Philip D'Antoni (February 19, 1929 – April 15, 2018) was an American film and television producer. He was best known for producing the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning crime films '' The French Connection'' (1971) and ''

Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American action thriller film directed by Peter Yates from a screenplay by Alan Trustman, Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner and based on the 1963 crime novel ''Mute Witness'' by Robert L. Fish. It stars Steve McQueen, Ro ...

'' (1968).The New York Times
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Early life

D'Antoni attended Evander Childs High School in the Bronx.Menapace, Stephen A
"Liz Taylor London Tour A Rockland Man's Show"
''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

'', East Bergen, New Jersey, volume 69, number 105, October 7, 1963, page 48. He then served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

from 1946 to 1948 during the

occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was eventually assigned to Special Services where he entertained troops by participating in theatrical productions.Philip D'Antoni, Oscar-Winning Producer on 'The French Connection,' Dies at 89.
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2020. After army service, he attended

Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...

from 1948 to 1950, where he worked during the day and attended school at night, and graduated with a degree in

business administration Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

Career

D'Antoni began his career on television with the production of the specials ''

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress, active in her native country and the United States. With a career spanning over 70 years, she is one of the ...

in Rome'', ''

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

in London'' and ''

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a prominent political family for multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination and won a F ...

in Greece''. He produced ''

'' in 1968. In 1971, he produced '' The French Connection'', which won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

, among other wins at the

Oscars The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence i ...

. 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

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. 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: * ''Elizabeth Taylor in London'' (1963) * ''Sophia Loren in Rome'' (1964) * '' The Connection'' (1973) * ''Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside'' (1974) * ''In Tandem'' (1974; pilot film for ''Movin' On'') * '' Movin' On'' (1974) * ''Strike Force'' (1975) * '' Shark Kill'' (1976)

Awards

D'Antoni won the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

in 1972 for

Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

and the

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

award for Best Motion Picture Drama for '' The French Connection''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:D'Antoni, Philip 1929 births 2018 deaths United States Army soldiers American people of Italian descent Burials at Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York) Businesspeople from New York City Film directors from New York City Film producers from New York (state) Fordham University alumni Golden Globe Award–winning producers Businesspeople from the Bronx Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award Television producers from New York City 20th-century American businesspeople