Chinatown (1974 Movie)
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''Chinatown'' is a 1974 American
neo-noir Neo-noir is a film genre that adapts the visual style and themes of 1940s and 1950s American film noir for contemporary audiences, often with more graphic depictions of violence and sexuality. During the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the term ...
mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...
directed by
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
and written by
Robert Towne Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 – July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter and director. He started writing films for Roger Corman, including '' The Tomb of Ligeia'' in 1964, and was later part of the New Hollyw ...
. It stars
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
and
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, ...
, with supporting performances from
John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...
,
John Hillerman John Benedict Hillerman (December 20, 1932 – November 9, 2017) was an American actor best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' that aired from 1980 to 1988. For his role as ...
,
Perry Lopez Perry Lopez (born Julio César Lopez; July 22, 1929 – February 14, 2008) was an American film and television actor. His acting career spanned 40 years. Biography Lopez was born in New York City of Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. L ...
,
Burt Young Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (April 30, 1940 – October 8, 2023), known professionally as Burt Young, was an American actor. He played Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the ''Rocky'' film series, his performance in the f ...
, and
Diane Ladd Diane Ladd (born Rose Diane Ladner; November 29, 1935) is an American actress. She has appeared in over 200 films and television shows. She received three Academy Award nominations for her roles in '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974), '' ...
. The film's narrative, set in 1930s
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, is loosely inspired by the
California water wars The California water wars were a series of political conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and farmers and ranchers in the Owens Valley of Eastern California over water rights. As Los Angeles expanded during the late 19th century, it beg ...
—early 20th-century conflicts over water rights that enabled Los Angeles to access resources from the
Owens Valley Owens Valley (Mono language (California), Mono: ''Payahǖǖnadǖ'', meaning "place of flowing water") is an arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States. It is located to the east of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra ...
. Produced by
Robert Evans Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera; June 29, 1930 – October 26, 2019) was an American film producer who worked on ''Rosemary's Baby (film), Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), ''Love Story (1970 film), Love Story'' (1970), ''The Godfather'' (1972), ...
and distributed by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, ''Chinatown'' was Polanski's final film made in the United States and is considered a landmark of the
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
genre, blending mystery and
psychological drama Psychological drama, or psychodrama, is a Genre, subgenre of Drama (film and television), drama and psychological fiction literatures that generally focuses upon the emotional, mental, and psychological development of the protagonists and other c ...
.Wasson, Sam. ''The Big Goodbye. Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood'', Flatiron Books, 2020. Released on June 20, 1974, ''Chinatown'' received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, and performances—particularly those of Nicholson and Dunaway. ''Chinatown'' led the
47th Academy Awards The 47th Academy Awards were presented Tuesday, April 8, 1975, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best films of 1974. The ceremonies were presided over by Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., an ...
with 11 nominations, including
Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
(Polanski), Best Actor (Nicholson), and Best Actress (Dunaway), with Towne winning for
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
. At the
32nd Golden Globe Awards The 32nd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1974, were held on January 25, 1975. Winners and nominees The winners are first and in bold followed by the rest of the nominees. Film The following films ...
, the film received a leading 7 nominations, including Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Dunaway) and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (Huston), and won a leading 4 awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Nicholson). It also received a leading 11 nominations at the 28th British Academy Film Awards, including
BAFTA Award for Best Film The BAFTA Award for Best Film is a film award given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. It has been given since the 1st BAFTA Awards, representing the best films of 19 ...
,
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performan ...
and
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best Actor in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognise an actor who has delivered an outstanding supporting performan ...
, and won a leading 3 awards – Best Direction (Polanski) and
Best Actor in a Leading Role The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ro ...
(Nicholson). In 2008, the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
ranked it #2 on its list of the top ten mystery films. In 1991, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It is widely regarded as one of the
greatest films ever made This is a list of films voted the best in national and international surveys of critics and the public. Some surveys focus on all films, while others focus on a particular genre or country. Voting systems differ, and some surveys suffer from ...
. A sequel, ''
The Two Jakes ''The Two Jakes'' is a 1990 American neo-noir mystery film and the sequel to the 1974 film ''Chinatown''. Directed by and starring Jack Nicholson, who reprises his role of J.J. “Jake” Gittes from the first film, the cast also features Harvey ...
'', was released in 1990, with Nicholson reprising his role and directing. Towne returned as screenwriter, but the film received mixed reviews and failed to replicate the success of its predecessor.


