L.A. Confidential/Trivia

"You want to make a period crime film, set in Los Angeles, starring two Australians?"
 * All-Star Cast: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito and James Cromwell.
 * Billing Displacement: Kevin Spacey is listed first, though Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce's roles are more substantial in the film. This is probably an effort to establish Spacey as a decoy protagonist considering he was the most famous actor in the film. Crowe was an unknown at the time, and only later became a "name" actor. The even lesser-known Pearce, who is arguably the main character, is given third billing after Crowe and Spacey.
 * Dueling Movies: In contest with Mulholland Falls (1996).
 * Fake American: The two leads, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, are actually Aussies.
 * In the 'Making of' featurette, the producer relates his reaction to the casting decision.


 * Fake Irish: James Cromwell as Irish-American Dudley Smith, with a pretty decent accent.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!:
 * Arvin Sloane as D.A. Ellis Loew.
 * A young Simon Baker as Matt Reynolds.
 * Jim Brass as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Mickey Cohen.
 * Edward R. Murrow as Pierce Patchett.
 * Mayor Bader as Chief Green.
 * Star-Making Role: For Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, but especially Crowe.