Development

James B. Harris optioned the film rights to the novel shortly after it was published in 1987. He planned to direct the adaptation and completed a script before abandoning the project to make another film. The project then languished in development hell for several years. In 1997, L.A. Confidential, the third book in Ellroy's L.A. Quartet, was adapted into a critically acclaimed and highly successful film of the same name.^[4] Its success resulted in several studios becoming interested in adapting Ellroy's other novels. Universal acquired the rights to The Black Dahlia shortly after the release of L.A. Confidential. Josh Friedman was hired to write the screenplay.^[5] Friedman has claimed that he worked on the script from 1997 to 2005. His original script featured a cameo appearance by Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, reprising their roles as Bud White and Edmund Exley respectively. As early as 1998, David Fincher was attached to direct the project.^[6] Fincher envisioned the story as a five-hour, $80 million mini-series with film stars. However, the plan fell through and Fincher left the project and moved on to direct Zodiac.^[7]

Casting

Michael Douglas, Johnny Depp, Gabriel Byrne, and Billy Crudup were considered to play Lee Blanchard. Paul Walker, Stephen Dorff, and Chris O'Donnell were considered for Bucky Bleichert. Fairuza Balk and Tiffani Thiessen were considered for Elizabeth Short. Sherilyn Fenn, who had been the front runner for the part in the late eighties, was also a contender.

The film was originally in pre-production with David Fincher attached as director, Josh Hartnett attached to play Bucky Bleichert and Mark Wahlberg attached to play Lee Blanchard. Wahlberg was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with the planned filming of The Italian Job.^[8] Fincher originally envisioned "a five-hour, $80-million mini-series with movie stars."^[7] Fincher apparently wanted Julianna Margulies for Madeleine and Jennifer Connelly for Elizabeth. Fincher eventually left the project as he felt he wasn't going to be able to make the film exactly as he had envisioned.

When De Palma became director, he replaced Wahlberg with Aaron Eckhart shortly before shooting began in April 2005. Hartnett had remained attached to the project all this time. Gwen Stefani was considered for the part of Kay Lake. Eva Green was offered the role of the evil Madeleine Linscott, but declined as she feared being typecast as a femme fatale. Kate Beckinsale, Fairuza Balk (who had previously been considered for the Dahlia) and Rachel Bilson were also considered for the part. De Palma originally wanted Maggie Gyllenhaal for Elizabeth Short, but she declined as she disliked how the murder was used as a plot device and felt that the story disrespected Short's memory.^[9] Rose McGowan auditioned for the part but was eventually cast in a minor role as Short's roommate.^[10]

Mia Kirshner was originally hired to read lines with potential actors in the auditions; the original screenplay did not feature her character onscreen.^[11] However, De Palma, impressed by Kirshner, ultimately wrote Short's character into the film via screen test sequences and several flashbacks "where you see her life degenerating."^[11] Kirshner said she felt a tremendous responsibility to do justice to the real Elizabeth Short and to honor her memory. She made a decision not to look at the original autopsy photos and to focus on Short as she had been in life. Kirshner would receive critical acclaim for her performance.

Filming

The film shooting on location in Hollywood, June 2005; Black Angel is on the marquee

De Palma initially intended to shoot the film in France.^[11] Production designer Dante Ferretti began designing sets for the film in Italy.^[11] Principal photography began on April 1, 2005 in Pernik and later Sofia, Bulgaria, at an estimated cost of $50 million.^[12][13] At the time, it was the most expensive film ever shot in the country.^[12] A standing set on the backlot of Nu Boyana Film Studios in Sofia was used to represent Leimert Park.

Only a handful of exterior scenes were filmed in Los Angeles: MacArthur Park, Pantages Theatre (and adjoining bar The Frolic Room) at Hollywood and Vine,^[11] and the Alto-Nido Apartments are perhaps the most recognizable landmarks.

Stan Winston Studios designed some of the film's practical effects, including the prop dummy of Kirshner's corpse that appears early in the film; the dummy prop was publicly auctioned in June 2022.^[14]

Scenes from the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs also appear in the film.

Music

James Horner was originally on board the project to score the film's music but in February 2006, it was reported that Mark Isham had replaced him.^[15]

Editing

De Palma's initial cut of the film ran over three hours long, but was cut down to a little over two hours at the insistence of the producers. Author Ellroy, who was highly critical of the released version, claims this rough cut is a superior version of the film and a more faithful adaptation of his novel.^[16]

Box office

The film opened on September 15, 2006 in 2,226 theaters and came in second place over its opening weekend (behind fellow newcomer Gridiron Gang), with $10 million. It ended its theatrical run after domestically grossing $22.5 million in North America and $27.8 million in foreign countries for a global total of $49.3 million, against a budget of $50 million.^[1]

Critical response

Highly anticipated by many after the success of L.A. Confidential, the film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. At Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 32%, based on 194 reviews, with an average rating of 4.85/10. The site's consensus states, "Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre."^[17] On Metacritic, the film has a score 49 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[18] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "D+" on an A+ to F scale.^[19]

David Denby of The New Yorker described the film as:

A kind of fattened goose that's been stuffed with goose-liver pâté. It's overrich and fundamentally unsatisfying... There are scenes that display De Palma's customary visual brilliance... (b)ut the movie is so complicated, the narrative so awkward, that when the pieces of the puzzle fall into place we get no tingle of satisfaction.^[20]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine commented that "De Palma throws everything at the screen, but almost nothing sticks."^[21] J. Hoberman of The Village Voice stated that the film "rarely achieves the rhapsodic (let alone the delirious)."^[22] Jeff Simon of The Buffalo News deemed The Black Dahlia "the worst major film of the year" and " a wicked Saturday Night Live spoof of film noir," citing its casting as a substantial issue.^[23]

However, Kirshner's performance as Elizabeth was praised by many critics: Stephanie Zacharek of Salon, in a largely negative review, notes that the eponymous character was "played wonderfully by Mia Kirshner".^[24] Mick LaSalle wrote that Kirshner "makes a real impression of the Dahlia as a sad, lonely dreamer, a pathetic figure."^[25] J. R. Jones of the Chicago Reader described her performance as "haunting" and that the film's fictional screen tests "deliver the emotional darkness so lacking in the rest of the movie."^[26]

Accolades

Home media

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released The Black Dahlia on DVD on December 26, 2006.^[27] A Blu-ray edition was issued by Universal on September 7, 2010.^[28] Mill Creek Entertainment reissued the film on Blu-ray in July 2022, though bonus materials found on the Universal disc are absent from this release.^[29]