life was known to have a hair trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
to:
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off on the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen inreal-life real life was known to have a hair trigger hair-trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in
Changed line(s) 388,389 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
* 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 indistiguishable from a cop.
* 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 indistiguishable from a cop.
to:
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Buzz kills a DirtyCop in self defense 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.]]
* 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 becomesindistiguishable indistinguishable from a cop.
* 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
Changed line(s) 401 (click to see context) from:
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
to:
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more.anymore. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
Changed line(s) 453 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
to:
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was an abused young orphan boy created by a mentally-ill 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.
Changed line(s) 471 (click to see context) from:
* {{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.
to:
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working class 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.
Changed line(s) 474 (click to see context) from:
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is somethinhg that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
to:
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is somethinhg something that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
Changed line(s) 603 (click to see context) from:
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot free for nearly killing Bleichert.
to:
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot free scot-free for nearly killing Bleichert.
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Added example(s)
Added DiffLines:
* 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.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)
Changed line(s) 157 (click to see context) from:
* BigotryException: Dudley is bigoted against every minority, but he's willing to ally with the Jewish [[AmoralAttorney 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.
to:
* BigotryException: BigotryException:
** Dudley is bigoted against every minority, but he's willing to ally with the Jewish [[AmoralAttorney 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 forhim.him.
** 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.
** Dudley is bigoted against every minority, but he's willing to ally with the Jewish [[AmoralAttorney 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
** 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.
Added DiffLines:
* 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.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)
Changed line(s) 168 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
to:
* 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.
Added DiffLines:
* 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.
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Added example(s)
Changed line(s) 273,276 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:William Parker]]
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
to:
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of
!!Ray Pinker
A forensic chemist working for the LAPD.
Changed line(s) 278,282 (click to see context) from:
* 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}}''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off of the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off of the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
to:
* AscendedExtra: DeadpanSnarker: 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}}''.
constantly making sarcastic remarks.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based offof the a real LAPD chief.
* InternalReformist: Extremely downplayed. Parker's fine with PoliceBrutality, but he's one ofman who really did work for the few to frown on using it pointlessly and sides with Ed because of this.
LAPD.
*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.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed.PluckyComicRelief: He's fully complicit a notably comical character who constantly cracks jokes, providing levity 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.otherwise extremely dark ''Literature/LAConfidential''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off
* InternalReformist: Extremely downplayed. Parker's fine with PoliceBrutality, but he's one of
*
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Downplayed.
Changed line(s) 285,288 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Mike Breuning]]
!!Detective Mike Breuning
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
!!Detective Mike Breuning
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
to:
!!Detective Mike Breuning
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
!!Chief William H. Parker
The police chief of the LAPD.
Changed line(s) 290 (click to see context) from:
* UndyingLoyalty: He's deeply loyal to Dudley, and Bud notes his devotion is slavish and almost cult-like.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: AscendedExtra: He's deeply loyal a minor supporting character in the original Quartet, but he's a major character in the prequels and a viewpoint character in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off of the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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 andBud notes his devotion is slavish and almost cult-like.frowns on outright police brutality for the most part.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off of the real LAPD chief.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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
Changed line(s) 293,295 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Richard Carlisle]]
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
to:
!!Detective
Changed line(s) 298 (click to see context) from:
* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley in an almost cult-like fashion.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly He's deeply loyal to Dudley in an Dudley, and Bud notes his devotion is slavish and almost cult-like fashion.cult-like.
Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Richard Carlisle]]
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
----
* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley in an almost cult-like fashion.
[[/folder]]
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
----
* UndyingLoyalty: Bud observes he's slavishly loyal to Dudley in an almost cult-like fashion.
[[/folder]]
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Added example(s)
Changed line(s) 285,290 (click to see context) from:
!! LA County Police
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the Wolverine killings.
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the Wolverine killings.
to:
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
!!Detective Mike Breuning
A
Changed line(s) 292,303 (click to see context) from:
* {{Archenemy}}: The Wolverine killer becomes the focus of his obsession.
