Hollywood and movie fans mourned the passing of Oscar-winning filmmaker William Friedkin on August 7, 2023. Friedkin, who earned a Best Director Oscar in 1972 for The French Connection, passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 87, with his widow, Sherry Lansing, tearfully telling BBC shortly after his death, “He was the most wonderful husband in the world. He was the most wonderful father in the world. He had a big wonderful life. There was no dream unfulfilled.”
Friedkin died before his final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jake Lacy, and Jason Clarke debuted at the Venice Film Festival.
TCM will be celebrating the critically acclaimed filmmaker’s life and career with two nights of special programming. Announcing the tribute, TCM described William Friedkin as “a great friend to Turner Classic Movies and he attended the TCM Classic Film Festival several times, most recently in April 2023.”
TCM Remembers William Friedkin Part 1 – Thursday, September 14
- 8:00 PM ET– The French Connection (1971) – Two New York narcotics cops set out to bust a French drug smuggling ring.
- 10:00 PM – To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) – A Secret Service agent becomes obsessed with tracking down a notorious and dangerous Los Angeles counterfeitor.
- 12:15 AM – The Boys in the Band (1970) – A gay birthday party turns into a night of soul-searching when the host’s straight college roommate turns up by mistake.
TCM Remembers William Friedkin Part 2 – Sunday, November 26
- 8:00 PM ET – Friedkin Uncut (2018) – TCM Premiere – In this documentary, William Friedkin is interviewed about his career, alongside a number of his colleagues and industry admirers.
- 10:00 PM – The Exorcist (1973) – A priest battles to save a young girl possessed by demons.
