"Chinatown is the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. Its ending is the most notorious in American film, and its closing line of dialogue the most haunting. Here, for the first time, is the incredible true story of its making - the defining account of its most colourful characters. Here is Jack Nicholson at the height of his powers. Here is director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, haunted by the savage murder of his wife, Sharon Tate. Here is the fevered deal-making of 'The Kid' Robert Evans, the most consummate of producers. Here too is Robert Towne's fabled script, widely considered the greatest original screenplay ever written. Looming over the story of this classic movie is the imminent eclipse of the film-maker-friendly studios of the 1970s as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today." -- Back cover