Robert Towne

Personal Info

Known ForWriting

Born1934-11-23

BirthplaceSan Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Robert Towne

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).

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Notable Works

Prominent titles featuring Robert Towne

The Godfather

8.7

1972

Mission: Impossible

7.0

Mission: Impossible

1996

Mission: Impossible II

6.1

Mission: Impossible II

2000

Chinatown

7.9

1974

The Firm

6.7

1993

Bonnie and Clyde

7.5

Bonnie and Clyde

1967

Days of Thunder

6.4

Days of Thunder

1990

Frantic

6.7

1988

Filmography

Acting (21)

2019

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kaelas Self

6.7

2013

Salingeras Self - Screenwriter

6.4

2010

Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossibleas Self

2008

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Storyas Self

8.5

2008

Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'as Self

4.6

2007

Making of Chinatown

2005

Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do Thatas Self

7.0

2004

Suspect Zeroas Professor Dates (uncredited)

5.6

2003

A Decade Under the Influenceas Self

7.9

2002

Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Filmas Self (uncredited)

8.0

2001

Rescued from the Closetas Self

6.5

2001

A Sad Flower in the Sandas Self

1998

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedyas Self

6.0

1991

Halloween Monster Bashas Sparks Moran (archive footage)

1987

The Pick-up Artistas Stan

5.7

1975

Shampooas Party Guest (uncredited)

6.0

1971

Drive, He Saidas Richard

5.6

1971

The Zodiac Killeras Man in Bar #3

4.8

1961

Creature from the Haunted Seaas Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / Narrator

3.6

1960

Last Woman on Earthas Martin Joyce

4.5

—

Production & Directing (42)

2028

Days of Thunder 2Characters

2006

Ask the DustScreenplay

5.5

2006

Ask the DustDirector

5.5

2000

Mission: Impossible IIScreenplay

6.1

1998

Without LimitsDirector

6.7

1998

Without LimitsWriter

6.7

1996

Mission: ImpossibleScreenplay

7.0

1994

Love AffairScreenplay

5.5

1993

The FirmScreenplay

6.7

1990

The Two JakesWriter

6.0

1990

The Two JakesCharacters

6.0

1990

Days of ThunderScreenplay

6.4

1990

Days of ThunderStory

6.4

1989

Little Nemo: Adventures in SlumberlandStory Consultant

6.9

1988

Tequila SunriseDirector

6.1

1988

Tequila SunriseScreenplay

6.1

1988

FranticAdditional Writing

6.7

1987

Tough Guys Don't DanceAdditional Writing

4.7

1987

The Bedroom WindowExecutive Producer

6.3

1986

8 Million Ways to DieAdditional Writing

5.5

1986

8 Million Ways to DieWriter

5.5

1984

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the ApesScreenplay

6.4

1983

Deal of the CenturyAdditional Writing

4.7

1982

Personal BestDirector

5.9

1982

Personal BestProducer

5.9

1982

Personal BestWriter

5.9

1978

Heaven Can WaitAdditional Writing

6.7

1975

6.0

1974

The YakuzaScreenplay

7.1

1974

ChinatownWriter

7.9

1974

The Parallax ViewAdditional Writing

6.8

1973

The Last DetailScreenplay

7.0

1972

The New CenturionsAdditional Writing

6.6

1972

The GodfatherStory Editor

8.7

1972

Cisco PikeAdditional Writing

5.6

1971

McCabe & Mrs. MillerAdditional Writing

7.1

1971

Drive, He SaidAdditional Writing

5.6

1968

Villa RidesScreenplay

6.2

1967

Bonnie and ClydeAdditional Writing

7.5

1964

The Tomb of LigeiaScreenplay

6.4

1960

Last Woman on EarthScreenplay

4.5

—

Battle of BritainScreenplay