Robert Towne

American screenwriter, producer, director and actor

Robert Towne

Towne in 2006

Born|

Robert Bertram Schwartz[1][2]

(1934-11-23) November 23, 1934 (age 89)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Alma mater| Pomona College
Occupations|

* Screenwriter
* director
* producer
* actor

Years active| 1960–present
Spouses|

Julie Payne

(m. 1977; div. 1982)​

Luisa Gaule

(m. 1984)​

Children| 2
Relatives| Jocelyn Towne (niece)

Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934) is an American screenwriter and director. He started with writing films for Roger Corman including The Tomb of Ligeia (1964). Later, he was a part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. He wrote the Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), which is widely considered one of the greatest screenplays.[3] Towne also wrote the sequel, The Two Jakes (1990), and the Hal Ashby comedy-dramas The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975). He has collaborated with Tom Cruise on the films Days of Thunder (1990), The Firm (1993) and the first two installments of Mission: Impossible franchise (1996, 2000).

Towne directed the sports dramas Personal Best (1982) and Without Limits (1998), the crime thriller Tequila Sunrise (1988), and the romantic crime drama Ask the Dust (2006).

## Early life[edit]

Towne was born Robert Bertram Schwartz in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in San Pedro, the son of Helen and Lou Schwartz, a clothing store owner and property developer.[4][5] He is of Romanian descent through his father, and Russian descent through his mother; the family was Jewish.[5] He has a younger brother, Roger,[1] who co-wrote the 1984 film The Natural starring Robert Redford.[6]

He graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California.[7]

## Career[edit]

### Roger Corman[edit]

Towne originally sought work as a writer and actor. He took an acting class with Roger Corman taught by Jeff Corey where his classmates also included Jack Nicholson (with whom he shared an apartment), Irvin Kershner, and Sally Kellerman.[8]

Corman was renowned for giving work to untested people of talent. Towne wrote the screenplay for the Corman-financed Last Woman on Earth (1960), in which Towne also played one of the lead roles.

The following year he also starred in the Corman-financed Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961).

### Television[edit]

Towne started writing for television on such programs as The Lloyd Bridges Show, Breaking Point, The Outer Limits, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..

He also wrote a screenplay for the Corman-directed The Tomb of Ligeia (1965). In 1981 Towne said "I worked harder on... [that] screenplay for him than on anything I think I have ever done."[8]

Towne went back to working in television when Corman hired him to write a script for a Western, which became A Time for Killing (1967). Corman left the project during filming and Towne took his name off the credits. Towne said later he "hated" the film.[9]

### Script doctor[edit]

Towne's script for A Time for Killing had been read and admired by Warren Beatty who asked Towne to help out on the script for Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Towne later claimed his main contributions were removing the ménage à trois relationship between Bonnie, Clyde, and W.D., making some structural changes.[10] Towne was on set during filming and continued to work during post-production. The film was a huge success and although Towne's contribution was credited only as a "special consultant", he began to earn a reputation in Hollywood as a top script doctor.[11]

Towne was credited on Villa Rides (1968), which he later said he did as a favor for Robert Evans, head of Paramount. He hated the experience.[12]

Towne did uncredited work on the scripts for Drive, He Said (1971), directed by Jack Nicholson; Cisco Pike (1972), which Towne said turned into "a pretty good movie" but where he got "so angry with the director" he took his name off;[9] and The New Centurions (1972), where he was to share credit with Stirling Silliphant but asked for his name to be taken off after he saw the film.[13]

He did uncredited work for Francis Ford Coppola during the making of The Godfather (1972), mostly the final scene between Michael and Vito, shortly before Vito dies.[11] Coppola thanked Towne in his Academy Award speech for Best Screenplay.

Towne also did some work on The Parallax View (1974) at the behest of star Warren Beatty.

### The Last Detail, Chinatown, and Shampoo[edit]

Towne received great acclaim for his film scripts The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Shampoo (1975). He was nominated for an Oscar for all three scripts, winning for Chinatown.[14][15][16] He later said it was inspired by a chapter in Carey McWilliams's Southern California Country: An Island on the Land (1946) and a West magazine article on Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles.

