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  • ‘Chinatown’ Screenwriter Robert Towne Dies Aged 89

    Jack Nicholson in 'Chinatown'.
    Jack Nicholson in ‘Chinatown’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Writer and director Robert Towne died Monday at the age of 89.
    • He was most famous for writing ‘Chinatown’ and two of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies.
    • Towne also went uncredited for work on many other projects.

    Robert Towne, the scriptwriter for one of the most famous crime thrillers in history, ‘Chinatown’, died on Monday at his home aged 89.

    In addition to his many notable credits, he also helped with a variety of other movies and TV series without receiving any mention.

    Here’s what he told Creative Screenwriting about his career:

    “The only benefit your experience gives you is, when you’re stuck on the story point: ‘Well, hell, I got through it before, I guess I’ll get through it again.’ It’s that dumb faith in the fact of your own history. ‘I must be able to do this. I did it before’ But it’s just as hard every time.”

    Related Article: Donald Sutherland, Star of ‘M*A*S*H’, ‘Klute’ and More Dies at 88

    Robert Towne: early Life and Career

    Julie Christie and Warren Beatty in 'Shampoo'. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
    (L to R) Julie Christie and Warren Beatty in ‘Shampoo’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

    Born Robert Bertram Schwartz in 1934, Towne grew up in the Los Angeles port town of San Pedro. His blue-collar upbringing would later infuse his work with a gritty realism.

    Yet despite his renown as a writer, Towne’s initial foray into Hollywood wasn’t behind the scenes, but in front of the camera. He landed roles in Roger Corman’s early films such as ‘The Last Woman on Earth’ (though even there, he also wrote the screenplay, showcasing his dual talents.)

    He also wrote on shows such as ‘The Outer Limits’, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘The Lloyd Bridges Show’.

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    It was his association with Corman, however, that truly launched Towne’s writing career. Corman, known for nurturing young talent, provided Towne with a platform to hone his craft. While these early scripts leaned towards genre fare like sci-fi and horror, they displayed a sharp wit and a knack for dialogue that would become Towne’s signature.

    The late 1960s saw Towne emerge as a key figure in the New Hollywood movement. He penned the scripts for Hal Ashby’s acclaimed films ‘The Last Detail’ and ‘Shampoo’, earning Oscar nominations for both. These films explored the moral complexities of a changing America, showcasing Towne’s ability to blend humor and pathos.

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    Robert Towne and Chinatown

    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in 'Chinatown'.
    (L to R) Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in ‘Chinatown’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    It was his collaboration with Roman Polanski on ‘Chinatown’ (1974) that cemented Towne’s place in cinematic history. The movie, a scathing indictment of the times via an exploration of Los Angeles’ dark underbelly, won Towne an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film’s layered narrative and iconic characters, particularly Jake Gittes played by Jack Nicholson, continue to be studied and revered.

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    Robert Towne: Other Work

    Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'.
    Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Elsewhere, Towne scored praise for his work on the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ and, to a lesser degree, its immediate follow-up. His movie resume includes ‘Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes’, ‘The Firm’ and ‘Days of Thunder’.

    Towne’s career wasn’t without its stumbles. He directed several films throughout the 1980s and 1990s with mixed results including ‘Personal Best’, ‘Tequila Sunrise,’ ‘Without Limits,’ and a misguided attempt to follow up ‘Chinatown’ with 1990’s ‘The Two Jakes’, which Nicholson took over directing.

    Yet none of that takes away from Towne’s impact on American cinema. He leaves behind a body of work that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

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    Billy Crudup in 'Without Limits'.
    Billy Crudup in ‘Without Limits’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Robert Towne Movies and TV Shows:

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  • Frederic Forrest Dies at Age 86

    Frederic Forrest as Jay "Chef" Hicks in Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now.'
    Frederic Forrest as Jay “Chef” Hicks in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now.’

    Frederic Forrest, a character actor with a long resume and a sprinkling of standout roles, including in ‘Apocalypse Now’ and ‘The Rose’ has died.

    Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr. was born on Dec. 23, 1936, in Waxahachie, Texas. Growing up, Forrest played football, ran track and went to the movies.

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    Early Life

    As he noted in a 2014 interview with Alan Mercer, it almost seemed as if acting chose him.

    “All we had was the picture show. There was no television, so we’d go see all the movies. We had three movie theaters in Waxahachie. I fell into movies. I never thought about it. I didn’t think I was good at anything. I didn’t feel like I had a ‘so-called’ talent. I wasn’t good at anything people considered important. I really didn’t know what I was going to do.”

    Yet despite the impulse, when he travelled to New York to attend The Actors Studio, a glimpse of Marlon Brando exiting the building intimidated him to such a degree that he decided to join the Army instead.

    Following his service, he attended Texas Christian University, where he majored in radio and television studies with a minor in theater arts. He graduated in 1960 and returned to New York to study with Sanford Meisner. He also spent time with Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio.

    Forrest started his career, as so many do, on the stage, and it led to his first film credit, in the Tom O’Horgan adaptation of the play ‘Futz!’ in 1969.

    That was just the start of a long career, especially after one of the plays he performed in transferred from Broadway to Los Angeles –– even if he had to cook pizzas to make ends meet.

    Film Career

    Frederic Forrest as Jay "Chef" Hicks in Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now.'
    Frederic Forrest as Jay “Chef” Hicks in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now.’

    As his cinema career began to heat up, he appeared in the likes of ‘The Don Is Dead’, ‘The Gravy Train’ and the low-budget horror film ‘It Lives Again’, ‘Valley Girl’, ‘The Stone Boy,’ ‘The Two Jakes’, ‘Chasers,’ ‘Lassie,’ ‘Point Blank’ and ‘The Quality of Light’. He also enjoyed a healthy career on the small screen.

    He rarely scored leading roles, but became a consummate character actor, and a favorite of directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, who cast him in movies such as ‘The Conversation’, Apocalypse Now’, ‘Tucker: The Man and His Dream‘ and ‘One From the Heart’.

    Awards recognition followed with ‘The Rose’ in 1979, where he played a grounded, straight-talking limo driving tasked with chauffeuring a wild child rock star around. That film saw him starring alongside Bette Midler (in her film debut), and she was among those paying tribute after learning he had died.

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    Forrest reflected on his life and career in a New York Times profile in 1979:

    “I don’t expect much. I’ve been around too long to have expectations. This is a fickle town, no rhyme or reason to it. By the time you go down the driveway to pick up your mail, you’re forgotten. I waited a year after Larry to try to do something good, but no scripts came. They told me to hire a public relations firm to try to get an Emmy. There was no way I could do that. It goes against my grain to buy ads. I don’t want to buy a prize. I want someone to give me one. Who wants a prize if you have to hustle it?”

    The actor died on Friday after a long illness. He was married and divorced twice and is survived by his sister.

    Cindy Williams and Frederic Forrest in Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Conversation.'
    (L to R) Cindy Williams and Frederic Forrest in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Conversation.’

    Frederic Forrest Movies:

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