Robert Towne: The Man Who Brought Authenticity to Hollywood's Illusions
A great ending can be a writer's most challenging task. For Robert Towne, who passed away on Monday, it was a career-long pursuit. Towne, known for writing and reshaping some of the most influential films of the 1970s, faced this challenge head-on. His Oscar-winning script for "Chinatown" is famously known for its final line, "Forget it, Jake — it’s Chinatown," which was suggested by director Roman Polanski.
Towne's passing coincides poetically with the 50th anniversary of "Chinatown," a film that has recently enjoyed renewed appreciation. Towne was a gifted storyteller, as demonstrated in an in-depth interview with Variety last month, and his best work often went uncredited.
For those unfamiliar with Towne's transformative impact on 1970s American cinema, it's fair to say he brought a dose of reality to an industry built on fantasy. Though he later worked on the first two “Mission: Impossible” movies, his true calling was to make films that reflected the world he knew, populated by characters who swore ("The Last Detail"), stumbled ("Chinatown"), and seduced ("Shampoo") like real people.
In just over a year, Towne released three films that encapsulate his talent and offer a clear-eyed critique of American culture during a time of moral and political upheaval. In "The Last Detail," sailors curse as they challenge a system that values obedience above all else. "Chinatown" uses a 1930s setting to comment on contemporary institutional corruption, indicting the entire system rather than lone offenders or femmes fatales. The audience shares in the protagonist's shock as the full extent of the betrayal is revealed.
"Shampoo," which opened in the wake of Watergate, mixes a light-hearted sex farce with a timely political critique. Warren Beatty's character wins over all the women, but in the end, loses the one he truly loves to a Nixon-like politician.
Towne's prolific career is marred by stories of sprawling 250-page scripts, double the length of a typical screenplay. Despite this, he had a talent for improving others' work, as he did uncredited for both "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Godfather." His own scripts, though lengthy, were whittled down into rock-solid films, including those he directed, such as "Personal Best" and "Without Limits."
Towne repeatedly collaborated with Hollywood giants like Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, and Tom Cruise. He recognized each actor's strengths, crafting roles that played to their talents. With Nicholson, Towne tapped into a capacity for portraying indignant characters, even writing the "Chinatown" sequel, "The Two Jakes," for Nicholson to direct. Beatty, self-conscious about his looks, relied on Towne to ground his characters in films like "Heaven Can Wait" and "Reds." Cruise trusted Towne to shape films to his driven screen persona, with Towne's influence evident in "The Firm" and the first two “Mission: Impossible” movies.
Towne also pursued passion projects like "Greystoke," an unconventional Tarzan story told largely without dialogue. When forced to direct “Personal Best” to prove his capability, the experience was so challenging that he had to surrender "Greystoke" to Warner Bros., ultimately removing his name from the project and replacing it with his dog's.
Though Towne's name is absent from many of the films he influenced, his impact on Hollywood is undeniable. Towne's desire for nuanced, multi-dimensional characters and richly textured worlds elevated the standard for screenwriting, earning him admiration from peers like Francis Ford Coppola. His legacy lives on in the countless films shaped by his vision and dedication to authenticity in storytelling.