Only handful of films get the distinction of being the greatest films ever made. One of those who hold the distinction is none other than "The French Connection."
Released on October 7, 1971, the film is directed by William Friedkin and stars Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, and more. The story follows two New York Police Department (NYPD) detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo. These two characters are actually based on two real-life detectives, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, respectively.
It is easy to list the many things that make "The French Connection" a timeless classic, but no such list will ever be complete without the iconic car chase sequence. It is actually regarded as one of the greatest car chase sequences in the history of cinema.
You can watch the full scene below:
Here are five things you may or may not know about this iconic car chase sequence:
1. Popeye was Driving a 1971 Pontiac LeMans
In the movie, Popeye was after a hitman who was trying to escape on an elevated train. Naturally, in order to have a chance at catching the hitman, Popeye took a civilian's vehicle, which happened to be a 1971 Pontiac LeMans.
An article by AutoTrader describes the 1971 Pontiac LeMans as having a "staggering array of body styles." These include a four-door hardtop, hardtop coupe, and convertible.
2. The Car Chase was Shot without the Proper Permits
Yes, you read that right. According to Screen Rant, it was shot on uncontrolled streets too. What this basically means is that actual pedestrians and drivers were on the road as the car chase was filmed. Fortunately for him, no cast, crew member, or pedestrian was hurt during the filming.
Per Screen Rant, director William Friedkin said in an interview that should he get the chance to shoot the same car chase again, he'd do things differently so as not to put people at risk.
It should be noted that he did not have a permit to shoot on the street. He did, however, have a permit to shoot on the elevated train.
3. A Local Resident Drove Onto the Shoot and Hit the LeMans
If you film a highly dangerous car chase scene without the necessary permits and on uncontrolled streets, something is bound to go wrong. In the case of the car chase scene in "The French Connection," something did go wrong.
According to autoevolution.com, a local resident who didn't know any better accidentally drove onto the scene. The resident was on his way to to work and actually ended up hitting the LeMans.
It might not be much of a surprise that the collision was included in the final cut of the movie.
Related Article: New York Subways Will Soon Get Surveillance Cameras in Every Car
4. Friedkin was Able to Shoot Scenes on the Overhead Train by Giving an Official $40,000
Scenes on the overhead train that Gene Hackman's character was chasing was shot as part of the sequence. However, for that to be possible, William Friedkin had to resort to bribes.
Specifically, Slash Film says that the director had to bribe an official with $40,000. A tricket to Jamaica was also included in the deal.
5. Actual MTA Employees were Part of the Train Scenes
As thrilling as it is to watch Gene Hackman drive in the Pontiac LeMans, a big contributing factor to the overall success of the car chase scene was the elevated train being chased by Hackman.
As previously mentioned, the production did have the necessary permit to film on the elevated train, but official rules required that only trained staff can operate the train itself. Because of this, actual employees of the Metropolitan Transporation Authority (MTA) were part of the train scenes.
