Robert Towne

Robert Towne

Birthdate
November 23, 1934 (89 years old)
Place of Birth
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
Date of Death
July 1, 2024
Known For
Writing

Details

Birthdate
November 23, 1934 (89 years old)
Place of Birth
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
Date of Death
July 1, 2024
Known For
Writing

Biography

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).

Robert Towne's LGBTQ+ Titles

Personal Best
Personal Best
Director

Acting (20)

2019
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael as Self
2013
Salinger as Self - Screenwriter
2011
The Story of Film: An Odyssey as Self (2 episodes)
2008
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story as Self
2008
Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde' as Self
2005
Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That as Self
2004
Suspect Zero as Professor Dates (uncredited)
2004
The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made as Agent XK150 (archive footage)
2003
A Decade Under the Influence as Self
2001
Rescued from the Closet as Self
2001
A Sad Flower in the Sand as Self
1998
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies as Self (1 episode)
1998
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy as Self
1997
Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature as Self - Screenwriter, 'Chinatown'
1987
The Pick-up Artist as Stan
1975
Shampoo as Party Guest (uncredited)
1971
Drive, He Said as Richard
1971
The Zodiac Killer as Man in Bar #3
1961
Creature from the Haunted Sea as Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / Narrator
1960
Last Woman on Earth as Martin Joyce

Directing (4)

2006
Ask the Dust • Director
• Director
1998
Without Limits • Director
• Director
1988
Tequila Sunrise • Director
• Director
1982
Personal Best • Director
• Director

Production (2)

1987
The Bedroom Window • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer
1982
Personal Best • Producer
• Producer

Writing (25)

Battle of Britain • Screenplay
• Screenplay
2012
Welcome to the Basement • Screenplay (1 episode)
• Screenplay (1 episode)
2006
Ask the Dust • Screenplay
• Screenplay
2000
Mission: Impossible II • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1998
Without Limits • Writer
• Writer
1996
Mission: Impossible • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1994
Love Affair • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1993
The Firm • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1990
The Two Jakes
• Characters
• Writer
1990
Days of Thunder
• Screenplay
• Story
1988
Tequila Sunrise • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1986
8 Million Ways to Die • Writer
• Writer
1984
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes • Writer
• Writer
1982
Personal Best • Writer
• Writer
1975
Shampoo • Writer
• Writer
1974
The Yakuza • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1974
Chinatown • Writer
• Writer
1973
The Last Detail • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1968
Villa Rides • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1964
The Tomb of Ligeia • Screenplay
• Screenplay
1963
The Outer Limits • Writer (1 episode)
• Writer (1 episode)
1962
The Lloyd Bridges Show • Writer (1 episode)
• Writer (1 episode)
1960
Last Woman on Earth • Screenplay
• Screenplay

Crew (11)

1988
Frantic • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1987
Tough Guys Don't Dance • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1986
8 Million Ways to Die • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1983
Deal of the Century • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1978
Heaven Can Wait • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1974
The Parallax View • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1972
The New Centurions • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1972
Cisco Pike • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1971
McCabe & Mrs. Miller • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1971
Drive, He Said • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing
1967
Bonnie and Clyde • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing