IV-ish: Ellroy, Biscailuz and Bigfoot

[kelber at mindspring.com]

I've been reading My Dark Places -- James Ellroy's autobiographical book.  It's pretty riveting stuff, and like his fiction (which I haven't read, though I've seen LA Confidential) it's all about LA.  One thing caught my attention (and forgive me if anyone's brought this up before):  Sheriff Biscailuz, who was the Sheriff of LA County from 1932-1958.  He certainly seems like an inspiration for Bigfoot's western paraphernalia obsession.

>From Ellroy:  "Biscailuz sponsored the Sheriff's Rodeo.  Uniformed deputies sold tickets all over the county.  The rodeo usually sold out the L.A. Coliseum.  Biscailuz appeared in western garb, replete with twin six-shooters. ... [Biscailuz] gave his constituents the Wild West as Utopian Idyll.  It got him re-elected six times."

Ellroy contrasts the Sheriff's faux-western style with the austere Dragnet mentality of the LAPD.

Laura