Chinatown (1974)

John Huston: Noah Cross

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jake Gittes : How much are you worth?

  Noah Cross : I have no idea. How much do you want?

  Jake Gittes : I just wanna know what you're worth. More than 10 million?

  Noah Cross : Oh my, yes!

  Jake Gittes : Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can't already afford?

  Noah Cross : The future, Mr. Gittes! The future. Now, where's the girl? I want the only daughter I've got left. As you found out, Evelyn was lost to me a long time ago.

  Jake Gittes : Who do you blame for that? Her?

  Noah Cross : I don't blame myself. You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place, they're capable of ANYTHING.

• Noah Cross : Exactly what do you know about me? Sit down.

  Jake Gittes : Mainly that you're rich, too respectable to want your name in the newspapers.

  Noah Cross : Of course I'm respectable. I'm old! Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.

• Noah Cross : You may think you know what you're dealing with, but, believe me, you don't.

  [Gittes grins] 

  Noah Cross : Why is that funny?

  Jake Gittes : That's what the District Attorney used to tell me in Chinatown.

• Noah Cross : Katherine! I, I'm your grandfather, my dear. I'm your grandfather.

  Evelyn Mulwray : [pushes Katherine into the car]  Katherine, get in the car.

  [to her butler] 

  Evelyn Mulwray : Go on. No no, go on.

  [to Curly] 

  Evelyn Mulwray : I'll follow you.

  [to her father] 

  Evelyn Mulwray : Get away from her! Get away.

  Noah Cross : Evelyn, please, please be reasonable.

  [to Katherine] 

  Noah Cross : Come to my...

  Evelyn Mulwray : [pushes her father away]  Get AWAY from her!

  Noah Cross : Evelyn! How many years have I got? She's mine, too.

  Evelyn Mulwray : She's never going to know that.

  [pulls a gun on him] 

• Noah Cross : Well, Mr. Gittes, you don't look too much the worse for wear, I must say! Now where's the girl?

  Jake Gittes : I've got her.

  Noah Cross : Is she all right?

  Jake Gittes : She's fine.

  Noah Cross : Well, where is she?

  Jake Gittes : With her mother.

• [Lunch is served; it's fish] 

  Noah Cross : I hope you don't mind. I believe they should be served with the head.

  Jake Gittes : Fine... long as you don't serve the chicken that way.

• Noah Cross : Either you bring the water to L.A. or you bring L.A. to the water.

• Noah Cross : You've got a nasty reputation, Mr. Gittes. I like that.

• Noah Cross : Who's the investigating officer?

  Jake Gittes : Lou Escobar -- he's a Lieutenant.

  Noah Cross : Do you know him?

  Jake Gittes : Oh, yeah.

  Noah Cross : Where from?

  Jake Gittes : We used to work together - in Chinatown.

  Noah Cross : Would you call him a capable man?

  Jake Gittes : Very.

  Noah Cross : Honest?

  Jake Gittes : As far as it goes; of course, he has to swim in the same water we all do.

• Noah Cross : It disturbs me. It makes me think you're taking my daughter for a ride - financially speaking, of course. What are you charging her?

  Jake Gittes : My usual fee - plus a bonus if I get results.

  Noah Cross : Are you - sleeping with her? Come, come, Mr. Gittes, you don't have to think about that to remember, do you?

  Jake Gittes : If you want an answer to that question, Mr. Cross, I'll put one of my men on the job.

• Jake Gittes : Tell me, are you frightened for the girl or what Evelyn might do to her?

  Noah Cross : Just - find the girl.