For nearly four decades, the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats series has welcomed audiences into some of Los Angeles’ most treasured movie palaces, offering the opportunity to experience classic films in the grand theaters where generations of Angelenos first gathered to watch them.
As part of the Golden Globe Foundation’s ongoing partnership with the Los Angeles Conservancy, representatives from more than 20 grantee organizations joined Foundation leadership at the historic Los Angeles Theatre for a screening of “L.A. Confidential.”
Opened in 1931 and renowned for its lavish French Baroque interiors, the Los Angeles Theatre provided a fitting backdrop for both the film and the evening’s guest speaker. Prior to the screening, acclaimed author James Ellroy greeted attendees and signed copies of his newly released novel, “Red Sheet.” He later took the stage to introduce the film, delivering remarks that blended humor, literary references, personal history, and observations on the enduring power of the communal moviegoing experience.
Known for his distinctive voice and sharp wit, Ellroy held the audience’s attention from the moment he stepped on stage. His remarks moved effortlessly between jokes, memories, philosophy, and storytelling, often drawing laughter before pivoting to more reflective observations about Los Angeles, art, and the act of gathering together to watch a film.
James Ellroy introduces “L.A. Confidential” at the Los Angeles Theatre on June 13, 2026, as part of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats series.
Ellroy began by celebrating the simple act of going to the movies. Addressing the packed theater, he thanked the audience for choosing to spend an evening downtown watching a film together rather than staying home and giving in to the countless distractions of modern life.
“I have always equated movies on a Saturday night with going to church on a Sunday morning,” he said.
Turning to the subject of moviegoing itself, Ellroy quoted T.S. Eliot and reflected on places where people gather not simply to acquire information, but to participate in a shared cultural experience. He argued that movie theaters remain among the few spaces where a diverse audience can come together to encounter art collectively.
Those observations resonated particularly strongly inside the Los Angeles Theatre. With its soaring lobby, ornate auditorium, and nearly century-long history as a destination for moviegoers, the theater embodies the very tradition that Last Remaining Seats seeks to preserve. Surrounded by hundreds of fellow film lovers, attendees experienced “L.A. Confidential” in a setting that echoed Ellroy’s belief that cinema is at its most powerful when shared with an audience.
Ellroy also took the audience back to the moment when “L.A. Confidential” first came to him. While living in Westchester County, New York, in 1985, he was still supporting himself by working as a caddie while writing novels.
“It was a Saturday night, winter in Westchester County. It’s snowing,” he recalled. “In a flash, ‘L.A. Confidential’ synaptically entered my mind.”
According to Ellroy, the story arrived almost fully formed. He immediately envisioned many of the novel’s major plot points, including the infamous murder sequence at the Nite Owl Coffee Shop, inspired by the real-life Bob’s Big Boy massacre on La Cienega Boulevard. Although the eventual film adaptation streamlined the novel’s sprawling narrative, Elroy noted that it remained faithful to the arcs of Bud White, Ed Exley, and Jack Vincennes.
While discussing the differences between the two works, Ellroy praised the adaptation’s craftsmanship and the filmmakers’ ability to streamline his sprawling novel for the screen.
“It’s a very proficient motion picture,” he said. “It’s sterling in its simplicity.”
Nearly three decades after its release, “L.A. Confidential” remains widely regarded as one of the most successful literary adaptations of its era.
Throughout the evening, Ellroy returned repeatedly to Los Angeles itself. Born in the city in 1948, he described Los Angeles as inseparable from his identity and creative life. The city’s neighborhoods, ambitions, scandals, and contradictions have long served as the foundation of his work, and nowhere is that more evident than in “L.A. Confidential.”
Chandeliers illuminate the Baroque-inspired interior of the Los Angeles Theatre lobby during Last Remaining Seats on June 13, 2026.
Reflecting on the evening’s turnout, Ellroy marveled that more than 1,500 people had chosen to spend a Saturday night together in a nearly century-old theater. In an era dominated by personal screens and on-demand entertainment, the gathering served as a reminder of the enduring appeal of the shared moviegoing experience that has defined Last Remaining Seats for nearly four decades.
The 2026 Last Remaining Seats season concludes Saturday, June 20, at the Million Dollar Theatre with screenings of “9 to 5” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.” Since 2003, the Golden Globe Foundation has proudly served as a lead sponsor of the series, supporting the Los Angeles Conservancy’s efforts to preserve and revitalize historic theaters while introducing new generations to the experience of classic cinema.
