Happy 85th Birthday, William Friedkin! Born today in 1935, this American screenwriter, producer and film and television director was one of New Hollywood's most successful wunderkinder in the early 1970s.
After seeing 'Citizen Kane' as a teenager, Friedkin became fascinated with film and immediately began working for WGN-TV after high school. Only then, Friedkin says, did he become a true cineaste.
However, Friedkin himself says that he did not see the film until 1960, when he was twenty-five years old.
Among the pictures which he saw as a teenager and young adult, these included two of the best-known films by French film director, screenwriter and producer Henri-Georges Clouzot.
These were the 1953 French-Italian black and white drama/thriller film 'The Wages of Fear' and the 1955 French black and white psychological drama/mystery horror thriller film 'Les Diaboliques'.
Later on, Friedkin also saw Aired Hitchcock's 1960 American black and white psychological mystery/slasher horror film 'Psycho' (which he viewed repeatedly, as he did 'Citizen Kane').
During high school, Friedkin was not a serious student and barely received grades good enough to graduate, which he did at the age of sixteen. According to Friedkin, this was because of social promotion and not because he was bright.
Within two years (at the age of eighteen), Friedkin started his directorial career doing live television shows and documentaries.
The success of a television documentary later helped Friedkin get a job with American television and film producer David L. Wolper.
As mentioned in Friedkin's voice-over commentary on the DVD re-release of Hitchcock's 1958 American noir psychological mystery/thriller film 'Vertigo', Friedkin directed one of the last episodes of CBS and NBC's American black and white dramatic anthology series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962–1965).
The episode was entitled "Off Season" (S03E29). Starring John Gavin, the it had aired on May 10, 1965. Hitchcock later admonished Friedkin for not wearing a tie while directing.
Later that same year, Friedkin moved to Hollywood. Two years later, he released his first feature film. This was the 1967 American DeLuxe Color musical comedy film 'Good Times', starring then American husband-and-wife rock duo Sonny and Cher.
On a budget of $1.115 million, 'Good Times' only grossed $800,000 at the box office. This was Friedkin's first feature film as a director, and also the first starring role for Sonny and Cher.
Four years later, Friedkin directed the first film of which he is best known.
This was the 1971 American action crime/thriller film 'The French Connection'. The film had been based on American writer Robin Moore's titular 1969 true crime non-fiction book.
On a budget of $1.6 million, 'The French Connection' went on to gross $51.7 million at the box office and $75 million worldwide due to theatrical rental.
On a budget of $1.6 million, 'The French Connection' went on to gross $51.7 million at the box office and $75 million worldwide due to theatrical rental.
The following year after the film's release, it received thee Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Roy Scheider), Best Cinematography, and Best Sound Mixing.
However, 'The French Connection' won five Oscars for Best Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. This occurred at the 44th Academy Awards in mid-April 1972.
One year later, Friedkin directed the second and film film of which he is best known.
This was the 1973 American supernatural horror film 'The Exorcist'. It is the first installment of five within The Exorcist film series.
The film was based on American writer and filmmaker William Peter Blatty's titular 1971 horror fiction novel.
Blatty's novel was inspired by the actual 1949 exorcism of a young boy from Cottage City, Maryland, and the horrifying 1634 Loudun exorcisms.
The story goes that Blatty heard about the Maryland case while he was a student at Georgetown University.
Although his book had been a bestseller, Blatty, who also wrote and produced the film, and Friedkin, his choice for director, had difficulty casting.
After turning down, or being turned down, by major stars of the era, they cast in the lead roles the relatively little-known Ellen Burstyn, the unknown Linda Blair, and American playwright and actor Jason Miller.
Miller, the author of a hit play, had never acted in movies before, and casting choices were vigorously opposed by studio executives at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Miller, the author of a hit play, had never acted in movies before, and casting choices were vigorously opposed by studio executives at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Principal photography was also difficult. Most of the set burned down, and Blair and Burstyn suffered long-term injuries in accidents.
Ultimately the film took twice as long to shoot as scheduled and cost more than twice its initial budget.
'The Exorcist' was released in twenty-four theaters in the United States and Canada the day after Christmas. Audiences flocked to it, waiting in long lines during winter weather, many doing so more than once, despite mixed critical reviews.
Some viewers had adverse physical reactions, often fainting or vomiting, to scenes such as its protagonist undergoing a realistic cerebral angiography and masturbating with a crucifix.
