L.A. Noire - The Fallen Idol - Part 1
Genre: Crime
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Writer: John Malone
Based on the video game
Cast: Joe Alwyn, Eric Ladin, Bill Burr, Jordan Gelber, Gabriel Basso, Carrie-Anne Moss, Meg Donnelly, Alexandra Breckenridge, John Ventimiglia
Plot: 1945 - Cole Phelps (Joe Alwyn) and Hank Merrill (Gabriel Basso) stand on the deck of the ship taking them to the Pacific as it is getting ready to hit the open ocean. Phelps tells Merrill about how his family runs a shipping business in San Francisco and used to have two ships a week going to Tokyo. The family has been in shipping for two generations, yet he has never been on a voyage anywhere. Phelps then goes on to say that American can rule the world after they win the war. Merrill says that they should worry more about staying alive than world domination.
1947 - At the Central Station, Captain Gordon Leary (Bill Burr) goes over the morning briefing and tells Phelps and Stefan Bekowsky (Eric Ladin) that they have a new case. Two women were involved in a possible drink and drive incident. Bekowsky asks how that is a traffic case, and Leary tells him that the woman behind the wheel says she was doped and that somebody tried to kill her. Phelps asks where it took place, and Leary it happened right across the street. Phelps and Bekowsky head up the hill across the street where they find the car down an escarpment slammed into a Coca-Cola billboard. They spot the supposed driver, June Ballard (Carrie-Anne Moss), and Phelps says her face looks familiar. Bekowsky tells him that she used to be a famous actress who is married to Guy McAfee, a mobster out of Las Vegas. The officer on the scene tells them that Ballard says a movie producer doped her and her friend and sent the car over the cliff.
Phelps and Bekowsky head down the steep path down to the crashed car where they find Malcolm Carruthers (Jordan Gelber) already on the scene inspecting the vehicle. Carruthers shows them some evidence he's already begun collecting. There are a pair of torn off women's underwear that he found stuffed in the young lady's handbag. He'll test for traces of semen when he gets back to the lab. Carruthers then shows him a shrunken head he found in the vehicle. Not a real one, but more likely a movie prop. Bekowsky asks how the skull is relevant, and Carruthers tells him that it was wedging the accelerator to the floor. Whoever did it wanted the two women dead. Phelps and Bekowsky then walk over to speak with June Ballard who is being attended to by paramedics. Ballard asks them if they're familiar with her film work, but Phelps cuts to the chase and asks her for her story of what happened. She says he's too serious, but she likes him nonetheless. Bekowsky tries to tell her he's a big fan, but she turns away from him to talk to Phelps. She says that she was slipped a mickey and can't remember what happened. When Phelps presses her for more information, she tells Phelps not to worry about it, her husband will settle the score with Mark Bishop. Phelps asks her about the passenger in her car, and Ballard says her name is Jessica Hamilton and she is desperate to break into the movie business. Phelps tells Ballard that he thinks she knows what happened to Hamilton the night before the crash. Ballard asks him if he has any proof, and Phelps asks her about the underwear. Ballard says Hamilton wanted to go to a casting, so she took her to a casting. Whatever happened after that is between her and Mark Bishop. Phelps asks who this Mark Bishop she keeps mentioning is, and she says he is a movie producer. As for his involvement, Ballard says the police should leave that up to her and her husband to worry about. Bekowsky interrupts and asks why Bishop would want to commit a double murder, and Ballard says that Bishop offered her a part in his latest picture, then he withdrew it despite their deal and she confronted him on the issue.
Phelps and Bekowsky head over to the receiving hospital to speak to Jessica Hamilton (Meg Donnelly). When they get there the doctor on duty tells them that she was drugged and raped. Bekowsky is befuddled that someone would try to use a double murder to cover up a rape and get on the wrong side of a gangster like McAfee in the process. Phelps asks Hamilton what she remembers about the crash, but she says she doesn't remember much. She tells them that she told her aunt June Ballard about what Mark Bishop did to her, and Ballard told her that is just the price of stardom. Phelps asks how Hamilton met Bishop, and she says that Ballard introduced them. Phelps asks where Bishop abused her, and she says there was a mermaid on the front of the building, but doesn't remember much else.