According to Sam Wasson's The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood, Towne "secretly employed an old college friend named Edward Taylor as his uncredited writing partner for more than 40 years."[17]

Towne was credited for his work on The Yakuza (1975) and did script doctoring on The Missouri Breaks (1976), Orca (1977) and Heaven Can Wait (1978).

### Director[edit]

Towne turned to directing with Personal Best (1982). He also wrote the script for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, hoping to direct, but Personal Best was a financial failure, meaning he had to sell the Greystoke script. He grew dissatisfied with the production and credited his dog, P. H. Vazak, with the script. Vazak became the first dog nominated for an Oscar for screenwriting.[18]

Towne did uncredited work on Deal of the Century (1983), 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) ([19]), Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987) and Frantic (1988).

His second feature film as director was Tequila Sunrise (1988), which he wrote back in the early 1980s. Towne told The New York Times that Tequila Sunrise is "a movie about the use and abuse of friendship."[15]

### The Two Jakes[edit]

Towne has expressed his disappointment in The Two Jakes in many interviews.[citation needed] He told writer Alex Simon, "In the interest of maintaining my friendships with Jack Nicholson and Robert Evans, I’d rather not go into it, but let’s just say The Two Jakes wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us. But, we’re all still friends, and that’s what matters most."[20]

In a November 5, 2007, interview with MTV, Jack Nicholson claimed that Towne had written the part of Gittes specifically for him. In the same interview, Nicholson also said that Towne had conceived Chinatown as a trilogy, with the third film set in 1968 and dealing in some way with Howard Hughes.[21] However, Towne says he "does not know how that got started" and denies there was any trilogy planned.

### Tom Cruise[edit]

Towne wrote the script for Days of Thunder (1990) and formed a close friendship with its star Tom Cruise.

He was one of the writers on Cruise's The Firm (1993), then Beatty's Love Affair (1994). Cruise brought him on to Mission: Impossible (1996) and co-produced Towne's third film as director, Without Limits (1998). He also co-wrote Mission Impossible II (2000) for Cruise.

### Later career[edit]

A project Towne had long sought to bring to the screen came to fruition in 2006 with Ask the Dust, a romantic period piece set in Los Angeles based on the acclaimed novel by John Fante and starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek. Towne had found the novel decades earlier during his research for Chinatown, as he was looking for authentic descriptions of 1930s Los Angeles. He enjoyed the book, considering it "the best book about Los Angeles ever written", and arranged a meeting with Fante, himself a screenwriter. As a result of that meeting, Towne was granted the screen rights to the novel. The rights eventually lapsed, and the new owner was Mel Brooks. In 1993, Towne wrote the script for free in exchange for the chance to direct the film.[22] Tom Cruise (with Paula Wagner and Cruise/Wagner Productions) served as one of the film's producers. Ask the Dust received mixed reviews and failed at the box office. The film was entered into the 28th Moscow International Film Festival.[23]

Towne has framed several of his signature films as elaborate melodramas. He told The New York Times "I think melodrama is always a splendid occasion to entertain an audience and say things you want to say without rubbing their noses in it. With melodrama, as in dreams, you're always flirting with the disparity between appearance and reality, which is a great deal of fun. And that's also not unrelated to my perception of my life working in Hollywood, where you're always wondering, 'What does that guy really mean?'"[15]

In 2006, Towne was the subject of artist Sarah Morris's film, Robert Towne. Morris describes him as an “elliptical figure” whose career exemplifies a certain characteristic mode of working in the film industry, marked by collaboration, shared or changing roles.[24] Morris's 19,744-square-foot (1,834.3 m2) painting installation in the lobby of the Lever House in Manhattan, commissioned by the Public Art Fund, was also titled "Robert Towne".[25]

### Return to television[edit]

In the 2010s, Towne returned to television, working as a consulting producer on Mad Men and writing two episodes of Welcome to the Basement.[26]

## Personal life[edit]

In 1968, Towne met actress Julie Payne; they were married from 1977 to 1982.[27] According to Sam Wasson's The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood, Towne was addicted to cocaine during this period and was occasionally violent, which led to a bitter divorce and custody battle over their daughter Katharine (born 1978).

In 1984, Towne married Luisa Gaule. They have one daughter, Chiara.[28]

He is the former son-in-law of late actor John Payne and actress Anne Shirley. Through his daughter Katharine, he is former father-in-law of actor Charlie Hunnam.

