by Sam Wasson
First published 2020
Sam Wasson examines the creation of Chinatown and the Hollywood figures who brought it to life. The book follows Jack Nicholson at his career peak, beginning his turbulent romance with Anjelica Huston. Director Roman Polanski returns to Los Angeles, still reeling from his wife's murder, carrying trauma that will shape both his work and his downfall. Producer Robert Evans orchestrates deals with characteristic intensity. Robert Towne crafts what many consider the finest original screenplay ever written. Wasson strips away decades of Hollywood mythology to reveal the actual process behind the film's creation. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a changing industry, as the director-driven studios of the 1970s face extinction from rising corporate control. Wasson documents how personal obsessions, professional ambitions, and historical forces converged to produce both a celebrated film and the end of an era. The book captures the final moments when individual artists could still command major studio resources to realize their visions.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, film, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, creative-process
Setting: China, Chinatown, Hollywood, Los Angeles
Period: 1970s
416 pages · Hardcover · Flatiron Books