Robert Towne was an acclaimed screenwriter best known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for “Chinatown,” as well as “Days of Thunder,” “Mission: Impossible” and other noted films.
- Died: July 1, 2024 (Who else died on July 1?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles at the age of 89.
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Robert Towne’s legacy
Los Angeles native Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz) initially started to explore the world of filmmaking through acting, taking lessons under producer Roger Corman (1926–2024). Rather than just act, however, Towne went into writing when Corman gave him a chance to pen the screenplay for his 1960 film, “Last Woman on Earth.” Towne also starred in the movie.
Being on screen would not be his claim to fame, however, though he did have a handful of roles over the years. Instead, he turned fully towards screenwriting, penning work for shows like “The Outer Limits” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” and well as writing for the big screen. Among those film screenplays was “A Time for Killing,” which caught the attention of actor Warren Beatty. Beatty brought him on to do script doctoring on his crime classic, “Bonnie and Clyde,” as well as his 1974 film, “The Parallax View.”
Towne’s greatest stretch of work probably came in the 1970s, when he was nominated for Best Screenplay Academy Awards three years in a row for “The Last Detail,” “Chinatown” and “Shampoo,” respectively. “Chinatown” remains his most acclaimed work, nabbing 11 Oscar nominations and winning for Best Original Screenplay. It’s widely considered one of the best scripts in Hollywood history.
Towne’s later work includes several collaborations with Tom Cruise, including “Days of Thunder,” “The Firm” and the first two “Mission: Impossible” movies. He also did uncredited work on “The Godfather.” Over the course of his career, Towne earned four Academy Award nominations overall, winning one, along with taking home a BAFTA, Golden Globe and other prizes.
Notable quote
“The only way a screenplay can be evaluated, almost by definition, is not on the page, but by viewing the movie it caused to be made. It certainly can be read and even enjoyed, but you’re stuck with the inescapable fact that it was written to be seen.” — from his 1995 essay in Lapham’s Quarterly
Tributes to Robert Towne
Full obituary: The New York Times
