The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrates the 45th anniversary of the 1971 Best Picture winner, The French Connection, on Friday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Immediately after the screening, Oscar-winning screenwriter Chris McQuarrie will host an onstage conversation with the film’s Oscar-winning director, William Friedkin.
Based on Robin Moore’s 1969 nonfiction book of the same name, The French Connection follows NYPD detectives Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) on a relentless pursuit of Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), the ringleader of a global heroin-smuggling syndicate.
The French Connection was the first R-rated film in Academy history to win Best Picture. It also received Academy Awards for Best Actor for Hackman, Film Editing and Adapted Screenplay.
Click here for tickets and additional information.
