February 15th: DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (Carl Franklin, 1995)

In 1940s Los Angeles, a recently laid-off airplane factory worker and veteran is hired to track down a missing woman.

California native Walter Mosley grew up in South Central Los Angeles, and after working in the corporate world turned to writing literature in his mid-30s, blending his studies of black history with his concerns regarding inequalities and a love for detective fiction. The bulk of his literary output features the character of reluctant private investigator Easy Rawlins, in 14 books over a 25+ year period.

African-American writer-director Carl Franklin studied theatre Berkeley before moving to New York City, performing on stage and eventually getting smaller roles in film and on television (including a 2-year recurring character on The A-Team). He went back to school at the AFI Conservatory to study filmmaking, and after earning his master's degree worked for Roger Corman's company directing low budget films. His breakout film, the neo-noir One False Move, starred Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton, and received positive notices from prominent critics such as Siskel & Ebert.

Franklin used his newfound attention to adapt Mosley's first novel, writing the screenplay himself. Director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) acted as executive producer and helped secure a considerable $20 million budget for the period piece, also bringing along his trusted cinematographer Tak Fujimoto.

Starring as Rawlins is Denzel Washington, joined by Don Cheadle (in a breakout performance), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Tom Sizemore (Heat, True Romance), and Albert Hall (Apocalypse Now). The film was shot on location all over Los Angeles, at historic places such as the Griffith Observatory, the downtown Broadway theatre district, and the Ambassador Hotel. The musical score was composed by Hollywood legend Elmer Bernstein (The Magnificent Seven, The Age of Innocence).

Devil In A Blue Dress was released to mostly positive reviews, but failed to make back its budget at the box office. Cheadle won Best Supporting Actor honors from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics, the latter recognizing Fujimoto's work as well.

Running time is approx. 100 minutes.