Character List
J.J. (Jake) Gittes -
Played
by Jack Nicholson
A quiet, hard-boiled detective
and the movie's protagonist. An intelligent man who alternates between
crass jokes and politeness, Jake possesses an inherent honesty that
leaves him unable to comprehend the full scope of other people's treachery.
He is a former cop whose involvement in the Mulwray case echoes
a tragic but largely unexplained incident he was involved in when
he worked the Chinatown beat as a police officer.
Evelyn Cross Mulwray -
Played by Faye Dunaway
The wife
of Hollis Mulwray, daughter of Noah Cross, and major foil for Jake
Gittes. A wealthy, elegant woman, Evelyn's cool exterior hides an
all-consuming desperation to protect her daughter, Katherine Cross,
and hide the truth about Katherine's birth. Evelyn cares for Jake
but not enough to tell him the truth.
Noah Cross -
Played
by John Huston
The father of Evelyn and Katherine
and the major antagonist of the movie. A wealthy, well-known man,
Cross's affable front masks a sociopath who believes that no law,
either legal or moral, applies to him. His crimes range from incest
to land fraud to murder, all of which he commits without compunction
or remorse.
Hollis Mulwray -
Played
by Darrell Zwerling
The thin, serious chief engineer
of the Los Angeles Water and Power Company. Once Noah Cross's partner,
Hollis is concerned about the city's well being and, despite heavy
pressure, refuses to build another dam that could injure people.
He wants to do what is right, taking care of both Evelyn and Katherine
and attempting to unravel the land fraud.
Katherine Cross -
Played
by Belinda Palmer
The daughter of Noah Cross
and Evelyn Cross Mulwray. Katherine is a fragile creature long protected
from the outside world. As Evelyn's secret, she is seen only at
a distance for most of the movie.
Russ Yelburton -
Played
by John Hillerman
Hollis Mulwray's chief deputy
engineer. A short, respectable-looking man, Yelburton plays a definite
but unspecified role in both the land fraud and Hollis's murder.
Lieutenant Lou Escobar -
Played by Perry Lopez
A lieutenant
in the Los Angeles Police Department. Lou once worked with Jake
in Chinatown and was involved in the tragic incident there that
haunts Jake throughout the movie. He fails either to believe or
to do anything about the full scope of the corruption Jake uncovers.
Claude Mulvihill -
Played
by Roy Jenson
A large, sloppily dressed man
who works as Yelburton and Cross's hired muscle. Mulvihill was once
the sheriff of Ventura County, outside of Los Angeles. Jake is convinced
that Mulvihill is and was corrupt and insults him at every opportunity.
Ida Sessions -
Played
by Diane Ladd
A red-haired, slightly worn-looking
actress hired by Noah Cross to pose as Mrs. Mulwray. Ida is practical-minded
and possessed of a strong self-interest. Cross has her killed when
the police get too close to her.
Detective Loach -
Played
by Dick Bakalyan
Lieutenant Escobar's partner.
A short, slender man who regularly defers to Escobar, Loach dislikes
Jake and seems to know something about Escobar and Jake's past in Chinatown.
Man with Knife -
Played
by Roman Polanski
The short, jumpy hoodlum
who slices Jake's nose. The character's name is often seen as an
allusion to Polanski's first feature film,
Knife in the
Water.
Lawrence Walsh -
Played
by Joe Mantell
An older, bespectacled man working
as an associate of Jake's. A careful and thorough detective, Walsh
makes few assumptions and in the process often catches details and
bits of information that Jake misses.
Kahn -
Played by
James Hong
Evelyn Mulwray's butler. A stern-looking
Chinese man, Kahn watches over Katherine at the safe house and attempts
to help Evelyn and Katherine hide out in Chinatown.
Morty -
Played
by Charles Knapp
A rotund, jovial coroner
with a persistent cough. Even when presented with contrary evidence,
Morty is willing to accept without question that the drowning deaths
were accidental.
Duffy -
Played
by Bruce Glover
Another associate of Jake's.
An average-faced man often seen in a hat, Duffy does legwork on
the case but has few speaking lines.
Curly -
Played
by Burt Young
A fisherman who hires Jack
for an earlier, unrelated case. Curly is an easily influenced man
who is losing his hair early. Jake asks Curly late in the film to
help smuggle Evelyn and Katherine out of the city.
Mulwray's secretary -
Played
by Fritzi Burr
An older, pinch-lipped woman.
Mulwray's secretary is highly disapproving of Jake throughout the
movie.
Sophie -
Played
by Nandu Hinds
Jake's young, attractive,
and efficient secretary. Sophie's calmness in dealing with both
the cases and Jake himself suggests a significant degree of tolerance
for the less savory aspects of life.
