Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzik in 'Dog Day Afternoon', 1975
In September of 1975 Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon was released. The film garnered excellent reviews and was based on a LIFE Magazine article describing a Brooklyn bank robbery in 1972. Al Pacino starred in the film as Sonny and John Cazale co-starred in the role of Sal. Dog Day Afternoon won the Academy Award for “Writing – Original Screenplay” for Frank Pierson.
Pacino and Cazale had appeared together a few years earlier in both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. Sadly, John Cazale died (at age 42, from cancer) in 1978.