The French Connection Scene 18 Summary

  • Popeye walks toward the hotel to pick up a tail on Charnier.
  • Klein is across the street talking to someone, and Mulderig is in a phone booth, and Popeye goes ahead, watching as Charnier pauses in front of a display, clearly aware that Popeye is there.
  • Charnier ducks into a flower shop, and Popeye spots him. For a while, he waits, but, growing impatient, he looks in. Charnier has vanished.
  • Popeye runs to find him, scanning the city streets, and sees him descending a subway staircase.
  • He jogs to follow him, but doesn't see him in the station, so he ascends to the street again.
  • Following him back into the subway station (anyone getting whiplash?) Popeye rushes onto a crowded car.
  • Charnier is at the other end. He sees the cop enter the car, and gets off.
  • Popeye gets off too, and gets into a phone booth to call Mulderig at the hotel, saying he's followed him and no one else was paying any attention.
  • He hangs up angry, while Charnier loiters, drinking orange juice from a small orange juice-and-custard counter in the station, as one does.
  • Popeye gets a "grape drink" and the two pretend not to see each other.
  • Another train pulls up, and Charnier and Popeye do a little dance, getting on and off the subway.
  • In an attempt to follow him, Popeye gets off, but Charnier gets back on, waving goodbye through the car window.