According to robin moore, the invicta was popular with drug smugglers in the early 1960s because it had a large space under the body behind each front wheel well. Many of the near collisions in the movie were therefore real and not planned with the exception of the nearmiss of the lady with the baby. The man, named pierre nicoli, is the henchman of a silverhaired drug kingpin named alain charnier. In the drivers seat, sometimes with all the attention friedkin pays these cars, they feel hefty with psychic weight. Welcome to our regular wednesday feature classic cars from hollywood, where we feature classic cars from movies and tv and introduce celebrities that collect classic and muscle cars. While on stakeouts in bedfordstuyvesant, egan and grosso discovered drug dealers could. Feb 22, 2015 1971s the french connection features one of the most harrowing car chases in cinema history. Like delahaye, coddington was inspired to push design boundaries, and his son boyd jr. Parents need to know that the french connection is a 1971 movie that is filled with frequent profanity including fk, violence, and questionable behavior. The question im most asked in interviews about the french connection, is how the chase was filmed. Philip dantoni, the producer of bullitt and the french connection, rounded out his impeccable carchase trilogy with the sevenups, his only time in the directors chair.
The movie is based on the nonfiction book the french connection. William friedkin on how he filmed the french connections iconic. The operation started in the 1930s, reached its peak in the 1960s, and was dismantled in the 1970s. It tells the story of new york police department detectives jimmy popeye doyle and buddy cloudy russo, whose reallife counterparts. Explore womens clothing and fashion online at french connection. More than halfway into the film the french connection, police officer popeye doyle gene hackman. To properly rev up your engine for the release, weve compiled a list of our top 10 movie car chases. Right up there with bullitt, the blues brothers, ronin and many others. The french connection car sketched in pencil, and finished digitally with a wacom tablet. The chain that grew from the one restaurant became popeyes famous fried chicken.
The french connection is one of the most iconic movies of its time, renowned for its great performances gene hackman won an academy award for best actor and incredible storytelling. The french connection is one of the iconic films of the 1970s. The french connection is a 1971 american action thriller film directed by william friedkin. Inside the french connection car chase the new york times. Dec 10, 2018 the french connection, directed by william friedkin, stands as a terrific movie on its own it was the first rrated film to win best picture at the academy awards, among other oscars but the iconic chase was a shocker at the time and remains perhaps the best ever. I parked my car and started walking towards a nondescript building among a number of similar buildings.
Stillwell avenue, brooklyn he requisitions a passing car and begins the movie s famous chase sequence at. Gene hackman, the star of the french connection, discusses the famous car chase scene from the film. Cameo 2 spoilers 7 the early scene where doyle and russo chase down a drug dealer with doyle dressed in a santa claus suit is based on a reallife tactic used by eddie egan and sonny grosso. The french connection is routinely included, along with bullitt, diva and raiders of the lost ark, on the short list of movies with the greatest chase scenes of all time. Made in 1971 and starring a young gene hackman and roy scheider, it is based on an actual drug trafficking scheme known by the same name. This truestory based action film contains one of the most novel car chases in all cinema. The screenplay, written by ernest tidyman, is based on robin moores 1969 nonfiction book the french connection. As is obvious from the above notes, it was filmed one shot at a time, with a great deal of rehearsal, an enormous amount of advance planning, and a good deal of luck.
Although the 1973 film is a fictionalized account of. Ironically, in the ensuing years, so many other cop movies and tv shows have coopted the films style and tone that the french connection no longer feels dated at all. The incredible true story behind the real french connection. Top 10 greatest movie car chase scenes from the 70s donut. The french connection car chase was dangerous and life. From aladdin to the little mermaid to frozen, find out how all these disney movies are part of the. The pontiac chase in the sevenups is real as it gets. The film is often cited as containing one of the greatest car chase sequences in movie history.
French connection starring gene hackman and roy scheider premiered in 1971 and follows two narcotics officers trying to prevent a smuggling job. Its baked into the grit and grime of new york in the 1970s, its glittering storefronts and neon lights, bustling bars and nightclubs, and roaring traffic, streets slick with rain. Filmed using real cars at least one of the collisions is real and partially improvised, its a remarkable achievement that feels unlike anything made prior to it or in its wake. The movies title comes from the actual drug trade that saw heroin shipped from turkey to the southern french port of marseille and then onto the united states. Detective jimmy doyle gene hackman hurtling down crowded nyc streets in a brown pontiac to catch a.
