Frank Pierson, who won the Academy Award in 1976 for his screenplay of Dog Day Afternoon, died yesterday at 87.

Whether we ever meet, I'll always feel a connection with Al Pacino. Same high school, same early training and drama teachers. Of course the similarity ends there. He's beyond famous and I'm decidedly not.

But of all his roles and films, Dog Day Afternoon has always been my favorite. So natural. So raw. So 70's. And yes, that is my bag, baby. One of our other teachers at P.A., Sandra Kazan, also appeared in it, as one of the hostages.

Frank Pierson wrote his brilliant screenplay based on an article in Life Magazine, "The Boys In The Bank" by P.F. Kluge, which told the story of a robbery at a Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn on August 22, 1972. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and seven Golden Globe awards, with Frank Pierson winning the only one.

Frank Pierson served as the president of the Writers Guild of America, taught at the Sundance Institute, was an adjunct professor at USC's film school, and was the artistic director of the American Film Institute.

Rest in peace, Frank Pierson.

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