Plot

In 1930s
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, a woman identifying herself as Evelyn Mulwray hires private investigator J. J. "Jake" Gittes to trail her husband, Hollis, the chief engineer at the Department of Water and Power. Gittes photographs Hollis in the company of a young woman and the pictures make their way into the '' Post-Record'', exposing their apparent affair. Gittes is then confronted by the real Evelyn Mulwray, who threatens to sue him. He concludes that the imposter was using him to discredit Hollis. Gittes crosses paths with his former colleague,
LAPD The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
Lieutenant Lou Escobar, when Hollis's corpse is found in a reservoir. Investigating further, he discovers that huge quantities of water are being released from the reservoir each night, despite the fact that the city is in the midst of a drought. Water Department Security Chief Claude Mulvihill warns him off, and he has his nose slashed by one of Mulvihill's henchmen. Now working for Evelyn, Gittes investigates Hollis's death. He learns that Hollis was once the business partner of Evelyn's wealthy father, Noah Cross. Cross offers to double Gittes's fee if he finds Hollis's supposed mistress, who has disappeared. Gittes receives a call from Ida Sessions, the woman who posed as Evelyn. She refuses to say who hired her, but urges Gittes to check the ''Post-Record'' obituary section. Public records reveal that much of the Northwest Valley has recently changed ownership. Gittes recognizes one of the buyers' names from the obituary section; the obituary indicates that he had been dead for a week when the deal was closed. Gittes and Evelyn bluff their way into the retirement home where the buyer had lived and discover that many of the other residents are "
buyers Procurement is the process of locating and agreeing to terms and purchasing goods, services, or other works from an external source, often with the use of a tendering or competitive bidding process. The term may also refer to a contractual obl ...
" too, although they have no knowledge of this fact. A suspicious staff member calls Mulvihill, but Gittes and Evelyn escape him and his thugs and hide at her mansion, where they sleep together. Later that night, Gittes follows Evelyn to a house where he sees her comforting the missing girl. When confronted, Evelyn claims the girl is her sister, Katherine. A call from Escobar summons Gittes to Ida's apartment; she has been murdered. Escobar reveals that Hollis had saltwater in his lungs, indicating that he did not drown in the reservoir. He suspects Evelyn murdered him and tells Gittes to produce her quickly. At the Mulwray residence, Gittes retrieves a pair of glasses from the saltwater garden pond. Gittes confronts Evelyn about Katherine, whom she now claims is her daughter. Frustrated, he repeatedly slaps Evelyn until she breaks down and reveals that Katherine is both her sister and daughter; the girl's father is Cross, who raped Evelyn when she was 15. She tells Gittes that the glasses he found did not belong to Hollis. Gittes arranges for the women to flee to Mexico and instructs Evelyn to meet him at her butler's home in
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
. He summons Cross to the Mulwray estate, having deduced that Cross dropped his glasses when he drowned Hollis in the pond. Cross reveals that he is behind both the water shortage and the land grab in the Northwest Valley. Once the land is his, he will obtain a contract from the city to build a reservoir there. He discredited and killed Hollis when the latter came close to uncovering the plan. At gunpoint, Cross and Mulvihill force Gittes to take them to Chinatown, where the police are waiting. Escobar detains Gittes as Cross attempts to claim Katherine. Evelyn shoots Cross in the arm and tries to escape with Katherine, but the police open fire, killing her. Cross takes a distraught Katherine away, and Escobar orders Gittes released. As Gittes is led away by his associates, one tells him, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."