But when that chase was hailed as the greatest ever seen, producer philip dantoni set out to top it just three years later, in the french connection. Ask anyone the best car chase scene in cinematic history and theyll likely tell you, without pause, that its the french connection. Heres why the bullitt car chase scene was so influential. Director william friedkin at the academy event the french connection 1971 on october 7. What many film buffs forget, however, is that this classic flick also includes one of the most incredible car chases ever put to film.
Made in 1971, the citys decay is front and center in nearly every frame, from abandoned, grimecovered buildings and derelict cars to crumbling warehouses and trashstrewn lots, and at times, the neglect is nothing short of tragic. In the port city of marseille, france, an undercover detective follows a known criminal. May 21, 2014 william friedkins the french connection depicts just the kind of new york he was looking for. The principal car chase scene was widely considered to be the best ever put on film at the time, overtaking bullitt 1968 for that honor. The sevenups is a 1973 american mystery action film produced and directed by philip dantoni.
The real life french connection car, a 1960 buick invicta, had french plate 18 lu 75. Hollywood 1971 pontiac lemans from the french connection. The classic french connection car chase many of the close. The trail leads to notorious drug kingpin, alain charnier. But when one of the criminals tries to kill doyle, he begins a deadly pursuit that takes him far outside the city limits. In the films climax, johnnie aysgarth cary grant uses the power of an lg45 on a clifftop road, terrifying his wife lina mclaidlaw joan fontaine to the point where she considers leaping from the car to a certain death. The case began on a hunch, when two nypd narcotics bureau detectives saw a lowlevel mobster sal boca in the movie entertaining known drug lords at the copacabana nightclub. A true story the french connection gets the gong as the movie with the 3rd best car chase of all time. The scene benefits hugely from star steve mcqueens natural ability. If the french connection conjures visions of the cars of emil delahaye, specifically the 1939 type 165 and the 1949 type 175s, the resemblance is purely intentional. Having a car, for the characters in this movie, seems to give them agency and freedom though not freedom from surveillance. Hence, the following list is not ranked according to any particular order. Hollywood 1971 pontiac lemans from the french connection gold. Famous train car chase scene from the french connection movie.
Almost always near the top of many topten lists of alltime greatest movie car chase scenes is the french connection, released in 1971. The 1966 pontiac le mans popeye commandeers from a civilian driver to chase nicoli in his subway train. For example, the french connection s seemingly competent and professional sidekick suddenly decides that the best way to kill doyle is from a rooftop in a broad daylight. Discussion with filmmaker william friedkin at new york film. A true account of cops, narcotics, and international conspiracy, written by robin moore, which delves into the drug smuggling world of crimeridden new york city of the late 1960s, when heroin was smuggled into the united states from france. He, of course, misses and hits the innocent pedestrian instead leading to the great car elevatedtrain chase scene. Film locations for the french connection in new york. Display as images display as list make and model make and year year category importancerole date added new ones first episode appearance ep. The classic french connection car chase many of the. The car chase in the french connection shocked audiences when it premiered. Directed by 1 writing credits 2 cast 41 produced by 3 music by 1. If not for some of the fashions and the clunky old cars, the movie could comfortably be released to theaters today or form the basis for a longrunning series on hbo or the fx. The two lead characters, nypd detectives, are in more of an antihero vein. It was responsible for providing the vast majority of the heroin used in the united states at the time.
The french connection 1971 permits and the car chase. The cars of the hitchcock films classic driver magazine. This is a breakaway from the usual everyday cars that renault is famed for producing. The french connection, american crime thriller film, released in 1971, that became known for having one of the most exciting and iconic car chases in cinematic history. By comparison, the french connection s contribution is a whiteknuckle experience in large part because of its verisimilitude.
The centre piece chase has doyle tearing through the streets of new york in a 1971 pontiac lemans, trying to catch his quarry who is. Each car represents some larger plot point, or something to learn about the universe of the film. Recently we featured cars such as the 1975 gran torino from the tv show starsky and hutch and the iconic thunderbird from the movie thelma and louise. The french connection, movie, 1971 internet movie cars. Description, analysis, and more, so you can understand the ins and outs of the french connection. Today we feature the 1971 pontiac lemans from the classic movie the french connection.
It is one of the most famous car chases in cinema history, in a film famed for its gritty realism about drug crime and cops in new york city in the early 1970s. With gene hackman, roy scheider, fernando rey, tony lo bianco. The screenplay, written by ernest tidyman, is based on robin moore s 1969 nonfiction book the french connection. But this is a very different film to the french connection, as the characters in the connection are all real. Sep 11, 2018 the movie is based on the nonfiction book the french connection. The exciting car chase sequence in this movie is now legendary, and is arguably the best one ever filmed, but there is so much more to this film than just that. A few days after seeing the french connection in a theater, i was asked to pick up my mother at my aunts apartment in coney island.