## Filmography[edit]

### Credits as writer-director[edit]

* Personal Best (1982) – also producer
* Tequila Sunrise (1988)
* Without Limits (1998)
* Ask the Dust (2006)

### Credits as writer only[edit]

* Last Woman on Earth (1960)
* The Lloyd Bridges Show (1963–64) (TV series) – episodes "A Personal Matter", "My Daddy Can Lick Your Daddy"
* Breaking Point (1964) (TV series) – episode: "So Many Pretty Girls, So Little Time"
* The Outer Limits (1964) (TV series) – episode: "The Chameleon"
* The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)
* The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) (TV series) – episode: "The Dove Affair"
* Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (credited as special consultant)
* Villa Rides (1968)
* Drive, He Said (1971) (uncredited)
* Cisco Pike (1972) (uncredited)
* The New Centurions (1972) (uncredited)
* The Godfather (1972) (uncredited)
* The Last Detail (1973)
* Chinatown (1974)
* The Parallax View (1974) (uncredited)
* The Yakuza (1974)
* Shampoo (1975)
* The Missouri Breaks (1976) (uncredited)
* Marathon Man (1976) (uncredited)
* Orca (1977) (uncredited)
* Heaven Can Wait (1978) (uncredited)
* Reds (1981) (uncredited consultant)[29][30]
* Deal of the Century (1983) (uncredited)
* Swing Shift (1984) (uncredited)
* Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) (as P. H. Vazak)
* 8 Million Ways to Die (1986) (uncredited)
* Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987) (uncredited)
* Frantic (1988) (uncredited)
* The Two Jakes (1990)
* Days of Thunder (1990)
* The Firm (1993)
* Love Affair (1994)
* Crimson Tide (1995) (uncredited)
* Mission: Impossible (1996)
* Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

### Credits as actor[edit]

* Last Woman on Earth (1960) as Martin Joyce (as Edward Wain)
* Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961) as Sparks Moran/Agent XK150/Narrator (as Edward Wain)
* The Zodiac Killer (1971) as Man in Bar #3 as Robert Tubin)
* Drive, He Said (1971) as Richard
* Shampoo (1975) as Party Guest (uncredited)
* The Pick-up Artist (1987) as Stan
* Suspect Zero (2004) as Professor Dates (uncredited)

### Other credits[edit]

* The Young Racers (1963) – assistant director

### Unmade projects[edit]

* I Flew a Spy Plane Over Russia (1962) – script for Roger Corman[31]
* The Brotherhood of the Grape (1975) – script for Francis Ford Coppola, based upon the novel by John Fante[32]
* The Mermaid (1983) – script for Warren Beatty[33]
* Gittes vs. Gittes (1990) – unproduced sequel script to The Two Jakes[34]
* Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) – rejected script[35]
* The Night Manager (1994) – script for Sydney Pollack, based upon the novel by John le Carré[36]
* The 39 Steps remake (2003) – writer/director[37][38]
* Pompeii TV miniseries (2011) – 4 part series for Scott Free Productions, based on the book by Robert Harris[39]
* Compadre TV pilot (2011) – teleplay for Scott Free Productions[40]
* Next of Kin (2011) – script for David Fincher[41]
* The Battle of Britain (2011) – script for Graham King[40][41]
* Untitled Chinatown prequel series (2019) – teleplay(s) for David Fincher, to be produced at Netflix[42]

## Legacy and honors[edit]

In the book Fifty Filmmakers, journalist Andrew J. Rausch argues, "There is a strong case to be made that Robert Towne is the most gifted scribe ever to write for film. There can be little doubt that he is one of the finest ever."[43]

Awards

* Academy Award
* 1974: Nominated, Best Adapted Screenplay, The Last Detail
* 1975: Won, Best Original Screenplay, Chinatown
* 1976: Nominated, Best Original Screenplay, Shampoo
* 1985: Nominated, Best Adapted Screenplay, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan
* BAFTA Award
* 1975: Won, Best Screenplay, The Last Detail and Chinatown
* Golden Globe Award
* 1975: Won, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture, Chinatown
* Edgar Award
* 1975: Won, Best Motion Picture, Chinatown (Author)
* Writers Guild of America Award
* 1997: Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
* Nantucket Film Festival
* 2015: Screenwriters Tribute Award

