The French Connection (1971)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Ernest Tidyman (screenplay)
Robin Moore (based on the book by)
(more)

Release Date:

9 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this.

Plot:

A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection.

Plot Keywords:

Heroin | Police | Drugs | French | France

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Jimmy Doyle
Fernando Rey	...	Alain Charnier
Roy Scheider	...	Det. Buddy Russo
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Sal Boca
Marcel Bozzuffi	...	Pierre Nicoli
Frédéric de Pasquale	...	Devereaux (as Frederic De Pasquale)
Bill Hickman	...	Mulderig
Ann Rebbot	...	Marie Charnier
Harold Gary	...	Weinstock
Arlene Farber	...	Angie Boca
Eddie Egan	...	Simonson
André Ernotte	...	La Valle (as Andre Ernotte)
Sonny Grosso	...	Klein
Benny Marino	...	Lou Boca
Patrick McDermott	...	Chemist (as Pat McDermott)
Alan Weeks	...	Pusher
Al Fann	...	Informant
Irving Abrahams	...	Police Mechanic
Randy Jurgensen	...	Police Sergeant
William Coke	...	Motorman
The Three Degrees	...	The Three Degrees
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Adonis	...	Bidder at New York Car Auction (uncredited)
Gilda Albertoni	...	Uncredited (uncredited)
Robert Dahdah	...	Man (uncredited)
Sarina C. Grant	...	Hooker on the Street (uncredited)
Joe Lo Grippo	...	Tollbooth Collector (uncredited)
Melonie Haller	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Eric Jones	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Charles McGregor	...	Baldy - Bar Patron in Drug Raid (uncredited)
Lora Mitchell	...	Woman with Baby Carriage (uncredited)
Maureen Mooney	...	Bicycle Girl (uncredited)
Silvano Nolemi	...	Dock Worker (uncredited)
Burt Richards	...	Auction Bidder (uncredited)
Fat Thomas	...	Mutchie (uncredited)
Robert Weil	...	Auctioneer (uncredited)

Directed by
William Friedkin

Writing credits
Ernest Tidyman		(screenplay)
Robin Moore		(based on the book by)
Howard Hawks		uncredited

Produced by
Philip D'Antoni	....	producer
G. David Schine	....	executive producer
Kenneth Utt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Don Ellis

Cinematography by
Owen Roizman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gerald B. Greenberg		(film editor) (as Jerry Greenberg)

Casting by
Robert Weiner

Art Direction by
Ben Kasazkow		(as Ben Kazaskow)

Set Decoration by
Edward Garzero		(as Ed Garzero)

Costume Design by
Joseph Fretwell III		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Irving Buchman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paul Ganapoler	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terence A. Donnelly	....	assistant director (as Terry Donnelly)
William C. Gerrity	....	assistant director
Ron Walsh	....	first assistant director (uncredited)
Dwight Williams	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Thomas Wright	....	property master (as Tom Wright)

Sound Department
Christopher Newman	....	sound (as Chris Newman)
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects

Stunts
Bill Hickman	....	stunt coordinator
Cliff Cudney	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Fisher	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunt double: Gene Hackman (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Pronto	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Stevens	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator
Robert Ward	....	key grip
William Ward	....	chief electrician (as Billy Ward)
Sandy Brooke	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Gary Muller	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joseph W. Dehn	....	wardrobe
Florence Foy	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Norman Gay	....	associate editor
Brent Eldridge	....	colorist (digital color correction) (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Don Ellis	....	music conductor

Other crew
Eddie Egan	....	technical consultant
Sonny Grosso	....	technical consultant
Nicholas Sgarro	....	script supervisor (as Nick Sgarro)
Fat Thomas	....	location consultant
Sue Dwiggins	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Monroe Friedman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
James O'Neill	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Ralph S. Singleton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• D'Antoni Productions (as A D'Antoni Production)
• Schine-Moore Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1971) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.)
• 20th Century Fox (1972) (France) (theatrical)
• Fox Film (1972) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1972) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1972) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (2010) (Finland) (DVD)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1994) (2001) (Finland) (TV)
• Rautakirja (????) (Finland) (video)
• SubTV (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• TV3 (1986) (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:18 (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (special edition) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (special edition) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Norway:16 (1972) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (PCA #23054) | West Germany:16 (bw) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Canada:18A (video rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Le Copain 891 1st Ave, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

D'Antoni Productions

Trivia:

Steve McQueen was offered the chance to star in this film. Having already played a cop in Bullitt (1968), he did not want to act in any more cop roles, and turned down the offer.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Doyle and Charnier are at the Grand Central Shuttle, a subway train departs, then returns on the same track with completely different car numbers on it. On the Grand Central Shuttle, each train only runs on one track, making it impossible under normal operation for trains to switch tracks.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle:Merry Christmas. What's your name, little boy?
Little Boy:Eric.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle:Uh-huh, Eric. What do you want for Christmas Eric? Hmmm?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the '70s: Volume 2: 1971 (#1.2)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon

The ultimate cop movie.

My favorite movie of all time "A Clockwork Orange" lost at the best picture Acadamy Award ceremony against this movie. However looking at this movie I can't say that it's undeserved, for "The French Connection" truly is one of the best movies from at least the seventies and maybe of all time. It most certainly is the best cop movie ever made, in my opinion!

The movie has a perfect gritty and realistic kind of atmosphere and an unmistakably seventies feeling. I love it! The seventies truly were the golden age of film making and they simply don't make movies like this anymore.

The characters are perfectly realistic and director William Friedkin and the actors most certainly don't attempt to portray them as being heroic or 'good cops'. Gene Hackman really in a way is an anti-hero and he seems to be born to play 'Popeye' Doyle, who by now truly has grown into a classic movie character. Roy Scheider also is really great as his partner 'Cloudy' Russo, even though his character at times disappears too long out of the story. A shame because he and Hackman were a perfect screen duo. Both got an Oscar nomination but only Hackman got to take the statue home with him. The movie also won Oscar's for best director, best film editing, best picture and best writing, screenplay based on material from another medium and got nominated for three more.

The movie might have a slow pace by today's standards but the wonderful story and acting really make up for this, "The French Connection" has stand the test of time well. The slow pace even makes the famous car chase scene even more energetic and thrilling enough to make your adrenaline run.

Truly in my opinion, the ultimate cop movie!

10/10

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