Francis Ford Coppola, Director

What a decade Francis Ford Coppola had in the 1970s. Started by writing the screenplay for a little thing called Patton in 1970. He followed that up by directing a movie called The Godfather. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. He then directed The Conversation, a great little movie that never got the recognition it deserved. Then there was The Godfather Part II, closing the decade with Apocalypse Now. Good heavens, man.

Not that Coppola didn’t have some pretty good films during the rest of his career. Here’s a synopsis of his major movies:

• Patton (1970 – Oscar for Screenwriting)
• The Godfather (1972 – Best Picture)
• The Conversation (1974 – Palme d’Or, Nominated Best Picture)
• The Godfather Part II (1974 – Best Picture, Director)
• Apocalypse Now (1979 – Palme d’Or, Nominated Best Picture)
• The Cotton Club (1984)
• Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
• The Godfather Part III (1990, Nominated Best Picture)
• Jack (1996)

A number of groups have ranked the best directors of all time, and Coppola always ranks. In Sight and Sound magazine (#4), in MovieMaker magazine (#17), and in Entertainment Weekly (#21). The Godfather is the number 2 movie in the AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list (Part II and Apocalypse Now are also in the top 32). Perhaps most interesting of all, four of his scripts were ranked by the Writers Guild of America’s top 100 of all time.