Yesterday, it was announced that the legendary screenwriter Robert Towne had passed away. One of the premier talents of Hollywood’s second Golden Age, Towne was rightly remembered as the man who wrote the intelligent and challenging scripts for films like Chinatown, The Last Detail, and Shampoo.
Towne was also a well-known script doctor, one whose work was not always credited but which always contributed to the overall quality of the films to which he contributed. In 1971, when Francis Ford Coppola realized that he needed a scene for The Godfather that would allow Vito to open up to his son and successor, Michael, Robert Towne was the man who wrote the scene. The result was one of the best moments in a film that is full of great dialogue.
Through the Shattered Lens 
I have a poster of 1964’s The Tomb of Ligeia framed and hung in the bathroom. Mainly ’cause it sports the graphic of a black cat. Corman produced and directed and Towne wrote the screenplay based on one of Poe’s short stories.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great post. I absolutely agree with your assessment of this scene from “The Godfather”. Al Pacino and Marlon Brando are fantastic throughout the movie, but this is the scene where both actors are given an opportunity to shine. They create such a believable father-son bond. I’m a huge fan of “The Godfather”, which is one of my top 5 favorite films of all-time. It’s truly a magnificent movie in every sense of word. When it comes to gangster movies, there’s simply nothing in the world that can top it. Simply put, it’s an offer that no movie-goer can refuse.
Here’s my thoughts on “The Godfather”:
LikeLike
Pingback: Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 7/1/24 — 7/7/24 | Through the Shattered Lens