Why did Sid give $50 to Jack for wrecking Reynolds's career?

Why did Sid give $50 to Jack for wrecking Reynolds's career? - Concentrated ethnic businessman giving folder to female employee in workplace

In the neo noir crime film LA Confidential (1997), Sid meets officer Jack on the set of the Badge of Honor show:

Sid: Reynolds is acey-deucey, not to mention broke. I'm getting him to fuck the DA for 100 bucks. That's twice the 50 you got for wrecking his career.

What does he mean with that? Why did he give Jack $50 for wrecking Reynolds's carreer?



Best Answer

You might remember that Reynolds is the guy from the beginning of the film (or one of the earliest scenes) that introduces Jack Vincennes and the whole "dirty" Hollywood setting. Jack arrests him for drug abuse. But not only that, Jack also has a deal with Sid where he gives him information about such scandals in the high society so Sid has "good" stories for the Hush Hush Magazine.

So the arrest, but even more so the yellowpress article the enabling of which Jack apparently got $50 for, is what destroyed Reynolds's carreer and made him in turn do another shady job for Sid. And this is ultimately also part of why Jack feels guilty and concerned about Reynolds and why he drives out to the motel to see if he's okay, finding his dead body.

(I don't blame you for missing that, though, it also took me repeated watching to get that connection. It helps that I've seen the movie a thousand times since.)




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tom holland trying not to give away spoilers for 6 minutes straight




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