“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
Those words, immortalized in film history, were penned by Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter and director who passed away at age of 89 on Monday at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist confirmed to The New York Times. A cause of death was not given.
Towne’s talent for unforgettable dialogue and narratives left an indelible mark on Hollywood. During his heyday in the 1970s, Towne was nominated three years in a row for an Academy Award for best screenplay, winning once for “Chinatown” in 1974. Although uncredited, he also contributed to “The Godfather” (1972) and “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967).
