She is afraid to identify her employer but tells Gittes to check the day's obituaries. Back at his office, Gittes receives a call from Ida Sessions, who identifies herself as the imposter Mrs.

Gittes is warned off by Water Department Security Chief Claude Mulvihill and a henchman who slashes one of Gittes' nostrils. Mulwray, Gittes investigates his suspicions of murder and notices that although there is a drought, huge quantities of water are being released from the reservoir every night. Before he can question him, Lieutenant Lou Escobar fishes Mulwray, drowned, from a reservoir. Realizing he was set up, Gittes assumes that Hollis Mulwray is the real target. Back at his office, Gittes is confronted by a woman who informs him she is the real Evelyn Mulwray and that he can expect a lawsuit. Gittes tails him, hears him publicly refuse to create a new reservoir that would be unsafe, and shoots photographs of him with a young woman, which are published on the front page of the following day's paper.

'Jake' Gittes to follow her husband, Hollis Mulwray, chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The film failed to generate the acclaim of its predecessor.Ī woman identifying herself as Evelyn Mulwray hires private investigator J.J. The American Film Institute placed it second among its top ten mystery films in 2008.Ī sequel, The Two Jakes, was released in 1990, again starring Nicholson, who also directed, with Robert Towne returning to write the screenplay. The Golden Globe Awards honored it for Best Drama, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. At the 47th Academy Awards, it was nominated for 11 Oscars, with Towne winning Best Original Screenplay. In 1991, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant' and it is frequently listed as one of the greatest films of all time. The Robert Evans production, a Paramount Pictures release, was the director's last film in the United States and features many elements of film noir, particularly a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama.

The film was inspired by the California Water Wars, a series of disputes over southern California water at the beginning of the 20th century, by which Los Angeles interests secured water rights in the Owens Valley.

Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film, directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.

Chinatown movie cast