Facets to Release William Friedkin’s First Film for the First Time on DVD
The People vs. Paul Crump (1962) William Friedkin’s first feature film, newly restored from an archival 16mm print. Before directing “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist,” William Friedkin made one of the most powerful documentaries you’ve never seen. Paul Crump, 22, was caught up in a failed robbery with 
four other black men and was sentenced to die in the electric chair. Friedkin so believed in Crump’s innocence that he made “The People vs. Paul Crump” in order to save his life. On March 20, 1953, five men robbed a meatpacking plant in Chicago’s Union Stock Yards. Their getaway went awry, and a security guard was killed. Four of the men received jail sentences and were eventually paroled. The fifth, Paul Crump, confessed under questionable interrogation tactics, then retracted, only to be convicted and sentenced to the chair. After 14 stays of execution, local TV director William Friedkin and his cinematographer Bill Butler took to the streets with lightweight cameras to appeal for Crump’s return to society. The resulting film contributed to the commutation of Crump’s sentence and launched Friedkin’s Hollywood career. Produced for Chicago’s WBKB (ABC) with a budget of only $14,000, the film was never aired due to its controversial subject matter. Besides the occasional retrospective, opportunities to see this formative Friedkin film are rare. Formats: DVD. Extras: Facets Cine-Notes booklet featuring essays on Crump’s case and Friedkin’s career by film scholar Susan Doll, production stills, original production notes, production stills, and script excerpts. Read more here. From Facets Releasing.