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Biskind, Peter (1999). Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. Simon & Schuster. p. 30\. ISBN 978-0-7475-4421-0.
2. ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
3. ^ Tobias, Scott (29 October 2019). "Being John Malkovich at 20: why the surrealist comedy demands a rewatch". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
4. ^ "Robert Towne Biography (1934–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
5. ^ a b "Lennon, Elaine: The screenplays of Robert Towne 1960-2000. Dublin Institute of Technology, 2009". Retrieved 14 June 2013.
6. ^ The Natural at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
7. ^ "The Robert Towne Page". SuperiorPics.com. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
8. ^ a b Brady p 390
9. ^ a b Brady p 388
10. ^ Brady p 396-398
11. ^ a b Brady p 399
12. ^ Brady p 386-387
13. ^ Brady p 387
14. ^ McDougal, Dennis (2008) Five easy decades pp.146, 182, 416
15. ^ a b c Turan, Kenneth (27 November 1988). "Robert Towne's Hollywood Without Heroes". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
16. ^ Nicolas Cage, DVD commentary, The Rock Criterion Collection
17. ^ Horowitz, Mark (15 March 2020). "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". No. Book Review p. 21. The New York Times Company.
18. ^ Ward, Jason (20 February 2015). "Intriguing film credits that you probably missed". hwww.dazeddigital.com. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
19. ^ Kornits, Dov (27 August 1999). "Robert Towne – From Chinatown to Hollywood". eFilmCritic.com. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
20. ^ Towne, Robert (6 December 2012). "Robert Towne Dusts Off a Classic". The Hollywood Interview (Interview). Interviewed by Alex Simon. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
21. ^ "Jack Nicholson Talks! In Rare Interview, Actor Reveals Details Of Never-Shot 'Chinatown' Sequel". Mtv.com. 5 November 2007. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
22. ^ Anderson, Jeffrey M. (7 February 2006). "Interview with Robert Towne: From 'Dust' to 'Dust'". Combustible Celluloid. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
23. ^ "28th Moscow International Film Festival (2006)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
24. ^ "Public Art Fund"
25. ^ Schlesinger, Toni (18 September 2006). "Wonderful Towne! Lever House Hosts Homage to Screenwriter". The New York Observer. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
26. ^ "Robert Towne". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
27. ^ "Julie Payne Obituary (2019) Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
28. ^ "Chiara Towne". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
29. ^ Finstad, Suzanne (2006). "Act 4: The Pro". Warren Beatty: A Private Man. Crown/Archetype. p. 440\. ISBN 9780307345295.
30. ^ Mitchell, Deborah C. (2001). "1978–1971 The Muse". Diane Keaton: Artist and Icon. McFarland. p. 63\. ISBN 9780786410828.
31. ^ Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p201
32. ^ Kernan, Michael (15 September 1975). "Briefs on the Arts". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
33. ^ "Screenplay Review – The Mermaid". ScriptShadow. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
34. ^ Horowitz, Josh (5 November 2007). "Jack Nicholson Talks! In Rare Interview, Actor Reveals Details of Never-Shot 'Chinatown' Sequel". MTV News. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
35. ^ Galbraith, Jane (6 December 1992). "A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : THE SAGA OF 'COP III' : 'I'll Never Work With That &?! Again!' or, 'Did I Hear You Say $15  Million ?'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
36. ^ "Top team plots espionage film". South China Morning Post. 27 May 1994.
37. ^ "Hollywood embarks on 39 Steps programme". The Guardian. 29 December 2003. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
38. ^ "Towne to retrace Hitch's '39 Steps'". Los Angeles Times. 3 January 2004. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
39. ^ Roxborough, Scott (4 April 2011). "Oscar Winner Robert Towne to Write Script For 'Pompeii'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
40. ^ a b Kit, Borys (4 October 2011). "'Chinatown' Screenwriter Robert Towne Penning 'Battle of Britain' for GK Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
41. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (4 October 2011). "GK Films Plans WWII 'Battle Of Britain'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
42. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (19 November 2019). "Netflix Teams Robert Towne And David Fincher for 'Chinatown' Prequel Series Pilot Script". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
43. ^ Rausch, Andrew J. (2008). Fifty Filmmakers: Conversations with Directors from Roger Avary to Steven Zaillian. McFarland. p. 244\. ISBN 978-0786431496.