Cast

*
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
as J. J. "Jake" Gittes *
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, ...
as Evelyn Cross-Mulwray *
John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...
as Noah Cross *
Perry Lopez Perry Lopez (born Julio César Lopez; July 22, 1929 – February 14, 2008) was an American film and television actor. His acting career spanned 40 years. Biography Lopez was born in New York City of Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. L ...
as Lieutenant Lou Escobar *
John Hillerman John Benedict Hillerman (December 20, 1932 – November 9, 2017) was an American actor best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' that aired from 1980 to 1988. For his role as ...
as Russ Yelburton *
Burt Young Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (April 30, 1940 – October 8, 2023), known professionally as Burt Young, was an American actor. He played Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the ''Rocky'' film series, his performance in the f ...
as Curly *
Darrell Zwerling Darrell Zwerling (September 9, 1928 – April 11, 2014) was an American character actor in film and television. His most famous role was Hollis Mulwray, the unfortunate Water Authority Commissioner (the husband of Faye Dunaway's character) in Rom ...
as Hollis I. Mulwray *
Diane Ladd Diane Ladd (born Rose Diane Ladner; November 29, 1935) is an American actress. She has appeared in over 200 films and television shows. She received three Academy Award nominations for her roles in '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974), '' ...
as Ida Sessions *
Roy Jenson Roy Cameron Jenson, also known and credited as Roy Jensen (February 9, 1927 – April 24, 2007), was a Canadian American football player, stuntman, and actor. Early years Jenson was born in Calgary, Alberta, and moved to Los Angeles with his ...
as Claude Mulvihill *
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
as Man with Knife * Dick Bakalyan as Detective Loach *
Joe Mantell Joe Mantell ( Joseph Mantel; December 21, 1915 – September 29, 2010) was an American film and television actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as best friend Angie in the 1955 film ''Marty (film), ...
as Lawrence Walsh *
Bruce Glover Bruce Herbert Glover (May 2, 1932 – March 12, 2025) was an American character actor, who is best known for portraying the assassin Mr. Wint in the James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971). Other notable film appearances include roles ...
as Duffy * Nandu Hinds as Sophie * James O'Reare as Lawyer *
James Hong James Hong (born February 22, 1929) is an American actor, producer and director. Known as one of the most prolific character actors of all time, he has worked in over 400 productions in U.S. media since the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1950s. ...
as Kahn * Beulah Quo as Maid * Jerry Fujikawa as Gardener * Belinda Palmer as Katherine Cross *
Roy Roberts Roy Roberts (born Roy Barnes Jones; March 19, 1906 – May 28, 1975) was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen. Life and career Born in Tamp ...
as Mayor Bagby * Noble Willingham as City Councilman *
Rance Howard Rance Howard (born Harold Engle Beckenholdt; November 17, 1928 – November 25, 2017) was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He was the father of actor and filmmaker Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard, and grandfather of act ...
as Irate Farmer * Elizabeth Harding as Curly's Wife


Production


Background

In 1971, producer
Robert Evans Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera; June 29, 1930 – October 26, 2019) was an American film producer who worked on ''Rosemary's Baby (film), Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), ''Love Story (1970 film), Love Story'' (1970), ''The Godfather'' (1972), ...
offered Towne $175,000 to write a screenplay for ''
The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...
'' (1974), but Towne felt he could not better the F. Scott Fitzgerald
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
. Instead, Towne asked Evans for $25,000 to write his own story, ''Chinatown'', to which Evans agreed.* Thomson, David (2005). ''The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood''. Towne had originally hoped to also direct ''Chinatown'', but realized that by taking Evans' money, he would lose control of the project's future and his role as a director. ''Chinatown'' is set in 1937 and portrays the manipulation of a critical municipal resource—water—by a cadre of shadowy oligarchs. It was the first part of Towne's planned
trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
about the character J. J. Gittes, the foibles of the Los Angeles power structure, and the subjugation of public good by private greed. The second part, ''
The Two Jakes ''The Two Jakes'' is a 1990 American neo-noir mystery film and the sequel to the 1974 film ''Chinatown''. Directed by and starring Jack Nicholson, who reprises his role of J.J. “Jake” Gittes from the first film, the cast also features Harvey ...
'', has Gittes caught up in another grab for a natural resource—oil—in the 1940s. It was directed by Jack Nicholson and released in 1990, but the second film's commercial and critical failure scuttled plans to make ''Gittes vs. Gittes'', about the third finite resource—land—in Los Angeles, circa 1968.


