Oddly, the one movie that got all the awards, the one that everyone remembers – wasn’t my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, while I do love watching this movie – the car chase just didn’t seem to match up to the other two. But even so, the soundtrack, the acting, the actual filming locations give this picture a gritty, realistic New York feel that few movies ever achieve. Based on a true story, The French Connection was a blockbuster that won five Oscars (including Best Picture) and it was nominated for three more. Hickman played an ornery, wisecracking FBI agent named Mulderig who specialized in pissing off NYPD detective “Popeye” Doyle played by Gene Hackman. But yes…you guessed it…Bill got behind a wheel again.

Perhaps the best French Connection / Hickman story was from the following Youtube I discovered while researching the movie. William Friedkin, the director and one of the film’s award winners, is interviewed by the American Film Institute and tells us all how he got the famous chase scene on film. It’s a classic Hickman story. Got five minutes? Watch this:

As far as the drinking reference goes, I did read another story that stated both Friedkin and Hickman were having a few in some bar on location…but that’s another story. But what is incredible is that Hickman drove high speed in a non-closed area with open traffic and pedestrians. Thankfully, nobody got hurt. Can you imagine a film crew doing that today without getting locked up? But Friedkin got his shot, the movie won a boatload of awards and the rest is film legend. At a time before the internet, hardly anyone except the film crew really knew who the driver of that ’71 Pontiac was. Besides his role as Agent Mulderig, Bill Hickman gave another legendary driving performance. The full chase sequence:

Awards

Best Picture – Philip D’Antoni – Academy Awards, USA 1972
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Gene Hackman – Academy Awards, USA 1972
Best Director – William Friedkin – Academy Awards, USA 1972
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium – Ernest Tidyman – Academy Awards, USA 1972
Best Film Editing – Gerald B. Greenberg – Academy Awards, USA 1972
Best Motion Picture / Drama – Golden Globes, USA 1972
Best Director / Motion Picture – William Friedkin – Golden Globes, USA 1972
Best Motion Picture Actor / Drama – Gene Hackman – Golden Globes, USA 1972
Best Film Editing – Gerald B. Greenberg – BAFTA Awards 1973
Best Motion Picture – Ernest Tidyman – Edgar Allan Poe Awards 1972
National Film Registry – National Film Preservation Board, USA 2005