## Notes[edit]

* Brady, John (1981). The Craft of the Screenwriter.

## External links[edit]

* Robert Towne at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films by Robert Towne

Written and directed|

* Personal Best (1982)
* Tequila Sunrise (1988)
* Without Limits (1998)
* Ask the Dust (2006)

Written only|

* Last Woman on Earth (1960)
* The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)
* Villa Rides (1968)
* The Last Detail (1973)
* Chinatown (1974)
* The Yakuza (1974)
* Shampoo (1975)
* Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)
* The Two Jakes (1990)
* Days of Thunder (1990)
* The Firm (1993)
* Love Affair (1994)
* Mission: Impossible (1996)
* Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Awards for Robert Towne

* v
* t
* e

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay

1940–1975|

* Preston Sturges (1940)
* Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles (1941)
* Michael Kanin and Ring Lardner Jr. (1942)
* Norman Krasna (1943)
* Lamar Trotti (1944)
* Richard Schweizer (1945)
* Muriel Box and Sydney Box (1946)
* Sidney Sheldon (1947)
* No award (1948)
* Robert Pirosh (1949)
* Charles Brackett, D. M. Marshman Jr., and Billy Wilder (1950)
* Alan Jay Lerner (1951)
* T. E. B. Clarke (1952)
* Charles Brackett, Richard L. Breen, and Walter Reisch (1953)
* Budd Schulberg (1954)
* Sonya Levien and William Ludwig (1955)
* Albert Lamorisse (1956)
* George Wells (1957)
* Nathan E. Douglas and Harold Jacob Smith (1958)
* Clarence Greene, Maurice Richlin, Russell Rouse, and Stanley Shapiro (1959)
* I. A. L. Diamond and Billy Wilder (1960)
* William Inge (1961)
* Ennio de Concini, Pietro Germi, and Alfredo Giannetti (1962)
* James Webb (1963)
* S. H. Barnett, Peter Stone and Frank Tarloff (1964)
* Frederic Raphael (1965)
* Claude Lelouch and Pierre Uytterhoeven (1966)
* William Rose (1967)
* Mel Brooks (1968)
* William Goldman (1969)
* Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North (1970)
* Paddy Chayefsky (1971)
* Jeremy Larner (1972)
* David S. Ward (1973)
* Robert Towne (1974)
* Frank Pierson (1975)

1976–2000|

* Paddy Chayefsky (1976)
* Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman (1977)
* Robert C. Jones, Waldo Salt, and Nancy Dowd (1978)
* Steve Tesich (1979)
* Bo Goldman (1980)
* Colin Welland (1981)
* John Briley (1982)
* Horton Foote (1983)
* Robert Benton (1984)
* William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W. Wallace (1985)
* Woody Allen (1986)
* John Patrick Shanley (1987)
* Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow (1988)
* Tom Schulman (1989)
* Bruce Joel Rubin (1990)
* Callie Khouri (1991)
* Neil Jordan (1992)
* Jane Campion (1993)
* Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary (1994)
* Christopher McQuarrie (1995)
* Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (1996)
* Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (1997)
* Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard (1998)
* Alan Ball (1999)
* Cameron Crowe (2000)

2001–present|

* Julian Fellowes (2001)
* Pedro Almodóvar (2002)
* Sofia Coppola (2003)
* Pierre Bismuth, Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman (2004)
* Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco (2005)
* Michael Arndt (2006)
* Diablo Cody (2007)
* Dustin Lance Black (2008)
* Mark Boal (2009)
* David Seidler (2010)
* Woody Allen (2011)
* Quentin Tarantino (2012)
* Spike Jonze (2013)
* Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bo (2014)
* Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (2015)
* Kenneth Lonergan (2016)
* Jordan Peele (2017)
* Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly (2018)
* Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won (2019)
* Emerald Fennell (2020)
* Kenneth Branagh (2021)
* Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022)
* Justine Triet and Arthur Harari (2023)

