I want to change things up as we all are sick and tired of COVID-19. As you know, I love old cop movies from the 70’s. One of my favorites is The French Connection. I stumbled across this YouTube clip of the people involved in the making of the film including director William Friedkin, Gene Hackman, the real “Cloudy” Sonny Grosso, and the late great Roy Scheider. One thing I learned from the clip was that all involved pushed each other to do their best. Hackman’s character of James “Popeye” Doyle was based on Eddie “Popeye” Egan, who was an actor and technical advisor along with Grosso in the movie. Egan wanted Hackman to be more racist, crude, and intense, like himself. Hackman who is the Eddie Egan of acting was acting and wanted to make Doyle more human for the screen. William Friedkin along with Hackman and Scheider went to work with Egan and Grosso and saw how the Detectives worked and saw the underbelly of the world of narcotics. Friedkin pushed the actors too, including arguing with Hackman on how to act cold in the cold. Then there is Bill Hickman. Hickman played the federal agent in the movie. He also doubles as stunt driver and did most of the driving under the subway. Friedkin worked the camera behind the LeMans as the cameramen all had families! Hickman was the stunt coordinator in the movie Bullitt and drove the Dodge Charger. Needless to say Hickman was the shit! Friedkin wanted Hickman to give it his all. So, with no permits, no permission, no streets blocked off, and only a gumball light and siren Hickman drove that Pontiac 90 miles and hour in Brooklyn traffic with Friedkin telling Bill “Give it to me.” Needless to say some of the fender benders were not staged.
The French Connection won five Oscars. At the Academy Awards Hackman thanked Friedkin, Scheider and Eddie Egan. This movie launched the careers of Hackman, Scheider, Friedkin, and Eddie Egan.
SEVEN FIVE RADIO 