Robert Towne

{{Short description|American screenwriter, producer, director and actor (1934–2024)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Robert Towne

| image = Robert_Towne_1_3.jpg

| caption = Towne in 2006

| birth_name = Robert Bertram Schwartz

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|11|23}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|7|1|1934|11|23}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| alma_mater = Pomona College

| occupation = {{hlist|Screenwriter|director|producer|actor}}

| years_active = 1960–2017

| spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Julie Payne|1977|1982|end=divorced}}
{{marriage|Luisa Gaule
|1984}}

}}

| children = 2

| relatives = Jocelyn Towne (niece)

}}

Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 – July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter and director. He started writing films for Roger Corman, including The Tomb of Ligeia in 1964, and was later part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking.

Towne wrote and won an Academy Award for Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974); starring Jack Nicholson, widely considered one of the greatest screenplays ever written,{{cite web | title=Being John Malkovich at 20: why the surrealist comedy demands a rewatch | first=Scott | last=Tobias | date=2019-10-29 | work=The Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/29/being-john-malkovich-charlie-kaufman-review | access-date=2020-03-29 | archive-date=3 July 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703025947/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/29/being-john-malkovich-charlie-kaufman-review | url-status=live }} as well as its sequel, The Two Jakes (1990). For Hal Ashby, he penned the comedy-dramas The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975). He collaborated with Tom Cruise on the films Days of Thunder (1990), The Firm (1993) and the first two installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise (1996, 2000).

Towne directed the sports dramas Personal Best (1982) and Without Limits (1998), the crime thriller Tequila Sunrise (1988), and the romantic drama Ask the Dust (2006).

Early life

Towne was born Robert Bertram Schwartz in Los Angeles, California,{{cite book|author=Biskind, Peter|title=Easy Riders, Raging Bulls|year=1999|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0-7475-4421-0|page=30}}According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427102456/http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461 |date=27 April 2011 }} the son of Helen and Lou Schwartz, a clothing store owner and property developer. He grew up in San Pedro and Rolling Hills and attended Chadwick School.{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Bill |date=2024-07-02 |title=Robert Towne, Screenwriter of 'Chinatown' and More, Dies at 89 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/movies/robert-towne-dead.html |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=3 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703001220/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/movies/robert-towne-dead.html |url-status=live }} His family was Jewish, and had emigrated from Romania on his father's side and Russia on his mother's.{{cite web |url=http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=appadoc |title=Lennon, Elaine: The screenplays of Robert Towne 1960-2000. Dublin Institute of Technology, 2009 |access-date=2013-06-14 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724102857/http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=appadoc |url-status=live }} He had a younger brother, Roger, who co-wrote the 1984 film The Natural starring Robert Redford.{{AFI film|67313|title=The Natural}}

He graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California, studying philosophy and literature.{{cite web | title = The Robert Towne Page | publisher = SuperiorPics.com | url = http://www.superiorpics.com/robert_towne/ | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130203074827/http://www.superiorpics.com/robert_towne/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 3 February 2013 | access-date = April 13, 2010 }}[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jul/03/robert-towne-obituary Robert Towne obituary: American screenwriter and director best known for the hit films Chinatown, The Last Detail and Shampoo] The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2024. After college, Towne served in the U.S. Army before doing odd jobs including working as a tuna fisherman.

Career

=Roger Corman=

Towne originally sought work as a writer and actor. He took an acting class with Roger Corman taught by Jeff Corey where his classmates also included Jack Nicholson (with whom he shared an apartment), Irvin Kershner, and Sally Kellerman.Brady p 390

Corman was known for giving work to untested people of talent. Towne wrote the screenplay for the Corman-financed Last Woman on Earth (1960), in which Towne also played one of the lead roles.

The following year he also starred in the Corman-financed Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961).

=Television=

Towne started writing for television on such programs as The Lloyd Bridges Show, Breaking Point, The Outer Limits, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..

He also wrote a screenplay for the Corman-directed The Tomb of Ligeia (1965). In 1981 Towne said "I worked harder on... [that] screenplay for him than on anything I think I have ever done."