On their way out of the receiving hospital, they see Ballard leaving with who appears to be her lawyer. Phelps and Bekowsky decide to tail her in an unmarked car. They carefully follow her to a cafe and see her make a phone call at a pay phone. Phelps sits at a booth an eavesdrops on Ballard's call to her husband. She is telling him to take care of Bishop, telling him Bishop's address. Ballard then leaves the cafe. Phelps leaves the diner and tells Bekowsky to drive to Bishop's address. Phelps says that if Bishop has any sense he'll be long gone by the time they get there. Bekowsky says that if Bishop had any sense he wouldn't have tried to snuff out McAfee's wife, or he would have at least done the job properly. When they reach Bishop's apartment, they speak to Bishop's wife, Gloria Bishop (Alexandra Breckenridge), and ask if they can have a look around. She doesn't see any problem with this and shows them around the apartment that is filled with movie memorabilia. Phelps asks Gloria if the name June Ballard means anything to her, and Gloria says that the old bag has been badgering her husband for days now. Phelps tells Gloria that Ballard alleges that Bishop tried to kill her. Gloria says that doesn't know anything about her husband's business dealings. Bekowsky asks her where her husband is, but she is under the assumption that he's on set of his latest movie, but that if he's trying to hide out, that his best friend Marlon Hopgood, owner of the Silver Screen Prop Store, would know where he is.
When Phelps and Bekowsky arrive at the Silver Screen Prop Store, they find that the front of the shop features a large mermaid sign. They enter the store and announce to the owner Marlon Hopgood (John Ventimiglia) that they are investigating the attempted murder of June Ballard and Jessica Hamilton. Hopgood asks them how he can help them. Phelps asks if he holds castings in the building, and Hopgood tells the detectives that he has a sound stage in the back. Phelps tells him to lead the way. Hopgood takes them to the back of the shop to the sound stage. Phelps looks around and notices that Hopgood has a one way mirror with a camera on the other side. He keeps looking and finds the drug that was used to knock out both Ballard and Hamilton, as well as shrunken head identical to the one found in Ballard's car. Phelps confronts Hopgood with the bounty of evidence he's uncovered on the property. Hopgood tells Phelps and Bekowsky to come back with a warrant. Phelps says that a 15 year old girl told him how she was drugged and molested at a casting and he found the drug. If Hopgood doesn't start talking, Phelps swears that he will break his jaw. Hopgood says that Bishop was there with June Ballard and the girl. Phelps tells Hopgood that Guy McAfee's men are going to be after Bishop and it's important they get to him before McAfee's men can. Hopgood says that Bishop might be hiding out on an old film set on 8th Street.
To Be Continued.....
1947 - At the Central Station, Captain Gordon Leary (Bill Burr) goes over the morning briefing and tells Phelps and Stefan Bekowsky (Eric Ladin) that they have a new case. Two women were involved in a possible drink and drive incident. Bekowsky asks how that is a traffic case, and Leary tells him that the woman behind the wheel says she was doped and that somebody tried to kill her. Phelps asks where it took place, and Leary it happened right across the street. Phelps and Bekowsky head up the hill across the street where they find the car down an escarpment slammed into a Coca-Cola billboard. They spot the supposed driver, June Ballard (Carrie-Anne Moss), and Phelps says her face looks familiar. Bekowsky tells him that she used to be a famous actress who is married to Guy McAfee, a mobster out of Las Vegas. The officer on the scene tells them that Ballard says a movie producer doped her and her friend and sent the car over the cliff.