* 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.]]
* 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.
* ByTheBookCop: Starts as one of these but gradually becomes a CowboyCop the more he becomes obsessed with the Wolverine killings.
* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees to help investigate communist activity for more support in finding the Wolverine.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid to avert anyone finding out about his homosexuality]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer is motivated by his own repressed homosexuality.
* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
* TheHeroDies: Danny is the first of the protagonists to die due to being [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide.]]
* HoneyPot: Is sent to seduce Claire de haven as part of his investigation into communist activity.
* JurisdictionFriction: The LAPD and LA County Sherriff'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.
to:
* ArmoredClosetGay: Danny Upshaw thinks he's this, flirting with multiple women
* 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.
* ByTheBookCop: Starts as one of these but gradually becomes a CowboyCop the more he becomes obsessed with the Wolverine killings.
* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees to help investigate communist activity for more support in finding the Wolverine.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid to avert anyone finding out about his homosexuality]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer is motivated by his own repressed homosexuality.
* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
* TheHeroDies: Danny is the first of the protagonists to die due to being [[spoiler: DrivenToSuicide.]]
* HoneyPot: Is sent to seduce Claire de haven as part of his investigation into communist activity.
* JurisdictionFriction: The LAPD and LA County Sherriff'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.
Changed line(s) 306,311 (click to see context) from:
!!District Attorney's Office
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and the ''real'' head of Warrants Division. Later elected to District Attorney.
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and the ''real'' head of Warrants Division. Later elected to District Attorney.
to:
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and the ''real'' head of Warrants Division. Later elected to District Attorney.
!!Detective Richard Carlisle
A corrupt detective working for Dudley Smith.
Changed line(s) 313,322 (click to see context) from:
* 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 in the end of ''The Big Nowhere.''
* AmoralAttorney: 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.
** 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.
* 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.]]
* AssholeVictim: He may have reluctantly helped [[spoiler: Dudley]], but was still an arrogant SmugSnake of a lawyer. Notably is that this is the first time Exley is fine with White's PoliceBrutality.
* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: He's short-tempered, entitled, and throws a hissy fit whenever thinks don't go his way.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Buzz Meeks takes the opportunity to burn down his house with all of the grand jury's accumulated evidence on the communists.
* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this in ''The Big Nowhere'' in order to make a name for himself.
to:
* AmoralAttorney: 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.
** 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.
* 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.]]
* AssholeVictim: He may have reluctantly helped [[spoiler: Dudley]], but was still
* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: He's short-tempered, entitled, and throws a hissy fit whenever thinks don't go his way.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Buzz Meeks takes the opportunity to burn down his house with all of the grand jury's accumulated evidence on the communists.
* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this in ''The Big Nowhere'' in order to make a name for himself.
Changed line(s) 325,332 (click to see context) from:
!!Criminals
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
to:
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous
[[folder: Danny Upshaw]]
!! Deputy Danny Upshaw
A Los Angeles County Deputy investigating the
Changed line(s) 334,341 (click to see context) from:
* AffablyEvil: Mickey Cohen is a ruthless gangster but a pleasant enough man with his own code of honor.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
* 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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-life was known to have a hair trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* 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.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
* 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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: He's based off the real Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-life was known to have a hair trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* 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.
to:
*
* ArmoredClosetGay: Danny Upshaw thinks he's this, flirting with
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit
* BotheringByTheBook: Danny Upshaw uses the fact that food and beverages are
*
* DealWithTheDevil: Agrees to
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw in a bid to avert anyone finding out about his homosexuality]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Danny believes this as his activity starts to suspect his obsession with finding the Wolverine killer is motivated by
* {{Gayngst}}: [[spoiler: Danny Upshaw is actually a severely repressed homosexual.]]
* TheHeroDies: Danny is the
*
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-life was known to have a hair trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is a far better person than most
*
Changed line(s) 344,347 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Buzz Meeks]]
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen and Howard Hughes. Becomes one of the protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere.''
