Philip D'Antoni
Production
Biography
Philip D'Antoni (February 19, 1929 – April 15, 2018) was an American film and television producer. He was best known for producing the Academy Award-winning 1971 film The French Connection. D'Antoni attended Evander Childs High School in the Bronx. He then served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1948 during the occupation of Japan after World War II. He was eventually assigned to Special Services where he entertained troops by participating in theatrical productions. After army service, he attended Fordham University from 1948 to 1950, where he worked during the day attended school at night, and graduated with a degree in business administration. D'Antoni began his career on television with the production of the specials Sophia Loren in Rome, Elizabeth Taylor in London, and Melina Mercouri in Greece. He produced Bullitt in 1968. In 1971, he produced The French Connection, which won the Best Picture award, among other wins at the Oscars. In 1973, he produced and directed The Seven-Ups. After The Seven-Ups, D'Antoni, who held the rights to French Connection II and Gerald Walker's novel Cruising, eschewed feature filmmaking and turned his attention to television production where he enjoyed a lucrative contract with NBC. D'Antoni's crime dramas are characterized by a cold, gritty, "street" perspective with documentary style, often filmed during the bleak New York winter months, and offer the viewer a realistic and often dangerous sense of being an insider, as opposed to using glamorous locations or produced sets. D'Antoni won the Academy Award in 1972 for Best Picture and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Drama for The French Connection.
Known For
Movin' On is an American drama series that ran for two seasons, between 1974 and 1976. It originally appeared on the NBC television network. The pilot episode for the series was known as In Tandem.
Movin' On
Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.
Bullitt
Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.
The French Connection
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
The Seven-Ups
Part one of the making of William Friedkin’s 1980 thriller "Cruising" and the controversies it created.
The History of 'Cruising'
A New York City detective teams up with a federal agent and a state trooper to bust up a drug ring.
Strike Force
A documentary on the production of The French Connection (1971).
The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'
Gypsy truckers -- a tough veteran driver and his young college-educated partner -- come to the aid of embattled citrus growers in this pilot for the 1974-75 series, "Movin' On," about these free-spirited, civic-minded teamsters.
In Tandem
An out-of-work newspaperman in need of money becomes the go-between for a jewel thief and an insurance company that wants to settle.
The Connection
Two New York City cops investigate a drug-smuggling ring that they believe is run by New York-based foreign diplomats.
Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside
The exciting story of the making of William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), hosted by former NYPD detective Sony Grosso, who inspired the character of Buddy 'Cloudy' Russo, played in the film by actor Roy Scheider.
Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection
Two adventurers set sail to find a giant man-eating great white shark.
Shark Kill
Sophia Loren, who was born in Rome and lived there as a child, returns to the city that will forever be in her blood and gives her impressions of and reactions to the mosaic of Rome and the people she encounters there during her visit. She meets Marcello Mastroianni and Vittorio de Sica as she visits the sights, affectionately commenting on the grandeur of the Eternal City and the irrepressible nature of its people.
Sophia Loren in Rome
Actress Elizabeth Taylor, who was born in London, England, gives viewers a tour of the city, including her birthplace, the Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, Battersea Park and an East End church that was damaged in the infamous "blitz" air raids during World War II. She also recites several famous English poems and speeches by notable English figures.
Elizabeth Taylor in London
Thirty-five years after it was made, the climatic car chase scene in The French Connection is still jaw-dropping in its suspense and execution. Director William Friedkin recounts how he created one of the greatest action sequences ever.