There were also reports of heart attacks and miscarriages; a psychiatric journal carried a paper on "cinematic neurosis" triggered by the film.
There were also reports of heart attacks and miscarriages; a psychiatric journal carried a paper on "cinematic neurosis" triggered by the film.
Many children were taken to see the film, leading to charges that the MPAA ratings board had accommodated Warner Bros. by giving the film an R-rating instead of the X they thought it deserved in order to ensure its commercial success.
A few cities tried to ban it outright or prevent children from seeing it, and obscenity concerns kept the film from a home video release in the United Kingdom until 1999.
At the time, 'The Exorcist' was the highest-rated R-rated horror film, until the release of 'It' in 2017 (unadjusted for inflation).
On a budget of $12 million, 'The Exorcist' grossed $441.3 million at the box office.
The film has had a significant influence on popular culture and has received critical acclaim, with several publications having regarded it as one of the greatest horror films of all time.
English film critic and musician Mark Kermode named it as his "favorite film of all time".
English film critic and musician Mark Kermode named it as his "favorite film of all time".
The cultural conversation around 'The Exorcist', which also encompassed its treatment of Roman Catholicism, helped 'The Exorcist' become the first horror film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture.
This was one of ten Academy Awards it was nominated for, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing.
However, 'The Exorcist' lost to George Roy Hill's ('Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid') 1973 American caper drama/crime film 'The Sting'. This occurred at the 46th Academy Awards in early April 1974.
The following year, John Frankenheimer ('The Manchurian Candidate', 'Seconds') directed a sequel to Friedkin's 'The French Connection'.
This was the 1975 American action thriller crime film 'The French Connection II'. For the film, Gene Hackman reprised his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.
Two years later, John Boorman ('Point Blank', 'Deliverance') directed the second installment The Exorcist franchise. This was the 1977 American horror/drama film 'Exorcist II: The Heretic'.
The cast included Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Kitty Winn, Paul Henreid and James Earl Jones.
The film is set four years after the original film, and centers on the now sixteen-year-old Regan MacNeil, who is still recovering from her previous demonic possession.
On a budget o $14 million, 'Exorcist II: The Heretic' grossed $30.7 million at the box office. However, upon release, the film was a critical failure.
Today, 'Exorcist II' is often considered one of the worst films ever made. It was also the last film to feature veteran actor Paul Henreid. The film currently resides on IMDb's Bottom 100 list.
In the early 1990s, Blatty himself directed the third installment of The Exorcist franchise'. This was the 1990 American horror/psychological thriller film 'The Exorcist III'.
It starred George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson and Brad Dourif.
Blatty had conceived 'The Exorcist III' with Friedkin attached to direct.
However, when Friedkin left the project, Blatty adapted the script into a bestselling 1983 horror mystery fiction novel, Legion; American film production company Morgan Creek Productions bought the film rights, with Blatty as director.
To Blatty's frustration, Morgan Creek demanded extensive last-minute changes, including the addition of an exorcism sequence for the climax.
Though some of the original footage appears permanently lost, Scream Factory released a "director's cut" closer to Blatty's vision in 2016, with footage assembled from various sources.
Following the critical and commercial failure of ‘Exorcist II: The Heretic’, ‘The Exorcist III’ received mixed reviews and made modest returns with ticket sales.
On a budget of $11 million, ‘The Exorcist III’ grossed $44 million at the box office.
The trademarks of Friedkin include the frequent uses of a hand-held camera in action sequences and a pivotal car chase sequence.
He is also infamous for his volatile, provocative behavior on film sets and in frequently working with American actor and producer William Petersen.
Among his other credits, Friedkin is also known for directing 'The Boys in the Band' (1970), 'Scanner' (1977), 'Crusing' (1980), 'To Live and Die in L.A.' (1985), 'Bug' (2006), and 'Killer Joe' (2011).
In 2005, 'The French Connection' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 2010, the Library of Congress selected 'The Exorcist' to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Friedkin did not want to be known as an art house director, but rather for action and serious drama through stories about an America upended by crime, hypocrisy, the occult, and amorality.
All of which he incorporated into his films to reflect what was going on in an America that was changing in the wake of Vietnam, the Sexual Revolution, and Watergate.
Nicknamed Hurricane Billy, Friedkin has been active from 1962–present.
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