The event that film fans have been waiting on for decades is finally here… a prequel to that most seminal of 1970s film, Chinatown. Critically acclaimed director David Fincher is set to cement his relationship with Netflix with a series that brings P.I. Jake Gittes back into our lives with a bang. Film fans worried about how a follow up could ever live up to the original needn’t panic- along with Fincher, the series will be helmed by original screenwriter and Hollywood’s top “script doctor”, Robert Towne. Towne’s influence in Hollywood over the past 5 decades can’t be overstated; In addition to Chinatown, his magical tough has bought life to the scripts of everything from Bonnie and Clyde and the Godfather to Mission: Impossible. Here, we take a look at 10 key facts about the acclaimed screenwriter’s life and career.
1. He was a classmate of Jack Nicholson
After graduating from Pomona College in Claremont, California, Towner began actively seeking work as a writer and actor. To further his aim, he enrolled in an acting class taught by blacklisted actor, Jeff Corey. The class turned out to be a melting pot of talent, with classmates including the likes of Jack Nicholson, Irvin Kershner, and Sally Kellerman. Nicholson and Towne struck up a close friendship during the time, and the two would later go onto work together on several projects, including Drive, He said (1971), Chinatown (1974), and The Two Jakes (1990).
2. He’s a multi-award winner
Towne has been the recipient of multiple awards over the course of his illustrious career. His roll of success began in 1974 when he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Last Detail. He’s since won 1 out of 3 further Academy Award nominations ( Best Original Screenplay for Chinatown), along with 2 BAFTAs for Best Screenplay (The Last Detail and Chinatown), a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture (Chinatown), an Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture (Chinatown), a Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, and most recently, a Screenwriters Tribute Award at the 2015 Nantucket Film Festival.
3. He’s been described as the most gifted screenwriter in history
It’s not just awards that Towne has been garlanded with. Thanks to the outstanding success of films such as Tequila- Sunrise (1988), Mission: impossible (1996), and Chinatown (1974), critics have fallen over themselves to heap praise at his feet. Journalist Andrew J. Rausch is one of many who’ve called out the screenwriter’s extraordinary talent for commendation, stating “There is a strong case to be made that Robert Towne is the most gifted scribe ever to write for film. There can be little doubt that he is one of the finest ever.”
4. He’s been the subject of a documentary
Towne’s extraordinary career has drawn the attention of numerous filmmakers over the years. In 2006, Sarah Morris gave us “Robert Towne’, a film that presented an intimate portrait of the screenwriter who Morris has described as an “elliptical figure whose career exemplifies a certain characteristic mode of working typified by collaboration, behind-the-scenes influence, and shared or changing roles”. Morris, who is as noted an artist as she is a filmmaker, also drew inspiration from Towne in the eponymous 9,744-square-foot painting installation commissioned by the Public Art Fund and displayed in the Lever House in Manhattan in 2008.
5. His dog was nominated for an Oscar
Over the past 50 years, Towne has been involved in some of the biggest films of the 21st century… although going by the film credits alone, you’d not be aware of it. Some of the most famous projects Towne has been involved with have gone uncredited, including Drive, He Said (1971), The Godfather (1972), Deal of the Century (1983), 8 Million Ways to Die (1986), Tough Guys Don’t Dance (1987) and Frantic (1988). In 1984, he grew so unsatisfied with Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, he replaced his name on the credits with that of his dog, P.H. Vazak. Vazak subsequently became the first dog to ever win an Oscar nomination for screenwriting.
6. He’s acted in two films
When Towne began his Hollywood career, he fostered the dual ambition of becoming both a writer and an actor. As it transpired, the former soon replaced the latter in his list of priorities. Even so, he still managed to rack up two acting credits before devoting himself fully to writing. The first came with the 1960 sci-fi extravaganza, Last Woman on Earth, in which he appeared as Edward Wain. His second (and as it turned out, final) foray into acting came with the horror-comedy film, Creature from the Haunted Sea, in 1961.
7. He wrote the part of Gittes especially for Nicolson
When Townes conceived the idea for arguably his most famous film, Chinatown, there was only ever one actor he had in mind to play Gittes: his close friend and former classmate, Jack Nicholson. “I wrote the part for him, in his voice, so to speak,” he explained during an interview with Alex Simon of the Hollywood Interview. “We’d been close friends for a long time. Jack was Gittes. I could not have written that character without knowing Jack. We had been roommates, and we’d studied acting with Jeff Corey for years, so he was, in a very real sense, a collaborator.”
8. He’s an avid traveler
During an interview with ScreenCraft, Towne revealed what he see’s as the main advantage of screenwriting: the travel. “I think that’s one of the main benefits of screenwriting, is being able to delve into worlds like a journalist and often to be able to travel to places,” he shared. “Writing screenplays has taken me all over the world. Screenwriting can take you around the world and then to worlds you would never ever be able to approach. I think to try to immerse yourself in those worlds is critical to the process.”
9. He’s known as one of Hollywood’s top “script doctors”
As well as being renowned for his original scripts, Towne has a reputation as Hollywood’s top “script doctor”. The reputation developed in the late 1960s, when Warren Beatty asked him to help out on the script of Bonnie and Clyde. The structural changes made by Towne helped turn the film into a classic and elevated his status in the film industry to an astronomical degree. Subsequent projects which have been “tweaked” by Towne’s skillful hand include The Godfather (1972), Villa Rides (1968), Cisco Pike (1972), and The New Centurions (1972).
10. He’s a multi-millionaire
As you’d expect of a man who’s been instrumental in some of Hollywood’s greatest ever productions, Towne isn’t short of a dollar or two. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the screenwriter is worth in the region of $40 million.David Fincher
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