Origins

The character of Hollis Mulwray was inspired by and loosely based on Irish immigrant
William Mulholland William Mulholland (September 11, 1855 – July 22, 1935) was an Irish American self-taught civil engineer who was responsible for building the infrastructure to provide a water supply that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the largest city in Cal ...
(1855–1935) according to Mulholland's
granddaughter Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as m ...
.William Mulholland Gave Water to LA and Inspired ''Chinatown''
" by Jon Wilkman, ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'', February 28, 2016
Mulholland was the superintendent and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, who oversaw the construction of the 230-mile (370-km) aqueduct that carries water from the
Owens Valley Owens Valley (Mono language (California), Mono: ''Payahǖǖnadǖ'', meaning "place of flowing water") is an arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States. It is located to the east of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra ...
to Los Angeles.Catherine Mulholland dies at 88; historian wrote key biography of famed grandfather
" by Elaine Woo, ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', July 7, 2011
Mulholland was considered by many to be the man who made Los Angeles possible by building the Los Angeles Aqueduct in the early 1900s. The 233 mile long feat of engineering brought the water necessary for urban expansion from the Owens Valley to a Los Angeles whose growth was constrained by the limits of the Los Angeles River. Mulholland credits Fred Eaton, then mayor of Los Angeles, with the idea to secure water for the city from the Owens Valley. Although the character of Hollis Mulwray was relatively minor in the film and he was killed in the early part of the movie, the events of Mulholland's life were portrayed through both the character of Mulwray and other figures in the movie. This portrayal, along with other changes to actual events that inspired ''Chinatown'', such as the time frame which was some thirty years earlier than that of the movie, were some of the liberties with facts of Mulholland's life that the movie takes. Author Vincent Brook considers real-life Mulholland to be split, in the film, into "noble Water and Power chief Hollis Mulwray" and "mobster muscle Claude Mulvihill",Brook, Vincent. ''Land of Smoke and Mirrors: A Cultural History of Los Angeles''; Rutgers University Press; 2013; just as Land syndicate and Combination members, who "exploited their insider knowledge" on account of "personal greed", are "condensed into the singular, and singularly monstrous, Noah Cross". In the film, Mulwray opposes the dam wanted by Noah Cross and the city of Los Angeles, for reasons of engineering and safety, arguing he would not repeat his previous mistake, when his dam broke resulting in hundreds of deaths. This alludes to the St. Francis Dam disaster of March 12, 1928. Unlike the character of Mulwray, who was concerned about the dam in ''Chinatown'', Mulholland's role in the disaster diverged from the events in the film. Mulholland had inspected the St. Francis Dam after the dam keeper Tony Harnischfeger requested it, when Harnischfeger became concerned about the safety of the dam upon discovering cracks and brown water leaking from its base, which indicated to him the erosion of the dam's foundation. Mulholland inspected the dam at around 10:30 in the morning, declaring that all was well with the structure. Just before midnight that same evening, a massive failure of the dam occurred. The dam's failure inundated the
Santa Clara River Valley The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural, mainly agricultural valley in Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of t ...
, including the town of
Santa Paula Santa Paula (Spanish for " St. Paula") is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. Situated amid the orchards of the Santa Clara River Valley, the city advertises itself to tourists as the "Citrus Capital of the World". Santa Pau ...
, with flood water, causing the deaths of at least 431 people. The event effectively ended Mulholland's career.* Reisner, Marc (1986). ''Cadillac Desert''. The plot of Chinatown is also drawn not just from the diversion of water from the Owens Valley via the aqueduct but also from another actual event. In the movie, water is being purposely released in order to drive the land owners out and create support for a dam through an artificial drought. The event that the movie refers to occurred in late 1903 and 1904 when underground water levels plummeted and water usage rose precipitously. Rather than a deliberate release, Mulholland was able to figure out that because of faulty valves and gates in the water system, large quantities of water were being released in the overflow sewer system and then into the ocean. Mulholland was able to stop the leaks.


Script

According to Robert Towne, both Carey McWilliams's ''Southern California Country: An Island on the Land'' (1946) and a ''West'' magazine article called "
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
's L.A." inspired his original screenplay. In a letter to McWilliams, Towne wrote that ''Southern California Country'' "really changed my life. It taught me to look at the place where I was born, and convinced me to write about it". Towne wrote the screenplay with
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
in mind. He took the title (and the exchange "What did you do in Chinatown?" / "As little as possible") from a Hungarian vice cop, who had worked in Los Angeles's Chinatown, dealing with its confusion of dialects and gangs. The vice cop thought that "police were better off in Chinatown doing nothing, because you could never tell what went on there" and whether what a cop did helped victims or further exploited them. Polanski first learned of the script through Nicholson, as they had been searching for a suitable joint project, and the producer Robert Evans was excited at the thought that Polanski's direction would create a darker, more cynical, and European vision of the United States. Polanski was initially reluctant to return to Los Angeles (it was only a few years since the murder of his pregnant wife
Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she appeared in advertisements and small television roles before appearing in films as well as working as a model. After receiv ...
), but was persuaded on the strength of the script. Towne wanted Cross to die and Evelyn Mulwray to survive, but the screenwriter and director argued over it, with Polanski insisting on a tragic end: "I knew that if ''Chinatown'' was to be special, not just another thriller where the good guys triumph in the final reel, Evelyn had to die"."Chinatown"
. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
They parted ways over this dispute and Polanski wrote the final scene a few days before it was shot. The original script was more than 180 pages and included a narration by Gittes; Polanski cut and reordered the story so the audience and Gittes unraveled the mysteries at the same time.