Towne went back to working in television when Corman hired him to write a script for a Western, which became A Time for Killing (1967). Corman left the project during filming and Towne took his name off the credits. Towne said later he "hated" the film.Brady p 388

=Script doctor=

Towne's script for A Time for Killing had been read and admired by Warren Beatty, who asked Towne to help out on the script for Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Towne later claimed his main contributions were removing the ménage à trois relationship between Bonnie, Clyde, and W.D., making some structural changes.Brady p 396-398 Towne was on set during filming and continued to work during post-production. The film was a huge success and although Towne's contribution was credited only as a "special consultant", he began to earn a reputation in Hollywood as a top script doctor.Brady p 399

Towne was credited on Villa Rides (1968), which he later said he did as a favor for Robert Evans, head of Paramount. He hated the experience.Brady p 386-387

Towne did uncredited work on the scripts for Drive, He Said (1971), directed by Jack Nicholson; Cisco Pike (1972), which Towne said turned into "a pretty good movie" but where he got "so angry with the director" he took his name off; and The New Centurions (1972), where he was to share credit with Stirling Silliphant but asked for his name to be taken off after he saw the film.Brady p 387

He did uncredited work for Francis Ford Coppola during the making of The Godfather (1972), including the final scene between Michael and Vito in a garden, shortly before Vito dies. Coppola later thanked Towne for writing this pivotal and "very beautiful" scene in his Academy Award speech for Best Screenplay.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-03 |title=Robert Towne: Tributes to Chinatown and Mission: Impossible writer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3g3dy6jdlpo |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

Towne also did some work on The Parallax View (1974) at the behest of star Warren Beatty.

=''The Last Detail'', ''Chinatown'', and ''Shampoo''=

Towne received acclaim and was nominated in the Best Original and Adapted Screenplay categories for his scripts The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Shampoo (1975).

He won for Chinatown.McDougal, Dennis (2008) [https://books.google.com/books?id=FMkTJzvSUqQC&pg=PA416 Five easy decades] pp.146, 182, 416{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/27/movies/film-robert-towne-s-hollywood-without-heroes.html | title=Robert Towne's Hollywood Without Heroes | first=Kenneth | last=Turan | author-link=Kenneth Turan | date=1988-11-27 | work=The New York Times | access-date=2020-03-29 | archive-date=3 July 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703025950/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/27/movies/film-robert-towne-s-hollywood-without-heroes.html | url-status=live }}Nicolas Cage, DVD commentary, The Rock Criterion Collection 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.

According to Sam Wasson's The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood, Towne "secretly employed an old college friend named Edward Taylor as his uncredited writing partner for more than 40 years." (Taylor died in 2013).{{cite news |last1=Horowitz |first1=Mark |title=Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |issue=Book Review p. 21 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=March 15, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://themillions.com/2020/04/does-robert-townes-chinatown-oscar-need-an-asterisk.html |title=Does Robert Towne's 'Chinatown' Oscar Need an Asterisk? |date=17 April 2020 |access-date=3 July 2024 |archive-date=22 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240622120028/https://themillions.com/2020/04/does-robert-townes-chinatown-oscar-need-an-asterisk.html |url-status=live }}

Towne was credited for his work on The Yakuza (1975) and did script doctoring on The Missouri Breaks (1976), Orca (1977) and Heaven Can Wait (1978).

=Director=

Towne turned to directing with Personal Best (1982). He also wrote the script for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, hoping to direct, but Personal Best was a financial failure, and he had to sell the Greystoke script. He grew dissatisfied with the production and credited his dog, P. H. Vazak, with the script. Vazak became the first dog nominated for an Academy Award for screenwriting.{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Jason |title=Intriguing film credits that you probably missed |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/23703/1/film-credits-that-you-probably-missed |website=hwww.dazeddigital.com |date=20 February 2015 |access-date=13 September 2022 |archive-date=13 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913045655/https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/23703/1/film-credits-that-you-probably-missed |url-status=live }}

Towne did uncredited work on Deal of the Century (1983), 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) ({{cite web | url=https://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=87 | title=Robert Towne – From Chinatown to Hollywood | first=Dov | last=Kornits | date=1999-08-27 | website=eFilmCritic.com | access-date=2020-03-29 | archive-date=22 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122102138/https://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=87 | url-status=live }}), Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987) and Frantic (1988).

His second feature film as director was Tequila Sunrise (1988), which he wrote back in the early 1980s. Towne told The New York Times that Tequila Sunrise is "a movie about the use and abuse of friendship."

