Robert Towne - The Oscar winner and director is dead
Mourning Robert Towne (1934-2024): The American screenwriter, actor, and director, who won an Oscar for "Chinatown" in 1974, passed away on July 1, 2024, in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. His press representative confirmed this to "Daily Mail" on Tuesday. He was 89 years old. No details about the cause of death are known.
Born on November 23, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, to a clothing store owner and a real estate entrepreneur, Towne grew up in the neighborhoods of San Pedro and Rolling Hills. His younger brother Roger Towne (84) is also active in the film industry.
Famous Classmates
Robert Towne's career as a screenwriter began through an acting course with the recently deceased director Roger Corman (1926-2024). Jack Nicholson (87), Irvin Kershner (1923-2010), and Sally Kellerman (1937-2022) were among his classmates at the time.
In Roger Corman's film "Creature from the Haunted Sea," Towne played a leading role in 1961. Afterward, he began contributing to shows like "The Lloyd Bridges Show," "Breaking Point," and "The Outer Limits." For the film "The Tomb of Ligeia," which Corman directed in 1965, Towne wrote the screenplay.
From "Chinatown" to "Mission: Impossible"
Just two years later, Robert Towne also contributed to the script for the gangster film "Bonnie and Clyde." In 1974, the Oscar-winning crime film "Chinatown," in which his former classmate Jack Nicholson starred, was released.
Additional major films on Towne's screenwriting résumé include "Shampoo" (1975), the sequel to the film "The Two Jakes" (1990), and "Mission: Impossible" (1996) and "Mission: Impossible II" (2000). In 1972, Towne completed the already started script for "The Godfather." His last work was the drama "Ask the Dust" from 2006, starring Salma Hayek (57) and Colin Farrell (48).
- Robert Towne's Oscar-winning performance in filmmaking was for the screenplay of 'Chinatown', which was released in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, in 1974.
- The Daily Mail reported on the passing of Robert Towne, who shares a Sad demise with his former classmate Roger Corman, both known for their significant contributions to the film industry in California.
- In a heartfelt tribute, Jack Nicholson, Towne's former classmate and co-star in 'Chinatown', expressed his mourning for the talented screenwriter, acknowledging their shared roots in Los Angeles.
- According to reliable sources, the cause of Robert Towne's death remains undisclosed, as his family and loved ones continue to privately grieve his passing in Los Angeles.
- Despite the unfortunate news, the legacy of Robert Towne as an influential screenwriter in Hollywood, especially with acclaimed films like 'Chinatown' and 'Mission: Impossible', will forever live on in the annals of cinematic history.
