L.A. Confidential Questions

[Nathan Dodge]

This always bugged me, but shouldn't Ed Exley and Bud White have worn fedoras and been heavy smokers? Vincennes smokes, but doesn't wears a hat in the film. Only the "older" characters like Dudley (James Cromwell) and Sid (Devito's character) wear them. Were hats already on the outs by 1953? I know that Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) in 1955's Kiss Me Deadly doesn't wear a hat in that movie, so did the 1997 L.A. Confidential play down the styles of the day to pander to younger viewers? Or were hats really a thing for older people? I know here in Miami, it's just too darn hot most of the year to wear a fedora, but how 'bout L.A.?

 

[Mr. 'H']

Good questions. Curtis Hanson addressed the hat questions in the Director's commentary on the DVD.

He said that they did not want to make it a "hat" movie, which I take as a loose reference to "Mulholland Falls" from the year before. He said that he wanted the details to be really faithful and exact, but then to fade into the background in the movie, and to focus on the characters and the plot.

Also, it was becoming more socially acceptable not to wear a hat, even in an "authority" type job. See the old episodes of Dragnet to see lots of characters not wearing, for instance.

Regarding the smoking, I agree there could/should have been a greater amount of it, but at least Vincennes smokes.

Another thing re Vincennes is that Curtis directed Spacey to "be" Dean Martin, who wasn't a great hat wearer. Also, his low slung car (1953 Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe) would have been less suitable for a fedora than the other regular cars with great head height.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Ah, yes, I remember Hanson's remarks. However, I thought Vincennes was based on Dean Martin (another one who rarely wore a hat, though he does on the 2-disc Capitol set released in 1996...)

 

[Mr. 'H']

Ah, yes, I remember Hanson's remarks. However, I thought Vincennes was based on Dean Martin (another one who rarely wore a hat, though he does on the 2-disc Capitol set released in 1996...)

Sorry, a typo I had already corrected before I read your reply!