In 2006, Josh Hartnett made a movie he was proud of. Nearly 20 years later, he wishes people actually watched it
Josh Hartnett has said he is proud of The Black Dahlia, the 2006 crime thriller he hoped audiences would receive more warmly. Directed by Brian De Palma after David Fincher was attached, the film underperformed despite its high-profile cast, and its reception marked a disappointment for Hartnett and a setback for De Palma’s career.
The film is a 1940s Los Angeles mystery inspired by the unsolved murder of aspiring actor Elizabeth Short, with Hartnett playing detective Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert. Hartnett said people who saw it enjoyed it, though it was less successful than hoped. After a period away from the mainstream, he returned to prominence through Penny Dreadful and later appeared in Oppenheimer and Trap.
In short
- Hartnett remains proud of 2006’s The Black Dahlia.
- The film underperformed despite its prominent cast.
- He later returned to major roles in television and film.
Explained simply
The Black Dahlia is based on the unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actor whose case became one of Los Angeles’s best-known crimes. The film sets the mystery in the city’s post-war years and follows two police detectives, including Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert, played by Josh Hartnett.
Director Brian De Palma adapted the story from a novel by James Ellroy. The film had a high-profile cast but did not find a wide audience, making it a disappointment for Hartnett and a difficult point in De Palma’s career. Hartnett later returned to prominent roles in television and films including Oppenheimer.
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