Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 47

St. Petersburg Times, Tuesday, January 18, 1972 3-D TWO VIEWS OF A MOVIE ft Moments I v. L. i 4re Interspersed With Make Believe Detective Jimmy Doyle, yfoyed by Gene Hackman, dodges snipers bullets. Connection' Worth Making Nine years ago, in 12, a young junior grade detective in the narcotics section of the New York Police Department became involved in a tensely significant case the crackdown of an international narcotics ring.

That man was James P. Morgan, better known in those days as "Tlie Kid' to his fellow officers, now St. Petersburg's Public Safety administrator. Morgan saw the movie, based on this case, and the following is his review of "The French Connection." Mini-Review The symbols used above indicate there is profanity and violence in f'The French Connection." Croirodi, Tyron Boulevard it Mh Street, "The French Connection," produced by Philip D'Anloni, screenplay by Ernest Tidyman from the book by Robin Moore, directed by William Friedkin. The cat: Gene Hackman, Roy Schelder, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo-Bianco and otheri.

Rated R. little consequence as regard the film's total impact. The facts apparent to an audience after seeing "The French Connection" is that a policeman's world as seen through the character of Jimmy Doyle (expertly portrayed by Gene Hackman) is often squalid, cold-hearted and unbeautiful. The movie does 'not sugar-coat its basic cops and robbers plot. Jimmy Doyle may not be an exemplary policeman.

He may never become a hero. Indeed, he is presented as exceptionally hard-nosed and brutal. But he reacts as one might expect a dog to react when thrown into a cage with wolves. He takes immediate command. He defends.

And though he makes little progress in his life, he manages to stay alive. Director William Friedkin has carefully contrived the intense action of this film to jolt you, to assault your nervous system. He is undeniably does not have an opportunity to display his real talent. However, they are reflected quite well by his move image in the person of Roy Scheider. Realism in this film came in the various "tail" sequences which range from mediocre to great.

The latter is the case when Frog I French "washes" himself (looses his tail) in a New York subway in a most professional manner. The un-glamorous aspects of surveillance are given equal time, but not equal billing with the various chases in the film. It is the depicting of routine police work, that is so necessary in this type case, which lends such an air of legitimacy to that is dropped slightly in volume, but not in intensity, you are given no relief. In one of the tightest, most cleverly directed scenes to take shape on the screen in a long time, again involving a chase this time on foot the subway station sequence rewards us and detective Doyle only in groaning futility as his objective fades into the distance. THAT ONE distraction in the nearly perfect plot mentioned earlier is a car accident on the freeway.

We know no one involved and no explanation is ever offered why detectives from the narcotics division are investigating a collision. We tend to accept the incident as natural and appropriate, but it is neither. Its only purpose seems to be to further explore the rift between the city police and the federal investigator. But this minor flaw does little to spoil an otherwise thrilling, masterfully produced film. See it.

HOW DOES he do it? He creates suspense by building layer upon layer of unrelieved tension, by carefully slicing the film into sharply edited segments, by shaving away all those incidents not absolutely necessary to the story Xall but one there is one distracting episode), and by concentrating on the kicking futility of a policeman's life in the big city. Those words "unrelieved tension" and "futility" have more than a little to do with the impact of the movie. In a well-advertised, but unimaginably exciting car and subway chase, director Friedkin piles nervous moment upon nervous moment. Then, at a time when most other chases come to emphatic conclusions and audience members slump back into their seats, whewing aloud and wiping sweaty palms, "The French Connection," continues the scene. And like hearing a sustained high-pitched note on a violin ByJ.OUVERPRESCOTT Timtt Dram Critic From the moment the tense, staccato credits begin to skid on and off the screen introducing "The French Connection" at Crossroads, you realize it's going to be a nervous ride.

And it is. "The French Connection" has appeared on several film critics' Best Ten lists around the country where it was viewed before the end of last year. It has appeared on seven of the eight nationally known critics' lists in fact, and is certainly worthy of the honor. ALTHOUGH the movie is based on an actual incident involving the crashing of an international narcotics ring, no indication of this fact is given until the brief epilogue in which the actual sentences and court decisions in the case are flashed on the screen. Whether the film rendition is accurate or not is really of this picture.