* v
* t
* e

BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay

* Calder Willingham and Buck Henry (1968)
* Waldo Salt (1969)
* William Goldman (1970)
* Harold Pinter (1971)
* Paddy Chayefsky / Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich (1972)
* Luis Buñuel and Jean-Claude Carrière (1973)
* Robert Towne (1974)
* Robert Getchell (1975)
* Alan Parker (1976)
* Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman (1977)
* Alvin Sargent (1978)
* Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman (1979)
* Jerzy Kosiński (1980)
* Bill Forsyth (1981)
* Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart (1982)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay

1965–1975|

* Robert Bolt (1965)
* Robert Bolt (1966)
* Stirling Silliphant (1967)
* Stirling Silliphant (1968)
* Bridget Boland, John Hale and Richard Sokolove (1969)
* Erich Segal (1970)
* Paddy Chayefsky (1971)
* Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo (1972)
* William Peter Blatty (1973)
* Robert Towne (1974)
* Bo Goldman and Lawrence Hauben (1975)

1976–2000|

* Paddy Chayefsky (1976)
* Neil Simon (1977)
* Oliver Stone (1978)
* Robert Benton (1979)
* William Peter Blatty (1980)
* Ernest Thompson (1981)
* John Briley (1982)
* James L. Brooks (1983)
* Peter Shaffer (1984)
* Woody Allen (1985)
* Robert Bolt (1986)
* Bernardo Bertolucci, Mark Peploe, and Enzo Ungari (1987)
* Naomi Foner (1988)
* Oliver Stone and Ron Kovic (1989)
* Michael Blake (1990)
* Callie Khouri (1991)
* Bo Goldman (1992)
* Steven Zaillian (1993)
* Quentin Tarantino (1994)
* Emma Thompson (1995)
* Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (1996)
* Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (1997)
* Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard (1998)
* Alan Ball (1999)

2001–present|

* Stephen Gaghan (2000)
* Akiva Goldsman (2001)
* Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (2002)
* Sofia Coppola (2003)
* Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (2004)
* Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (2005)
* Peter Morgan (2006)
* Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007)
* Simon Beaufoy (2008)
* Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (2009)
* Aaron Sorkin (2010)
* Woody Allen (2011)
* Quentin Tarantino (2012)
* Spike Jonze (2013)
* Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bo (2014)
* Aaron Sorkin (2015)
* Damien Chazelle (2016)
* Martin McDonagh (2017)
* Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly, and Nick Vallelonga (2018)
* Quentin Tarantino (2019)
* Aaron Sorkin (2020)
* Kenneth Branagh (2021)
* Martin McDonagh (2022)
* Justine Triet and Arthur Harari (2023)

* v
* t
* e

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay

1967–2000|

* David Newman and Robert Benton (1967)
* John Cassavetes (1968)
* Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker (1969)
* Éric Rohmer (1970)
* Penelope Gilliatt (1971)
* Ingmar Bergman (1972)
* George Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck (1973)
* Ingmar Bergman (1974)
* Robert Towne and Warren Beatty (1975)
* Alain Tanner and John Berger (1976)
* Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman (1977)
* Paul Mazursky (1978)
* Steve Tesich (1979)
* Bo Goldman (1980)
* John Guare (1981)
* Murray Schisgal and Larry Gelbart (1982)
* Bill Forsyth (1983)
* Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel and Bruce Jay Friedman (1984)
* Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson (1985)
* Hanif Kureishi (1986)
* John Boorman (1987)
* Ron Shelton (1988)
* Gus Van Sant and Daniel Yost (1989)
* Charles Burnett (1990)
* David Cronenberg (1991)
* David Webb Peoples (1992)
* Jane Campion (1993)
* Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary (1994)
* Amy Heckerling (1995)
* Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson (1996)
* Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland (1997)
* Scott Frank (1998)
* Charlie Kaufman (1999)
* Kenneth Lonergan (2000)

2001–present|

* Julian Fellowes (2001)
* Ronald Harwood (2002)
* Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (2003)
* Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (2004)
* Noah Baumbach (2005)
* Peter Morgan (2006)
* Tamara Jenkins (2007)
* Mike Leigh (2008)
* Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2009)
* Aaron Sorkin (2010)
* Asghar Farhadi (2011)
* Tony Kushner (2012)
* Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy (2013)
* Wes Anderson (2014)
* Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (2015)
* Kenneth Lonergan (2016)
* Greta Gerwig (2017)
* Armando Iannucci, David Schneider and Ian Martin (2018)
* Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won (2019)
* Eliza Hittman (2020)
* Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe (2021)
* Todd Field (2022)
* Samy Burch (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay

