Famed ‘The Exorcist’ director William Friedkin, who is an Oscar-winning director, has died at the age of 87.
William Friedkin was known for his marvellous direction in 1970s hits ‘The French Connection’ and ‘The Exorcist’ which made him one of Hollywood’s top directors.
Friedkin died in Los Angeles, Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years, told The Associated Press on behalf of his family and wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing. His son Cedric Friedkin also confirmed that he died after a long illness.
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Born in Chicago on Aug. 29, 1939, he began working in local TV productions as a teenager. By age 16, he was directing live shows. He cemented his legacy early with ‘The French Connection’, which was based on a true story and deals with the efforts of maverick New York City police Detective James ‘Popeye’ Doyle to track down Frenchman.
The movie, which was made for only $2 million, became a box office hit when it was released in 1971. It won Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay, and film editing, and led critics to hail Friedkin, then just 32, as a leading member of a new generation of filmmakers.
He followed with an even bigger blockbuster, ‘The Exorcist’, released in 1973 and based on William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil.
The harrowing scenes of the girl’s possession and the splendid cast helped make the film a box-office sensation. It was so scary for its era that many viewers fled the theater before it was over and some reported being unable to sleep for days afterward.
‘The Exorcist’ received 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Friedkin as director, and won two, for Blatty’s script and for sound.
