William Friedkin, a filmmaker whose gritty style and fascination with characters on the edge helped make “The French Connection” and “The Exorcist” two of the biggest box-office  hits of the 1970s, died August 7 at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 87. His death came just weeks before the release of his most recent directorial effort, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” a movie based on the Herman Wouk play.

In 2013, Mr. Friedkin received a Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival. That same year, Harper published his book The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir.