The French Connection (1971) - Permits and the Car Chase

Director William Friedkin at the Academy Event “The French Connection (1971)” on October 7, 2016 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

[@jeffwilson3363]

What a storyteller, and what a great director

[@ianbauer4703]

RIP Mr. Friedkin, the greatest thriller director of the last 50 years.

[@RollingOrmond]

Friedkin topped his own car-chase work with To Live and Die In L.A.

[@starwarsroo2448]

No it didn't

[@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401]

51 years later still own car chase scene

[@MrCarpen7er]

@@starwarsroo2448 He, not it. And yes he did.

[@starwarsroo2448]

@@MrCarpen7er bigger isn’t always better, that what they did in French Connection, never really been done before and kinda broke a few laws and rules, never be done again. The chase in TLADILA is bigger and more over the top, not better though and you don’t get that raw frenetic camera work as good and the emotion you get with Gene Hackaman, I appreciate your viewpoint and the fact that you replied to a pretty old comment

[@MrCarpen7er]

@@starwarsroo2448 To Live and Die in L.A car chase is better. No one mentioned length. But since you've mentioned it, obviously length is important in a car chase. That's what makes Bullitt's car chase great.

[@leemcqueen500]

Can't believe he's 81! Looks about 60 odd.

[@DarkFortressPictures_Official]

Lee McQueen William is 81 in this?

[@gregbowes]

"Not one permit" That is amazing!

[@bunnygarden215]

Fab film! Great director. Doubt they'd get this made today!!

[@viborgvee8399]

I think Spirits that are impressed with displays of badassery, confidence and audacity stepped in to protect this movie, prevent anyone from being killed, helped see it made etc.

[@hhh-kn5yn]

christopher mcquarrie is such an accurate pick for the interviewer

[@stevenfreekin5946]

Great Director. Master of Car chases. The French Connection (1971), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Jade (1995), The Hunted (2003).

[@abrilserna658]

The exorcist (1973) masterpiece

[@adrianotero7963]

Bill Hickman could really drive those old barges really quick......on the movie The Seven Ups.....you see him driving another Pontiac through the streets of NY bouncing all over the place.....one hell of a driver...many people don't know it,but he was in a backup vehicle following James Dean the day be was killed......he arrived minutes after the accident.....

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

Holy shit never heard of the Seven Ups. Also gotta point about another underrated Roy Scheider flick; Blue Thunder. Has a genuinely political plot thats always relevant, but also just awesome stunts with helicopters, also literally Malcolm McDowell vs Roy Scheider

[@8avexp]

He meant the West End line. It runs above Stillwell Ave. before turning onto 86th St.

[@jamesdrynan]

Interestingly, $40,000 in 1971 would be $301,000 today, the amount Friedkin went over budget.

[@amyh3873]

Friedkin was a method director

[@TweedSuit]

The interviewer is George Lucas from 1990.

[@isuriadireja91]

the guy made two of my all time favorite movies.

[@brandonkashinsky9222]

Car going 90 mph for 26 blocks without stopping 😨 it’s amazing that nobody got seriously injured or killed

[@ashleyjudecollie]

Grosso: "The film is an impression of what happened during the real 10 months on the case..." They embellished for entertainment reasons!

[@GinsuSher]

I just feel bad for the person driving the white car. If what I read was true, that crash was unplanned and the driver was not involved with the movie.

[@sebastianfitzptraick7395]

French Connection, Exorcist, Sorcerer and To Live And Die In L.A. are all masterpiece films. Shame the rest of his filmography doesn't match up.

[@HabAnagarek]

Well...4 masterpieces is pretty damn good.

[@SquabbleBoxHQ]

I may be alone in this, but in addition to the films already mentioned, I also rate Bug and Killer Joe. He's also done some good TV work like his all-star cast remake of 12 Angry Men - Dave.

[@LeoSkyro]

well no one is gonna make nothing but masterpieces so of course the films that are not are not going to match up

[@MrCarpen7er]

For you maybe. Cruising is brilliant and one of his best movies. Better than The French Connection. Also Bug, Killer Joe, The Hunted and Rules of Engagement are good. Rampage and Jade are worth mentioning as well.

[@ianbauer4703]

Friedkin's actual filmography is not that long, compared to other directors of his generation. But "The Hunted" and "Cruising" were also great Friedkin flicks.

[@trainluvr]

No permits for the streets, OK but up on the West End line obviously they had cooperation from Transit officialdom to film in an empty train on the middle track. 'Uncle' Don Harold, who Friedkin refers to, arranged it. The conductor and motorman were actual TA employees, not actors.

[@8avexp]

The actor who was supposed to play the conductor didn't show up on the day that scene was filmed. Enter Bob Morrone, an actual conductor.

[@dantrelford3371]

Friedkin's voice and mannerisms are weirdly Trump like.

[@Kimllg88]

Thats called Big City Attitude!

[@aminmirzoshoev3348]

Christopher Mcquarrie mostly inspired of Billy Fridkin. Some of his movie scenes were like from the French connection

A genius.. and a notgenius.

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Just as outrageous was the scene on the elevated roadway(FDR Drive? not sure) where Popeye Doyle and the cops chase after and lose sight of the drug guys. The film crew had no permit for that either, and they caused a major traffic jam.