The 1971 crime feature, directed by william friedkin, stands as a terrific movie on its own it was the first rrated film to win best picture at the academy awards, among other oscars but the iconic chase was a shocker at the time and remains perhaps the best ever. It featured a great early gene hackman performance that won an academy award, and it also won oscars for best picture. One day, they stumble upon a huge shipment of heroin from france. Al copeland named his restaurant chain, popeyes mighty good fried chicken, after popeye doyle, gene hackman s character in the film the french connection 1971. Interview courtesy of 20th century fox home entertainment. Dga quarterly magazine fall 2006 feature the french. Car chases have been part of movies from the moment cars and movies sprang into existence at the turn of the 20th century. As with most cars of the period, customers could choose their preferred bodywork from a variety of coachbuilders. The french connection was inspired by a true story, and eddie egan and sonny grosso, popeye and buddys real life counterparts, both have small roles in. The french connection also has the nerve to paint a detailed picture of a battered city that serves as the killing ground for the cops and robbers. May 16, 2018 the team was appropriately named the sevenups, and the cops story helped birth a pontiac fans dream car chase. William friedkin called the french connection a crude poem to the city, and you can feel this unpolished poetry rendered in every frame. The alltime top 10 movie car chases speeding into theaters on aug. The filming locations of the french connection, then and now.
Director william friedkin claimed the only thing we had permits for was to shoot on the elevated train when filming the iconic car chase from his 1971 best picture oscar winner, the french. The french connection, a 1971 crime thriller film directed by william friedkin, written by ernest tidyman and produced by phillip dantoni, is the tale of nyc cop jimmy popeye doyle gene hackman and his partner, buddy cloudy russo roy scheider. What is not always remembered is what a good movie it is apart from the chase scene. Apr 16, 2019 these insane disney movie theories connect many of your disney faves in more way than one. A countdown of the top 15 french cars seems harsh business as all the cars that fit the bill are top cars in their own. Sals two cars, the 1971 ford ltd, and the 1961 comet sedan, which he shouldnt be able to afford on his shopkeeper salary. Mar 14, 2012 bullitt and the french connection popularized the chase scene, and now every movie has one. The french connection was a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from turkey to france and then to the united states and canada. The french connection, movie, 1971 pictures provided by. The 50 craziest car chase scenes in movie history complex. When the french connection was released in 1971, the movie cleaned up at awards season, snagging eight oscar nods and five wins, including honors for best picture, best actor, and best director yet sadly, the film somehow failed to take home the biggestand most importantaccolade that year. Aug 31, 2015 the french connection you cant mention classic car chases without bringing up steve mcqueens bullitt.
The french license plate on the 1971 lincoln mk iii used to smuggle the heroin is 18 lu. The movie, which features other tense action sequences, centres on violent and unlikable new york city narcotics detectives on the trail of international heroin dealers. The filming locations of the french connection, then and. The iconic movie the french connection is based on a reallife drugsmuggling case that took place in new york city in 1961. It tells the story of new york police department detectives jimmy popeye doyle and buddy cloudy russo, whose reallife counterparts were narcotics detectives eddie egan and sonny grosso. Oct 04, 2017 top 10 greatest movie car chase scenes from the 70s donut media donut media. A pair of nyc cops in the narcotics bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a french connection. The chase begins when popeye doyle commandeers a 1971 pontiac lemans. The french connection is a superb movie, and still better than just about any similar hollywood crime thriller made in the last few years. Why wasnt the r40m and r32 subway cars featured in the film not mentioned above.
Browse our beautiful array of products that are perfect for your wardrobe. The french connection and the art of ugly cinenation. After looking back at the best movie car chases of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, donut media has returned to the period where they all began with a countdown of the top 10 car chases of the 1960s. New york city detectives popeye doyle gene hackman and buddy russo roy scheider hope to break a narcotics smuggling ring and ultimately uncover the french connection.
The connection is the european side of a story made famous by gene hackmans popeye doyle on the streets of new york. It stars roy scheider as a crusading policeman who is the leader of the sevenups, a squad of plainclothes officers who use dirty, unorthodox tactics to snare their quarry on charges leading to prison sentences of seven years or more upon prosecution, hence the name of the team. Based on a true story, this actionfilled thriller, with its renowned chase scene, won five. Something struck me as familiar, even though i had never been there before. William friedkins the french connection depicts just the kind of new york he was looking for.