=''The Two Jakes''=

Towne expressed his disappointment in The Two Jakes in many interviews.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} He told writer Alex Simon, "In the interest of maintaining my friendships with Jack Nicholson and Robert Evans, I’d rather not go into it, but let’s just say The Two Jakes wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us. But, we’re all still friends, and that’s what matters most."{{cite interview | url=http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/01/robert-towne-hollywood-interview.html | title=Robert Towne Dusts Off a Classic | first=Robert | last=Towne | interviewer=Alex Simon | date=2012-12-06 | work=The Hollywood Interview | access-date=2020-03-29 | archive-date=23 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923170305/http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/01/robert-towne-hollywood-interview.html | url-status=live }}

In a November 5, 2007, interview with MTV, Jack Nicholson claimed that Towne had written the part of Gittes specifically for him and had conceived Chinatown as a trilogy, with the third film set in 1968 and dealing in some way with Howard Hughes.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1573487/story.jhtml |title=Jack Nicholson Talks! In Rare Interview, Actor Reveals Details Of Never-Shot 'Chinatown' Sequel |archive-date=6 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106164644/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1573487/story.jhtml |publisher=Mtv.com |date=2007-11-05 |access-date=2013-06-14}} Towne said he did not know how the rumour started and denied any planned trilogy.

=Tom Cruise=

Towne wrote the script for Days of Thunder (1990) and formed a close friendship with its star Tom Cruise.

He was one of the writers on Cruise's The Firm (1993), then Beatty's Love Affair (1994). Cruise brought him on to Mission: Impossible (1996) and co-produced Towne's third film as director, Without Limits (1998). He also co-wrote Mission Impossible II (2000) for Cruise.

=Later career=

A project Towne had long sought to bring to the screen came to fruition in 2006 with Ask the Dust, a romantic period piece set in Los Angeles based on the novel by John Fante and starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek. Towne had found the novel decades earlier during his research for Chinatown, as he was looking for authentic descriptions of 1930s Los Angeles. He enjoyed the book, considering it "the best book about Los Angeles ever written", and arranged a meeting with Fante, himself a screenwriter. As a result of that meeting, Towne was granted the screen rights to the novel. The rights eventually lapsed, and the new owner was Mel Brooks. In 1993, Towne wrote the script for free in exchange for the chance to direct the film.{{cite web | url=https://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/interviews/roberttowne.shtml | title=Interview with Robert Towne: From 'Dust' to 'Dust' | first=Jeffrey M. | last=Anderson | date=2006-02-07 | website=Combustible Celluloid | access-date=2020-03-29 | archive-date=3 July 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703030019/https://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/interviews/roberttowne.shtml | url-status=live }} Tom Cruise (with Paula Wagner and Cruise/Wagner Productions) served as one of the film's producers. Ask the Dust received mixed reviews and failed at the box office. The film was entered into the 28th Moscow International Film Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2006 |title=28th Moscow International Film Festival (2006) |access-date=2013-04-21 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421051006/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2006 |archive-date=2013-04-21 }}

Towne framed several of his signature films as elaborate melodramas. He told The New York Times "I think melodrama is always a splendid occasion to entertain an audience and say things you want to say without rubbing their noses in it. With melodrama, as in dreams, you're always flirting with the disparity between appearance and reality, which is a great deal of fun. And that's also not unrelated to my perception of my life working in Hollywood, where you're always wondering, 'What does that guy really mean?'"

In 2006, Towne was the subject of artist Sarah Morris's film, Robert Towne. Morris describes him as an “elliptical figure” whose career exemplifies a certain characteristic mode of working in the film industry, marked by collaboration, shared or changing roles.[http://www.publicartfund.org/pafweb/.../06/morris/morris-06.html "Public Art Fund"]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Morris's {{convert|19744|sqft|m2|adj=on}} painting installation in the entryway to the Lever House in Manhattan, commissioned by the Public Art Fund, was also titled "Robert Towne".{{cite web | url=https://observer.com/2006/09/wonderful-towne-lever-house-hosts-homage-to-screenwriter/ | title=Wonderful Towne! Lever House Hosts Homage to Screenwriter | first=Toni | last=Schlesinger | author-link=Toni Schlesinger | date=2006-09-18 | work=The New York Observer | access-date=2020-03-29 | archive-date=30 March 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330023343/https://observer.com/2006/09/wonderful-towne-lever-house-hosts-homage-to-screenwriter/ | url-status=live }}

=Return to television=

In the 2010s, Towne returned to television, working as a consulting producer on Mad Men and writing two episodes of Welcome to the Basement.{{Cite web|title=Robert Towne|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001801/|access-date=2021-08-28|website=IMDb|archive-date=3 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903122717/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001801/|url-status=live}}

