Chinatown (1974)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writer:

Robert Towne (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

20 June 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water.

Plot Keywords:

Dark Past | Severed Nose | Beautiful Woman | Secret Past | Nose Bleed

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 17 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	J.J. 'Jake' Gittes
Faye Dunaway	...	Evelyn Cross Mulwray
John Huston	...	Noah Cross
Perry Lopez	...	Lieutenant Lou Escobar
John Hillerman	...	Russ Yelburton
Darrell Zwerling	...	Hollis I. Mulwray
Diane Ladd	...	Ida Sessions
Roy Jenson	...	Claude Mulvihill
Roman Polanski	...	Man with Knife
Richard Bakalyan	...	Detective Loach (as Dick Bakalyan)
Joe Mantell	...	Lawrence Walsh
Bruce Glover	...	Duffy
Nandu Hinds	...	Sophie
James O'Rear	...	Lawyer
James Hong	...	Kahn
Beulah Quo	...	Mulwray's Maid
Jerry Fujikawa	...	Mulwray's Gardener
Belinda Palmer	...	Katherine Cross
Roy Roberts	...	Mayor Bagby
Noble Willingham	...	Councilman
Elliott Montgomery	...	Councilman
Rance Howard	...	Irate Farmer at Council Meeting
George Justin	...	Barney, the Barber
C.O. Erickson	...	Banker at Barbershop (as Doc Erickson)
Fritzi Burr	...	Mulwray's Secretary
Charles Knapp	...	Morty
Claudio Martínez	...	Boy on Horseback
Federico Roberto	...	Cross' Butler
Allan Warnick	...	Clerk at Hall of Records
John Holland	...	Farmer in the Valley
Jesse Vint	...	Farmer in the Valley
Jim Burk	...	Farmer in the Valley (as Jim Burke)
Denny Arnold	...	Farmer in the Valley
Burt Young	...	Curly
Elizabeth Harding	...	Curly's Wife
John Rogers	...	Mr. Palmer
Cecil Elliott	...	Emma Dill
Paul Jenkins	...	Policeman
Lee de Broux	...	Policeman
Bob Golden	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Warren	...	Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits
Robert Towne		(written by)
Roman Polanski		uncredited

Produced by
C.O. Erickson	....	associate producer
Robert Evans	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Sam O'Steen

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Art Direction by
W. Stewart Campbell

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert

Makeup Department
Hank Edds	....	makeup artist
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist

Production Management
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Ader	....	second assistant director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
Lee Rafner	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	property master
Gabe Resh	....	set designer
Robert Resh	....	set designer
L. David Gordon	....	draper (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	property maker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Clint Althouse	....	boom operator (as Clint Althaus)
Bob Cornett	....	sound editor
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recordist
Larry Jost	....	sound mixer
Howard Beals	....	sound editor (uncredited)
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects

Stunts
Jim Burk	....	stunts
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hugh K. Gagnier	....	camera operator
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Bernie Schwartz	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Bruno	....	wardrobe
Jean Merrick	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Florence Williamson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John C. Hammell	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Uan Rasey	....	musician: trumpet solo (uncredited)

Other crew
May Wale Brown	....	script supervisor
Gary Chazan	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Lee Sollenberger	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Long Road
• Paramount Pictures
• Penthouse

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• C.I.C. (Consorcio Ibérico Cinematográfico) (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1976) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (video) (laserdisc)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Award Winning Collection)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Phillips (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (????) (Russia) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Freedom Service Company  production services
• The Family Jewels  jewellery

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | UK:15 (video rating) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

1972 Canyon Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Long Road

Trivia:

The role of Evelyn Mulwray was originally intended for the producer's wife, Ali MacGraw, but she lost the role when she divorced him for Steve McQueen.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the end of the movie, the cop shooting towards Evelyn's car starts stooping on his own, before Gittes coming from behind has a chance to grab him.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jake Gittes: All right, Curly. Enough's enough. You can't eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Chinatown Revisited with Roman Polanski, Robert Evans and Robert Towne (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

Some Day

watered down noire

A film about LA and water set in the l930's during a drought with a dark incestuous subplot and some stunning performances by Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson, and superb cinematography that seemed to capture the essence of LA. Directed by Roman Polanski, who makes a terrific cameo appearance as a switchblade wielding heavy, and using the considerable acting talents of John Huston as a ruthless and perverted landowner. Read Cadillac Desert to know about LA's water grab but see Chinatown for its brilliant allegory of water and corruption, both public and private. The direction, the screenplay, the acting, the photography, and the soundtrack combine to make a convincing and atmospheric picture. The crushing ending is just so much more icing on the cake.