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen and Howard Hughes. Becomes one of the protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere.''
to:
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned enforcer for Mickey Cohen
[[folder:Ellis Loew]]
!!Ellis Loew
The politically ambitious deputy district attorney and
Changed line(s) 349,359 (click to see context) from:
* {{Antihero}}: Is a corrupt DirtyCop and a general scumbag but wants to make up for [[spoiler:driving Danny Upshaw to suicide.]]
* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
* 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.]]
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and nearly shooting Dudley himself.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Buzz is killed by Dudley Smith a week after the events of ''The Big Nowhere.'']]
* 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.]]
* 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 indistiguishable from a cop.
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem himself.
* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
* 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.]]
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and nearly shooting Dudley himself.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Buzz is killed by Dudley Smith a week after the events of ''The Big Nowhere.'']]
* 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.]]
* 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 indistiguishable from a cop.
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem himself.
to:
*
* AmoralAttorney: He's very willing to cut corners to get what he wants, and
** Averted in the movie - [[spoiler:He originally refused to cooperate in Smith's corruption and wanted to prosecute them, but
* ArmoredClosetGay[=/=]StraightGay: [[spoiler:Loew is a closeted homosexual, but shows no effeminate traits. Nor does he show any sympathy for
*
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw
* BadassBoast: He claims to have invented the GoodCopBadCop technique, and isn't intimidated by White and Exley [[spoiler:at first.]]
*
*
* TheFixer:
* RedScare: Loew intends to take advantage of this
* 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.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Buzz is killed by Dudley Smith a week after the events of
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Buzz kills a DirtyCop
* 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 indistiguishable from a cop.
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to go after the Wolverine to redeem
Changed line(s) 362,364 (click to see context) from:
[[folder: Johnny Stompanato]]
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
to:
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
!!!Cohen Crime Syndicate
[[folder:Mickey Cohen]]
!!Mickey Cohen
An infamous LA gangster who has connections within both the city government and the Hollywood elite.
Changed line(s) 366,370 (click to see context) from:
* ButtMonkey: to Bud White.
* DemotedToExtra: from the book (where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) to the film.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* 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.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
* DemotedToExtra: from the book (where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) to the film.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* 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.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
to:
* ButtMonkey: to Bud White.
AffablyEvil: Mickey Cohen is a ruthless gangster but a pleasant enough man with his own code of honor.
*DemotedToExtra: from EvenEvilHasStandards: He orders hits on those who exploit women via blackmail or are involved in bestiality.
* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Bizarrely, Mickey is one of the few characters in the book(where he is a key part of Mickey Cohen's clique) who seems to be genuinely motivated by disgust at the film.
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.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter:One of He's based off the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the bookreal Mickey Cohen, who was just as feared and infamous as his novel counterpart.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-lifemanslaughter was known to have a hair trigger temper and exceptionally prone to unnecessary violence.
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen isbrought up a far better person than most of his DirtyCop associates.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly, he is prone toEd; said death means Ed has no evidence linking Dudley Smith keeping his temper and only using force when necessary or when his code is broken. A sharp contrast to anything.]]
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]the real Mickey's reputation.
*
* FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster: Bizarrely, Mickey is one of the few characters in the book
* HistoricalDomainCharacter:
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the book
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Mickey Cohen in real-life
* KosherNostra: The head of the Jewish mob in LA and successor to Bugsy Siegel.
* NobleDemon: Mickey Cohen is
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly, he is prone to
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
Changed line(s) 373,378 (click to see context) from:
!!!Others
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A former cop turned pimp who frequently confesses to the murders of prostitutes.
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A former cop turned pimp who frequently confesses to the murders of prostitutes.
to:
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A former cop
!!Turner "Buzz" Meeks
An ex-cop turned
Changed line(s) 380,384 (click to see context) from:
* DirtyCop: Played with. He is a cop who has turned to sex trafficking and hates himself for it.
* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to the murder of prostitutes despite just being a pimp.
* 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.
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
to:
* AscendedExtra: He's a minor character in ''Literature/TheBlackDahlia'' before becoming one of the main protagonists of ''Literature/TheBigNowhere''.
* TheAtoner: Buzz attempts to make up for the fact he got Danny Upshaw [[spoiler: killed.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:Even when Dudley has
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:He's murdered by Dudley, but not before he's able to kill most of his assailants and
* TheFixer: Buzz Meeks has this job for
* FalseConfession:
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In ''White Jazz'', Mickey Cohen is
*
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Buzz kills a DirtyCop in self defense and Danny Upshaw is blamed for
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession
* PrivateDetective: Buzz is the head of security for Howard Hughes, which roughly gives him
* RedemptionQuest: Takes up the quest to
Changed line(s) 387,390 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Junior Nash]]
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
to:
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A petty criminal and the primary suspect in the Black Dahlia murder case.
Mickey Cohen's chief enforcer.
Changed line(s) 392,393 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
to:
* DemotedToExtra: from the
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: One of the few in the movie, along with Lana Turner. His history is fudged with for comedic purposes.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the book his real-life manslaughter is brought up to
* TheInformant: to Bud, although he insists that he doesn't do that any more. [[spoiler: Bud asserts otherwise.]]
Changed line(s) 396,399 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
to:
!!Sally Stinson
[[folder:Charles Issler]]
!!Charles Issler
A
Changed line(s) 402 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
to:
* ButtMonkey: She's destitute DirtyCop: Played with. He is a cop who has turned to sex trafficking and hates himself for it.
* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to thepoint she was forced into prostitution, and John and Fritz Vogel beat her to murder of prostitutes despite just being a pulp to learn pimp.
* ReluctantMonster: Sally Stinson notes that Issler'swhereabouts.constant false confessions are motivated by his guilt over his profession, but it's clearly not enough for him to stop.
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
* FalseConfession: He is prone to confessing to the
* ReluctantMonster: Sally Stinson notes that Issler's
* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: His hatred of his profession leads to him confessing to much worse crimes.
Changed line(s) 405,408 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Bobby De Witt]]
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
A violent pimp who Lee Blanchard arrested for the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery.
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
A violent pimp who Lee Blanchard arrested for the Boulevard-Citizens bank robbery.
to:
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
!!Raymond Douglas "Junior" Nash
A
Changed line(s) 411,416 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.
to:
* AssholeVictim: Pretty much everything that can go wrong for Bobby does, culminating KilledOffscreen: [[spoiler:Lee murders him in [[spoiler:Blanchard hiring Mexican hitmen to murder him]], but a fit of rage under the belief he killed Elizabeth Short.]] [[spoiler:Though it's hard later revealed Blanchard ''hadn't'' killed him, and had confessed to feel bad for him given the abuse he put Kay through.
* KarmicButtMonkey: He's [[spoiler:framed for bank robbery]], sentenced to five years in prison, is beaten to a pulp byBleichert to cover up he had accepted a massive bribe to bury crucial evidence to 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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.Black Dahlia case.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
* KarmicButtMonkey: He's [[spoiler:framed for bank robbery]], sentenced to five years in prison, is beaten to a pulp by
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[spoiler: Coleman Healey]]
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.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Sally Stinson]]
!!Sally Stinson
A prostitute working under Issler.
Changed line(s) 419,429 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* 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.
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is a bisexual man himself.
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* 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.
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* 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.
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is a bisexual man himself.
to:
* 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.]]
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was an abused young orphan boy created by a mentally-ill woman to giveButtMonkey: She's destitute to the church before he found his rich father, only to be sexually abused by him. He point she was also a witness to the Sleepy Lagoon murder but too scared of the killer [[spoiler: Dudley Smith]] to come forward.