In 2019, Towne began co-writing, with David Fincher, a Netflix prequel miniseries based on Chinatown character J. J. Gittes, with Fincher serving as showrunner.{{cite web|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title=Netflix Teams Robert Towne And David Fincher for 'Chinatown' Prequel Series Pilot Script|url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/chinatown-prequel-series-pilot-robert-towne-david-fincher-netflix-1202789041/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=November 19, 2019|access-date=June 16, 2021|archive-date=19 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119010306/https://deadline.com/2019/11/chinatown-prequel-series-pilot-robert-towne-david-fincher-netflix-1202789041/|url-status=live}} By June 2024, a week before his death, Towne confirmed that the script for each episode had been completed.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/features/chinatown-50th-anniversary-robert-towne-prequel-david-fincher-1236043979/|work=Variety|title=As 'Chinatown' Turns 50, Robert Towne Reflects on His Netflix Prequel Plans With David Fincher and Writing Jack Nicholson's Most Iconic Role|author=Murphy, J. Kim|date=June 22, 2024|access-date=June 24, 2024}}

Personal life

In 1968, Towne met actress Julie Payne; they were married from 1977 to 1982.{{Cite web|title=Julie Payne Obituary (2019) Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/julie-payne-obituary?pid=193183735|access-date=2021-08-28|website=Legacy.com|archive-date=28 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828192457/https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/julie-payne-obituary?pid=193183735|url-status=live}} According to Sam Wasson's The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood, Towne was addicted to cocaine during this period and was occasionally violent, which led to a bitter divorce and custody battle over their daughter Katharine (born 1978).

In 1984, Towne married Luisa Gaule. They had one daughter, Chiara.{{Cite web|title=Chiara Towne|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4481595/|access-date=2021-08-28|website=IMDb|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829003408/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4481595/|url-status=live}}

He was the former son-in-law of late actor John Payne and actress Anne Shirley. Through his daughter Katharine, he was former father-in-law of actor Charlie Hunnam.

Towne died at his home in Los Angeles on July 1, 2024, at the age of 89.{{Cite web|last=McLellan|first=Dennis|title=Robert Towne, Oscar-winning screenwriting icon behind 'Chinatown,' dies at 89|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-07-02/robert-towne-dead-chinatown-screenwriter|date=July 2, 2024|access-date=July 2, 2024|website=Los Angeles Times|archive-date=3 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703025948/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-07-02/robert-towne-dead-chinatown-screenwriter|url-status=live}}

Filmography

=Film=

Writer

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Notes
1960 \| Last Woman on Earth \|rowspan=2\|Roger Corman \|
1964 \| The Tomb of Ligeia \|
1968 \| Villa Rides \| Buzz Kulik \|
1973 \| The Last Detail \| Hal Ashby \|
rowspan=2\|1974 \| Chinatown \| Roman Polanski \|
The Yakuza \| Sydney Pollack \|
1975 \| Shampoo \| Hal Ashby \|
1982 \| Personal Best \| Himself \| Also credited as producer
1984 \| Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes \| Hugh Hudson \| Credited as P. H. Vazak
1988 \| Tequila Sunrise \| Himself \|
rowspan=2\|1990 \| The Two Jakes \| Jack Nicholson \|
Days of Thunder \| Tony Scott \|
1993 \| The Firm \| Sydney Pollack \|
1994 \| Love Affair \| Glenn Gordon Caron \|
1996 \| Mission: Impossible \| Brian De Palma \|
1998 \| Without Limits \| Himself \|
2000 \| Mission: Impossible 2 \| John Woo \|
2006 \| Ask the Dust \| Himself \|

