
CHINATOWN: Why A Famous Last Line Almost Never Happened
From The Writers Hangout by Sandy Adomaitis
May 17, 2026 · 18 min · Season 1 · Episode 197
About this episode
Sandy and Terry discuss the iconic last line from the film CHINATOWN and the story behind its creation.
Rewind. Spend some time with Sandy and Terry as they explore one of the most iconic last lines in cinema, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown," from the 1974 film CHINATOWN, written by Robert Towne, directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. In this episode, they reveal the fascinating story of how this memorable line nearly didn’t make it and why! Executive Producer Kristin Overn Creator/Executive Producer Sandy Adomaitis Producer Terry Sampson Music by Ethan Stol...
People in this episode
Host: Sandy Adomaitis
Guest: Terry
Topics covered
- cinema
- film history
- screenwriting
- iconic lines
- movie analysis
Keywords
- Chinatown
- last line
- Robert Towne
- Roman Polanski
- Jack Nicholson
- Faye Dunaway
- film analysis
- screenwriting
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Kristin Overn, Ethan Stol
Books & works: CHINATOWN
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