Chinatown Jack Nicholson in Chinatown (1974). (more) Chinatown film by Polanski [1974] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinatown-film-by-Polanski Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Jordana Rosenfeld Jordana Rosenfeld is a copy editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Jordana Rosenfeld Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 5, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the true story behind the movie Chinatown? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Screenwriter Robert Towne found inspiration for the movie Chinatown (1974) in the real history of the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The aqueduct, planned during a severe drought (1892u20131904) and completed in 1913, diverted water from the Owens River more than 200 miles (320 km) south to the San Fernando Valley, ultimately feeding the needs of the rapidly growing Los Angeles, which had no sufficient local water supply. The project was vehemently opposed by Owens River Valley inhabitants, including farmers, ranchers, and small-town residents, whose livelihoods would be ruined by the loss of much of the riveru2019s flow. Adding insult to injury, the aqueduct plan, overseen by William Mulholland, a civil engineer for what later became the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, had been kept secret from the valleyu2019s population. They found out only after the city had acquired all the necessary property and water rights through unpublicized purchases by a prosperous businessman, former mayor Frederick Eaton. Other prominent power brokers benefited from the project because they owned land in the San Fernando Valley, including railroad magnate Henry Huntington and Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis. Towne drew on these and other incidents and figures in his script for Chinatown, giving traits of Mulholland to both the fictional engineer Hollis Mulwray and the ruthlessly visionary businessman Noah Cross, setting the action decades later, and changing the locations and other details." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the famous line in the movie Chinatown? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The movie Chinatown (1974) ends with the famous line u201CForget it, Jake. Itu2019s Chinatown.u201D The line is spoken to the protagonist, J.J. (u201CJakeu201D) Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson), by an associate after Gittes fails to bust the villain Noah Cross for committing murder and perpetrating a fraudulent water-supply scheme on the city of Los Angeles." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How old was Jack Nicholson when he filmed Chinatown? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Jack Nicholson was 36 when he filmed Chinatown (1974). He had begun working in Hollywood in the late 1950s on B movies directed by Roger Corman. His big break into wider fame and critical acclaim came with his supporting role in Easy Rider (1969). Nicholson was friends with Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne, and the part of private investigator J.J. (u201CJakeu201D) Gittes was written specifically for him." } } ] } Top Questions What is the true story behind the movie Chinatown? Screenwriter Robert Towne found inspiration for the movie Chinatown (1974) in the real history of the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The aqueduct, planned during a severe drought (1892–1904) and completed in 1913, diverted water from the Owens River more than 200 miles (320 km) south to the San Fernando Valley, ultimately feeding the needs of the rapidly growing Los Angeles, which had no sufficient local water supply. The project was vehemently opposed by Owens River Valley inhabitants, including farmers, ranchers, and small-town residents, whose livelihoods would be ruined by the loss of much of the river’s flow. Adding insult to injury, the aqueduct plan, overseen by William Mulholland, a civil engineer for what later became the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, had been kept secret from the valley’s population. They found out only after the city had acquired all the necessary property and water rights through unpublicized purchases by a prosperous businessman, former mayor Frederick Eaton. Other prominent power brokers benefited from the project because they owned land in the San Fernando Valley, including railroad magnate Henry Huntington and Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis. Towne drew on these and other incidents and figures in his script for Chinatown, giving traits of Mulholland to both the fictional engineer Hollis Mulwray and the ruthlessly visionary businessman Noah Cross, setting the action decades later, and changing the locations and other details.

　　What is the famous line in the movie Chinatown? The movie Chinatown (1974) ends with the famous line “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” The line is spoken to the protagonist, J.J. (“Jake”) Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson), by an associate after Gittes fails to bust the villain Noah Cross for committing murder and perpetrating a fraudulent water-supply scheme on the city of Los Angeles.

　　How old was Jack Nicholson when he filmed Chinatown? Jack Nicholson was 36 when he filmed Chinatown (1974). He had begun working in Hollywood in the late 1950s on B movies directed by Roger Corman. His big break into wider fame and critical acclaim came with his supporting role in Easy Rider (1969). Nicholson was friends with Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne, and the part of private investigator J.J. (“Jake”) Gittes was written specifically for him.

　　“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” The closing line in the 1974 detective saga is one of the most iconic in Hollywood history. With that final refrain, director Roman Polanski concluded a tale that resurrected the film noir style, epitomized the groundbreaking New Hollywood artistry of the 1970s, and further established Jack Nicholson as a signature leading man. Written by Robert Towne and earning him an Academy Award for best original screenplay, Chinatown is a fictionalized account of how ambitious businessmen and city officials in southern California acquired a water supply for the city of Los Angeles through political corruption, media ...(100 of 2203 words)

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