Characters and casting

* J. J. Gittes was named after Nicholson's friend, producer Harry Gittes. * Evelyn Mulwray is, according to Towne, intended to initially seem the classic "black widow" character typical of lead female characters in
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
, but is eventually revealed to be a tragic victim.
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...
was strongly considered for the role, but Polanski insisted on Dunaway. * Noah Cross: Towne said that Huston was, after Nicholson, the second-best-cast actor in the film and that he made the Cross character menacing, through his courtly performance. * Polanski appears in a cameo as the gangster who cuts Gittes' nose. The effect was accomplished with a special knife which could have actually cut Nicholson's nose if Polanski had not held it correctly. * In 1974, after making Chinatown and while filming ''
The Fortune ''The Fortune'' is a 1975 American black comedy film starring Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, and directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Carole Eastman (credited under the pseudonym Adrien Joyce) focuses on two bumbling con men who ...
'', Nicholson was informed by ''Time'' magazine researchers that his "sister" was actually his mother, similarly to the revelation made in the film regarding Evelyn and Katherine.Collins, Nancy
''The Great Seducer: Jack Nicholson''
''Rolling Stone'', March 29, 1984,


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
took place from October 1973 to January 1974. William A. Fraker accepted the cinematographer position from Polanski when Paramount agreed. He had worked with the studio previously on Polanski's '' Rosemary's Baby''. Robert Evans, never consulted about the decision, insisted that the offer be rescinded since he felt pairing Polanski and Fraker again would create a team with too much control over the project and complicate the production. Between Fraker and the eventual choice John A. Alonzo, the two compromised on
Stanley Cortez Stanley Cortez, A.S.C. (born Stanislaus Samuel Kranz; November 4, 1908 – December 23, 1997) was an American cinematographer. He worked on over 100 films between 1929 and 1980, and was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinemato ...
, but Polanski grew frustrated with Cortez's slow process, old fashioned compositional sensibility, and unfamiliarity with the Panavision equipment. Alonzo had worked on documentaries and shot film for ''National Geographic'' and for Jacques Cousteau. Alonzo was chosen for his fleetness and skill with natural light a few weeks into production. Alonzo understood that Polanski wanted realism in his lighting; "He wants the soft red tile to look soft red." Ultimately, only a handful of scenes in the finished film, including the orange grove confrontation, were shot by Cortez. Because Polanski's English was poor, Alonzo and Polanski would communicate in Italian, which Alonzo would then translate for the crew. Polanski was rigorous in his framing and use of Alonzo's vision, making the actors strictly adhere to blocking to accommodate the camera and lighting. In keeping with a technique Polanski attributes to Raymond Chandler, all of the events of the film are seen subjectively through the main character's eyes; for example, when Gittes is knocked unconscious, the film fades to black and fades in when he awakens. Gittes appears in every scene of the film. This subjectivity is the same construction used in Francis Coppola's ''
The Conversation ''The Conversation'' is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert who faces a moral dilemma when his recordings reveal a potential ...
'' in which the main character, Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), appears in every scene in the film. ''The Conversation'' began shooting eleven months prior to ''Chinatown''.


