From Hashish Smuggler to Film Critic: The Billy Hayes Story

On October 7, 1970, 23-year-old American Billy Hayes was arrested at Istanbul Ataturk Airport with 2 kilograms of hashish strapped to his body. What followed was a notorious imprisonment, a daring escape, and a bestselling memoir that would inspire an Oscar-winning film—though not without significant controversy.

Born April 3, 1947, Hayes was a Long Island native with ambitions beyond his circumstances. Court records show he had successfully smuggled hashish out of Turkey at least three times before his final attempt: in April 1970, October 1969, and April 1969. Each shipment proved profitable—he purchased the drug for around $300 and sold it for approximately $5,000 per delivery. On that October morning in 1970, his luck ran out.

Turkish authorities sentenced Hayes to 4 years and 2 months in prison. He served time first in Sağmalcılar prison in Istanbul, then was transferred to Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital. His confinement would prove far longer than his original sentence: weeks before his scheduled release, authorities shifted his sentence to life imprisonment—a devastating reversal that would alter the trajectory of his entire existence.

Approximately four years into his ordeal, in 1974, Hayes orchestrated a dramatic escape under cover of darkness. He rowed a small boat from Istanbul to Bandirma, a port town in northwest Turkey, then crossed the border into Greece. The escape would become the centerpiece of his most famous work.

After his liberation, Hayes channeled his experience into writing. His autobiographical book *Midnight Express* documented his imprisonment and escape, becoming a bestseller that captivated readers worldwide. The narrative's raw intensity and emotional power caught the attention of Hollywood. In 1978, director Alan Parker adapted the memoir into a feature film, with a screenplay by Oliver Stone. Actor Brad Davis delivered a powerful performance in the lead role. The film became a critical and commercial success, earning Oscar recognition and cementing the story in popular culture.