Chinatown (1974) quotes

Director
Sidney Lumet.

Cast
Jack Nicholson.
Faye Dunaway.
John Huston.

A private detective hired to expose an adulterer finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.

Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.
– Walsh

Are you alone?
– Ida Sessions
Isn’t everybody?
– Jake Gittes

‘Course I’m respectable. I’m old. Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.
– Noah Cross

Can you believe it? We’re in the middle of a drought, and the water commissioner drowns. Only in L.A.
– Morty

All right, Curly. Enough’s enough. You can’t eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.
– Jake Gittes

You’re a very nosy fellow, kitty cat. Huh? You know what happens to nosy fellows? Huh? No? Wanna guess? Huh? No? Okay. They lose their noses.
– Man with Knife
Next time you lose the whole thing. Cut it off and feed it to my goldfish.
– Man with Knife

My goodness, what happened to your nose?
– Yelburton
I cut myself shaving.
– Jake Gittes
You ought to be more careful. That must really smart.
– Yelburton

Do you accept people of the Jewish persuasion?
– Jake Gittes
I’m sorry, we do not.
– Mr. Palmer
Don’t apologize – neither does Dad.
– Jake Gittes

What can I tell you, kid? You’re right. When you’re right, you’re right, and you’re right.
– Jake Gittes

How’d you get past the guard?
– Lt. Escobar
Well, to tell you the truth, I lied a little.
– Jake Gittes

What happened to your nose, Gittes? Somebody slammed a bedroom window on it?
– Loach
Nope. Your wife got excited. She crossed her legs a little too quick. You understand what I mean, pal?
– Jake Gittes

You’re dumber than you think I think you are.
– Jake Gittes

Mulvihill! What are you doing here?
– Jake Gittes
They shut my water off. What’s it to you?
– Mulvihill
How’d you find out about it? You don’t drink it; you don’t take a bath in it… They wrote you a letter. But then you have to be able to read.
– Jake Gittes

May I speak frankly, Mrs. Mulwray.
– Jake Gittes
You may if you can, Mr. Gittes.
– Evelyn Mulwray

But, Mrs. Mulwray, I goddamn near lost my nose. And I like it. I like breathing through it. And I still think you’re hiding something.
– Jake Gittes

You’ve got a nasty reputation, Mr. Gittes. I like that.
– Noah Cross