Soundtrack

Jerry Goldsmith Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was consid ...
composed and recorded the film's score in ten days, after producer Robert Evans rejected Phillip Lambro's original effort at the last minute. It received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination and remains widely praised, ranking ninth on the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
's list of the top 25 American film scores. Goldsmith's score, with "haunting" trumpet solos by Hollywood studio musician and MGM's first trumpet
Uan Rasey Uan Rasey (August 22, 1921 – September 26, 2011)ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
and features 12 tracks at a running time just over 30 minutes. It was later reissued on CD by the
Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and cast recording, original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as ...
label. Rasey related that Goldsmith "told imto play it sexy — but like it's not good sex!" # "Love Theme from Chinatown (Main Title)" # "Noah Cross" # " Easy Living" ( Rainger, Robin) # "Jake and Evelyn" # "
I Can't Get Started "I Can't Get Started", also known as "I Can't Get Started with You" or "I Can't Get Started (With You)", is a popular song. It was written in 1936 by Vernon Duke (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics) and introduced that year in the revue ''Ziegfeld Fo ...
" (
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, Gershwin) # "The Last of Ida" # "The Captive" # "The Boy on a Horse" # "
The Way You Look Tonight "The Way You Look To-night" is a song from the film '' Swing Time'' that was performed by Fred Astaire and composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. Fields remarked, ...
" (
Kern Kern or KERN may refer to: People * Kern (surname), includes a list of people with the name * Kern (soldier), a light infantry unit in Medieval Irish armies Places * Kern, Alaska, a ghost town in Alaska * Kern, Austria, see Sankt Marienkir ...
,
Fields Fields may refer to: Music *Fields (band), an indie rock band formed in 2006 * Fields (progressive rock band), a progressive rock band formed in 1971 * ''Fields'' (album), an LP by Swedish-based indie rock band Junip (2010) * "Fields", a song by ...
) # "The Wrong Clue" # "J. J. Gittes" # "Love Theme from Chinatown (End Title)"


Historical background

In his 2004 film essay and documentary '' Los Angeles Plays Itself'', film scholar Thom Andersen lays out the complex relationship between ''Chinatown''s script and its historical background,
''Chinatown'' isn't a docudrama, it's a fiction. The water project it depicts isn't the construction of the
Los Angeles Aqueduct The Los Angeles Aqueduct system, comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct (Owens Valley aqueduct) and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system, built and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Owens Valley ...
, engineered by William Mulholland before the First World War. ''Chinatown'' is set in 1937, not 1905. The Mulholland-like figure—"Hollis Mulwray"—isn't the chief architect of the project, but rather its strongest opponent, who must be discredited and murdered. Mulwray is against the "Alto Vallejo Dam" because it's unsafe, not because it's stealing water from somebody else... But there are echoes of Mulholland's aqueduct project in ''Chinatown''... Mulholland's project enriched its promoters through insider land deals in the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
, just like the dam project in ''Chinatown''. The disgruntled San Fernando Valley farmers of ''Chinatown'', forced to sell off their land at bargain prices because of an artificial drought, seem like stand-ins for the Owens Valley settlers whose homesteads turned to dust when Los Angeles took the water that irrigated them. The "Van Der Lip Dam" disaster, which Hollis Mulwray cites to explain his opposition to the proposed dam, is an obvious reference to the collapse of the Saint Francis Dam in 1928. Mulholland built this dam after completing the aqueduct and its failure was the greatest man-made disaster in the history of California. These echoes have led many viewers to regard ''Chinatown'', not only as docudrama, but as truth—the real secret history of how Los Angeles got its water. And it has become a ruling metaphor of the non-fictional critiques of Los Angeles development.


Analysis and interpretation

In a 1975 issue of ''
Film Quarterly ''Film Quarterly'' (FQ), published by University of California Press, is a journal devoted to the study of film, television, and visual media. When FQ was launched in 1945 (then called ''Hollywood Quarterly''), it was considered "the first serious ...
'', scholar Wayne D. McGinnis drew parallels between ''Chinatown'' and
Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...
' ''
Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' (, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. While some scholars have argued that the play was first performed , this is highly uncertain. Originally, to ...
''. He argued that both works share a "wasteland motif," wherein a central figure—Noah Cross in ''Chinatown'' and Oedipus in ''Oedipus Rex''—exploits a plague or crisis to gain power, ultimately becoming the source of deeper societal corruption. According to McGinnis, both narratives reflect the moral decay of their respective eras: ancient
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
during a time of post-heroic intellectual upheaval, and the United States during the Watergate era. McGinnis further suggested that director Roman Polanski symbolically divides the character of Oedipus into two figures in ''Chinatown''. Jake Gittes, the film's protagonist, embodies the morally conscious "good" Oedipus, a seeker of truth who gradually uncovers a network of corruption. He contended that Gittes' pursuit of rational investigation blinds him to emotional and moral complexities, invoking literary theorists
Cleanth Brooks Cleanth Brooks ( ; October 16, 1906 – May 10, 1994) was an American literary critic and professor. He is best known for his contributions to New Criticism in the mid-20th century and for revolutionizing the teaching of poetry in American higher ...
and Robert B. Heilman to describe Gittes as "the Oedipus whose success ..has tended to blind imto possibilities which pure reason fails to see." McGinnis concluded that both works elicit pity for their protagonists, noting that "there is finally pity for the doomed, ignorant Gittes, just as there is pity for the blind Oedipus in Sophocles," but that Gittes' understanding, like that of Oedipus, arrives too late to change the outcome.


