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Flashback: <em>The French Connection</em>
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 23, 2011
Modified Feb 23, 2011
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 23, 2011
Modified Feb 23, 2011
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The late NYPD detective Eddie Egan gained fame after he helped bust up an organized crime ring in 1961 with his partner Sonny Grosso. They seized 112 lbs of heroin, and the investigation became the subject of a book by Robin Moore, called The French Connection. By 1971 the story was hitting the big screen, with Egan being portrayed by Gene Hackman (he won an Oscar for his performance—the film also won Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Editing). His character was called Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle—the nickname being Egan's real life nickname. You can watch Hackman's Oscar acceptance speech here, and the movie's trailer below (along with that famous car chase scene).
Two years after The French Connection's release, Robert Duvall played the role of Egan in another (less successful) movie, called Badge 373; this was a less fictionalized account of Egan's entire career.
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Eddie Egan
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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