---
title: "2 1950s Quotes By James Ellroy"
description: "2 1950s quotes by James Ellroy. Plus more from James Ellroy and more 1950s sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/james-ellroy-2967_1950s_don-t-make-a-career-out-of-underestimati_231103.jpg"
---

> [“Don't make a career out of underestimating me." — Claire de Haven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/don-t-make-a-career-out-of-underestimating-me-claire-de-haven/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a5/james-ellroy-2967_1950s_don-t-make-a-career-out-of-underestimati_231103.jpg)

> [The 1950s to me is darkness, hidden history, perversion behind most doors waiting to creep out. The 1950s to most people is kitsch and Mickey Mouse watches and all this intolerable stuff...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/the-1950s-to-me-is-darkness-hidden-history-perversion-behind-most/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/096/james-ellroy-2967_1950s_the-1950s-to-me-is-darkness-hidden-histo_2665331.jpg)

## Other authors on 1950s

## More by James Ellroy

> [“Fear and I played peek-a-boo - it always seemed to grab my balls and twist just when it felt like something inside me could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/fear-and-i-played-peek-a-boo-it-always-seemed-to-grab-my-balls-and/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [My father actually went to college, and my mother went to nursing school, so, you know. I wouldn't... They were actually too square and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/my-father-actually-went-to-college-and-my-mother-went-to-nursing/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [I've created a narrative of the world. I live in the world - tenuously, most times. I've avoided the digital world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-ve-created-a-narrative-of-the-world-i-live-in-the-world-tenuously/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [Some men get the world, some men get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona. You're in with the former, but my God I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/some-men-get-the-world-some-men-get-ex-hookers-and-a-trip-to-arizona/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [In the time just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when Perfidia opens, we were pre-psychologized. There were no concepts of identity, no politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/in-the-time-just-before-the-bombing-of-pearl-harbor-when-perfidia/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [“It all came down to money - the great equalizer and common denominator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/it-all-came-down-to-money-the-great-equalizer-and-common-denominator/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [I think the great unspoken theme in noir fiction is male self-pity. It pervades noir movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-think-the-great-unspoken-theme-in-noir-fiction-is-male-self-pity-it/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [“Don't make a career out of underestimating me." — Claire de Haven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/don-t-make-a-career-out-of-underestimating-me-claire-de-haven/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [“I didn't care who we were. I required no consummation. I knew that whoever we were and whatever we had would never stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-didn-t-care-who-we-were-i-required-no-consummation-i-knew-that/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [Where’s your sketch pad?” I asked. … “I gave that up,” Kay said. “I wasn’t very good, so I changed my major.” “To what?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/where-s-your-sketch-pad-i-asked-i-gave-that-up-kay-said-i-wasn-t-very/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [I am a master of fiction. I am also the greatest crime novelist who ever lived. I am to the crime novel in specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-am-a-master-of-fiction-i-am-also-the-greatest-crime-novelist-who/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [ I don't want to recover from writing this book \[The Onion\]. I feel very poised. I feel like I'm with my mother for the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-don-t-want-to-recover-from-writing-this-book-the-onion-i-feel-very/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [Rock and rollers can get you the youth buzz, and younger people are fanatical readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/rock-and-rollers-can-get-you-the-youth-buzz-and-younger-people-are/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [I don't know anybody in the underworld. I make this stuff up. I don't know any criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-don-t-know-anybody-in-the-underworld-i-make-this-stuff-up-i-don-t/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

> [“He took three shots a night-no more, no less. He switched from whisky to straight gin. The bum compensated for the scant volume. Three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/he-took-three-shots-a-night-no-more-no-less-he-switched-from-whisky/)

[James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/)

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