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* ScaryTeeth: The killer mutilates his victims' corpses using a set of dentures he fashioned out of wolverine teeth. Buzzforced into prostitution, and Mal get to see this in person during the climactic shootout.
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering themJohn and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he isFritz Vogel beat her to a bisexual man himself.pulp to learn Issler's whereabouts.
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Was an abused young orphan boy created by a mentally-ill woman to give
* 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.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with him after getting him plastic surgery.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* ScaryTeeth: The killer mutilates his victims' corpses using a set of dentures he fashioned out of wolverine teeth. Buzz
* SerialKiller: Is one of gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but he is
Changed line(s) 432,435 (click to see context) from:
!! Communists
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
A beautiful upper-class woman who is a major leading figure among the Hollywood Left.
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
A beautiful upper-class woman who is a major leading figure among the Hollywood Left.
to:
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
!!Robert "Bobby" De Witt
A
Changed line(s) 438,457 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.]]
* {{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.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is somethinhg that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* 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.
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
* 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.]]
* {{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.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is somethinhg that enables the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* 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.
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
to:
* BrokenPedestal: Claire Katherine De Haven is a figure on 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 Hollywood social circuit abuse he put Kay through.
* 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, andis a communist sympathizer in order [[spoiler:is murdered on Blanchard's orders shortly after]]. However, given his abuse of Kay and countless other women, it's difficult to help people in need. feel bad for him.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[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.
* FemmeFatale: Is a key factor in driving Danny Upshaw to his death.Coleman Masskie]]]] AKA [[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.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working class values butColeman Healey]]
Coleman Maskie isa rich UptownGirl who uses her connections to get herself as well as her friends out of trouble with the authorities.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lotillegitimate son of her complaints about the Hollywood system and police in Los Angeles are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: ProtectingReynolds Loftis Loftis. He is somethinhg that enables driven insane by a combination of witnessing the Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evilSleepy Lagoon murder, his father sexually abusing him, and vile. Whenever a communist party member does something wrong, they have to be protected.
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.his crush choosing his father over him.
* 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
[[/folder]]
[[folder: The Wolverine AKA [[spoiler:
* FemmeFatale: Is a key factor in driving Danny Upshaw to his death.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Claire de Haven preaches communist rhetoric and working class values but
Coleman Maskie is
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil
* 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.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the HUAC.
* 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.
[[/folder]]
!!Civilians
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
!!Madeline Sprague
The rebellious and spoiled daughter of a wealthy LA business magnate.
Changed line(s) 460,465 (click to see context) from:
* AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
* 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.
* 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.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
to:
* AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the drop ofBandagedFace: Bandaged Face: Danny Upshaw hears a hat, tells horrific stories lot about her family during bed, and seems fascinated by her resemblance to Elizabeth Short.
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke thisa kid with Bleichert by saying she had sex with Elizabeth Short once. {{Subverted}} in that it makes bandages covering a supposedly burned face who used to hang around Marty Goines and help him deeply uncomfortable, though whether it's because of commit burglaries. In reality, the same sex nature of her liaison or bandages were the fact Elizabeth aftermath of plastic surgery. [[spoiler: The bandaged kid was horribly murdered or both is unclear.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparentlyColeman Masskie, Reynolds Loftis' illegitimate son. Reynolds commissioned a facelift from Terry Lux to make Coleman resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to him perfectly, as part of his own twisted incestuous fantasies. At the case.
* SpoiledBrat: Emmett gives her pretty much everything she could ever want, and she still slums ittime he was seen with the poor bandages, Coleman was recovering from his second visit to Lux, to undo this job by breaking every bone in his face.]]
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot ofLos Angeles the issues would have been solved if he'd just outed his father as a homosexual or killed him.]]
* 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.
* DepravedBisexual: Coleman's sexuality is questionable as he abuses gay men but also lusts forfun, Claire De Haven. He does, however, have a sincere lust for Danny Upshaw.
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well ashaving engaged in [[spoiler:an affair Claire de Haven for covering it up.
