Robert Towne

Robert Towne

Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 - July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He was part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), which is widely considered one of the greatest screenplays ever written. 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. Towne also wrote the sequel, The Two Jakes (1990); the Hal Ashby comedy-dramas The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975); and the first two Mission: Impossible films. 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).

  • Title: Robert Towne
  • Popularity: 4.854
  • Known For: Writing
  • Birthday: 1934-11-23
  • Place of Birth: San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: P. H. Vasak, Роберт Таун
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Robert Towne Movies

  • 1961
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    Creature from the Haunted Sea

    Creature from the Haunted Sea

    3.663 1961 HD

    A crook decides to bump off members of his inept crew and blame their deaths on a legendary sea creature. What he doesn't know is that the creature...

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  • 1960
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    Last Woman on Earth

    Last Woman on Earth

    4.425 1960 HD

    Harold Gern, a shady businessman from New York, is spending a holiday in Puerto Rico with his attractive wife Evelyn. They are joined by Martin...

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  • 1971
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    Drive, He Said

    Drive, He Said

    6 1971 HD

    Hector is a star basketball player for the College basketball team he plays for, the Leopards. His girlfriend, Olive, doesn't know whether to stay...

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  • 2008
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    Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'

    Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'

    4.6 2008 HD

    The making-of documentary of Bonnie and Clyde.

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  • 2005
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    Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That

    Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That

    7 2005 HD

    Documentary about filmmaker Budd Boetticher.

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  • 1975
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    Shampoo

    Shampoo

    6 1975 HD

    George Roundy is a Beverly Hills hairstylist whose uncontrolled libido stands between him and his ambitions. He wants the security of a relationship....

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  • 2004
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    Suspect Zero

    Suspect Zero

    5.548 2004 HD

    A killer is on the loose, and an FBI agent sifts through clues and learns that the bloodthirsty felon's victims of choice are other serial killers.

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  • 2019
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    What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

    What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael

    6.5 2019 HD

    Pauline Kael (1919–2001) was undoubtedly one of the greatest names in film criticism. A Californian native, she wrote her first review in 1953...

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  • 1987
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    The Pick-up Artist

    The Pick-up Artist

    5.6 1987 HD

    A womanizer meets his match when he falls for the daughter of a gambling addict who is in debt to the mob.

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  • 1997
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    Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature

    Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature

    1 1997 HD

    Documentary on water usage, money, politics, the transformation of nature, and the growth of the American west, shown on PBS as a four-part...

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  • 2004
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    The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made

    The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made

    4.621 2004 HD

    There are some movies that are so bad they're good. And there are some movies that are so bad- that they're just bad...

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  • 1971
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    The Zodiac Killer

    The Zodiac Killer

    4.893 1971 HD

    The San Francisco area is beset by a series of seemingly random murders without motive or pattern. The police are taunted by phone calls and letters....

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  • 1998
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    Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

    Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

    6 1998 HD

    A profile of writer-director Billy Wilder

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  • 2001
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    A Sad Flower in the Sand

    A Sad Flower in the Sand

    1 2001 HD

    About a largely unsung writer of the twentieth century: John Fante, the renegade author whose highly autobiographical novels illustrate his...

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  • 2013
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    Salinger

    Salinger

    6.4 2013 HD

    An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the...

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  • 2001
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    Rescued from the Closet

    Rescued from the Closet

    6 2001 HD

    A collection of interviews recorded for the making of the 1995 documentary "The Celluloid Closet," on the subject of LGBT representation in film...

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  • 2008
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    You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story

    You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story

    8.5 2008 HD

    Jack L. Warner, Harry Warner, Albert Warner and Sam Warner were siblings who were born in Poland and emigrated to Canada near the turn of the...

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  • 2003
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    A Decade Under the Influence

    A Decade Under the Influence

    8 2003 HD

    A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential...

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  • 1974
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    Chinatown

    Chinatown

    7.916 1974 HD

    Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to...

