Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, has died at the age of 89.
Towne died at his home on Monday, July 1st, his publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Towne began his career writing in television on shows including Breaking Point, The Outer Limits, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He later took on the role of a script doctor, finessing screenplays including Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather.
In a three year span between 1973 and 1975, Towne earned three consecutive Academy Award Best Screenplay nominations for The Last Detail, Chinatown, and Shampoo, winning in 1974 for Chinatown.
Towne’s other notable screenplays included Tequila Sunrise (which he also directed), Days of Thunder, and the first two Mission Impossible films.
Later in his career, Towne worked as a consulting producer on Mad Men.