The Writer Speaks: Robert Towne Part 2

Screenwriter Robert Towne discusses his childhood in Los Angeles, working on Chinatown, and directing. He is most notable for his Oscar-nominated screenplays of The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Shampoo (1975) and has worked steadily in the entertainment business for five decades. Interviewed by Barbara Corday. Filmed on September 25, 2008. Part 2 of 2.

[@milhuisen]

This channel is incredible. So glad I found it. Thanks for sharing all this goodness!

[@MaurizioBunkus]

You're full of surprises, Writer's Guild! Didn't expect to see more of this one. Thank you!

[@PatrickFarrellucd]

Too bad he is gone too soon, he talks from the soul! I will miss his work and as a person for a long time. I admired Bo Goldman

[@charleswinokoor6023]

I’ve never considered myself to be a “troll” (whatever that really means), but I do agree with at least one comment that the interviewer should have asked more pointed and interesting questions.

[@OnePost909]

Absolutely. Good questions but not great questions. (Nothing wrong with offering pointed criticism, at what point did that become "trolling," it's a mystery to me.)

[@andrewbwsmith8201]

Every time my wife and I are watching a movie or TV show and someone drives up to a building and finds a parking space right in front we always yell, "Parking space right in front!" So yes, Robert!

[@veritas6335]

Towne is a highly intelligent man and a sensitive, thoughtful, gifted, and by the way, very successful writer. He is a soft spoken man and has no obligation to be loud and bombastic just to satisfy the trolls who prowl TH-cam. The writers guild however, does have an obligation to record their interviews professionally, which they did not do in this case. The audio is terrible. That doesn't give the trolls the right to insult the interviewee. Not his fault.

[@josephpravda9452]

Great actors do inspire great writing.....seems that Jack inspired the dialogic brilliance of his writing.

[@user-yb8vr2ip2t]

Not a great actor, just charismatic, and always hits the same in every role.

[@BetterThanSinatra]

ANOTHER Surface interview. No hard questions at all!!! What about the drug issue? Surely that must have been a very difficult time for Towne, but here it is though it never happened.

[@martinobrien7110]

What a surprise . Raymond Chandler being the source .

[@jeandixson5610]

I remember Otash

[@kamuelalee]

Wondered if Towne would mention the name of Ed Taylor and Taylor's reported major contributions toward the screenplays for Chinatown, and other Towne flicks. Interestingly, he did not.

[@keithnichols7926]

The interviewer raises my hackle by using the term "hone in" where "home in" is correct (34:28). Merriam Webster, which normally accepts any use of a word, even considers hone in not preferable.

[@j.goebbels2134]

So you only have one hackle?

[@kamuelalee]

@@j.goebbels2134 Caught that too.

[@HomeAtLast501]

You guys need to boost the audio on your TH-cam uploads.

[@bconigliaro]

Turn up the volume. Especially with someone as somnolent as Towne.

[@veritas6335]

The sound recording in this video is simply disgraceful. You can barely hear the man. And you’re film people! Shame on you.

[@dswann888]

This guy is a genius and yet like most artists unseen by most