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  • 1988
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    Tequila Sunrise

    Tequila Sunrise

    6.046 1988 HD

    In a seaside California town, best friends Mac and Nick are on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a former drug dealer trying to clean up his act,...

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  • 1988
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    Tequila Sunrise

    Tequila Sunrise

    6.046 1988 HD

    In a seaside California town, best friends Mac and Nick are on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a former drug dealer trying to clean up his act,...

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  • 2006
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    Ask the Dust

    Ask the Dust

    5.3 2006 HD

    Mexican beauty Camilla hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini, a...

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  • 2006
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    Ask the Dust

    Ask the Dust

    5.3 2006 HD

    Mexican beauty Camilla hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini, a...

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  • 1996
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    Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

    6.988 1996 HD

    When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has...

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  • 2000
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    Mission: Impossible II

    Mission: Impossible II

    6.1 2000 HD

    With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a...

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  • 1990
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    Days of Thunder

    Days of Thunder

    6.361 1990 HD

    Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle gets a break and with the guidance of veteran Harry Hogge turns heads on the track. The young...

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  • 1984
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    Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

    Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

    6.3 1984 HD

    A shipping disaster in the 19th Century has stranded a man and woman in the wilds of Africa. The lady is pregnant, and gives birth to a son in their...

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  • 1998
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    Without Limits

    Without Limits

    6.459 1998 HD

    The film follows the life of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine from his youth days in Oregon to the University of Oregon where he worked with the...

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  • 1998
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    Without Limits

    Without Limits

    6.459 1998 HD

    The film follows the life of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine from his youth days in Oregon to the University of Oregon where he worked with the...

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  • 1975
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    Shampoo

    Shampoo

    6 1975 HD

    George Roundy is a Beverly Hills hairstylist whose uncontrolled libido stands between him and his ambitions. He wants the security of a relationship....

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  • 1990
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    The Two Jakes

    The Two Jakes

    5.9 1990 HD

    Real estate developer Jake Berman hires private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman...

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  • 1977
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    Orca

    Orca

    6.1 1977 HD

    After witnessing the killing of his mate and offspring at the hands of a reckless Irish captain, a vengeful killer whale rampages through the...

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  • 1982
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    Personal Best

    Personal Best

    5.905 1982 HD

    Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory...

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  • 1974
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    The Yakuza

    The Yakuza

    7.069 1974 HD

    American private eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.

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  • 1964
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    The Tomb of Ligeia

    The Tomb of Ligeia

    6.25 1964 HD

    Verden Fell is shattered after the death of his lovely wife. But, after an unexpected encounter with Lady Rowena Trevanion, Fell soon finds himself...

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  • 1993
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    The Firm

    The Firm

    6.735 1993 HD

    Mitch McDeere is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by 'The Firm' and made an offer he doesn't...

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  • 1973
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    The Last Detail

    The Last Detail

    7 1973 HD

    Two Navy men are ordered to bring a young offender to prison, but decide to show him one last good time along the way.

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  • 1994
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    Love Affair

    Love Affair

    5.381 1994 HD

    Ex-football star Mike Gambril meets Terry McKay on a flight to Sydney, which is forced to land on a small atoll. They become romantic on board a ship...

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  • 1968
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    Villa Rides

    Villa Rides

    6.3 1968 HD

    Pulled into the Mexican Revolution by his own greed, Texas gunrunner and pilot Lee Arnold joins bandit-turned-patriot Pancho Villa and his band of...

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  • 1960
    imgMovies

    Last Woman on Earth

    Last Woman on Earth

    4.425 1960 HD

    Harold Gern, a shady businessman from New York, is spending a holiday in Puerto Rico with his attractive wife Evelyn. They are joined by Martin...

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  • 1982
    imgMovies

    Personal Best

    Personal Best

    5.905 1982 HD

    Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory...

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  • 1990
    imgMovies

    The Two Jakes

    The Two Jakes

    5.9 1990 HD

    Real estate developer Jake Berman hires private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman...