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Notes

1960

| Last Woman on Earth

|rowspan=2|Roger Corman

1964

| The Tomb of Ligeia

1968

| Villa Rides

| Buzz Kulik

1973

| The Last Detail

| Hal Ashby

rowspan=2|1974

| Chinatown

| Roman Polanski

The Yakuza

| Sydney Pollack

1975

| Shampoo

| Hal Ashby

1982

| Personal Best

| Himself

| Also credited as producer

1984

| Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

| Hugh Hudson

| Credited as P. H. Vazak

1988

| Tequila Sunrise

| Himself

rowspan=2|1990

| The Two Jakes

| Jack Nicholson

Days of Thunder

| Tony Scott

1993

| The Firm

| Sydney Pollack

1994

| Love Affair

| Glenn Gordon Caron

1996

| Mission: Impossible

| Brian De Palma

1998

| Without Limits

| Himself

2000

| Mission: Impossible 2

| John Woo

2006

| Ask the Dust

| Himself

Uncredited writer

Drive, He Said (1971)
Cisco Pike (1972)
The New Centurions (1972)
The Godfather (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
The Missouri Breaks (1976)
Marathon Man (1976)
Orca (1977)
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Reds (1981) (Consultant){{cite book|last=Finstad|first=Suzanne|title=Warren Beatty: A Private Man|year=2006|publisher=Crown/Archetype|isbn=9780307345295|page=440|chapter=Act 4: The Pro}}{{cite book|last=Mitchell|first=Deborah C.|title=Diane Keaton: Artist and Icon|year=2001|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786410828|page=63|chapter=1978–1971 The Muse}}
Deal of the Century (1983)
Swing Shift (1984)
8 Million Ways to Die (1986)
Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
Frantic (1988)
Crimson Tide (1995)
Armageddon (1998){{cite magazine|last=Petrikin|first=Chris|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/armageddon-credits-set-1117471616/|title='Armageddon' credits set|magazine=Variety|date=June 8, 1998|access-date=August 10, 2024}}
Mission: Impossible III (2006){{cite web|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|url=https://collider.com/mission-impossible-3-production-history/|title=The Wild Development History of 'Mission: Impossible III'|website=Collider|date=November 4, 2023|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

Actor

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
1960 \| Last Woman on Earth \| Martin Joyce \|rowspan=2\|Credited as Edward Wain
1961 \| Creature from the Haunted Sea \| Sparks Moran/Agent XK150/Narrator
rowspan=2\|1971 \| The Zodiac Killer \| Man in Bar #3 \| Credited as Robert Tubin
Drive, He Said \| Richard \|
1975 \| Shampoo \| Party Guest \| Uncredited
1987 \| The Pick-up Artist \| Stan \|
2004 \| Suspect Zero \| Professor Dates \| Uncredited

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1960

| Last Woman on Earth

| Martin Joyce

|rowspan=2|Credited as Edward Wain

1961

| Creature from the Haunted Sea

| Sparks Moran/Agent XK150/Narrator

rowspan=2|1971

| The Zodiac Killer

| Man in Bar #3

| Credited as Robert Tubin

Drive, He Said

| Richard

1975

| Shampoo

| Party Guest

| Uncredited

1987

| The Pick-up Artist

| Stan

2004

| Suspect Zero

| Professor Dates

| Uncredited

Other roles

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role
1963 \| The Young Racers \| Assistant director
1967 \| Bonnie and Clyde \| Special writing consultant
1987 \| The Bedroom Window \| Executive producer

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

1963

| The Young Racers

| Assistant director

1967

| Bonnie and Clyde

| Special writing consultant

1987

| The Bedroom Window

| Executive producer

=Television=

Writer

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Episode(s)
rowspan=4\|1963 \|rowspan=4\|The Lloyd Bridges Show \| "My Daddy Can Lick Your Daddy"
"A Personal Matter"
"The Last Lion"
"The Epidemic"
rowspan=3\|1964 \| Breaking Point \| "So Many Pretty Girls, So Little Time"
The Outer Limits \| "The Chameleon"
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. \| "The Dove Affair"
rowspan=2\|2013-2017 \|rowspan=2\|Welcome to the Basement \| "Tough Guys Don't Dance"
"Shampoo"

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Episode(s)

rowspan=4|1963

|rowspan=4|The Lloyd Bridges Show

| "My Daddy Can Lick Your Daddy"

"A Personal Matter"

"The Last Lion"

"The Epidemic"

rowspan=3|1964

| Breaking Point

| "So Many Pretty Girls, So Little Time"

The Outer Limits

| "The Chameleon"

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

| "The Dove Affair"

rowspan=2|2013-2017

|rowspan=2|Welcome to the Basement

| "Tough Guys Don't Dance"

"Shampoo"

