Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Robert Towne Dies at 89 in Los Angeles

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Robert Towne, the acclaimed American screenwriter who won an Oscar, died at 89 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

An Overview of the News

• Towne was born on November 23, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Career Beginnings:

• Started as a screenplay writer for television series:

  • "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1962)

  • "The Outer Limits" (1995)

  • "The Man from U.N.C.L.E" (2015)

• Wrote the screenplay for "Last Woman on Earth" (1960), produced by Roger Corman

Notable Works:

• Wrote and directed:

  • "Personal Best" (1982)

  • "Tequila Sunrise" (1988)

  • "Without Limits" (1998)

  • "Ask the Dust" (2006)

• Screenwriter for:

  • "Days of Thunder" (1990)

  • "The Firm" (1993)

  • "Mission: Impossible" (1996)

  • "Mission: Impossible 2" (2000)

Awards & Honors:

• 1975: Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Writing and Original Screenplay for "Chinatown" (1974)

• Also won for "Chinatown":

  • British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for Best Screenplay

  • Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture

  • Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay Motion Picture

• 1975: National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) award for best screenplay for "Shampoo"

• 1997: Lifetime Achievement award by the Writers Guild of America

• 2002: Hollywood Film Award for Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting