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About halfway through Chinatown, Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) goes to the Albacore Club.

This happens immediately after the scene where Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) comes to his office to hire him to investigate her husband's death, at around 59 minutes. At the end of the scene, Jake hands her a contract and says, "Sign here. The copy's for you."

Then the movie cuts to the exterior of the Albacore Club. Jake walks towards the club, past a flag bearing the club's logo. There's an unidentified man waiting for him outside. They get into a car, and the man drives him to another location, where he meets Noah Cross (John Huston) for their first encounter.

Why does Jake go to the Albacore Club? Why is there a man waiting for him? Why does he agree to go with the man?

As far as I can tell, there is nothing in any prior scene to explain why Jake went there, or that somebody would be expecting him, or that he was expecting to meet somebody there.

It seems like Jake Gittes just magically knows that he has to meet somebody at the Albacore Club to advance the plot. What gives?

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  • It is a bit abrupt - but in the previous scenes its established that Noah Cross fell out with Hollis over water policy, and that Noah Cross is "important" in the area. I would assume that Jake is following up by visiting him at his club, perhaps he even called ahead to arrange to meet Cross and expected to see him there.
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Commented Jun 7 at 17:48
  • Does Cross own Albacore?? I don't remember that.
    – Tom
    Commented Jun 7 at 19:36
  • 1
    I meant "his Club" as in he was a member. I don't recall if he owned it.
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Commented Jun 7 at 20:32

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I tend to agree that the movie does not make it obvious why Jake Gittes goes to the Albacore Club, but the club and its connection to Cross is important to connect the dots later in the movie.

The club is owned by Noah Cross, which is mentioned later in the movie by Evelyn (at least in this script, I hope in the final cut this is also true):

Evelyn: There is something I should tell you. The fishing club that the old lady mentioned, the pieces off the flag.

Gittes: The Albacore Club

Evelyn: It has to do with my Father

Gittes: I know

Evelyn: He owns it. You know?

Gittes: I saw him.

Noah Cross had an ongoing disagreement with Hollis, ostensibly over water policy. Cross is clearly a wealthy and powerful person in LA, and related by marriage to Hollis. Someone was trying to discredit Hollis and by this point in the movie has now turned up dead in a reservoir.

Gittes is shown to be a diligent investigator and presumably would want to speak to Cross because of their connections and the ongoing dispute over water policy.

Reaching out to Cross via a business he owns doesn't seem far fetched. It is left unsaid but perhaps he may have arranged, by telephone, a meeting with Cross at the club, but Cross instead sent a driver to pick him up.

[The script has Gittes travelling by sea-plane to the fishing club, to explicitly meet "Julian Cross". It's been a while since I saw the movie but I don't recall this scene, and if it had been included I don't think this would have been as confusing. This shows the intent of Gittes in going to the club to meet Cross]

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