Reception


Box office

''Chinatown'' was released in the United States on June 21, 1974, by
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
. The film grossed approximately $29.2 million domestically, with an additional $28,149 earned in international markets, resulting in a worldwide total of $29.23 million. Adjusted for inflation, ''Chinatown'''s domestic gross is estimated to be approximately $146 million in 2022 dollars.


Critical response

''Chinatown'' received widespread critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction, and performances, and is often regarded as one of the greatest films of the 20th century. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film holds a 98% approval rating based on 147 reviews, with an average score of 9.40/10. The site's consensus reads: "As bruised and cynical as the decade that produced it, this noir classic benefits from
Robert Towne Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 – July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter and director. He started writing films for Roger Corman, including '' The Tomb of Ligeia'' in 1964, and was later part of the New Hollyw ...
's brilliant screenplay, director
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
's steady hand, and wonderful performances from Jack Nicholson and
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, ...
." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
included ''Chinatown'' in his "Great Movies" list, noting that Nicholson's performance was instrumental in lifting the film beyond a standard crime thriller, and concluding that it "seems to settle easily beside the original noirs."
James Berardinelli James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) is an American film critic. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ''ReelViews.'' Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on ...
of ''ReelViews'' praised the film as "unquestionably one of the best films to emerge from the 1970s," highlighting its complex characters and narrative.
Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described the film as a "superlative neo-noir," stating that ''Chinatown'' "now looks like a classic in a direct line of succession to earlier pictures" and has "weathered the years with a real touch of class." Rob Fraser of ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'' echoed the sentiment, calling it "the best private eye movie ever made" and "a never-bettered noir masterpiece." Ryan Brown, writing for ''Pantheon of Film'', characterized it as "a masterpiece drenched in murky reservoir water," lauding its bleak tone and thematic depth. He noted that the film "flips an entire genre on its head in masterful fashion." ''Cineluxe'' emphasized the film's striking visual and narrative cohesion, describing it as "a razor-sharp, tightly paced film that remains just as unnerving and engrossing today." ''Common Sense Media'' noted the film's mature themes and disturbing content, advising that it's "best suited for older teens and adults," but also commended it as "a landmark of American cinema" with "powerful storytelling." ''That Old Picture Show'' called it "a staggering, disturbing, brilliant film" with "layered performances and a script that doesn't just evoke the noir tradition—it rewrites it." While the film was praised by most major critics,
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' offered a more reserved view, suggesting that the filmmakers "have attempted nothing so witty and entertaining," and expressing a preference for earlier noir classics. However, he acknowledged Nicholson's performance as the film's "major contribution to the genre."


Accolades


Other honors

* 2010 – Best film of all time, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' * 2012 – In the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's 2012 ''
Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...
'' polls of the greatest films ever made, ''Chinatown'' was 78th among critics and 91st among directors. * 2015 – The film ranked 12th on
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's "100 Greatest American Films" list, voted on by film critics from around the world. American Film Institute recognition * 1998 – AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – Ranked 19th * 2001 – AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Ranked 16th * 2003 – AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains: ** Noah Cross – Ranked 16th Villain ** J.J. Gittes – Nominated Hero * 2005 – AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes: ** "Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown" – Ranked 74th * 2005 – AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – Ranked 9th * 2007 – AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – Ranked 21st * 2008 –
AFI's 10 Top 10 AFI's 10 Top 10 honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute (AFI), the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008. In the special, various actors ...
mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...
– Ranked 2nd


Subsequent works

A sequel titled ''The Two Jakes'' was released in 1990, with Jack Nicholson reprising his role as Jake Gittes and also serving as director. Robert Towne returned as screenwriter. Unlike its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews and was a commercial disappointment. In November 2019, a prequel television series was reported to be in development at
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
, with
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. Often described as one of the preeminent directors of his generation, David Fincher filmography, his films, of which most are psychological thrillers, have collectiv ...
and Robert Towne attached to the project. The series is expected to explore the early career of Jake Gittes and the founding of his detective agency. In August 2020, it was reported that a feature film chronicling the making of ''Chinatown'' was in development. The film is based on
Sam Wasson Sam Wasson is an American author and publisher, who often writes about the history of cinema in Hollywood. His works include the biography ''Fosse'', the history books ''Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art'' and ''The Big Goodbye: Chin ...
's non-fiction book '' The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood'', with
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
attached as writer and director.


