Oscar-Winning Director Of ‘The Exorcist’ And ‘The French Connection,’ William Friedkin Dies At The Age Of 87

William Friedkin, a director who defined a generation and gave the 1970s blockbusters “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist” a visceral reality, has passed away. When he was only in his 30s, he was swiftly hailed as one of Hollywood’s top directors. He was 87.

William Friedkin passed away at the age of 87

On behalf of his family and wife, former studio boss Sherry Lansing, Friedkin, who received the best director Oscar for “The French Connection,” passed away on Monday  in Los Angeles, according to Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant of 24 years. According to Cedric Friedkin, his son, he passed away after a protracted illness.
Cedric Friedkin said, “He was a role model to me and to (my brother) Jack.” He was a great source of inspiration.

Early work of the director

His early work, “The French Connection,” was based on a true event and followed detective James “Popeye” Doyle of the New York City Police as he sought down the Frenchman Fernando Rey, the head of a significant heroin trafficking network, solidifying his legacy. It has one of the most exciting pursuit moments ever captured on camera.

In an Oscar-winning performance, Gene Hackman’s Doyle narrowly misses making the arrest on a subway train and hastily races to his police car to follow the train as it exits the station and enters an elevated railway. He sprints underground, avoiding vehicles, trucks, and people on foot, including a woman pushing a baby carriage, before giving up the chase.

Oscar in the year 1971

When it was released in 1971, the $2 million film, which also won Oscars for best picture, script, and film editing, became a box office success. Friedkin, who was only 32 at the time, was hailed by critics as a key figure in a new generation of filmmakers.

He then produced an even bigger hit, “The Exorcist,” based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel about a 12-year-old girl who is possessed by the devil, which was released in 1973.

A stellar ensemble, led by Linda Blair as the girl, Ellen Burstyn as her mother, and Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller as the priests attempting to exorcise the devil from her, together with the graphic scenes depicting the girl’s possession, all contributed to the movie’s success at the box office. Many moviegoers left the theater before it ended because it was unusually terrifying for its day, and some said they couldn’t sleep for days afterward.

The Exorcist

The script by Blatty and the sound design for “The Exorcist” each garnered two Oscar nominations out of the 10 total nominations. Friedkin received one.

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After his second triumph, Friedkin continued to work as a director well into the twenty-first century. However, he would never again receive the same level of praise for his later efforts, and he developed a reputation for tiffs with both performers and studio executives.