JJ 'Jake' Gittes is a private detective who seems to specialize in matrimonial cases. He is hired by Evelyn Mulwray when she suspects her husband Hollis, builder of the city's water supply system, of having an affair. Gittes does what he does best and photographs him with a young girl but in the ensuing scandal, it seems he was hired by an impersonator and not the real Mrs. Mulwray. When Mr. Mulwray is found dead, Jake is plunged into a complex web of deceit involving murder, incest and municipal corruption all related to the city's water supply.
Written by garykmcd
Because this film was the first of a planned trilogy, Jack Nicholson turned down all detective roles he was offered so that the only detective he played would be Jake Gittes.
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Goofs
Continuity:
When Jake tails Evelyn's car as she is going to the house where she stashed the girl, we can see that the sun is starting to come up, but when Jake parks in front of the house and starts nosing around, it is pitch black and clearly the middle of the night.
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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. See more »