Legacy

''Chinatown'' is widely regarded as one of the most influential films of the 20th century, particularly noted for its screenplay by Robert Towne, which has been frequently cited as one of the greatest ever written. The script is renowned for its narrative structure, character development, and integration of personal and political themes. Despite Towne's significant contribution, the film's final scene was changed by director Roman Polanski, who insisted on a more pessimistic ending. Towne had originally conceived an alternative conclusion in which Evelyn kills her father and is imprisoned, unable to reveal the truth, while Jake Gittes remains silent. Polanski, however, opted for a starker ending, in which Evelyn is killed and her daughter is taken by Noah Cross. Towne initially objected, describing Polanski's version as overly melodramatic, but later acknowledged its effectiveness, stating, "Roman was right." The film's closing line—"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."—has since become one of the most iconic lines in American cinema and is frequently referenced in popular culture as a symbol of fatalism and moral ambiguity. ''Chinatown'' has been credited with revitalizing the film noir genre, blending classical noir elements with 1970s sensibilities and themes of political corruption, institutional failure, and trauma. Its visual style, characterized by subdued colors, natural lighting, and restrained cinematography, has been influential in both academic film studies and contemporary filmmaking. The film also drew public attention to historical events involving the
California water wars The California water wars were a series of political conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and farmers and ranchers in the Owens Valley of Eastern California over water rights. As Los Angeles expanded during the late 19th century, it beg ...
, particularly the controversial diversion of water from the Owens Valley to supply Los Angeles in the early 20th century. The fictional narrative was inspired in part by these real-life events, and scholars have noted the film's commentary on land speculation, environmental exploitation, and civic corruption. More recent analyses have framed ''Chinatown'' as a broader critique of patriarchal control and capital-driven urban development, with contemporary critics drawing parallels between its themes and ongoing socio-political issues. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the film has continued to receive critical reappraisal. Outlets such as ''
BBC Culture BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
'', ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'', and the ''
Los Angeles Review of Books The ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' (''LARB'' is a literary review magazine covering the national and international book scenes. A preview version launched on Tumblr in April 2011, and the official website followed one year later in April 201 ...
'' have reaffirmed its cultural and cinematic relevance, emphasizing its enduring legacy in shaping modern noir and political thrillers.


See also

*
List of American films of 1974 This is a list of American films released in 1974. Box office The highest-grossing American films released in 1974, by domestic box office gross revenue as estimated by '' The Numbers'', are as follows: January–March April–June Jul ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Easton, Michael (1998) ''Chinatown'' (''B.F.I. Film Classics'' series). Los Angeles: University of California Press. . * Standiford, Les (2016). ''Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles''. New York: Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062251459. * Thomson, David (2004). ''The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood''. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf. . * Towne, Robert (1997). ''Chinatown and the Last Detail: 2 Screenplays''. New York: Grove Press. . * Tuska, Jon (1978). ''The Detective in Hollywood''. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company. . * Wasson, Sam (2020). ''The Big Goodbye. Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood'', Flatiron Books. .


External links

* ''Chinatown'' essay by James Verniere in the National Film Registry site

* ''Chinatown'' essay by Daniel Eagan i
America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry
A&C Black, 2010 , pp. 706–707 * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chinatown 1974 thriller films American thriller films American detective films American neo-noir films Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners Chinatown, Los Angeles Edgar Award–winning works Fictional portrayals of the Los Angeles Police Department Films about corruption in the United States Films about rape in the United States Films directed by Roman Polanski Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance Films produced by Robert Evans Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith Films set in 1937 Films set in Los Angeles Films whose director won the Best Direction BAFTA Award Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award Films whose writer won the Best Screenplay BAFTA Award Films with screenplays by Robert Towne Films about incest Paramount Pictures films United States National Film Registry films Films set in country houses Films about water scarcity 1970s English-language films 1970s American films