Editing Robert Towne (section)

===Script doctor===
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 (film)|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.<ref>Brady p 396-398</ref> 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.<ref name="Brady p 399">Brady p 399</ref>

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.<ref>Brady p 386-387</ref>

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;<ref name="Brady p 388"/> 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.<ref>Brady p 387</ref>

He did uncredited work for [[Francis Ford Coppola]] during the making of ''[[The Godfather]]'' (1972), including the final scene between Michael and Vito in a garden, shortly before Vito dies.<ref name="Brady p 399"/> Coppola later thanked Towne for writing this pivotal and "very beautiful" scene in his Academy Award speech for Best Screenplay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-03 |title=Robert Towne: Tributes to Chinatown and Mission: Impossible writer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3g3dy6jdlpo |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

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