Philip D’Antoni, ‘The French Connection’ Producer, Dies at 89
Variety
By Christi Carras
4/23/2018
Philip D’Antoni, who produced Oscar-winning films like “The French Connection” and “Bullitt,” died at age 89 on April 15. The producer died at his home in New York.
D’Antoni was best known for the 1971 crime drama “The French Connection,” which won three Golden Globes and five Oscars, including best picture. Gene Hackman won for best actor and William Friedkin for best director and the film also won best adapted screenplay and best film editing. Also on the late producer’s resume is the Steve McQueen action flick “Bullitt,” which won an Oscar for film editing.
TV documentaries like “Elizabeth Taylor in London,” “Sophia Loren in Rome,” and the “Proud Land” miniseries made up much of D’Antoni’s early work in Hollywood in the early 1960s. “Bullitt” marked his first feature film producing credit in 1968, and from there he went on to produce “The French Connection” before returning to TV later in life. D’Antoni rounded out his career with TV titles like “Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside,” “Strike Force,” and the Roy Scheider crime series “The Seven-Ups,” which he also directed.
His final TV series, “Movin’ On,” ran for two seasons on NBC from 1974 to 1976. D’Antoni created and wrote for the show, which followed a team of truckers on their cross-country adventures.
D’Antoni is survived by his wife, five children, and nine grandchildren. Friedkin took to Twitter on Monday to mourn his “French Connection” partner. “Phil D’Antoni. My friend and the great producer Of The French Connection has died,” Friedkin wrote. “Phil D’Antoni. My friend and the great producer of The French Connection has died. May he Rest In peace”.
D’ANTONI, Philip
Born: 2/19/1920, New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Died: 4/15/2018, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.A.
Philip D’Antoni’s western – producer:
This Proud Land - 1966