The Big Picture In honor of Chinatown's 50th anniversary and its release in 4K this week, Collider's Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to interview legendary screenwriter and script doctor Robert Towne, whose influential work was a cornerstone of the New Hollywood movement. Throughout his career, Towne was nominated for an Oscar four times, taking the win for Best Original Screenplay for this neo-noir, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, and directed by Roman Polanski.
ROBERT TOWNE: It depends on what they’re looking to see. Chinatown belongs to a handful of people who were passionate and talented enough to fight for their vision. It’s mine, yes, but it’s also Roman’s and Jack’s, John Alonzo’s, Jerry Goldsmith’s, Anthea , Faye’s, and others. The perfect example of the collaborative process and what can emerge out of the murky soup of filmmaking.
Related How 'Bonnie and Clyde' Changed Cinema Overnight This controversial 1967 classic changed the course of American cinema overnight. You worked a bit on The Godfather script. Did you realize when you were working on it how huge the film would be? When did you realize this movie was going to be massive? Also, what did you contribute to the script?
I read that you and Roman disagreed on the ending. I read you wanted Cross to die and Evelyn Mulwray to survive, but Roman wanted the tragic end. True? And if it is true, do you think his ending was the right choice, or do you still think Faye’s character surviving would have been better? How long did it actually take you to work on the script? And were there any big changes that happened along the way?Where did the idea come from to fictionalize real events?
John Huston is great as Noah Cross. Was he the first choice for the role? Can you talk a little about working with him and what he brought to the project?