Phelps and Bekowsky head down the steep path down to the crashed car where they find Malcolm Carruthers (Jordan Gelber) already on the scene inspecting the vehicle. Carruthers shows them some evidence he's already begun collecting. There are a pair of torn off women's underwear that he found stuffed in the young lady's handbag. He'll test for traces of semen when he gets back to the lab. Carruthers then shows him a shrunken head he found in the vehicle. Not a real one, but more likely a movie prop. Bekowsky asks how the skull is relevant, and Carruthers tells him that it was wedging the accelerator to the floor. Whoever did it wanted the two women dead. Phelps and Bekowsky then walk over to speak with June Ballard who is being attended to by paramedics. Ballard asks them if they're familiar with her film work, but Phelps cuts to the chase and asks her for her story of what happened. She says he's too serious, but she likes him nonetheless. Bekowsky tries to tell her he's a big fan, but she turns away from him to talk to Phelps. She says that she was slipped a mickey and can't remember what happened. When Phelps presses her for more information, she tells Phelps not to worry about it, her husband will settle the score with Mark Bishop. Phelps asks her about the passenger in her car, and Ballard says her name is Jessica Hamilton and she is desperate to break into the movie business. Phelps tells Ballard that he thinks she knows what happened to Hamilton the night before the crash. Ballard asks him if he has any proof, and Phelps asks her about the underwear. Ballard says Hamilton wanted to go to a casting, so she took her to a casting. Whatever happened after that is between her and Mark Bishop. Phelps asks who this Mark Bishop she keeps mentioning is, and she says he is a movie producer. As for his involvement, Ballard says the police should leave that up to her and her husband to worry about. Bekowsky interrupts and asks why Bishop would want to commit a double murder, and Ballard says that Bishop offered her a part in his latest picture, then he withdrew it despite their deal and she confronted him on the issue.
Phelps and Bekowsky head over to the receiving hospital to speak to Jessica Hamilton (Meg Donnelly). When they get there the doctor on duty tells them that she was drugged and raped. Bekowsky is befuddled that someone would try to use a double murder to cover up a rape and get on the wrong side of a gangster like McAfee in the process. Phelps asks Hamilton what she remembers about the crash, but she says she doesn't remember much. She tells them that she told her aunt June Ballard about what Mark Bishop did to her, and Ballard told her that is just the price of stardom. Phelps asks how Hamilton met Bishop, and she says that Ballard introduced them. Phelps asks where Bishop abused her, and she says there was a mermaid on the front of the building, but doesn't remember much else.
On their way out of the receiving hospital, they see Ballard leaving with who appears to be her lawyer. Phelps and Bekowsky decide to tail her in an unmarked car. They carefully follow her to a cafe and see her make a phone call at a pay phone. Phelps sits at a booth an eavesdrops on Ballard's call to her husband. She is telling him to take care of Bishop, telling him Bishop's address. Ballard then leaves the cafe. Phelps leaves the diner and tells Bekowsky to drive to Bishop's address. Phelps says that if Bishop has any sense he'll be long gone by the time they get there. Bekowsky says that if Bishop had any sense he wouldn't have tried to snuff out McAfee's wife, or he would have at least done the job properly. When they reach Bishop's apartment, they speak to Bishop's wife, Gloria Bishop (Alexandra Breckenridge), and ask if they can have a look around. She doesn't see any problem with this and shows them around the apartment that is filled with movie memorabilia. Phelps asks Gloria if the name June Ballard means anything to her, and Gloria says that the old bag has been badgering her husband for days now. Phelps tells Gloria that Ballard alleges that Bishop tried to kill her. Gloria says that doesn't know anything about her husband's business dealings. Bekowsky asks her where her husband is, but she is under the assumption that he's on set of his latest movie, but that if he's trying to hide out, that his best friend Marlon Hopgood, owner of the Silver Screen Prop Store, would know where he is.
When Phelps and Bekowsky arrive at the Silver Screen Prop Store, they find that the front of the shop features a large mermaid sign. They enter the store and announce to the owner Marlon Hopgood (John Ventimiglia) that they are investigating the attempted murder of June Ballard and Jessica Hamilton. Hopgood asks them how he can help them. Phelps asks if he holds castings in the building, and Hopgood tells the detectives that he has a sound stage in the back. Phelps tells him to lead the way. Hopgood takes them to the back of the shop to the sound stage. Phelps looks around and notices that Hopgood has a one way mirror with a camera on the other side. He keeps looking and finds the drug that was used to knock out both Ballard and Hamilton, as well as shrunken head identical to the one found in Ballard's car. Phelps confronts Hopgood with the bounty of evidence he's uncovered on the property. Hopgood tells Phelps and Bekowsky to come back with a warrant. Phelps says that a 15 year old girl told him how she was drugged and molested at a casting and he found the drug. If Hopgood doesn't start talking, Phelps swears that he will break his jaw. Hopgood says that Bishop was there with June Ballard and the girl. Phelps tells Hopgood that Guy McAfee's men are going to be after Bishop and it's important they get to him before McAfee's men can. Hopgood says that Bishop might be hiding out on an old film set on 8th Street.
To Be Continued.....
