Robert Towne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Towne
Towne in 2006
Born	Robert Bertram Schwartz (1934-11-23)November 23, 1934 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	July 1, 2024(2024-07-01) (aged 89) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Pomona College
Occupation	Screenwriter director producer actor
Years active	1960–2017
Spouse(s)	Julie Payne ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1982)​ Luisa Gaule ​ ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	2
Relatives	Jocelyn Towne (niece)

Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 – July 1, 2024) was an American writer and director for movies. He began his career writing films for director Roger Corman in the 1960s. Later, he became a key part of the "New Hollywood" movement, which brought fresh ideas to filmmaking.

Towne won an Academy Award for his original screenplay for Chinatown (1974). This movie, starring Jack Nicholson, is considered one of the best screenplays ever written. He also wrote its sequel, The Two Jakes (1990). He worked with director Hal Ashby on the films The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975). Robert Towne also collaborated with actor Tom Cruise on several movies, including Days of Thunder (1990), The Firm (1993), and the first two Mission: Impossible films (1996, 2000).

As a director, Towne made sports dramas like Personal Best (1982) and Without Limits (1998). He also directed the crime thriller Tequila Sunrise (1988) and the romantic drama Ask the Dust (2006).

Robert Towne's Early Life

Robert Towne was born Robert Bertram Schwartz in Los Angeles, California, on November 23, 1934. His parents were Helen and Lou Schwartz. His father owned a clothing store and developed properties. Robert grew up in San Pedro and Rolling Hills. He went to Chadwick School. His family was Jewish, with roots in Romania and Russia. He had a younger brother, Roger, who helped write the movie The Natural (1984).

He later graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California.

Starting a Career in Movies

Robert Towne first wanted to be both a writer and an actor. He took acting classes with Roger Corman, a famous director known for giving new talent a chance. In these classes, he met other future stars like Jack Nicholson.

Working with Roger Corman

Corman hired Towne to write the script for Last Woman on Earth (1960). Towne also acted in this film. The next year, he also appeared in Corman's Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961). Towne also wrote the screenplay for Corman's The Tomb of Ligeia (1965). He later said he worked very hard on this script.

Writing for Television

Towne also wrote for television shows. These included The Lloyd Bridges Show, Breaking Point, The Outer Limits, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..

Becoming a Script Doctor

Robert Towne became known as a "script doctor" in Hollywood. This means he was hired to fix or improve movie scripts that other writers had started.

Helping with Famous Films

Actor Warren Beatty was impressed by Towne's writing. He asked Towne to help with the script for Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Towne worked on the film during filming and after. Even though he was only credited as a "special consultant," his work helped make the movie a big success. This made him famous for his script-doctoring skills.

He also did uncredited work on other major films. He helped Francis Ford Coppola with parts of The Godfather (1972), especially a scene between Michael and Vito Corleone. Coppola even thanked Towne in his Academy Award speech. Towne also helped with The Parallax View (1974) for Warren Beatty.

Award-Winning Screenplays

Towne received great praise for three of his movie scripts in the 1970s: The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Shampoo (1975).

Chinatown Success

He was nominated for an Oscar for all three scripts. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Chinatown. He said the idea for Chinatown came from a book about Southern California and an article about Los Angeles.

It's been said that Towne secretly worked with his college friend, Edward Taylor, for over 40 years on his scripts.

Directing His Own Movies

Towne started directing his own films in the 1980s.

First Directing Efforts

His first movie as a director was Personal Best (1982). He also wrote the script for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). He wanted to direct Greystoke, but Personal Best didn't make much money. So, he had to sell the Greystoke script. He was unhappy with how Greystoke turned out. As a joke, he credited his dog, P. H. Vazak, with the script. This made Vazak the first dog ever nominated for an Oscar for screenwriting!

His second film as director was Tequila Sunrise (1988). He wrote this script years before. Towne described it as a movie about how friendships can be used and sometimes hurt.

The Two Jakes

Towne also wrote and directed The Two Jakes (1990), which was a sequel to Chinatown. He later said that making The Two Jakes was not a good experience for anyone involved. However, he remained friends with the stars, Jack Nicholson and Robert Evans.

Jack Nicholson once said that Towne had planned Chinatown as a series of three movies. However, Towne denied this rumor.

Working with Tom Cruise

Robert Towne became good friends with actor Tom Cruise.

He wrote the script for Days of Thunder (1990), which starred Cruise. He also helped write Cruise's film The Firm (1993). Cruise then brought him on to write Mission: Impossible (1996) and Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). Cruise also helped produce Towne's film Without Limits (1998), which Towne directed.

Later Career and Legacy

One project Towne wanted to make for a long time was Ask the Dust (2006). This romantic movie was set in Los Angeles in the 1930s and was based on a novel by John Fante. Towne found the book while researching for Chinatown. He loved the book and thought it was the "best book about Los Angeles ever written." He got the rights to make the movie. Tom Cruise was one of the producers. Ask the Dust received mixed reviews and didn't do well at the box office.

Towne often used "melodrama" in his films. He said it was a great way to entertain audiences and share ideas without being too obvious. He felt it was like dreams, where you explore the difference between how things seem and how they really are.

In 2006, artist Sarah Morris made a film about Robert Towne called Robert Towne. Morris saw him as a key figure in Hollywood who worked closely with others and often took on different roles.

Return to Television

In the 2010s, Towne worked on television again. He was a consulting producer for the show Mad Men and wrote two episodes of Welcome to the Basement.

Personal Life

Robert Towne was married twice. In 1977, he married actress Julie Payne. They divorced in 1982 and had a daughter named Katharine (born 1978). In 1984, he married Luisa Gaule. They had a daughter named Chiara.

He was the former son-in-law of actors John Payne and Anne Shirley. His daughter Katharine was once married to actor Charlie Hunnam. Robert Towne passed away on July 1, 2024, at his home in Los Angeles, at the age of 89.

Robert Towne's Filmography

Movies Robert Towne Wrote and Directed

• Personal Best (1982) – also a producer
• Tequila Sunrise (1988)
• Without Limits (1998)
• Ask the Dust (2006)

Movies and TV Shows Robert Towne Wrote

Movies Robert Towne Acted In

• Last Woman on Earth (1960) as Martin Joyce
• Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961) as Sparks Moran/Agent XK150/Narrator
• The Zodiac Killer (1971) as Man in Bar #3
• Drive, He Said (1971) as Richard
• Shampoo (1975) as Party Guest (uncredited)
• The Pick-up Artist (1987) as Stan
• Suspect Zero (2004) as Professor Dates (uncredited)

Awards and Honors

Robert Towne received many awards for his writing:

• Academy Award
  • 1974: Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, The Last Detail
  • 1975: Won Best Original Screenplay, Chinatown
  • 1976: Nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Shampoo
  • 1985: Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan
• BAFTA Award
  • 1975: Won Best Screenplay for The Last Detail and Chinatown
• Golden Globe Award
  • 1975: Won Best Screenplay - Motion Picture, Chinatown
• Edgar Award
  • 1975: Won Best Motion Picture, Chinatown
• Writers Guild of America Award
  • 1997: Received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
• Nantucket Film Festival
  • 2015: Received the Screenwriters Tribute Award

Many people believe Robert Towne was one of the most talented screenwriters in movie history.

See also

In Spanish: Robert Towne para niños