French Connection II (1975)

"Popeye" Doyle travels to Marseille to find Alain Charnier, the drug smuggler who eluded him in New York.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Alexander Jacobs (screenplay), Robert Dillon (screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Bernard Fresson

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Doyle
Fernando Rey	...	Alain Charnier
Bernard Fresson	...	Barthélémy
Philippe Léotard	...	Jacques (as Philippe Leotard)
Ed Lauter	...	General Brian
Charles Millot	...	Miletto
Jean-Pierre Castaldi	...	Raoul (as Jean - Pierre Castaldi)
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	'The Old Lady' / The Old Lady
Samantha Llorens	...	Denise
André Penvern	...	Bartender
Reine Prat	...	Young Girl on the Beach
Raoul Delfosse	...	Dutch Captain
Luang Ham Chau	...	Japanese Captain (as Ham Chau Luong)
Jacques Dynam	...	Inspector Genevoix
Malek Kateb	...	Algerian Chief (as Malek Eddine)

Storyline

New York narcotics detective Popeye Doyle follows the trail of the French connection smuggling ring to France where he teams up with the gendarmes to hunt down the ringleader.

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Plot Keywords:

organized crime | drug traffic | detective | sequel to best picture winner | american abroad | 

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Taglines:

Don't miss the final showdown!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Contacto en Francia II

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Budget:

$4,340,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$12,484,444

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The heroin processing lab was built by the Corsican mafia, and was so realistic that the entire set had to be guarded by French police when it wasn't in being used by the film crew. The mafia also advised on the methods used by drug smugglers to get heroin in the US (concealing the drug in freighter weights) and, according to John Frankenheimer, organized the permits for the traffic jam during the chase at the end of the film.

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Goofs

In the first bar scene, Popeye Doyle eats an egg that changes from partially eaten to whole again and back again while he tries to talk to the French girls.

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Quotes

Jimmy Doyle: Jack Daniel's.
French Barkeeper: Jacques qui?
Jimmy Doyle: Jackie, yeah, Jackie Daniel's.
French Barkeeper: ?
Jimmy Doyle: Scotch, right there, El Scotcho.
French Barkeeper: Whisky?
Jimmy Doyle: Here we go.
French Barkeeper: Avec glace? (With ice?)
Jimmy Doyle: Yeah, in a glass.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: MARSEILLES

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Alternate Versions

For the first few showings of the film, it was approximately 8 minutes longer. 20th Century Fox took out a couple of scenes without director John Frankenheimer's consent. One scene involved Doyle and the girl who played beach volleyball. This footage has yet to be found, and was not included on the 2001 DVD release.

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Connections

Referenced in Pale Blue Balloons (2008)

User Reviews

You put me next to the shithouse!

The sequel to the massive hit "French Connection" pales a bit in comparison to the original,but it also adds more depth to the story and Popeye Doyle as a character.Gene Hackman almost outdoes his Oscar-winning performance here as Popeye Doyle running loose in Marseille.The film is a bit uneven and exhausting,but the ultimate showdown is well crafted.The scenes when Doyle is on detox after getting injected with heroin add to the overall dramatic depth of the film,making the original look more action-oriented and systematic.

Ergo does this movie come out as a sort of theatric depiction of Popeye Doyle and his pursuit for Charnier.The problem with this film is that its too long,but I guess that couldn't have been avoided when you are Frankenheimer.Hackman keeps his humour and treats us with a few classical Popeye lines,my favorite being:"You put me next to the shithouse!".8 out of 10.