The Black Dahlia Book vs Movie

Elizabeth Short's real life unsolved murder is what inspired James Ellroy to write a book portraying the case in a fictional light. Brian de Palma adapted the movie, which is known to be a disappointment. Find out how the two compare, and if the movie is as bad as critics at the time said.
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00:00 L.A. Quartet books
02:19 historical accuracy
03:18 Bucky and Lee
03:59 The Black Dahlia and Lee
06:04 Madeline
07:50 book ending
14:02 movie ending
15:57 Ellroy’s praise of the movie
17:13 book to movie changes
19:28 Ellroy’s obsession
20:33 book vs movie

[@agostinodublino1387]

the absolutely BEST book about the Black Dahlia (I mean, if you are a true crime reader and you want to know the truth) is the one wrote by Piu Eatwell. She made a magnificent, accurate work of research, travel, interviewing, revealing what really happened to her, but even more: her prose is so rich, but also clear and vivid (I'm not a native english speaker but I had no difficult to read it- twice) and she really recreated real persons, like you know them, the city, those years, first of all the amazing female journalist that first covered her case, and all the others of course. A stunning work. I hope her interviews are still around online if you want to check them. Thank you for the reviews!

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks for the recommend! I'll have to look into that one

[@egoborder3203]

even though I love the film L.A. Confidential, weirdly it was this movie that compelled me to read Ellroy. I really didn't like the movie, but something told me to check out the source material. And I'm glad I did because as you said it's a very gripping novel. Convoluted and crazy, but the definition of a page-turner. That's what introduced me to Ellroy, who has a very interesting personal story of how he got into writing and is a very interesting personality himself. He kind of talks like a beat poet, but he's very smart and funny. His takes on true crime are pretty eye-opening, like his derision of society's obsession with serial killers when he explains that common murder is much more common and personal By the way, he has a series of videos where he hangs out with his retired detective buddies playing poker and talking about crime. In one, one of the detectives offers a very compelling theory for the Black Dahlia case. It may or may not be right, but after researching the case extensively it was the one that sounded the most correct to me. I'm sure you can find that here on YT quite easily, though it's about 10yrs old now Also, just a factoid: The Man Who Laughs is credited as an inspiration for Batman's nemesis, the Joker

[@WhytheBookWins]

I'm glad the movie got you into the books! What I've read about Ellroy is pretty fascinating, though not always in a good way lol. But I need to check out those videos! I will try and find the one about the Dahlia. Thanks for commenting!

[@egoborder3203]

@@WhytheBookWins yeah he's a bit controversial, I think he leans pretty right-wing and is ardently pro-police. I think it makes sense given his life story and career. I disagree with him on politics but his outlook isn't coming from nowhere so I'm still interested in what he has to say

[@WhytheBookWins]

@@egoborder3203 yeah agreed

[@Dparish24]

Agreed Hilary Swank doesn’t look the part, I liked her performance and overall character but I found it weird when people compared her to Elizabeth. Mia Kirshner was so good in her role, they did a great job making her look the part.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah it took me out of the moment every time someone would say how much they looked alike! But agreed, Kirshner was great.

[@robertgallagher5285]

Another big fan of the Mia Kirshner Performance (also she went with the great cool playwright Sam Shepard and is a real cool woman in her personal life)!!!!!

[@robertgallagher5285]

You found it weird ha,ha, odd guarantee Ellroy MEANT it to be weird 😅

[@ottonormalo4638]

Hi, discovered your channel recently and found the concept brilliant. Did you already review "The Big Sleep" (Chandler vs Hawks) ?

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks! And I haven't, I've never read Chandler but I have heard great things!

[@halo2something]

scarlett could do part of madeline, in dark hair they are pretty similar

[@mmem4264]

I remember finding the Black Dahlia movie beautiful, the use of colors on the two women were excellent. I barely remember anything else about the movie lol. But yeah, hearing about the book plot makes me pretty certain this is not my type of story.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah the movie has lots of style so it makes sense that it's what stuck with you!

[@robertgallagher5285]

Noir fan The Novel The Black Dahlia so great think the movie just a collectors item for BD fans (think it very positive the movie however it was was made) also recommend Thompsons The Grifters (and wonder wether Laura thinks she could get out of paying her rent like Moira 😂) and David Goodis Down There (perhaps the most depressing novella I have ever read) made into a French movie and renamed the movie name Shoot The Piano Player!!!!!

[@QEsposito510]

Movie: terrible. Ellroy only gave it praise until he could no longer profit from doing so. Novel: holy shit it’s so horrifying and intriguing. Initially I also read the quartet out of sequence. I went back and reread them in order and the whole literary universe he created makes so much more sense. Edit: thank you for doing another one from the demon dog. You not being a fan of hardboiled crime fiction, I can only imagine how repulsive a lot of Ellroy’s work might come off.

[@LisaMichele712]

Yeah, Hilary Swank was not a good fit for the Dahlia lookalike. 😒 I agree that her complete lack of resemblance to the titular character pulls the viewer out of the story. Eva Green would’ve been so perfect! It’s too bad she turned it down, but I can’t believe there was no actress available that would’ve been a closer match. Hilary Swank is an amazing actress, but not right for the role.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah apparently Green had been in too many femme fatale type roles and she didn't want to be typecast and that's why she turned this down. Too bad, because she would have been perfect!

[@LucyLioness100]

Eva could play the femme fatale in her sleep

[@Bluebox87]

This movie is such a campy mess. Everyone in it is so bad and dull. Kudos to Fiona Shaw, though. She is SO over the top and hilarious. Mia Kirshner, however, is truly great in her limited screen time.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah Fiona Shaw was very entertaining lol, and agreed, Kirshner was great in her scenes!

[@LucyLioness100]

I agree that they were both good with what they had to work with. I feel bad for most of the other cast as they’ve been better in other films, but here they were directed quite badly and the writing doesn’t help

[@LucyLioness100]

I never read the book, but I thought the movie was terrible