Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter renowned for his work on “Chinatown,” has passed away at the age of 89. Towne died on Monday at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist Carri McClure. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Towne’s career in Hollywood was marked by a level of prestige that few screenwriters achieve. Known for his high forehead and full beard, he won an Academy Award for “Chinatown” and received three other nominations for “The Last Detail,” “Shampoo,” and “Greystoke.” In 1997, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild of America.
Towne’s journey to success was not immediate. He spent years working on television shows like “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and “The Lloyd Bridges Show,” as well as on low-budget films for producer Roger Corman. His breakthrough came in a classic show business twist: through his psychiatrist, he met Warren Beatty, a fellow patient. Beatty, working on “Bonnie and Clyde,” brought Towne in for script revisions. Although his contributions to “Bonnie and Clyde” were uncredited, Towne soon became a sought-after ghostwriter, helping out on films like “The Godfather” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Towne’s name became widely recognized with the release of “The Last Detail” and “Shampoo,” but it was “Chinatown” that immortalized him. Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson as private detective J.J. “Jake” Gittes, “Chinatown” is set during the Great Depression and delves into a web of corruption and violence in Los Angeles. The film’s iconic line, “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown,” has become a staple in film history.
Towne’s script for “Chinatown” has been a model for film writing classes, though it also serves as a lesson in the collaborative nature of filmmaking. He worked closely with Polanski to revise and tighten the story, even arguing fiercely over the film’s despairing ending, which Polanski insisted on and Towne later agreed was the right choice.
The concept for “Chinatown” began with Towne, who turned down the chance to adapt “The Great Gatsby” to work on it. Inspired by Carey McWilliams’ book “Southern California: An Island on the Land,” Towne was fascinated by a chapter on water rights and decided to make a film about a crime that was “right out in front of everybody.”
The backstory of “Chinatown” has itself become a kind of detective story, explored in various books and memoirs. In “The Big Goodbye,” published in 2020, author Sam Wasson alleged that Towne was helped extensively by his former college roommate Edward Taylor, who did not ask for credit because their friendship mattered more.
Towne’s career faced challenges as the studios assumed more power after the mid-1970s. His efforts at directing, including “Personal Best” and “Tequila Sunrise,” had mixed results. “The Two Jakes,” the long-awaited sequel to “Chinatown,” was a commercial and critical disappointment when released in 1990, leading to a temporary estrangement between Towne and Nicholson.
Despite these setbacks, Towne continued to work on notable projects. He collaborated with Tom Cruise on “The Firm” and the first two “Mission: Impossible” movies. His most recent film was “Ask the Dust,” a Los Angeles story he wrote and directed in 2006.
Towne was born Robert Bertram Schwartz in Los Angeles and moved to San Pedro after his father’s dress shop closed during the Great Depression. His father changed the family name to Towne. Inspired by the proximity of the Warner Bros. Theater and the writings of critic James Agee, Towne always loved to write. He even worked on a tuna boat for a time, an experience he often spoke about.
“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,” Towne told the Writers Guild of America 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.'”
Towne was married twice, the second time to Luisa Gaule, and had two children. His brother, Roger Towne, also wrote screenplays, including “The Natural.”
Towne’s influence on Hollywood and screenwriting is undeniable. His ability to capture the essence of Los Angeles and its complexities has left a lasting impact on the film industry. As Lee Grant, an actress in “Shampoo,” wrote on X, “His life, like the characters he created, was incisive, iconoclastic, and entirely original. He gave all of us the gift of his words and his films. There isn’t another like him. There won’t be again.”
Source: Associated Press, Hollywood Reporter, The Big Goodbye by Sam Wasson
