"Mission: Impossible" star Oscar-winning screenwriter Robert Towne has died
He wrote the screenplays for Hollywood films such as "Chinatown", "Tequila Sunrise" and "Mission: Impossible" - now Oscar-winner Robert Towne has died at the age of 89.
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- Oscar-winner and screenwriter Robert Towne, known for works such as "Chinatown", "Tequila Sunrise" and "Mission: Impossible", has died at the age of 89.
- His most famous work, the screenplay for "Chinatown", won the Oscar for original screenplay and is considered a classic of the crime film.
- Towne worked several times with stars such as Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty and also worked as a director, including on "Tequila Sunrise" and "Ask the Dust".
Oscar-winner Robert Towne, one of Hollywood's most sought-after screenwriters, has died. The native Californian, who provided the inspiration for films such as "Chinatown", "Tequila Sunrise" and "Mission: Impossible", died "peacefully" on Monday in the presence of his family, according to his spokeswoman Carri McClure. He was 89 years old.
His most famous work is considered to be the screenplay for the crime film "Chinatown" (1974) about power, corruption and affairs in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Roman Polanski directed the film, which starred Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. The film received eleven Oscar nominations, but Towne was the only one of the nominees to win the trophy for original screenplay.
Collaboration with stars such as Nicholson and Pfeiffer
Towne wrote several screenplays for films with Tom Cruise, including "Days of Thunder", "The Firm" and "Mission: Impossible". He also worked with Warren Beatty ("Shampoo", "Heaven Will Wait") and Jack Nicholson on several occasions. Towne was also hired to put the finishing touches to screenplays, for example in the production of classics such as "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Godfather".
The author also stepped behind the camera as a director. He shot the action film "Tequila Sunrise" (1988) with Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. In 2006, he brought stars such as Salma Hayek, Colin Farrell and Donald Sutherland in front of the camera for the immigrant drama "Ask the Dust".
Oscar nomination under a pseudonym
In addition to his Oscar triumph with "Chinatown", Towne had three further Oscar chances with the screenplays for "The Last Commando", "Shampoo" and "Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes". Towne had written the script for the Tarzan comedy for several years, but then fell out with the producers. He withdrew his author's name and instead used the name of his dog - "P.H. Vazak" - in the film's credits. Towne was in the Oscar race under this pseudonym in 1985. In the end, the prize went to the screenplay for "Amadeus".