=Unmade projects=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Description ! Ref.
1962 \| I Flew a Spy Plane Over Russia \| Script for Roger Corman \| Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p201
1975 \| The Brotherhood of the Grape \| Script for Francis Ford Coppola, based upon the novel by John Fante \| {{cite news\|last=Kernan\|first=Michael\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/15/archives/briefs-on-the-arts-dance-at-hunter-resumes-friday-allmans-to-sue.html\|title=Briefs on the Arts\|newspaper=The New York Times\|date=September 15, 1975\|access-date=August 10, 2023\|archive-date=10 August 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810234210/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/15/archives/briefs-on-the-arts-dance-at-hunter-resumes-friday-allmans-to-sue.html\|url-status=live}}
1983 \| The Mermaid \| Script for Warren Beatty \| {{cite web\|url=https://scriptshadow.net/screenplay-review-the-mermaid/\|title=Screenplay Review – The Mermaid\|website=ScriptShadow\|date=February 20, 2013\|access-date=April 25, 2024\|archive-date=25 April 2024\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425201208/https://scriptshadow.net/screenplay-review-the-mermaid/\|url-status=live}}
1985 \| The Little Blue Whale \| Script for Don Bluth \| {{cite news\|last=Solomon\|first=Charles\|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-06-ca-6804-story.html\|title=COMMENTARY : ARE ANIMATED FILMS DRAWN INTO A CORNER?\|newspaper=Los Angeles Times\|date=January 6, 1985\|access-date=July 3, 2024\|archive-date=30 December 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230021334/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-06-ca-6804-story.html\|url-status=live}}
1990 \| Gittes vs. Gittes \| Unproduced sequel script to The Two Jakes \| {{cite news\|last=Horowitz\|first=Josh\|title=Jack Nicholson Talks! In Rare Interview, Actor Reveals Details of Never-Shot 'Chinatown' Sequel\|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1573487/jack-nicholson-talks-in-rare-interview-actor-reveals-details-of-never-shot-chinatown-sequel/\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529070256/http://www.mtv.com/news/1573487/jack-nicholson-talks-in-rare-interview-actor-reveals-details-of-never-shot-chinatown-sequel/\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=29 May 2014\|work=MTV News\|date=November 5, 2007\|access-date=August 10, 2023}}
rowspan=2\|1994 \| Beverly Hills Cop III \| Rejected script \| {{cite news\|last=Galbraith\|first=Jane\|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-06-ca-3083-story.html\|title=A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : THE SAGA OF 'COP III' : 'I'll Never Work With That &?! Again!' or, 'Did I Hear You Say $15 Million ?'\|newspaper=Los Angeles Times\|date=December 6, 1992\|access-date=December 29, 2023\|archive-date=29 December 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229183745/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-06-ca-3083-story.html\|url-status=live}}
The Night Manager \| Script for Sydney Pollack, based upon the novel by John le Carré \| {{cite news\|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/75708/top-team-plots-espionage-film\|title=Top team plots espionage film\|newspaper=South China Morning Post\|date=May 27, 1994\|access-date=28 November 2023\|archive-date=4 December 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204042512/https://www.scmp.com/article/75708/top-team-plots-espionage-film\|url-status=live}}
2002 \| Carter Beats the Devil \| Director/producer, based upon the novel by Glen David Gold \| {{cite magazine\|author1=Dunkley, Cathy\|author2=Bing, Jonathan\|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/par-cruise-wagner-set-to-beat-the-devil-1117860575/\|title=Par, Cruise/Wagner set to beat the 'Devil'\|magazine=Variety\|date=February 11, 2002\|access-date=March 22, 2025}}{{cite web\|url=http://corona.bc.ca/films/details/carterdevil.html\|title=Coming Attractions - Carter Beats the Devil\|publisher=IGN\|date=July 12, 2002\|access-date=April 13, 2025\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210132750/http://corona.bc.ca/films/details/carterdevil.html\|archive-date=February 10, 2003\|url-status=dead}}
2003 \| The 39 Steps remake \| Writer/director \| {{cite news\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/29/news1\|title=Hollywood embarks on 39 Steps programme\|work=The Guardian\|date=December 29, 2003\|access-date=August 10, 2023\|archive-date=3 July 2024\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703025206/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/29/news1\|url-status=live}}{{cite news\|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-03-et-quick3.1-story.html\|title=Towne to retrace Hitch's '39 Steps'\|work=Los Angeles Times\|date=January 3, 2004\|access-date=August 10, 2023\|archive-date=10 August 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230634/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-03-et-quick3.1-story.html\|url-status=live}}
2009 \| Fertig \| Script for David Fincher, based upon They Fought Alone by Maurice Buckmaster \| {{cite magazine\|last=Johnson\|first=Brian D.\|url=https://macleans.ca/uncategorized/robert-towne-looks-back-on-chinatown/\|title=Robert Towne looks back on 'Chinatown'\|magazine=Maclean's\|date=October 7, 2009\|access-date=July 11, 2024}}
rowspan=4\|2011 \| Pompeii TV miniseries \| Four-part series for Scott Free Productions, based on the book by Robert Harris \| {{cite web\|last=Roxborough\|first=Scott\|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-winner-robert-towne-write-174329/\|title=Oscar Winner Robert Towne to Write Script For 'Pompeii'\|work=The Hollywood Reporter\|date=April 4, 2011\|access-date=August 10, 2023\|archive-date=11 August 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811002907/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-winner-robert-towne-write-174329/\|url-status=live}}
Compadre TV pilot \| Teleplay for Scott Free Productions \|{{cite news\|last=Kit\|first=Borys\|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/chinatown-screenwriter-robert-towne-penning-243248/\|title='Chinatown' Screenwriter Robert Towne Penning 'Battle of Britain' for GK Films\|work=The Hollywood Reporter\|date=October 4, 2011\|access-date=August 10, 2023\|archive-date=11 August 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811003202/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/chinatown-screenwriter-robert-towne-penning-243248/amp/\|url-status=live}}
Next of Kin \| Script for David Fincher \| {{cite news\|last=Fleming\|first=Mike Jr.\|url=https://deadline.com/2011/10/gk-films-plans-wwii-battle-of-britain-179185/\|title=GK Films Plans WWII 'Battle Of Britain'\|work=Deadline Hollywood\|date=October 4, 2011\|access-date=August 10, 2023\|archive-date=11 August 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811002907/https://deadline.com/2011/10/gk-films-plans-wwii-battle-of-britain-179185/\|url-status=live}}
The Battle of Britain \| Script for Graham King \|
2018 \| Dancing Bear TV pilot \| Teleplay for Mel Gibson, based upon the novel by James Crumley \| {{cite web\|last=Fleming\|first=Mike Jr.\|url=https://deadline.com/2018/02/mel-gibson-robert-towne-mike-medavoy-dancing-bear-usa-network-universal-cable-productions-1202291567/\|title=Mel Gibson, Robert Towne, Mike Medavoy Team On 'Dancing Bear' For USA Network\|website=Deadline Hollywood\|date=February 20, 2018\|access-date=July 3, 2024\|archive-date=22 March 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322042215/https://deadline.com/2018/02/mel-gibson-robert-towne-mike-medavoy-dancing-bear-usa-network-universal-cable-productions-1202291567/\|url-status=live}}
2019 \| Untitled Chinatown prequel series \| Teleplay for David Fincher, to be produced at Netflix \|

