Crime writerJames Ellroymade his reputation with theL.A.
Quartet, an epic set of four novels which included thefilm-inspiringL.A.
Now, Ellroy is at work on a prequel quartet, which takes place during World War II.
Credit: Ulf Andersen/Getty Images
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why did you decide to write a secondL.A.
Quartet?JAMES ELLROY:I had a synaptic flash.
Now, its eleven years ago, it was in 08.
On a rainy Saturday night, I was looking out southbound, and it came to me.
I had a flash, and it was a flash of forlorn-looking Japanese in an army transport bus.
In microseconds, I had conceived the secondL.A.
Quartet, characters from the originalL.A.
Quartetand theUnderworld USA Trilogytransposed to Los Angeles during World War II as significantly younger people.
But this was all conceived before the political events of the last couple of years?Oh, yeah.
I never thought about politics.
Nothing inThis Stormis meant to represent anything, except the events ofThis Storm.
I dont have a computer.
I dont go on the internet.
I dont watch television, except for boxing.
I dont know how to stream.
I dont read the newspapers.
Oh, whats it mean?
Concentration camps, look at this; Oh, victory parade on Wilshire Boulevard.
Oh, movie stars bond rallies.
Thats where it comes from.
I saw how much the language has evolved.
I saw how much Ive honed the craft, because language means a great deal to me.
The supporting characters inThis Storminclude Orson Welles.
Quartet) is furious, because he wants to go f Bette Davis.
And so would you!
There are people who sayCitizen Kaneis quite a good movie.I never liked it.
I always thought it was a lot of hooey.
