L.A. Confidential Page #8

INT. TWILIGHT LOUNGE - NIGHT

An old black guy in a frayed, threadbare tux plays piano.

Bud, nursing a highball at the bar, steps over to a

REDHEAD with too much make-up on too many miles.

BUD:

That an old fashioned you're

drinking?

(as she nods)

My name's Bud.

REDHEAD:

Nobody was born with the name Bud.

BUD:

They stick you with a name like

Wendell, you look for an alias.

REDHEAD:

What do you do, Bud?

BUD:

I'm sorta between jobs. Look,

what do you say we, uh...

A hand on Bud's shoulder. He turns to see Dudley Smith.

DUDLEY:

Lad, may I have a word with you?

BUD:

This business, Captain?

DUDLEY:

Say goodnight to your friend and

join me by those back tables.

Dudley starts off. Bud turns back to Redhead, but she's

already talking to a sailor.

BOOTH:

Dudley sits at a table. A newspaper is opened, a little

mound underneath. Bud joins Dudley.

BUD:

Does that paper say we've been

indicted? Does it say Exley's a

hero for squealing me and

Stensland off?

DUDLEY:

He made his play amd he got what

he wanted. They're making him a

detective.

BUD:

Captain, what do you want?

DUDLEY:

Call me Dudley.

BUD:

Dudley, what do you want?

DUDLEY:

Lad, I admire your refusal to

testify and your loyalty to your

partner. I admire you as a

policeman, particularly your

adherence to violence as a

necessary adjutant to the job.

And I am most impressed with your

punishment of wife beaters. Do

you hate them, Wendell?

BUD:

(looks away)

Yeah, I hate them.

DUDLEY:

And for good reason judging from

what I know of your background.

Bud looks back over. Dudley's getting too personal.

BUD:

What's going to happen to

Stensland? He'll give himself

cirrhosis over this. He's one

year from his pension.

DUDLEY:

It would've happened years ago if

you hadn't carried him. Why the

loyalty, Wendell?

BUD:

He helped me out once. That's all.

DUDLEY:

Your partner's through.

Department scapegoat on the

Chief's orders. He's been billed,

he'll be indicted and he'll swing.

BUD:

Him and me both. F***ing Exley.

DUDLEY:

Don't underestimate his skills.

As a politician he exceeds even

myself. But the department needs

smart men like Exley and... direct

men like yourself

BUD:

What do you want?

DUDLEY:

Wendell, I want you to come to

work for me.

BUD:

Doing what? Mowing your f***ing

lawn?

Smith yanks the newspaper revealing Bud's badge & .38

Special. Bud can't believe his eyes.

DUDLEY:

They're yours. Take them.

BUD:

I knew you had juice, but...

There's no goddamn bill on me?

DUDLEY:

Four of the defendants recanted

their testimony.

BUD:

How?

Dudley dismisses the question with a wave of his hand.

DUDLEY:

I need you for an assignment the

Chief's given me the go-ahead on.

A duty few men are fit for, but

you were born for. You'll be

working out of Homicide.

BUD:

(excited)

Homicide? A detective?

CHIEF:

Your talents lie elsewhere,

Wendell. It's a muscle job and

shooting job. You'll do what I

say and not ask questions. Do you

follow my drift?

BUD:

(disappointed)

In Technicolor.

DUDLEY:

Will you work for me?

BUD:

Of course... But how?

DUDLEY:

How what, Wendell?

BUD:

How'd you get them to retract?

Dudley lays brass knuckles on the table. They're

chipped, caked with blood.

DISSOLVE TO:

L.A. MONTAGE

Over the pop song "STRANGER IN PARADISE."

A) EXT. GRAUMAN'S CHINESE - NIGHT

Frank Sinatra at the premiere of From Here to

Eternity.

B) INT. KLUB ZAMBOANGA - NIGHT

Charlie "Bird" Parker makes magic before an

appreciative, mostly black crowd.

C) TORCH SONG TAVERN (RIVERSIDE) - NIGHT

Nate Janklow exits with his latest flame. A mob

lieutenant, Nate was last seen with Mickey Cohen

outside the Federal Courthouse in the opening

montage. A CAR SCREECHES up. TWO GUNS aim and Nate

and his date do down in a proverbial HAIL OF LEAD.

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