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Description

! Ref.

1962

| I Flew a Spy Plane Over Russia

| Script for Roger Corman

| Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p201

1975

| The Brotherhood of the Grape

| Script for Francis Ford Coppola, based upon the novel by John Fante

| {{cite news|last=Kernan|first=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/15/archives/briefs-on-the-arts-dance-at-hunter-resumes-friday-allmans-to-sue.html|title=Briefs on the Arts|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 15, 1975|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810234210/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/15/archives/briefs-on-the-arts-dance-at-hunter-resumes-friday-allmans-to-sue.html|url-status=live}}

1983

| The Mermaid

| Script for Warren Beatty

| {{cite web|url=https://scriptshadow.net/screenplay-review-the-mermaid/|title=Screenplay Review – The Mermaid|website=ScriptShadow|date=February 20, 2013|access-date=April 25, 2024|archive-date=25 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425201208/https://scriptshadow.net/screenplay-review-the-mermaid/|url-status=live}}

1985

| The Little Blue Whale

| Script for Don Bluth

| {{cite news|last=Solomon|first=Charles|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-06-ca-6804-story.html|title=COMMENTARY : ARE ANIMATED FILMS DRAWN INTO A CORNER?|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 6, 1985|access-date=July 3, 2024|archive-date=30 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230021334/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-06-ca-6804-story.html|url-status=live}}

1990

| Gittes vs. Gittes

| Unproduced sequel script to The Two Jakes

| {{cite news|last=Horowitz|first=Josh|title=Jack Nicholson Talks! In Rare Interview, Actor Reveals Details of Never-Shot 'Chinatown' Sequel|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1573487/jack-nicholson-talks-in-rare-interview-actor-reveals-details-of-never-shot-chinatown-sequel/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529070256/http://www.mtv.com/news/1573487/jack-nicholson-talks-in-rare-interview-actor-reveals-details-of-never-shot-chinatown-sequel/|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 May 2014|work=MTV News|date=November 5, 2007|access-date=August 10, 2023}}

rowspan=2|1994

| Beverly Hills Cop III

| Rejected script

| {{cite news|last=Galbraith|first=Jane|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-06-ca-3083-story.html|title=A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : THE SAGA OF 'COP III' : 'I'll Never Work With That &?! Again!' or, 'Did I Hear You Say $15 Million ?'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 6, 1992|access-date=December 29, 2023|archive-date=29 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229183745/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-06-ca-3083-story.html|url-status=live}}

The Night Manager

| Script for Sydney Pollack, based upon the novel by John le Carré

| {{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/75708/top-team-plots-espionage-film|title=Top team plots espionage film|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=May 27, 1994|access-date=28 November 2023|archive-date=4 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204042512/https://www.scmp.com/article/75708/top-team-plots-espionage-film|url-status=live}}

