"Chinatown, San Francisco, 1928. Former private detective Dashiell Hammett, a compulsive drinker with tuberculosis who writes pulp fiction for a living, receives an unexpected visit from an old friend asking for help."
Frederic Forrest
as Hammett
Peter Boyle
as Jimmy Ryan
Marilu Henner
as Kit Conger / Sue Alabama
Roy Kinnear
as English Eddie Hagedorn
Lydia Lei
as Crystal Ling
Elisha Cook Jr.
as Eli the Taxi Driver
David Patrick Kelly
as The Punk
R.G. Armstrong
as Lt. O'Mara
Richard Bradford
as Detective Bradford
Jack Nance
as Gary Salt
Michael Chow
as Fong Wei Tau
Sylvia Sidney
as Donaldina Cameron
Elmer Kline
as Doc Fallon
Royal Dano
as Pops
Samuel Fuller
as Old Man in Pool Hall
Lloyd Kino
as Barber
Fox Harris
as Frank the News Vendor
Rose Wong
as Chinese Laundress
Liz Roberson
as Lady in the Library
Jean-François Ferreol
as French Sailor
Alison Hong
as Young Chinese Girl
Patricia Kong
as Chinese Girl in Fong's
Lisa Lu
as Miss Cameron's Assistant
Andrew Winner
as Bank Guard
Kenji Shibuya
as Chinese Bouncer
James Quinn
as Fong's Guard
Mark Anger
as Bartender in Cookies' Bar
James Devney
as Police Projectionist
Hank Worden
as Pool Room Attendant
Christopher Day
as Neighborhood Kid #1
Ciceley Rush
as Neighborhood Kid #2
Chris Alcaide
as Man in Boardroom #1
Ben Breslauer
as Man in Boardroom #2
James Brodhead
as Man in Boardroom #3
John Hamilton
as Man in Boardroom #4
John T. Spiotta
as Man in Boardroom #5
Ross Thomas
as Man in Boardroom #6
Wim Wenders
Director
April Ferry
Costumer
Francis Ford Coppola
Second Unit Director
Ruth Morley
Costume Design
Angelo P. Graham
Art Direction
Dennis O'Flaherty
Screenplay
Ronald Colby
Producer
Andrew London
Supervising Sound Editor
Executive Producer
Dean Tavoularis
Production Design
Randy Roberts
Editor
Wylie Stateman
Sound Editor
Marc Laub
Robert Q. Lovett
Richard Bryce Goodman
Sound Mixer
Bob Johnston
Fred Roos
Kathryn Blondell
Hairstylist
Joseph F. Biroc
Director of Photography
Mary Keats
George R. Nelson
Set Decoration
Thomas Tuttle
Makeup Artist
Randy Kelley
Don Guest
Janice Hampton
Jeff Angell
Donald O. Mitchell
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Leon Ericksen
Steven Potter
John Duffy
James E. Webb
Joe Gores
Novel
John Barry
Original Music Composer
Alex Tavoularis
Graphic Designer
First Assistant Director
Gary Fettis
Leadman
Unit Production Manager
Daniel Attias
Second Assistant Director
James J. Murakami
Set Designer
Robert C. Goldstein
Arne Schmidt
Robert Huddleston
David Valdes
Philip H. Lathrop
Additional Photography
Jill Demby Guest
Dialogue Editor
Jack Harris
Still Photographer
Barbara Johnson
Casting
Douglas E. Madison
Property Master
Mona Skager
Associate Producer
Chris McLaughlin
Boom Operator
Janet Hirshenson
Music Editor
Larry Gilhooly
Gaffer
Bill Johnson
Camera Operator
Teri Fettis-D'Ovidio
Production Coordinator
Howard Jensen
Special Effects
Terry Leonard
Stunt Coordinator
Darcy Vebber
Carl Manoogian
Key Grip
Joanie Blum
Script Supervisor
Joe Lombardi
Dennis Gassner
Jane Jenkins
Tom Shaw Jr.
Morgan Renard
Barry Malkin
Supervising Editor
Vince Melandri
Frederic J. Smith
Pete G. Papanickolas
Robert Woodside
Lloyd Nelson
Thomas Pope
Adaptation