American screenwriter Robert Towne has died. The Oscar-winning writer for the screenplay for “Chinatown” directed by Roman Polanski, co-author of such hits as “The Firm” and “Mission Impossible”, died on Monday in Los Angeles. He was 89.
The filmmaker's death was announced on Wednesday by his agent Carri McClure. She did not provide a cause of death, but it is known that Robert Towne passed away at his home, surrounded by loved ones.
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Robert Towne is dead
Robert Towne, or rather Robert Bertram Schwartz, was born on November 23, 1934 in Los Angeles. Initially, he tried his hand at acting. His breakthrough came with his friendship with Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson. With the former, he created the script for “Bonnie and Clyde,” in which Beatty starred with Faye Dunaway. The latter starred in “Chinatown,” for which Towne won an Oscar. The film directed by Roman Polanski, as agencies emphasize, is still the subject of lectures in film schools.
Towne was nominated for an Oscar twice more, for “The Last Assignment,” also with Jack Nicholson, and “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.” He was a consultant on “The Godfather,” and when receiving the award for that film's screenplay, Francis Ford Coppola thanked him for his help. Then, with “The Fast and the Furious,” Towne began working with Tom Cruise, which he continued on “The Firm” and the first two parts of “Mission Impossible.” In the early 21st century, he was a consultant and one of the producers of the series “Mad Men.”
Main image source: Danny Moloshok / Reuters / Forum