Robert Towne
Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 - July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He was part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), which is widely considered one of the greatest screenplays ever written. He later said it was inspired by a chapter in Carey McWilliams's Southern California Country: An Island on the Land (1946) and a West magazine article on Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles. Towne also wrote the sequel, The Two Jakes (1990); the Hal Ashby comedy-dramas The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975); and the first two Mission: Impossible films. Towne directed the sports dramas Personal Best (1982) and Without Limits (1998), the crime thriller Tequila Sunrise (1988), and the romantic crime drama Ask the Dust (2006).
Known For
Credits
- 2019 ·What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kaelas Self
- 2013 ·Salingeras Self - Screenwriter
- 2011 ·The Story of Film: An Odysseyas Self
- 2008 ·You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Storyas Self
- 2008 ·Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'as Self
- 2005 ·Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do Thatas Self
- 2004 ·Suspect Zeroas Professor Dates (uncredited)
- 2004 ·The 50 Worst Movies Ever Madeas Agent XK150 (archive footage)
- 2003 ·A Decade Under the Influenceas Self
- 2001 ·Rescued from the Closetas Self
- 2001 ·A Sad Flower in the Sandas Self
- 1998 ·AFI's 100 Years... 100 Moviesas Self
- 1998 ·Billy Wilder: The Human Comedyas Self
- 1997 ·Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Natureas Self - Screenwriter, 'Chinatown'
- 1987 ·The Pick-up Artistas Stan
- 1975 ·Shampooas Party Guest (uncredited)
- 1971 ·Drive, He Saidas Richard
- 1971 ·The Zodiac Killeras Man in Bar #3
- 1961 ·Creature from the Haunted Seaas Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / Narrator
- 1960 ·Last Woman on Earthas Martin Joyce