Philip D'Antoni


Philip D'Antoni, was an American film and television producer. He was best known for producing the Academy Award-winning 1971 film The French Connection.

Early life

D'Antoni attended Fordham University and served in the United States Army during the occupation of Japan in World War II.

Career

D'Antoni began his career on television with the production of the specials Sophia Loren in Rome, Elizabeth Taylor in London and Melina Mercouri in Greece.
He produced Bullitt in 1968. In 1973 he produced and directed The Seven-Ups. After The Seven-Ups, D'Antoni, who held the rights to French Connection II and Gerald Walker's novel Cruising, eschewed feature filmmaking and turned his attention to television production where he enjoyed a lucrative contract with NBC.
D'Antoni's crime dramas are characterized by a cold, gritty, "street" perspective with documentary style, often filmed during the bleak New York winter months, and offer the viewer a realistic and often dangerous sense of being an insider, as opposed to using glamorous locations or produced sets.
D'Antoni's television production credits include:
D'Antoni won the Academy Award in 1972 for Best Picture for The French Connection. He also won the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture Drama for The French Connection.