Robert Towne

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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Known For

Suspect Zero Not in library

Suspect Zero

2004

Shampoo Not in library

Shampoo

1975

The Pick-up Artist Not in library

The Pick-up Artist

1987

Salinger Not in library

Salinger

2013

The Story of Film: An Odyssey Not in library

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

2011

Last Woman on Earth Not in library

Last Woman on Earth

1960

Creature from the Haunted Sea Not in library

Creature from the Haunted Sea

1961

A Decade Under the Influence Not in library

A Decade Under the Influence

2003

The Zodiac Killer Not in library

The Zodiac Killer

1971

Drive, He Said Not in library

Drive, He Said

1971

Acting

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 Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde' as Self
2008 You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story as Self
2005 Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That as Self
2004 Suspect Zero as Professor Dates (uncredited)
2003 A Decade Under the Influence as Self
2002 Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film as Self (uncredited)
2001 A Sad Flower in the Sand as Self
2001 Rescued from the Closet as Self
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
Robert Towne

Directing

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

Writing

2012 Welcome to the Basement Screenplay
2006 Ask the Dust Screenplay
2000 Mission: Impossible II Screenplay
1998 Without Limits Writer
1996 Mission: Impossible Screenplay In Library
1994 Love Affair Screenplay
1993 The Firm Screenplay
1990 Days of Thunder Screenplay
1990 The Two Jakes Writer
1990 The Two Jakes Characters
1990 Days of Thunder Story
1988 Tequila Sunrise Screenplay
1986 8 Million Ways to Die Writer
1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Screenplay
1982 Personal Best Writer
1975 Shampoo Writer
1974 The Yakuza Screenplay
1974 Chinatown Writer
1973 The Last Detail Screenplay
1972 The Godfather Story Editor
1968 Villa Rides Screenplay
1964 The Tomb of Ligeia Screenplay
1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Writer
1963 The Outer Limits Writer
1962 The Lloyd Bridges Show Writer
1960 Last Woman on Earth Screenplay
Battle of Britain Screenplay

Production

1987 The Bedroom Window Executive Producer
1982 Personal Best Producer

Crew

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