Directed credits
3
Emerging
Beginning to build directing work.
Director
Robert Towne
Writing
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
1.9
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 3Directed series: 0All crew credits: 34
TMDB ID: 11057
IMDb ID: nm0001801
Known for: Writing
Born: November 23, 1934
Died: July 1, 2024
Age: 89
Place of birth: San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1960 - 2019
Years active: 60
Average TMDB rating: 6.22
Wikidata: Q721922
Also known as
P. H. Vasak • Роберт Таун
Frequent jobs
Director (3)Screenplay (13)Additional Writing (11)Writer (6)Executive Producer (1)
Biography
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). Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Towne, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Photos
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by Robert Towne.
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with Robert Towne.
7.9
Chinatown
Writer
1974 Movie
7.5
Bonnie and Clyde
Additional Writing
1967 Movie
7.2
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Additional Writing
1971 Movie
7.1
The Yakuza
Screenplay
1974 Movie
7.0
Mission: Impossible
Screenplay
1996 Movie
7.0
The Last Detail
Screenplay
1973 Movie
6.8
The Parallax View
Additional Writing
1974 Movie
6.7
The Firm
Screenplay
1993 Movie
6.7
Frantic
Additional Writing
1988 Movie
6.6
Heaven Can Wait
Additional Writing
1978 Movie
6.4
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Screenplay
1984 Movie
6.3
Days of Thunder
Screenplay
1990 Movie
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with Robert Towne.
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with Robert Towne.
7.0
Mission: Impossible
Screenplay
1996 Movie
6.1
Mission: Impossible II
Screenplay
2000 Movie
7.9
Chinatown
Writer
1974 Movie
6.7
The Firm
Screenplay
1993 Movie
6.3
Days of Thunder
Screenplay
1990 Movie
7.5
Bonnie and Clyde
Additional Writing
1967 Movie
6.0
Shampoo
Writer
1975 Movie
6.8
The Parallax View
Additional Writing
1974 Movie
6.7
Frantic
Additional Writing
1988 Movie
5.8
Personal Best
Director
1982 Movie
6.3
Salinger
as Self - Screenwriter
2013 Movie
5.4
Love Affair
Screenplay
1994 Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with Robert Towne.
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for Robert Towne.
5.4
Ask the Dust
Screenplay
2006 Movie
6.1
Mission: Impossible II
Screenplay
2000 Movie
7.0
Mission: Impossible
Screenplay
1996 Movie
5.4
Love Affair
Screenplay
1994 Movie
6.7
The Firm
Screenplay
1993 Movie
6.0
The Two Jakes
Writer
1990 Movie
6.3
Days of Thunder
Screenplay
1990 Movie
6.7
Frantic
Additional Writing
1988 Movie
4.6
Tough Guys Don't Dance
Additional Writing
1987 Movie
6.3
The Bedroom Window
Executive Producer
1987 Movie
5.4
8 Million Ways to Die
Additional Writing
1986 Movie
6.4
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Screenplay
1984 Movie
4.6
Deal of the Century
Additional Writing
1983 Movie
6.6
Heaven Can Wait
Additional Writing
1978 Movie
6.0
Shampoo
Writer
1975 Movie
7.1
The Yakuza
Screenplay
1974 Movie
Series
Other Crew Work in Series
Additional series credits for Robert Towne.
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for Robert Towne.
6.7
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael
as Self
2019 Movie
6.3
Salinger
as Self - Screenwriter
2013 Movie
8.5
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
as Self
2008 Movie
4.6
Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'
as Self
2008 Movie
6.7
Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That
as Self
2005 Movie
5.5
Suspect Zero
as Professor Dates (uncredited)
2004 Movie
7.9
A Decade Under the Influence
as Self
2003 Movie
6.0
Rescued from the Closet
as Self
2001 Movie
A Sad Flower in the Sand
as Self
2001 Movie
6.0
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy
as Self
1998 Movie
Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature
as Self - Screenwriter, 'Chinatown'
1997 Movie
5.6
The Pick-up Artist
as Stan
1987 Movie
Series
Acting Appearances in Series
Series cast credits for Robert Towne.