Robert Towne, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Who Penned ‘Chinatown,’ Dies at 89

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”

Those words, immortalized in film history, were penned by Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter and director who passed away at age of 89 on Monday at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist confirmed to The New York Times. A cause of death was not given.

Towne’s talent for unforgettable dialogue and narratives left an indelible mark on Hollywood. During his heyday in the 1970s...