Max’s Drive-In Movie – The French Connection

 

Maxs Drive In The French Connection

This movie was based on a true story. A book was written by Robin Moore called The French Connection about two real detectives named Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso. Their screen counterparts were Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle and Buddy ‘Cloudy’ Russo. It wasn’t an exact retelling of the true events but much of it aligned with the truth. 

One thing I love about this movie is no one looks like a movie star in it. The style of this movie was like someone filming real life. That will probably be a theme here in these drive-in movies. I won’t cover just classics like this one though but I love gritty movies. 

The plot is around two New York City cops who are trying to intercept a 32-million-dollar heroin shipment. They concentrate on ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Gene Hackman) who some would say is uncouth and doesn’t have a love for people. He is like a bulldog on a bone. There is nothing that will stop him. The main person they are chasing is Alain Charnier, a suave and urbane gentleman but is a supplier of pure heroin to America. 

The Car Chase. Oh yes, this one is different and very intense. Popeye is chasing a train that is above the street. He stops a pedestrian and uses his car and it is unrelenting. A little trivia… it was shot with no permits and featured actual crashes with real New Yorkers. They did have a few policemen that controlled traffic for the shot but the chase then went into unpatrolled places. Gene Hackman did a lot of the driving but the dangerous stunts in the chase were performed by stuntman Bill Hickman. 

French Connection Popeye and doyle

The stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider patrolled with the real subjects… Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso for a month. Hackman even helped restrain a subject at one stop. 

Let’s go to the director now. Before this film, William Friedkin was best known as a documentary maker. That probably helped the realism in this movie. He had directed a few TV movies and movies before though. He would later direct The Exorcist. 

Quotes

  • Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle: All right! You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I’m gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I’m gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.
  • [a few scenes later:]
  • Walt Simonson: Popeye. You still picking your feet in Poughkeepsie?

The line “picking your feet in Poughkeepsie” was used in real life by real cop Eddie Egan while interrogating suspects. Grosso and Egan would play good cop and bad cop.  It’s a phrase that Egan would sometimes use during interrogations to disorient and confuse suspects during interrogations, with the aim of Grosso getting them to open up by asking more direct queries actually related to the case.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

41 thoughts on “Max’s Drive-In Movie – The French Connection”

      1. ‘Yosemite Sam’ might fit the bill/narrative? (Sorry, I’m down down down with the flu, only just turning the corner so I’ve being a very poor commenter on all posts lately.)

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Now he would work! I thought something was up (down) with you…if I didn’t hear from you today I was going to go to your site and ask. I hope you get feeling better obbverse.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh I knew Phil…it’s much better than what some people have called me! That convincing is called computer magic! I thought it looked pretty good!

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  10. Love this film. Like you say, the “gritty” feel. They did it different back then. Picking up shots on the go. No week moments. Hackmen is an acting treasure. A good story brought to the big screen at Max’s Drive-In.

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      2. I would like to see that…yea I’ve heard other actors sometimes bitch about him because of his intensity…that is why he is so great.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. I’ve seen it, first way back when, and then a few years back. I have a fondness for cinema and series set in the mean streets of NYC. Hackman has been in a lot of excellent films. Only other movies I remember seeing Roy Scheider in were Jaws and All That Jazz. Both actors are professional to the core. Lots of good trivia you share about the the film.

    I like your banner. What a creative idea!

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    1. THANK YOU!!! You said it and didn’t mean to I don’t think…Mean Streets. That would be a great one to cover. I had forgot about that movie.
      Thank you Lisa I really appreciate it. It’s fun to branch out once a week and cover movies.

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      1. You’re welcome. And I had forgotten there was a movie by that name but the term has been around for awhile even without it being a movie title. I enjoyed writing up movies before but just got too busy.

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      2. I got home early today and I’m watching it now since I read your reply. Oh you would love this movie if you haven’t seen it! Harvey Keitel and Robert DeNiro are in it directed by Scorsese. The music is worth it alone…another very gritty movie set in New York in around 74. I’ll have it in a couple of weeks ready.

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  12. “French Connection” is one of my favorite action movies. I’ve also always liked Gene Hackman. I must have watched that film at least three times.

    In general, it wouldn’t occur to me to do that with a contemporary movie. I feel nowadays, most movies are heavy on violence and action and light on story scripts.

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    1. It makes sense since you live there…I love that car chase and the acting.
      I would like to take a guess on why contemporary movies are lacking at times. They want to get to the action right away…no wait….because some of the audience has no patience for building a story.

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      1. I think short attention spans are a root cause, especially in this social media age. I also think action feeds more action. An old-fashioned car chase like in “French Connection” or “Bullitt” no longer stands out.

        The past few times I’ve been to the movies with my wife one preview after the other were for movies packed with action and violence. I found it a bit disturbing.

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      2. With me…I know I’m getting older but sometimes they mumble now and things are hard to hear because of mumbling or the noise around them.
        I don’t mind slow moving movies with a great story.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Yes…when I watch them at home….I make sure to get subtitles. At first I thought it was me….but then when I watch an older movie I don’t need them.

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Pingback: Max’s Drive-In Movie – The French Connection – MobsterTiger

  14. I have only seen this once, but requires a revisit especially after your review here.
    You mentioned you like ‘gritty realism’ then I imagine Pacino’s Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Scarface may feature at some point, if they haven’t already.

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      2. LOL…the trilogy is my favorite Eastwood movies by far…the way it was done I love. Well one of the next ones I’m doing is a Scorsese film…but not one of the huge ones.

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