At the time of Coppola's birth, his father was a flutist as well as arranger and assistant orchestra director for The Ford Sunday Evening Hour, an hour-long concert music radio series sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. Coppola received his middle name in honor of Henry Ford, not only because he was born in the Henry Ford Hospital but also because of his father's association with the automobile manufacturer. His maternal grandfather, popular Italian composer Francesco Pennino, emigrated from Naples, Italy. Born into a family of Italian immigrant ancestry, his paternal grandparents came to the United States from Bernalda, Basilicata. Coppola is the middle of three children: his older brother was August Coppola, his younger sister is actress Talia Shire.
His next film, Apocalypse Now (1979), which notoriously had a lengthy and strenuous production, was widely acclaimed for its vivid depiction of the Vietnam War. The Conversation, which Coppola directed, produced and wrote, was released that same year, winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Highly regarded by critics, the film brought Coppola three more Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture, and made him the second director (after Billy Wilder) to be so honored three times for the same film. The Godfather Part II, which followed in 1974, became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Godfather won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay (shared with Mario Puzo). The film revolutionized movie-making in the gangster genre and was adored by the public and critics alike.
Coppola's reputation as a filmmaker was cemented with the release of The Godfather (1972). His accolades include five Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Palmes d'Or, and a British Academy Film Award.Īfter directing The Rain People in 1969, Coppola co-wrote Patton (1970), earning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with Edmund H. He was a central figure in the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
Francis Ford Coppola ( / ˈ k ɒ p ə l ə/ Italian: born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter.