"The French Connection" tonight on Night Lights

[ghost of miles]

This week on Night Lights it’s The French Connection. This 1971 crime drama was based on a real-life early-1960s New York City investigation that resulted in what was, at that time, the largest heroin bust ever in the United States . The film, starring Gene Hackman and Roy Schneider as characters modeled on narcotics officers Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, was a box-office smash and won five Academy Awards. The soundtrack was composed and recorded by trumpeter Don Ellis, who had worked with musicians such as Charles Mingus, George Russell, and Maynard Ferguson before going on to form a progressive late-1960s big band renowned for its complex time signatures and its use of electronic and rock elements. (A critic once called Ellis “the Stan Kenton of the 1970s.”) In his score Ellis attempted to capture the sounds and feel of New York City circa 1970; ultimately he created not only a musical backdrop of urban drama, but also the sense of a system going dangerously awry, a country in the throes of Vietnam and on the verge of Watergate. (At times it sounds like Stan Kenton having a rather unpleasant psychedelic experience—and I mean that in a good way.)

“The French Connection” airs Saturday, December 2 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU, at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville, and at 10 p.m. EST Sunday evening on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Special thanks to board member White Lightning for suggesting this program.

French Connection factoid: Friedkin’s first two picks to play Popeye Doyle, the role eventually taken by Gene Hackman, were comedian Jackie Gleason and New York City columnist Jimmy Breslin. Hackman won a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance.

Next week: "The Arrival of Victor Feldman."

Edited November 29, 2008 by ghost of miles

[tonym]

What time would that be GMT, Ghost?

Cheers.

[ghost of miles]

I think that would be 4:05 a.m. GMT for the WFIU broadcast, 3:05 a.m. for the WNIN broadcast. Pretty late/early... if you can't catch it live, it should be available by Monday evening (UK time) at the archives link posted above & in my signature.

[tonym]

Thanks....I think I'll be a bit by then. Even though I stay up pretty late, that's a good hour or so past a late night for me.

i'll bet it's a good show -- just have to watch the film soon instead

[ghost of miles]

I'd like to see the sequel--I included a couple of Ellis' compositions for that score in the show (the FilmScoreMonthly CD includes both FCI and FCII).

Do you have Real Player on your computer? If you do, you should be able to use the archives. One of these days I'd like to land the show on a UK station...

Edited December 3, 2006 by ghost of miles

[tonym]

The sequel is fantastic IMO. Slightly different chase scene though

I do have Real Player so I'll browse the archives next week. Thanks!

[ghost of miles]

"The French Connection" is now archived.

Edited November 29, 2008 by ghost of miles

[Randy Twizzle]

In his score Ellis attempted to capture the sounds and feel of New York City circa 1970; ultimately he created not only a musical backdrop of urban drama, but also the sense of a system going dangerously awry, a country in the throes of Vietnam and on the verge of Watergate.

Yes also on the verge of the swine flu scare, Whip Inflation Now buttons, Earl Butz, Legionnaires Disease and The Brady Bunch.

[ghost of miles]

Hey, not to mention George Steinbrenner, the energy crisis, disco fever, and this unforgettable classic:

[ghost of miles]

We're re-broadcasting The French Connection this week, but it's already archived for online listening.

[Lazaro Vega]

Don Ellis and his four valve trumpet....

[rockefeller center]

Roy Schneider

There's a typo. Surely you mean Romy Schneider.