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  • 1971
    imgMovies

    Drive, He Said

    Drive, He Said

    6 1971 HD

    Hector is a star basketball player for the College basketball team he plays for, the Leopards. His girlfriend, Olive, doesn't know whether to stay...

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  • 1986
    imgMovies

    8 Million Ways to Die

    8 Million Ways to Die

    5.483 1986 HD

    Scudder is a detective with the Sheriff's Department who is forced to shoot a violent suspect during a narcotics raid. The ensuing psychological...

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  • 1978
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    Heaven Can Wait

    Heaven Can Wait

    6.606 1978 HD

    Joe Pendleton is a quarterback preparing to lead his team to the superbowl when he is almost killed in an accident. An overanxious angel plucks him...

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  • 1988
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    Frantic

    Frantic

    6.724 1988 HD

    The wife of an American doctor suddenly vanishes in Paris and, to find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops,...

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  • 1972
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    Cisco Pike

    Cisco Pike

    5.6 1972 HD

    A down on his luck former drug dealer is forced by a corrupt LAPD policeman to sell 100 kilos of confiscated marijuana in one weekend.

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  • 1974
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    The Parallax View

    The Parallax View

    6.8 1974 HD

    An ambitious reporter gets in trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational...

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  • 1967
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    Bonnie and Clyde

    Bonnie and Clyde

    7.5 1967 HD

    In the 1930s, bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the...

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  • 1987
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    Tough Guys Don't Dance

    Tough Guys Don't Dance

    4.646 1987 HD

    Tim Madden awakens one morning to discover a fresh tattoo on his arm, his car covered in blood, his girlfriend in bed with the town sheriff, and a...

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  • 1983
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    Deal of the Century

    Deal of the Century

    4.6 1983 HD

    Arms dealers from several companies vie to sell the most expensive and highest tech weapons to a South American dictator. There are complications;...

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  • 1971
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    McCabe & Mrs. Miller

    McCabe & Mrs. Miller

    7.151 1971 HD

    A gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives...

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  • 1972
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    The New Centurions

    The New Centurions

    6.7 1972 HD

    An idealistic rookie cop joins the LAPD to make ends meet while finishing law school, and is indoctrinated by a seasoned veteran. As time goes on, he...

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  • 1982
    imgMovies

    Personal Best

    Personal Best

    5.905 1982 HD

    Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory...

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  • 1986
    imgMovies

    8 Million Ways to Die

    8 Million Ways to Die

    5.483 1986 HD

    Scudder is a detective with the Sheriff's Department who is forced to shoot a violent suspect during a narcotics raid. The ensuing psychological...

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  • 1990
    imgMovies

    Days of Thunder

    Days of Thunder

    6.361 1990 HD

    Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle gets a break and with the guidance of veteran Harry Hogge turns heads on the track. The young...

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  • 1987
    imgMovies

    The Bedroom Window

    The Bedroom Window

    6.359 1987 HD

    Baltimore, Maryland. Sylvia sees a girl being attacked from her lover Terry's bedroom window. The assailant flees and his victim is saved. But that...

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  • 1970
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    Battle of Britain

    Battle of Britain

    1 1970 HD

    A story set during the famous WWII air battle between the British Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe.

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  • 2011
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    The Story of Film: An Odyssey

    The Story of Film: An Odyssey

    7.6 2011 HD

    A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema through the history of cinematic innovation.

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  • 1998
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    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    8 1998 HD

    To commemorate the first century of American filmmaking, the American Film Institute embarked on a celebration of America's greatest movies from the...

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  • 1970
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    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    5 1970 HD

    The Lloyd Bridges Show is an American anthology drama series produced by Aaron Spelling, which aired on CBS from September 11, 1962 to May 28, 1963,...

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  • 1970
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    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    7.759 1970 HD

    The Outer Limits is an anthology tv series of self-contained sci-fi-horror stories, sometimes with a plot twist at the end.

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  • 1970
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    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies

    1 1970 HD

    Welcome To The Basement is a show about watching, discussing and having fun with movies. The series stars Matt Sloan as the preponderant host; with...

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