THE MOST talked about phase of the picture is the car-subway chase. It is also the one episode which does not relate to the incidents in this particular case, nor, any particular phase that I can remember in the careers of either Egan or Grosso. Perhaps the favorable audience reaction to this spectacular chase justifies the "poetic license" enjoyed by movie makers. This license is completely abused in, the final scene when a "dirty dozen," or so, of characters ranging from a trainee garbage man to a junkie with a chemistry set gather around to observe the sale of the heroin and the placing of some fifty kilos in a "hiding" place. Then to completely depart from reality a small war is ranged in which the New York City Police Department is shown expending more ammunition than they have used since a shoot out in the '50s until the present time.

About 80 per cent of "The French Connection" depicts the events in a very interesting case. The other 20 per cent contains excitement and violence as well as flashbacks to old police methods. The total package adds up to a film that most people will enjoy thoroughly. By J. P.

MORGAN JR. It is very difficult to give an objective review of "The French Connection" in view of my personal knowledge of the case and the two detectives involved. THE OPENING episode in this movie has nothing to do with this case as such, but rather relates as one incident two separate cases that were made by Detectives Eddie Egan Doyle) and Sonny Grosso The techniques used by these two men in the picture (as well as in their early careers) have, for the most part, disappeared from the modern police scene although some might describe their actions as "the way it was in the good old days." Gene Hackman as "Pop-eye" did not creat Detective Doyle, but rather reflects to perfection the mannerisms, expressions, and even dress from the battered old hat to an ankle holster of the real life Eddie Egan. The "real" Popeye gets his chance at acting in this picture by portraying the commanding officer of the Narcotics Bureau. As such he confronts Doyle (himself) with the same allegations he learned to expect during the development of this case and during the later stages of his I life 's i -i Another View By GARY ARNOLD Washington Pott Service "The French Connection," is an undeniably sensational movie, a fast, tense, explosively vicious little cops-and-robbers exercise, pitting narcotics detectives against international dope smugglers.

While the sensations are certainly palpable the term "thriller" is taken literally by the men who contrived this film they're also gratuitous to a rather maniacal degree. There's a deliberately nerve-wracking, runaway quality about the film. It's a cheap thrill in the same way that a roller coaster ride is a cheap thrill. For urban audiences the the peculiarly jarring film offers an added measure of Impact by Incorporating rhythms and tensions of city life, and since the city Is New York, the tensions are magnified. One wonders why any police force would let a personality as ostentatious and quick-to-explode as Doyle tail anyone, let alone a prime suspect.

All that demonstrativeness is a little conspicuous. First, Be Aware Of Yourself 3. P. MORGAN 'The Ann Landers make you wonder whether such things could happen in America. Weapon Is Fair DEAR ANN LANDERS: Please rush your answer because we have been having plenty of trouble over this question.

I'll put it as simply as possible. Is it fair for a woman to use sex to get her way with her husband? Yes or no? Memphis. career in the New York City Police Department until his dismissal from the department last month. The real "Cloudy" appears as the Federal Agent Paul Cline, but he DEAR ANN LANDERS: I'm a teenager who doesn't want to talk to anybody about what's on my mind because they'd think right away I was into drugs, which I am not. I'm trying to learn all I can about drugs before I decide if I want to experiment a little.

Most of the stuff I have read is scare junk. Almost all the articles mention emotional stability as an important factor. They say an unstable person is a lot more likely to get into trouble with drugs than the person who is stable. The question I want to ask is this: How can a teenager tell if he is stable? DEAR 0.: You've probably NEW LIGHTER SILK LIKE MATERIAL ft Are you overweight but don't have the will power to stay on a diet? Do you lie a lot? Are you sick often with headaches, stomachaches, or other physical problems that the doctor can't find a reason for? If you answer yes to most of these questions, you'd better think twice before fooling around with anything that might alter your mental machinery. That means marijuana as well as harder stuff.

And even if you can answer no straight down the line, consider the fact that you could be one of the unlucky kids who runs into trouble with the law. It could ruin your life. I've had letters from teenagers and their parents that ONE STOP DECORATING CENTER ESTABL. 17 YEARS IN THIS COMMUNITY 9oiolif' i It mS DEAR MEMPHIS: It has been said that all is fair in love and war. In your situation I see both so the answer to your question is yes.

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