Classic Movie Pick: ‘To Live And Die In L.A.’ Is Perfect Crime Caper

This week’s classic is a gritty, caper film set in 1985 Los Angeles and pits the U.S. Secret Service and Treasury Department agents against a prolific counterfeiter in the film, “To Live and Die in L.A.”

Secret Service agent Richard Chance, played by William Petersen, is obsessed with taking down the man who killed his partner and is willing to push boundaries and even break the law to do so. Chance breaks in a new partner, straight-arrow John Vukovich, played by John Pankow. Throughout the story, Chance convinces Vukovich to bend the rules along with him to get their man. Vuckovich reluctantly follows Chance’s lead until one of their plans goes horribly awry.

The scene we just heard follows a legendary car chase scene where Chance and Vuckovich drive the wrong way on the freeway while being shot at by several snipers. Chance and Vukovich dig a deeper hole for themselves as they go undercover to try to bring down counterfeiter Rick Masters played by Appleton, Wisconsin’s own Willem Dafoe.

The first time I saw “To Live and Die in L.A.” I was probably 20 years old and without spoiling the ending, let’s just say it absolutely shocked me. 

“To Live and Die in L.A.” is directed by William Friedkin, who also directed “The French Connection,” for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director. “The French Connection” also featured a famous chase scene. Friedkin wanted to outdo himself with the chase scene in “To Live and Die in L.A.” and in my opinion did so with the use of incredible editing and by using Los Angeles freeways to his cinematic advantage. The iconic chase scene took six weeks to film and was the last sequence shot. A strategic production move in case one of the actors got hurt. 

Here are some fun casting facts: Chicago stage actor Gary Sinise originally auditioned for the role of Richard Chance. He didn’t get the part but on his way out the door, recommended fellow Chicago theater actor Petersen to the director. Once Petersen secured the role of Richard Chance, he referred Pankow also, a highly respected stage actor for the role of Vukoovich. A-listers Jeff Bridges, Richard Gere and Harrison Ford were considered for the lead, but Friedkin wanted an unknown actor and hit a home run with Petersen, who one year later squared off against Hannibal Lechter in Michael Mann’s “Manhunter” and eventually was cast in the “CSI” TV franchise.

The film also has an excellent soundtrack and score composed by Wang Chung. Here’s a fun music fact: Friedkin asked Wang Chung specifically not to write a song called “To Live and Die in L.A.” because he thought having it named after the title would be too cheesy. Wang Chung wrote the song anyway and Freidkin absolutely loved it.

The film is a masterpiece and an absolute classic because every component of “To Live and Die in L.A.” not only works, but was executed perfectly and it’s this week’s “Classic Movie Pick.” 

Editor’s note: For more movie and entertainment talk, join Pete Schwaba weeknights from 6 p.m. to 8 p .m. for “Nite Lite” on the Civic Media radio network.