Acclaimed screenwriter Robert Towne, known for his work on films like “Shampoo,” “The Last Detail,” and “Chinatown,” has passed away at the age of 89.
Towne’s writing on “Chinatown” is considered a prime example of the art form and played a significant role in defining the captivating yet world-weary essence of Los Angeles, his hometown.
Towne died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on Monday, surrounded by his family, as reported by CBS News. His publicist, Carri McClure, did not provide a cause of death.
Towne had high status in the movie industry for a while, similar to the actors and directors he worked with, despite the industry’s reputation for belittling writers.
He co-wrote some of the most famous films of a time when artists had a lot of control over their work. He became friends with two of the biggest stars of the 1960s and ’70s, Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson.
Towne, a rare “auteur” among screenwriters, brought a highly personal and influential vision of Los Angeles to the screen.
“It’s a city that seems unreal,” Towne told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. “It’s the most western city in America. It’s a place of last hope. In short, it’s where people go to fulfil their dreams, only to be let down forever.”
Known for his distinctive appearance with a high forehead and full beard, Towne received an Academy Award for “Chinatown” and was also nominated for “The Last Detail,” “Shampoo,” and “Greystoke.”
In 1997, the Writers Guild of America gave him a lifetime achievement award. “His life, like the characters he created, was incisive, iconoclastic and entirely (original),” said “Shampoo” actor Lee Grant on X.
Towne was born in Los Angeles as Robert Bertram Schwartz. After his father’s dress shop closed down due to the Great Depression, the family moved to San Pedro, where his father changed their last name to Towne.
Towne found success after working for a long time in television, including “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” and “The Lloyd Bridges Show,” and in low-budget movies for “B” producer Roger Corman.
In a classic show business story, he got his big break partly thanks to his therapist. He met Beatty, another patient, through the therapist.
During the production of “Bonnie and Clyde,” Beatty enlisted Towne to revise the script by Robert Benton and David Newman. Towne was also present on set during filming in Texas.
Towne didn’t receive credit for his contributions to “Bonnie and Clyde,” a well-known crime film released in 1967. For years, he was known for his work as a ghostwriter.
He worked on films like “The Godfather,” “The Parallax View,” and “Heaven Can Wait.” He described himself as a “relief pitcher,” someone who could come in for an inning but not pitch the entire game.
Towne was named in the credits for Nicholson’s movie “The Last Detail” and Beatty’s “Shampoo”. He was also recognized for his work on the 1974 thriller “Chinatown”, set during the Great Depression.
“Chinatown” was directed by Roman Polanski and starred Jack Nicholson as J.J. “Jake” Gittes, a private detective hired to track the movements of Evelyn Mulwray’s husband (Faye Dunaway).
The husband works as the principal engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Gittes finds himself in a tangled web of corruption and violence, led by Evelyn’s ruthless father, Noah Cross (John Huston).
Towne was inspired by Raymond Chandler’s fiction when creating a classic Los Angeles film noir atmosphere for the movie. However, he expanded the scope by portraying Gittes’ complex journey across a more expansive and sinister representation of Southern California.
The accumulation of clues leads to a timeless detective tale, culminating in tragedy. One of the most repeated lines in movie history encapsulates this grim fatalism. In a devastating moment, Gittes receives these words from his partner Lawrence Walsh (Joe Mantell): “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.”
“The back story of “Chinatown” has become a detective story. This has been explored in producer Robert Evans’ memoir, “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” in Peter Biskind’s “East Riders, Raging Bulls,” a history of 1960s-1970s Hollywood, and in Sam Wasson’s “The Big Goodbye,” which is entirely dedicated to “Chinatown.”
In his book “The Big Goodbye,” published in 2020, Wasson claimed that Towne received extensive help from a ghostwriter, who happened to be his former college roommate, Edward Taylor.
In “The Big Goodbye,” Taylor chose not to be interviewed. Taylor did not request credit for the film because his “friendship with Robert” was more important to him.
The power dynamics in the film industry shifted in the mid-1970s, and Towne’s influence decreased. His attempts at directing, such as “Personal Best” and “Tequila Sunrise,” had varying degrees of success.
“The Two Jakes,” the sequel to “Chinatown,” was not successful when it came out in 1990. This caused some issues between Towne and Nicholson.
At the same time, he agreed to work on a movie that was very different from the more artistic films of the ’70s. It was called “Days of Thunder,” produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. The movie starred Tom Cruise as a race car driver and Robert Duvall as his crew chief.
The 1990 movie went over budget and mainly received negative reviews. However, it has a strong following among racing fans and has been praised by Quentin Tarantino.
Towne’s script made famous a line used by Duvall after Cruise complains that another car had hit him: “He didn’t slam into you, he didn’t bump you, he didn’t nudge you. He rubbed you.
“And rubbin,′ son, is racin.'”
Towne also collaborated with Cruise on “The Firm” and the first two “Mission: Impossible” movies. His latest film, “Ask the Dust,” tells a story set in Los Angeles, written and directed by Towne. The film was released in 2006.
Towne got married twice. His second wife was Luisa Gaule, and they had two children. His brother, Roger Towne, also wrote screenplays and is known for his work on “The Natural.”
