William Friedkin, Oscar-Winning Director of The Exorcist And The French Connection, Dead At 87

[DallasEast]

William Friedkin, Oscar-winning director of ‘The Exorcist’ and The French Connection,’ dead at 87​

By Bob Thomas | Associated Press
August 7, 2023

LOS ANGELES (AP) — William Friedkin, the Oscar winning director who became a top filmmaker in his 30s with the gripping “The French Connection” and the horrifying “The Exorcist” and struggled in the following decades to match his early success has died. He was 87.

Friedkin, who won the best director Oscar for “The French Connection,” died Monday in Los Angeles, Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years, told The Associated Press on behalf of his family and wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing.

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Another sad day.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Two great movies though, hard to top those.RIP

 

[quickccc]

Friedkin probably should have won it for the Exorcist (over the Sting director) but when you can win even one Best Director Oscar (French Connection)
that's still saying a heckuva lot.

 

[Juggernaut]

William Friedkin created an instant horror classic. Phenomenal work, sir. RIP.

 

[quickccc]

William Friedkin created an instant horror classic. Phenomenal work, sir. RIP.

Such a phenom, that even after all of these past decades, his " The Exorcist " horror creation is still considered the scariest horror movie of all time
according to a very many polls and surveys.

The standard which all horror movies are and will be measured by.

 

[VaqueroTD]

A lot of legendary filmmakers during that time (late 60's, early 70's) that launched their careers and changed Hollywood - Martin Scorsese, Steve Spielberg, Robert Altman, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Lumet, Woody Allen, etc... Feels like Friedkin was going to be one of them but doesn't seem like he ever quite caught up to his 70's success.

 

[triplets_93]

I am looking forward to seeing The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial later this year, starring Kiefer Sutherland.