L.A. Confidential. Original music: Jerry Goldsmith The musical styles used in the film L.A. Confidential are dominated by the popular songs of the early 1950s: pop music, from the early '50s hit parade, Broadway show tunes, or the cool jazz style of the period; original score by longtime film composer Jerry Goldsmith.
The popular music of the period is a kind of soundtrack that evokes the dominant cultural cues of the period but in an ironic way. The selections of pop music are critical in that their lyrics are upbeat, celebratory of life. For example, Johnny Mercer's "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive," composed and sung by him, conveys the confidently triumphalist ethos of postwar/early Cold War American society. "Wheel Of Fortune" prays for success, and "Look For The Silver Lining," sung by the silver-voiced Chet Bake