Robert Towne

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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Known for

HD

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

2019 ⭐ 6.7

HD

Salinger

2013 ⭐ 6.4

HD

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story

2008 ⭐ 8.5

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Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That

2005 ⭐ 7.0

Career timeline

2019

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

Self · 2019

⭐ 6.7

2013

Salinger

Self - Screenwriter · 2013

⭐ 6.4

2008

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story Notable

Self · 2008

⭐ 8.5

Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'

Self · 2008

⭐ 4.6

2005

Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That Notable

Self · 2005

⭐ 7.0

2004

Suspect Zero

Professor Dates (uncredited) · 2004

⭐ 5.6

2003

A Decade Under the Influence Notable

Self · 2003

⭐ 7.9

2001

Rescued from the Closet

Self · 2001

⭐ 6.5

A Sad Flower in the Sand

Self · 2001

1998

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

Self · 1998

⭐ 6.0

1997

Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature Notable

Self - Screenwriter, 'Chinatow · 1997

⭐ 10.0

1991

Halloween Monster Bash

Sparks Moran (archive footage) · 1991

1987

The Pick-up Artist

Stan · 1987

⭐ 5.7

1975

Shampoo

Party Guest (uncredited) · 1975

⭐ 6.0

1971

Drive, He Said

Richard · 1971

⭐ 5.7

The Zodiac Killer

Man in Bar #3 · 1971

⭐ 4.8

1961

Creature from the Haunted Sea

Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / N · 1961

⭐ 3.7

1960

Last Woman on Earth

Martin Joyce · 1960

⭐ 4.4

Frequently appears with

Sarah Jessica Parker

Pauline's Voice Over

Quentin Tarantino

Self

David O. Russell

Self

Alec Baldwin

Self

Francis Ford Coppola

Self

A. E. Hotchner

Self - Writer

Gore Vidal

Self - Writer

Tom Wolfe

Self - Writer

Full filmography

HD

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

2019 ⭐ 6.7

HD

Salinger

2013 ⭐ 6.4

HD

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story

2008 ⭐ 8.5

HD

Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'

2008 ⭐ 4.6

HD

Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That

2005 ⭐ 7.0

HD

Suspect Zero

2004 ⭐ 5.6

HD

A Decade Under the Influence

2003 ⭐ 7.9

HD

Rescued from the Closet

2001 ⭐ 6.5

HD

A Sad Flower in the Sand

2001

HD

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

1998 ⭐ 6.0

HD

Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature

1997 ⭐ 10.0

HD

Halloween Monster Bash

1991

HD

The Pick-up Artist

1987 ⭐ 5.7

HD

Shampoo

1975 ⭐ 6.0

HD

Drive, He Said

1971 ⭐ 5.7

HD

The Zodiac Killer

1971 ⭐ 4.8

HD

Creature from the Haunted Sea

1961 ⭐ 3.7

HD

Last Woman on Earth

1960 ⭐ 4.4

HD

Robert Towne