Robert Towne, Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Chinatown,” dies at age 89

CNN
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Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of numerous acclaimed films, including the classic 1974 noir thriller “Chinatown” starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, has died. He was 89 years old.

The news was confirmed by Townes’ spokeswoman Carri McClure, who said he died Monday “peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family.” No cause of death was given.

Towne won the Oscar for best original screenplay for “Chinatown,” which celebrated its 50th anniversary last month.

Towne had a hugely productive period in the 1970s, writing films such as Shampoo, starring Warren Beatty, and The Last Command, also starring Nicholson. He was also known as an accomplished screenwriter and ghostwriter, and wrote scenes for a number of uncredited films, including The Godfather.

Towne also co-wrote The Firm, starring Tom Cruise, and worked with the actor on the first two Mission: Impossible films. Always in demand, Towne wrote the Chinatown sequel The Two Jakes, directed by Nicholson, and served as a consulting producer on the Emmy-winning series Mad Men. He also directed four films, including Tequila Sunrise (1988), starring Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer and Mel Gibson. Towne also wrote the screenplay for that film.

He received a total of four Oscar nominations for his screenplay, including three in a row for The Last Command, Chinatown and Shampoo. His last nomination came in 1984 for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, although Towne disliked the film so much that he had his name removed and was instead credited as PH Vazak, the name of his dog.

Los Angeles-born Towne said in an interview with Variety earlier this year to mark the 50th anniversary of “Chinatown” that as a screenwriter, he preferred to write for a specific star rather than work on a script without knowing who would play the lead roles.

“Having a real person to write for just makes my job easier and more enjoyable,” he said.

Towne, a lifelong screenwriter and celebrated as a master of his craft, also told Variety last month about the changing trends and preferences of Hollywood and television audiences: “Storytelling doesn’t stop just because a culture uses different mechanisms. Audiences still want to believe. They’re just more sophisticated, they’ve become accustomed to the medium of film, so they’re not so easily seduced.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Brian Lowry contributed to this report.