About

Known credits:
57
Birthday:
1934-11-23
Place of birth:
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
Website:
N/A

Robert Towne

Overview

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).

Known for

Acting
2019 What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael Actor Self 59
Average
2013 Salinger Actor Self - Screenwriter 59
Average
2008 You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story Actor Self 59
Average
2008 Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde' Actor Self 58
Average
2005 Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That Actor Self 59
Average
2004 Suspect Zero Actor Professor Dates (uncredited) 57
Average
2004 The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made Actor Agent XK150 (archive footage) 58
Average
2003 A Decade Under the Influence Actor Self 60
Fair
2001 Rescued from the Closet Actor Self N/A
N/A
2001 A Sad Flower in the Sand Actor Self N/A
N/A
1998 Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy Actor Self 59
Average
1997 Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature Actor Self - Screenwriter, 'Chinatown' N/A
N/A
1987 The Pick-up Artist Actor Stan 58
Average
1975 Shampoo Actor Party Guest (uncredited) 59
Average
1971 Drive, He Said Actor Richard 59
Average
1971 The Zodiac Killer Actor Man in Bar #3 58
Average
1961 Creature from the Haunted Sea Actor Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / Narrator 57
Average
1960 Last Woman on Earth Actor Martin Joyce 57
Average

Directing
2006 Ask the Dust Directing Director 57
Average
1998 Without Limits Directing Director 59
Average
1988 Tequila Sunrise Directing Director 59
Average
1982 Personal Best Directing Director 59
Average

Writing
2006 Ask the Dust Writing Screenplay 57
Average
2000 Mission: Impossible II Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1998 Without Limits Writing Writer 59
Average
1996 Mission: Impossible Writing Screenplay 69
Fair
1994 Love Affair Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1993 The Firm Writing Screenplay 65
Fair
1990 The Two Jakes Writing Characters 59
Average
1990 The Two Jakes Writing Writer 59
Average
1990 Days of Thunder Writing Story 62
Fair
1990 Days of Thunder Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1988 Tequila Sunrise Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1986 8 Million Ways to Die Writing Writer 58
Average
1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes Writing Writer 60
Fair
1982 Personal Best Writing Writer 59
Average
1975 Shampoo Writing Writer 59
Average
1974 The Yakuza Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1974 Chinatown Writing Screenplay 76
Good
1973 The Last Detail Writing Screenplay 63
Fair
1968 Villa Rides Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1964 The Tomb of Ligeia Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1960 Last Woman on Earth Writing Screenplay 57
Average
Battle of Britain Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A

Production
1987 The Bedroom Window Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1982 Personal Best Production Producer 59
Average

Crew
1988 Frantic Crew Additional Writing 64
Fair
1987 Tough Guys Don't Dance Crew Additional Writing 58
Average
1986 8 Million Ways to Die Crew Additional Writing 58
Average
1983 Deal of the Century Crew Additional Writing 57
Average
1978 Heaven Can Wait Crew Additional Writing 62
Fair
1974 The Parallax View Crew Additional Writing 62
Fair
1972 The New Centurions Crew Additional Writing 59
Average
1972 Cisco Pike Crew Additional Writing 58
Average
1971 McCabe & Mrs. Miller Crew Additional Writing 64
Fair
1971 Drive, He Said Crew Additional Writing 59
Average
1967 Bonnie and Clyde Crew Additional Writing 71
Good