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship withElizabeth Short]].
him after getting him plastic surgery.
*RebelliousPrincess: She's wealthy RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler: He commits sexual assault on the bodies of his victims.]]
* 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 thedaughter climactic shootout.
* SerialKiller: Is one ofa powerful conservative businessman, gay men in Los Angeles, murdering them and mutilating their bodies.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men butshe prefers to spend her time slumming it in the poorer parts of Los Angeles.he is a bisexual man himself.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the drop of
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke this
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently
* SpoiledBrat: Emmett gives her pretty much everything she could ever want, and she still slums it
* BoomerangBigot: Hates gay men but is also a queer man himself.
* ComplexityAddiction: [[spoiler: A lot of
* 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.
* DepravedBisexual: Coleman's sexuality is questionable as he abuses gay men but also lusts for
* EvilVersusEvil: His goal is to destroy Reynolds Loftis, his father, for sexually abusing him as well as
* ParentalIncest: Coleman's father begins a sexual relationship with
*
* 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
* SerialKiller: Is one of
* YouAreWhatYouHate: His victims are all gay men but
Changed line(s) 468,471 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Emmett Sprague]]
!!Emmett Sprague
A wealthy and influential Scottish businessman.
!!Emmett Sprague
A wealthy and influential Scottish businessman.
to:
!!Emmett Sprague
[[folder: Claire de Haven]]
A
Changed line(s) 474,481 (click to see context) from:
* AffablyEvil: He's friendly and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and a Nazi sympathizer to boot.
* 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".
* 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.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her with his views.
* 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".
* 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.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her with his views.
to:
* AffablyEvil: He's friendly BrokenPedestal: Claire Katherine De Haven is a figure on the Hollywood social circuit and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and is a Nazi communist sympathizer in order to boot.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Afterhelp people in need. [[spoiler: She also enabled a known rapist and murderer get away with his pet dog brought 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.
* 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 hima newspaper reporting on the deal know she knows that made him rich, Emmett shot the dog so he could have it stuffed to "commemorate the moment".
he's a gay man.]]
*CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from {{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 Mickey Cohen, the authorities.
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system andall 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.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest menpolice in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of are 100% accurate.
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is somethinhg that enables theconstruction boom Wolverine killings to go on far longer than they should.
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil andusing shoddy practices.
vile. Whenever a communist party member does something wrong, they have to be protected.
*HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive SmugSnake: Claire believes she's beyond reproach and can win in the public eye despite the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US foughtpapers as well as system are all stacked against us.
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from theGermans in World War II.
HUAC.
*RacistGrandpa: He YouAreWhatYouHate: Claire is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer rich woman who embarrasses abuses her with his views.connections to protect her friends from the consequences of their actions. She's also a communist.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After
* 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
*
* KarmaHoudini: Claire gets away with everything in ''The Big Nowhere'', except maybe a guilty conscience.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of her complaints about the Hollywood system and
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Protecting Reynolds Loftis is somethinhg that enables the
* MoralMyopia: Whenever the police or government does something wrong, it's evil and
*
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought
* WomenAreMoreInnocent: Invoked by Claire as being a beautiful woman able to fake cry on demand helped protect her from the
*
Changed line(s) 484,487 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Ramona Sprague]]
!!Ramona Sprague
Madeleine's drug-addicted and resentful mother.
!!Ramona Sprague
Madeleine's drug-addicted and resentful mother.
to:
!!!The Spragues
[[folder:Madeline Sprague]]
Changed line(s) 490,495 (click to see context) from:
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is the actual murderer of Elizabeth Short.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with her and her resemblance to their daughter.]]
* 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.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with her and her resemblance to their daughter.]]
* 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.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
to:
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is AdaptationalNameChange: Her name is changed from Sprague to Linscott.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at theactual murderer drop of Elizabeth Short.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping witha hat, tells horrific stories about her family during bed, and seems fascinated by her resemblance to their daughter.]]
