Continuity mistake: When the drug tester gets done with testing the heroin, he blows out the lit candle on the bottom. But when there is a far shot of him talking, the candle is still burning.
The French Connection (1971)
Directed by: William Friedkin
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the film in Brooklyn, it is obviously dark outside (nighttime). As they are chasing the guy from the bar, it all of a sudden is during the daytime as it is light outside.
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Suggested correction: I think that it looks dark because they are under an elevated train track.
Continuity mistake: During the car chase scene under the "B" Elevated Train in Brooklyn (86th St.), Popeye passes the same curve at least 3 or 4 times. Look closely, you'll probably see the same movie theatre over and over again. Apparently, they rerun the same chase clip to increase the length of this scene.
Trivia: Eddie Egan, the real police detective who inspired the character Popeye Doyle, plays Doyle's superior in the movie.
Trivia: The casting of Fernando Rey was an accident. William Friedkin had wanted to cast Francisco Rabal, whom he had seen in Belle de jour (1967), but at the time didn't know his name. Only after actor and director met did Friedkin realize Rey wasn't the actor he had wanted. Friedkin ended up keeping Rey after learning that Rabal spoke neither English nor French.
Trivia: James Caan, Peter Boyle and Steve McQueen were all offered the role of "Popeye" Doyle but turned it down for various reasons. Gene Hackman was eventually cast without auditioning, reading for the part or screen-testing.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: This is Doyle. I'm sittin' on Frog One.
Bill Mulderig: Yeah, I know that. We got the Westbury covered like a tent.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: The Westbury my ass! I got him on the shuttle at Grand Central, now what the hell's going on up there?
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: If that's not a drop I'll open up a charge for you at Bloomingdale's.
Buddy "Cloudy" Russo: Make it Alexander's Toy Department.
Buddy "Cloudy" Russo: We got the information there's no shit on the street. Right? It's like a god damn desert full of junkies out there. Everybody waiting to get well.
Question: Could the police really put the Lincoln back together perfectly and that quickly?
Answer: It's a different car of the same make and model that they swapped for the one they tore apart, and in which they hid the drugs in the same place as the original.
Question: Why does Sal take the dirty car out of the city parking lot and park it by the docks? If that's the drug car why would the French let him do that?
Answer: The parking laws in the 1970's were not as strict as they are today, leaving a car on the street is no different from parking on the curb in a suburban area. The car was supposed to be picked up by the mob.
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