Towne passed away on Monday, surrounded by his loved ones, at home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist Carri McClure.
Towne authored “Shampoo” (1975), starring Warren Beatty, and “The Last Detail” (1973), for which he also garnered Academy Award nominations. Jack Nicholson plays a private investigator hired by Faye Dunaway to look into her husband in the 1974 film “Chinatown.”
“The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood” author Sam Wasson once remarked, “Robert Towne once said that Chinatown is a state of mind.” Not simply a location on a map of Los Angeles, but a state of complete consciousness that is nearly identical to blindness.
The actress Lee Grant, of “Shampoo,” expressed her shock at hearing of his passing.
Regarding X of Towne, she wrote: “Like the characters he developed, his life was entirely original, iconoclastic, and incisive.” I received “Shampoo” as a gift from him. He bestowed upon us both the gift of his films and words. Nobody else is like him. There won’t be one more.
On its social media page, the American Film Institute (AFI) paid tribute to the “legendary” writer.
AFI wrote, “Rest in peace, legendary Robert Towne.” With works of art such as CHINATOWN, SHAMPOO, and numerous more, his impact will never fade. His contribution to the film industry was recognized in 2014 with an AFI honorary degree, and his legacy will continue to motivate filmmakers worldwide.