Elizabeth Short.
*TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection GirlOnGirlIsHot: Attempts to invoke this with Bleichert by saying she had sex with Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her once. {{Subverted}} 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.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* RichBitch: Ramona believes her own husband is beneath her and despises the working class. Her story at the table alsothat it makes fun of Bleichert's home neighborhood.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the starthim deeply uncomfortable, though whether it's because of the novel.]]same sex nature of her liaison or the fact Elizabeth was horribly murdered or both is unclear.
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
* CloudCuckoolander: Madeline shares deeply personal information at the
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with
*
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and is in general a stuck-up prude.
* RichBitch: Ramona believes her own husband is beneath her and despises the working class. Her story at the table also
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start
* IdenticalStranger: Madeline and Elizabeth Short apparently resemble one another strong enough for everyone to notice it with any connection to the case.
* 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]].
* 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.
Changed line(s) 498,501 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Martha Sprague]]
!!Martha Sprague
Madeleine's artistic sister.
!!Martha Sprague
Madeleine's artistic sister.
to:
Changed line(s) 504,505 (click to see context) from:
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends the entirety of Bucky's dinner with the Spragues sketching a drawing of him and Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
to:
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends AffablyEvil: He's friendly and jovial, but he's sleazy as hell and a Nazi sympathizer to boot.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After his pet dog brought him a newspaper reporting on theentirety of Bucky's dinner deal that made him rich, Emmett shot the dog so he could have it stuffed to "commemorate the moment".
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from working withthe Spragues sketching a drawing of him Mickey Cohen, and Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on anyall of the Sprague family, or even met them, without apartments he built are shoddily constructed tenements; fifteen of them collapsed during an earthquake and killed everyone inside, which he quickly covered up.
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses hersending clues to the police.]]with his views.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: After his pet dog brought him a newspaper reporting on the
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He got his money from working with
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any
* DadTheVeteran: He fought in World War I.
* FictionFiveHundred: Is one of the richest men in Los Angeles due to taking advantage of the construction boom and using shoddy practices.
* HateSink: Everything about Emmett is repulsive and the fact he likes Breichert is meant to make the reader uncomfortable.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's an avowed Nazi sympathizer who openly regrets that the US fought against the Germans in World War II.
* RacistGrandpa: He is Madeline's father rather than grandfather but a Nazi sympathizer who embarrasses her
Changed line(s) 508,512 (click to see context) from:
!!!Others
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and Lee Blanchard's girlfriend. Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}''.
to:
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal
!!Ramona Sprague
Madeleine's drug-addicted and
Changed line(s) 515,523 (click to see context) from:
* AscendedExtra: Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and helps the LAPD against communists.
* 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.]]
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
* 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.]]
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't have sex despite living together as a couple.
to:
* AscendedExtra: Becomes a protagonist in ''Literature/{{Perfidia}}'' and helps AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Is the LAPD against communists.
* 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.actual murderer of Elizabeth Short.]]
*GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler: Her motivation for the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good Black Dahlia murder was jealousy that Georgie was sleeping with your shirts off".
* 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.
* 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.
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these inher and Blanchard's apartment her resemblance to seduce Bleichert. It doesn't work, their daughter.]]
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection to Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her inpart, due to Bleichert being in no mood due to having just killed two people.
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, andsuch a horrific way. Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claimscompletely confused at the evidence leading to her until she explains she was driven mad with jealousy over Georgie's affair.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky andBlanchard don't have sex despite living together as is in general a couple.stuck-up prude.
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
* 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.
*
* 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.
* 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.
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler: Ramona Sprague has no apparent connection to Elizabeth Short or motive to want to kill her in
* 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.
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims
* {{Jerkass}}: She angrily curses Madeleine out for dating a "common policeman" like Bucky and
* 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.
* SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: Is already seriously ill from Lupus at the start of the novel.]]
Changed line(s) 526,529 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Lorna Maltikova]]
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
to:
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and one of Elizabeth's friends, who starred in a lesbian porn film with her.
