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Robert Towne, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Of Chinatown, Passes Away At 89: A Look At His Life And Legacy
Robert Towne, known for classics like Chinatown and The Last Detail, leaves behind a legacy of storytelling that deeply influenced and will keep influencing American cinema.
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter known for his contributions to the films Chinatown, The Last Detail, Shampoo, and more, has passed away at 89. Towne “passed away peacefully at home” on Monday, July 1, per an obituary shared by a representative for the celebrated filmmaker.
A cause of death was not provided. Details on a memorial service for Towne will be announced at a later date, the obituary stated.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Robert Towne is no more
Towne, born Robert Bertram Schwartz, made his film debut as a screenwriter with the 1960 horror story Last Woman on Earth. He also starred in the film alongside Betsy Jones-Moreland and Antony Carbone.
He went on to write for several acclaimed TV productions and films, including The Lloyd Bridges Show, Breaking Point, Drive He Said, Bonnie and Clyde, and more, before finding his cinematic breakthrough with the 1973 film The Last Detail.
The Hal Ashby-directed dramedy, which Towne co-penned with Vision Quest writer Darryl Poniscan, about two navy men escorting a young criminal to prison, earned a trio of Academy Award nods, including a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for Towne. Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, and Otis Young starred in the film.
The late writer also found success with the 1974 film Chinatown, a mystery thriller directed by Roman Polanski and starring Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. The film won Towne an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay the following year.
Throughout his career, Towne wrote for films like Personal Best, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Mission: Impossible, and more, which have etched themselves as forever iconic movies in the cinema space.
Towne’s credits as a producer include Personal Best, The Bedroom Window, and 14 episodes of the AMC drama Mad Men, per his IMDb page.
Robert Towne — Early Life
Towne, as mentioned earlier, was born Robert Bertram Schwartz. A Los Angeles native, he moved to San Pedro after his father's business, a dress shop, closed down during the Great Depression period. His father was the one to change the family name to Towne.
Towne always loved to write and was inspired by movies. At one point in his life, he worked on a tuna boat and often spoke about how this experience impacted his existence, drawing a parallel between writing and fishing. “I've identified fishing with writing in my mind to the extent that each script is like a trip that you're taking—and you are fishing,” he told the WGA in 2013.
“Sometimes they both involve an act of faith... Sometimes it's sheer faith alone that sustains you because you think: ‘God damn it, nothing — not a bite today. Nothing is happening,'" he elaborated. In 1997, Towne received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers Guild of America.
Towne’s wife, Luisa Towne, and his daughters, Chiara and Katharine, survive him.
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