Ellroy's first short story collection. The book is centered around a novella, "Dick Contino's Blues" (the title of the short story collection in the U.K.).
"Nocturnes: Short dark riffs, the blues formalized.
"James Ellroy, described by the Los Angeles Times: 'Developing into one of the great American writers.'
"Ellroy's L.A. Quartet novels — The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, White Jazz — an epic pop history of a toxic metropolis.
Hollywood Nocturnes: An alternative Ellroy universe, etched less in blood and more in elegiac neon.
"Dick Contino: Accordion virtuoso, lounge lizard, Red Scare scapegoat. On a greased slide in '58 L.A.: A show biz fatality begging to happen. Dick Contino's Blues: Half nocturne, half torch song. A blast back to tailfins, disease-free promiscuity, sex killers, Commie-bashing, publicity kidnaps, and B-movie redemption — an ode to a time when love came cheap.
"Nocturnes: Noir set to music.
"James Ellroy: America's great noir writer.
"Dick Contino: America's kingpin accordion player, then and now. The accordion and noir?...
"Suspend your disbelief.
"Hollywood Nocturnes: The novella Dick Contino's Blues. Ellroy's entire short-story oeuvre, and a few surprises. Dig it, kats and kittens, chix and charlies: This is prime-time Ellroy."
—© Otto Penzler Books, 1994
Dick Contino's Blues: The collection's centerpiece. Ellroy's fictional take regarding the backstory of "Daddy-O's" filming. A serial killer. A fake kidnapping plot. Spade Cooley. And, God help us, Danny Getchell.
High Darktown: A frequently anthologized short built around Lee Blanchard and a payroll train robbery. Blanchard was a central character in The Black Dahlia, which Ellroy was writing at the time. In fact, when "High Darktown" was published in New Black Mask Magazine #5, the editors set it up like this: "Lee Blanchard, the detective in 'High Darktown,' is a main character in Mr. Ellroy's novel-in-progress to be called 'The Black Dahlia.' The novel is based on a true crime case — the 1947 Los Angeles murder of a hauntingly beautiful black-clad woman. Mr. Ellroy hints that Blanchard will prove himself to be less than heroic."
Dial Axmister 6-400: Another short narrated by Lee Blanchard. Lee and his partner are directed by Ellis Loew (a fixture in Ellroy's L.A. Quartet) to investigate the kidnapping of a USC coed. Perversely, Ellroy gives his own real first name, Leroy, to one of the short's most unsavory characters who is described as a really enthusiastic dog-lover....
Since I Don't Have You: This is one that drives continuity-bound fans craaazzzzy. Turner "Buzz" Meeks — the character that survived "The Black Dahlia" and "The Big Nowhere" only to be taken out in the opening pages of "L.A. Confidential" — narrates this short story. The plot pitches Meeks into the center of a love triangle whose participants include Mickey Cohen and Howard Hughes. The continuity gaffe: Meeks, who was clearly killed in "Confidential," is narrating the short story as an old man. The closing lines echo those of "The Big Nowhere." The short story was also filmed for the Showtime series "Fallen Angels." It was reprinted along with the script for the adaptation in a companion paperback.
Gravy Train: A strange little contemporary tale involving a bull terrier who has inherited his mob owner's fortune and the ex-con hired to play caretaker. Dognapping ensues. Dog-fighting ensues. Strange recurring cameo appearance: Liz Trent, Stan "The Man" Klein's probation officer, fulfilled a similar role for Martin Plunkett, the traveling serial killer depicted by Ellroy in "Silent Terror/Killer on the Road." This short has also been optioned for a film adaptation.
Torch Number: Another of Ellroy's shorts to be frequently anthologized, although many critics singled this one out as the weakest of the collection.
The British paperback "Dick Contino's Blues" (above, right) appeared before the U.S. hardcover. • Review • Daddy-O Trailer
Order the novel Hollywood Nocturnes
Order the book on tape Hollywood Nocturnes