Chinatown_
"You get tough. You get tender. You get close to each other. Maybe you even get close to the truth."
Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
Starring
Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
Box Office
$30.0M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
Chinatown earned $30.0M worldwide on a $6.0M budget — a 400% return on investment.
Year context
Chinatown was released 52 years ago in 1974.
Chinatown is a Crime, Drama, Mystery film with a runtime of 2h 10m.
CAST (20)
Jack Nicholson
J.J. 'Jake' Gittes
Faye Dunaway
Evelyn Cross Mulwray
John Huston
Noah Cross
Perry Lopez
Lieutenant Lou Escobar
John Hillerman
Russ Yelburton
Diane Ladd
Ida Sessions
Roman Polanski
Man with Knife
Roy Jenson
Claude Mulvihill
Richard Bakalyan
Detective Loach
James Hong
Evelyn's Butler
Bruce Glover
Duffy
Joe Mantell
Lawrence Walsh
Roy Roberts
Mayor Bagby
Noble Willingham
Councilman
Rance Howard
Irate Farmer
Jesse Vint
Farmer in the Valley
Burt Young
Curly
Lee de Broux
Policeman
Darrell Zwerling
Hollis I. Mulwray
NH
Nandu Hinds
Sophie
BOX OFFICE
$6.0M
Budget
$30.0M
Revenue
+400%
ROI
MASSIVE HIT
Verdict
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
130 min (2h 10m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
7.9/10 (4,161 votes)
Popularity
5
Budget
$6,000,000
Box Office
$30,000,000
Profit
+$24,000,000
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Chinatown about?
Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
How long is Chinatown?
Chinatown has a runtime of 130 minutes (2h 10m).
Who stars in Chinatown?
The cast of Chinatown includes Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman.
How much did Chinatown make at the box office?
Chinatown earned $30,000,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $6,000,000.
What is the rating of Chinatown?
Chinatown has a rating of 7.9 out of 10 based on 4,161 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (4)
Crime
Drama
Mystery
Thriller