Trivia

According to an interview Towne gave he said his relationship, in the fifties, with dancer Barrie Chase led to one of his greatest successes. Barrie had been married to a hairdresser named Gene Shacove who had become the hottest stylist in Beverly Hills by the late fifties, as well as one of the most notorious womanizers. Towne was intrigued that a hairdresser was straight and asked to meet him. Barrie arranged for Towne to pick her up when she was getting her hair done, and when he walked into the salon he was stunned. It was full of the most beautiful women in LA, and Shacove was moving from woman to woman running his hands through their hair, whispering in their ear, and generally behaving like a "rooster in the hen house". It took almost twenty years but Towne finally crafted his impressions of that day into a successful script- Shampoo.

Originally planned to write three films about detective Jake Gittes, each of which would deal with government corruption in setting up certain utilities to develop the city of Los Angeles. The first, Chinatown (1974), dealt with stealing water from nearby areas. The second The Two Jakes (1990), dealt with the oil industry. The third, Cloverleaf, was to be about the gutting of public transportation in favor of freeways. Though this was never filmed as a Jake Gittes vehicle, this same premise became the basis for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), complete with Cloverleaf being the name of the holding company. Like Chinatown and The Two Jakes, it also begins with an adultery case.

Had his name replaced in the final credits of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) after he saw the film. The name he substituted, "P.H. Vazak", was that of his sheepdog. Wrote the garden scene between Marlon Brando and Al Pacino for The Godfather (1972). A long-time friend of Jack Nicholson whom he met while attending Jeff Corey's acting classes in the late 1950s.

Sydney Pollack was his Los Angeles next door neighbor.

His father Lou owned a women's clothing store called Towne Smart Shop, and eventually he changed the family surname from Schwartz to Towne.

Is good friends with Tom Cruise.

According to George Stevens, Jr.'s book "Conversations at the American Film Institute," Towne did an uncredited rewrite for The Godfather (1972) which ended up being the "Have you taken care of everything?" scene between Al Pacino and Marlon Brando's characters Michael and Vito Corleone.

Though born in blue-collar San Pedro, CA, he spent most of his childhood growing up in the very upscale, gated community of Rolling Hills in Palos Verdes, CA as well as in LA's Brentwood section. Attended Chadwick prep school,.

According to one book ("Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" by Peter Biskind), Towne is a bit of a hypochondriac who visits his doctors constantly.

Towne's very first writing assignment was on a Roger Corman vehicle titled, "Fraternity Hell Week." The B-movie never did make to the screen as the script was ultimately lost.

Approached to write/direct a remake of The 39 Steps (1935). (January 2004)

Attended Pomona College.

Father of Katharine Towne (with his 1st wife Julie Payne) and Chiara Towne (with his 2nd wife Luisa Towne).

Ex-father-in-law of Charlie Hunnam.

Ex-son-in-law of actors John Payne and Anne Shirley.

His niece is actress and filmmaker Jocelyn Towne, who is married to actor Simon Helberg.