!!Martha Sprague
Madeleine's artistic sister.
Changed line(s) 532,535 (click to see context) from:
* AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
* 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
* 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
to:
* AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a family of these as {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She spends the thought entirety of returning terrifies her.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogantBucky's dinner with the Spragues sketching a drawing of him and confrontational. Within a matter Madeleine having (very graphic) sex.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any ofminutes, she's brought the Sprague family, or even met them, without her sending clues to the point of tears and pathetically begs Millard, Bleichert, and Sears not to send her back to her parents.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.police.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Bleichert never would have been put on any of
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* 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.
Changed line(s) 538,541 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Elizabeth Short]]
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder victim.
to:
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress
[[folder:Kay Lake]]
!!Kay Lake
A mysterious former criminal and
Changed line(s) 543,551 (click to see context) from:
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
to:
*
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Bobby De Witt subjected her
* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kay says of the boxing match, "I hope both of you look good with your shirts off".
* FemmeFatale: She's a
*
* ModestyTowel: Removes one of these in her
* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems
* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and egotism appears to be a coping mechanism from
* MsFanservice: Much attention is paid to how describing beautiful Kay Lake is and
* MysteriousPast: Her past with Bobby [=DeWitt=] is shrouded in mystery and false information, and Bleichert is actively curious about it.
* SexlessMarriage: Kay Lake claims she and Blanchard don't
* 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.
* LittleBlackDress: Elizabeth has gained her reputation as the Black Dahlia because she always wore black outfits
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the protagonists (or reader) ever meets her.
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to pose her in a suggestive manner and left her body in the middle of a vacant lot.
Changed line(s) 554,557 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Georgie Tilden]]
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who began living as an itinerant handyman after being disfigured in a car wreck.
to:
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend
!!Lorna Maltikova/Linda Martin
An aspiring actress and
Changed line(s) 560,562 (click to see context) from:
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
to:
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Emmett disfigured him with AbusiveParents: Heavily implied to come from a knife family of these as the thought of returning terrifies her.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant andframed him 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.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it forthe Black Dahlia murder, but Tilden is a necrophiliac psycho who was complicit in the murder, so it's hard to feel bad for him.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.as much money as possible.
* BreakTheHaughty: When she's brought in for questioning, she's initially arrogant and
* DarkAndTroubledPast: It's implied she ran away from home to get away from her abusive parents.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Her immediate response to Elizabeth's death is to obtain a copy of the porno they started in together to sell it for
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
Changed line(s) 565,568 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
to:
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of
!!Elizabeth Short
An aspiring actress and the
Changed line(s) 570,573 (click to see context) from:
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
to:
* 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.
* EthicalSlut: Elizabeth casually dated numerous men but despite the period's DeliberateValuesDissonance treating it as heinous, seems to have
* FreudianExcuse: Her compulsive lying and
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: She was entirely real, though
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest
* 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.
* PosthumousCharacter: Elizabeth Short dies before the
* 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.
* UndignifiedDeath: The killer proceeded to
Changed line(s) 576,579 (click to see context) from:
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
to:
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier
!!Georgie Tilden
Emmett Sprague's best friend and partner, who
Added DiffLines:
* 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.]]
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
----
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
----
* 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.]]
* SanitySlippage: Tilden was never all there to begin with, but being disfigured seems to have driven him completely off the bend.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Vasquez]]
!!Captain Vasquez
A Rurale in charge of the law enforcement in Tijuana.
----
* DirtyCop: He is believed to have killed Lee Blanchard and nearly kills Bleichert as well, though Bleichert is able to save himself.
* KarmaHoudini: He gets off scot free for nearly killing Bleichert.
* PragmaticVillainy: Has no interest in arrousing the attention of the FBI just to kill Bleichert.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Joseph Dulange]]
!!Corporal Joseph Dulange
A soldier who claims to have murdered Elizabeth Short.
----
