Friedkin was born on March 8, 1912, in Kansas City, Missouri[1] to Russian Jewish immigrants.

According to his son Anthony Friedkin, he was in the running for the lead role in the film adaptation of Golden Boy.

[5] Friedkin directed the B-movies Hot Summer Night (1957), which was filmed in nine days, setting a speed record for MGM,[6][7][8] and Handle with Care (1958).

[9] His and Fine's screenplay for Sidney Lumet's The Pawnbroker (1964), lauded by critics, earned them a Writers Guild of America Award.

[3][10][11] His television work includes directing and writing episodes of Sea Hunt, Dr. Kildare, The Virginian, I Spy, Bearcats, and the unsold pilot River of Gold (1971).