2002

| Carter Beats the Devil

| Director/producer, based upon the novel by Glen David Gold

| {{cite magazine|author1=Dunkley, Cathy|author2=Bing, Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/par-cruise-wagner-set-to-beat-the-devil-1117860575/|title=Par, Cruise/Wagner set to beat the 'Devil'|magazine=Variety|date=February 11, 2002|access-date=March 22, 2025}}{{cite web|url=http://corona.bc.ca/films/details/carterdevil.html|title=Coming Attractions - Carter Beats the Devil|publisher=IGN|date=July 12, 2002|access-date=April 13, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210132750/http://corona.bc.ca/films/details/carterdevil.html|archive-date=February 10, 2003|url-status=dead}}

2003

| The 39 Steps remake

| Writer/director

| {{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/29/news1|title=Hollywood embarks on 39 Steps programme|work=The Guardian|date=December 29, 2003|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-date=3 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240703025206/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/29/news1|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-03-et-quick3.1-story.html|title=Towne to retrace Hitch's '39 Steps'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 3, 2004|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230634/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-03-et-quick3.1-story.html|url-status=live}}

2009

| Fertig

| Script for David Fincher, based upon They Fought Alone by Maurice Buckmaster

| {{cite magazine|last=Johnson|first=Brian D.|url=https://macleans.ca/uncategorized/robert-towne-looks-back-on-chinatown/|title=Robert Towne looks back on 'Chinatown'|magazine=Maclean's|date=October 7, 2009|access-date=July 11, 2024}}

rowspan=4|2011

| Pompeii TV miniseries

| Four-part series for Scott Free Productions, based on the book by Robert Harris

| {{cite web|last=Roxborough|first=Scott|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-winner-robert-towne-write-174329/|title=Oscar Winner Robert Towne to Write Script For 'Pompeii'|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 4, 2011|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811002907/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-winner-robert-towne-write-174329/|url-status=live}}

Compadre TV pilot

| Teleplay for Scott Free Productions

|{{cite news|last=Kit|first=Borys|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/chinatown-screenwriter-robert-towne-penning-243248/|title='Chinatown' Screenwriter Robert Towne Penning 'Battle of Britain' for GK Films|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 4, 2011|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811003202/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/chinatown-screenwriter-robert-towne-penning-243248/amp/|url-status=live}}

Next of Kin

| Script for David Fincher

| {{cite news|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|url=https://deadline.com/2011/10/gk-films-plans-wwii-battle-of-britain-179185/|title=GK Films Plans WWII 'Battle Of Britain'|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 4, 2011|access-date=August 10, 2023|archive-date=11 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811002907/https://deadline.com/2011/10/gk-films-plans-wwii-battle-of-britain-179185/|url-status=live}}

The Battle of Britain

| Script for Graham King

2018

| Dancing Bear TV pilot

| Teleplay for Mel Gibson, based upon the novel by James Crumley

| {{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|url=https://deadline.com/2018/02/mel-gibson-robert-towne-mike-medavoy-dancing-bear-usa-network-universal-cable-productions-1202291567/|title=Mel Gibson, Robert Towne, Mike Medavoy Team On 'Dancing Bear' For USA Network|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 20, 2018|access-date=July 3, 2024|archive-date=22 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322042215/https://deadline.com/2018/02/mel-gibson-robert-towne-mike-medavoy-dancing-bear-usa-network-universal-cable-productions-1202291567/|url-status=live}}

2019

| Untitled Chinatown prequel series

| Teleplay for David Fincher, to be produced at Netflix

Legacy and honors

Awards

Academy Award
1974: Nominated, Best Adapted Screenplay, The Last Detail
1975: Won, Best Original Screenplay, Chinatown
1976: Nominated, Best Original Screenplay, Shampoo
1985: Nominated, Best Adapted Screenplay, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan
BAFTA Award
1975: Won, Best Screenplay, The Last Detail and Chinatown
Golden Globe Award
1975: Won, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture, Chinatown
Edgar Award
1975: Won, Best Motion Picture, Chinatown (Author)
Writers Guild of America Award
1997: Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
Nantucket Film Festival
2015: Screenwriters Tribute Award

In the book Fifty Filmmakers, journalist Andrew J. Rausch argues: "There is a strong case to be made that Robert Towne is the most gifted scribe ever to write for film. There can be little doubt that he is one of the finest ever."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ac17BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA244|page=244|title=Fifty Filmmakers: Conversations with Directors from Roger Avary to Steven Zaillian|last=Rausch|first=Andrew J.|publisher=McFarland|date=2008|isbn=978-0786431496|access-date=8 October 2020|archive-date=23 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323040721/https://books.google.com/books?id=ac17BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA244|url-status=live}}

Citations

General and cited references

{{cite book|title=The Craft of the Screenwriter|url=https://archive.org/details/craftofscreenwri00joh_2tu|url-access=registration|first=John|last=Brady|year=1981}}