Original Drama
(1969–1983)|

* William Goldman (1969)
* Francis Ford Coppola & Edmund H. North (1970)
* Penelope Gilliatt (1971)
* Jeremy Larner (1972)
* Steve Shagan (1973)
* Robert Towne (1974)
* Frank Pierson (1975)
* Paddy Chayefsky (1976)
* Arthur Laurents (1977)
* Nancy Dowd, Robert C. Jones & Waldo Salt (1978)
* Mike Gray, T. S. Cook & James Bridges (1979)
* Bo Goldman (1980)
* Warren Beatty & Trevor Griffiths (1981)
* Melissa Mathison (1982)
* Horton Foote (1983)

Original Comedy
(1969–1983)|

* Paul Mazursky & Larry Tucker (1969)
* Neil Simon (1970)
* Paddy Chayefsky (1971)
* Peter Bogdanovich, Buck Henry, David Newman & Robert Benton (1972)
* Melvin Frank & Jack Rose (1973)
* Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor & Alan Uger (1974)
* Robert Towne & Warren Beatty (1975)
* Bill Lancaster (1976)
* Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman (1977)
* Larry Gelbart & Sheldon Keller (1978)
* Steve Tesich (1979)
* Nancy Meyers, Harvey Miller & Charles Shyer (1980)
* Steve Gordon (1981)
* Don McGuire, Larry Gelbart & Murray Schisgal (1982)
* Lawrence Kasdan & Barbara Benedek (1983)

Original Screenplay
(1984–present)|

* Woody Allen (1984)
* William Kelley & Earl W. Wallace (1985)
* Woody Allen (1986)
* John Patrick Shanley (1987)
* Ron Shelton (1988)
* Woody Allen (1989)
* Barry Levinson (1990)
* Callie Khouri (1991)
* Neil Jordan (1992)
* Jane Campion (1993)
* Richard Curtis (1994)
* Randall Wallace (1995)
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (1996)
* James L. Brooks & Mark Andrus (1997)
* Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard (1998)
* Alan Ball (1999)
* Kenneth Lonergan (2000)
* Julian Fellowes (2001)
* Michael Moore (2002)
* Sofia Coppola (2003)
* Pierre Bismuth, Michel Gondry, & Charlie Kaufman (2004)
* Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco (2005)
* Michael Arndt (2006)
* Diablo Cody (2007)
* Dustin Lance Black (2008)
* Mark Boal (2009)
* Christopher Nolan (2010)
* Woody Allen (2011)
* Mark Boal (2012)
* Spike Jonze (2013)
* Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness (2014)
* Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer (2015)
* Barry Jenkins & Tarell Alvin McCraney (2016)
* Jordan Peele (2017)
* Bo Burnham (2018)
* Bong Joon-ho & Han Jin-won (2019)
* Emerald Fennell (2020)
* Adam McKay & David Sirota (2021)
* Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022)
* David Hemingson (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay

1940s|

* John Paxton (1946)
* Anthony Veiller (1947)
* John Paxton (1948)
* Jerome Cady, Jay Dratler, Leonard Hoffman, and Quentin Reynolds (1949)

1950s|

* Mel Dinelli and Cornell Woolrich (1950)
* Ben Maddow (1951)
* Michael Wilson (1952)
* Michael Wilson and Otto Lang (1953)
* Sydney Boehm (1954)
* John Michael Hayes (1955)
* Joseph Hayes (1956)
* Reginald Rose (1958)
* Nathan E. Douglas and Harold Jacob Smith (1959)

1960s|

* Ernest Lehman (1960)
* Joseph Stefano (1961)
* William Archibald and Truman Capote (1962)
* Peter Stone (1964)
* Henry Farrell and Lukas Heller (1965)
* Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper (1966)
* William Goldman (1967)
* Stirling Silliphant (1968)
* Harry Kleiner and Alan Trustman (1969)

