"From the New York Times bestselling author of Fifth Avenue, Five A.M. and Fosse comes the revelatory account of the making of a modern American masterpiece. Chinatown is the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. Its twist 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. In Sam Wasson's telling, it becomes the defining story of the most colorful characters in the most colorful period of Hollywood history. Here is Jack Nicholson at the height of his powers, as compelling a movie star as there has ever been, embarking on his great, doomed love affair with Anjelica Huston. Here is director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, haunted by the savage death of his wife, returning to Los Angeles, the scene of the crime, where the seeds of his own self-destruction are quickly planted. Here is the fevered dealmaking 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. Wasson for the first time peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of its creation. Looming over the story of this classic movie is the imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today. In telling that larger story, The Big Goodbye will take its place alongside classics like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and The Devil's Candy as one of the great movie-world books ever written. Praise for Sam Wasson: "Wasson is a canny chronicler of old Hollywood and its outsize personalities...More than that, he understands that style matters, and, like his subjects, he has a flair for it." - The New Yorker "Sam Wasson is a fabulous social historian because he finds meaning in situations and stories that would otherwise be forgotten if he didn't sleuth them out, lovingly." - Hilton Als"--

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. In Sam Wasson's telling, it becomes the defining story of its most colorful characters. Here is Jack Nicholson at the height of his powers, embarking on his great, doomed love affair with Anjelica Huston. Here is director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, haunted by the savage murder of his wife, returning to Los Angeles, where the seeds of his own self-destruction are quickly planted. 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. Wasson for the first time peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of its creation. Looming over the story of this classic movie is the imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today.

A book that will take its place alongside classics like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and Robert Evans' The Kid Stays in the Picture.

Jack Nicholson was at the height of his powers, as compelling a movie star as there has ever been. Director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, was haunted by the savage death of his wife. "The Kid" Robert Evans, was the most consummate of producers. Robert Towne's fabled script was widely considered the greatest original screenplay ever written. Wasson peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of the creation of the 1974 movie, Chinatown. Looming over it all is the imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today. -- adapted from jacket

Chinatown is the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. Its twist 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.

Here for the first time is the incredible true story of the making ofChinatown--the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. IN Sam Wasson'sThe Big Goodbye, the story ofChinatown becomes the defining story of the most colorful characters in the most colorful period of Hollywood history. Here is Jack Nicholson at the height of his powers, as compelling a movie star as there has ever been, embarking on his great, doomed love affair with Anjelica Huston. Here is director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, haunted by the savage death of his wife, returning to Los Angeles, the scene of the crime, where the seeds of his own self-destruction are quickly planted. Here is the fevered dealmaking of "The Kid" Robert Evans, the most consummate of producers. Here too is RobertTowne's fabled script, widely considered the greatest original screenplay ever written. Wasson for the first time peels off layers of myth to provide the unvarnished account of its creation.

Chinatown is the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. Its twist 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. In Sam Wasson's telling, it becomes the defining story of the most colorful characters in the most colorful period of Hollywood history.

"Chinatown is the Holy Grail of 1970s cinema. Its twist ending is the most notorious in American film, and its closing line of dialogue the most haunting...[Sam] Wasson for the first time peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of its creation." --Inside jacket cover.

Jack Nicholson was at the height of his powers, as compelling a movie star as there has ever been. Director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, was haunted by the savage death of his wife. "The Kid" Robert Evans, was the most consummate of producers. Robert Towne's fabled script was widely considered the greatest original screenplay ever written. Wasson peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of the creation of the 1974 movie, Chinatown. Looming over it all is the imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today. -- adapted from jacket. Jack Nicholson was at the height of his powers, as compelling a movie star as there has ever been. Director Roman Polanski, both predator and prey, was haunted by the savage death of his wife. "The Kid" Robert Evans, was the most consummate of producers. Robert Towne's fabled script was widely considered the greatest original screenplay ever written. Wasson peels off layers of myth to provide the true account of the creation of the 1974 movie, Chinatown. Looming over it all is the imminent eclipse of the '70s filmmaker-friendly studios as they gave way to the corporate Hollywood we know today. -- adapted from jacket

Entre roman noir et enquête, une œuvre fièvreuse dans le Hollywood de 70s! Chinatown est le Graal du cinéma des années 1970. Sa fin surprenante est la plus célèbre de tout le cinéma américain, et sa dernière réplique, la plus obsédante. Ce livre révèle, pour la première fois, l'incroyable genèse de ce projet. Sam Wasson nous conte cette histoire mettant en scène des personnages hauts en couleurs, sur fond de mutation spectaculaire des studios hollywoodiens. Il y a Jack Nicholson, alors au sommet de sa carrière, star parmi les stars, au seuil de sa grande histoire d'amour vouée à l'échec avec Anjelica Huston. Roman Polanski, le réalisateur du film, à la fois prédateur et proie, hanté par la mort tragique de son épouse, qui revient à Los Angeles, le lieu du crime, o les graines de sa propre destruction sont rapidement plantées. Le grand producteur Robert Evans, le «Kid», exalté à l'idée de passer des contrats. Enfin, il y a Robert Towne, auteur du fabuleux scénario du film, considéré par beaucoup comme le meilleur jamais écrit. Pour la première fois, Sam Wasson dissipe les mythes liés à Chinatown et décrit la façon dont le film est réellement né. En toile de fond, la fin d'une époque: celle des années 1970, o les studios choyaient leurs créateurs. Elle cèdera la place à un Hollywood plus brutalement industriel, comme aujourd'hui. The Big Goodbye mérite sa place à cté d'autres grands livres sur le monde du cinéma, comme Le Nouvel Hollywood. «Sharon Tate ressemblait à la Californie.» C'est la première phrase. Sam Wasson écrit comme un romancier. Et enquête comme un journaliste. C'est ce qui fait le prix de cet ouvrage. -Le Figaro.

Entre roman noir et enquête, une œuvre fièvreuse dans le Hollywood de 70s! Chinatown est le Graal du cinéma des années 1970. Sa fin surprenante est la plus célèbre de tout le cinéma américain, et sa dernière réplique, la plus obsédante. Ce livre révèle, pour la première fois, l'incroyable genèse de ce projet. Sam Wasson nous conte cette histoire mettant en scène des personnages hauts en couleurs, sur fond de mutation spectaculaire des studios hollywoodiens. Il y a Jack Nicholson, alors au sommet de sa carrière, star parmi les stars, au seuil de sa grande histoire d'amour vouée à l'échec avec Anjelica Huston. Roman Polanski, le réalisateur du film, à la fois prédateur et proie, hanté par la mort tragique de son épouse, qui revient à Los Angeles, le lieu du crime, o les graines de sa propre destruction sont rapidement plantées. Le grand producteur Robert Evans, le «Kid», exalté à l'idée de passer des contrats. Enfin, il y a Robert Towne, auteur du fabuleux scénario du film, considéré p...