1970s|

* Costa Gavras and Jorge Semprún (1970)
* Elio Petri and Ugo Pirro (1971)
* Ernest Tidyman (1972)
* Anthony Shaffer (1973)
* Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim (1974)
* Robert Towne (1975)
* David Rayfiel and Lorenzo Semple, Jr. (1976)
* Ernest Lehman (1977)
* Robert Benton (1978)
* William Goldman (1979)

1980s|

* Michael Crichton (1980)
* Joseph Wambaugh (1981)
* Jeffrey Alan Fiskin (1982)
* Barrie Keeffe (1983)
* Dennis Potter (1984)
* Charles Fuller (1985)
* William Kelley and Earl W. Wallace (1986)
* E. Max Frye (1987)
* Jim Kouf (1988)
* Errol Morris (1989)

1990s|

* Daniel Waters (1990)
* Donald E. Westlake (1991)
* Ted Tally (1992)
* Michael Tolkin (1993)
* Ebbe Roe Smith (1994)
* Quentin Tarantino (1995)
* Christopher McQuarrie (1996)
* Billy Bob Thornton (1997)
* Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland (1998)
* Scott Frank and Elmore Leonard (1999)

2000s|

* Guy Ritchie (2000)
* Stephen Gaghan and Simon Moore (2001)
* Christopher Nolan (2002)
* Bill Condon (2003)
* Steven Knight (2004)
* Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Sébastien Japrisot (2005)
* Stephen Gaghan and Robert Baer (2006)
* William Monahan (2007)
* Tony Gilroy (2008)
* Martin McDonagh (2009)

* v
* t
* e

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement

1950s|

* Sonya Levien (1953)
* Dudley Nichols (1954)
* Robert Riskin (1955)
* Julius Epstein & Philip Epstein and Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich (1956)
* Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder (1957)
* John Lee Mahin (1958)
* Nunnally Johnson (1959)

1960s|

* Norman Krasna (1960)
* George Seaton (1961)
* Philip Dunne (1962)
* Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1963)
* John Huston (1964)
* Sidney Buchman (1965)
* Isobel Lennart (1966)
* Richard Brooks (1967)
* Casey Robinson (1968)
* Carl Foreman (1969)

1970s|

* Dalton Trumbo (1970)
* James Poe (1971)
* Ernest Lehman (1972)
* William Rose (1973)
* Paddy Chayefsky (1974)
* Preston Sturges (1975)
* Michael Wilson (1976)
* Samson Raphaelson (1977)
* Edward Anhalt (1978)
* Neil Simon (1979)

1980s|

* Billy Wilder & I. A. L. Diamond (1980)
* Ben Hecht (1981)
* Paul Osborn (1982)
* Lamar Trotti (1983)
* Melville Shavelson, Jack Rose, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank (1984)
* William Goldman (1985)
* Waldo Salt (1986)
* Woody Allen (1987)
* Irving Ravetch & Harriet Frank Jr. (1988)
* Ring Lardner Jr. (1989)

1990s|

* Donald Ogden Stewart (1990)
* Alvin Sargent (1991)
* Frank Pierson (1992)
* Horton Foote (1993)
* Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1994)
* Charles Bennett (1995)
* Daniel Taradash (1996)
* Robert Towne (1997)
* Bo Goldman (1998)
* Paul Schrader (1999)

2000s|

* Jean-Claude Carrière (2000)
* Betty Comden and Adolph Green (2001)
* Blake Edwards (2002)
* Mel Brooks (2003)
* John Michael Hayes (2004)
* David Mamet (2005)
* Lawrence Kasdan (2006)
* Robert Benton (2007)
* Budd Schulberg (2008)
* No award (2009)

2010s|

* Barry Levinson (2010)
* Steven Zaillian (2011)
* Eric Roth (2012)
* Tom Stoppard (2013)
* Paul Mazursky (2014)
* Harold Ramis (2015)
* Elaine May (2016)
* Oliver Stone (2017)
* James L. Brooks (2018)
* Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (2019)

2020s|

* Nancy Meyers (2020)
* No award (2021)
* No award (2022)
* Charlie Kaufman (2023)

Authority control databases

International|

* FAST
* ISNI
* 2
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Spain
* France
* BnF data
* Catalonia
* Germany
* Israel
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Korea
* Netherlands
* Poland

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* SNAC
* IdRef

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