The Godfather

**Regarded as one of the best American films ever by the American Film Institute, Fancis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece features Marlon Brando in his Oscar-Winning role as the patriarch of the Corleone family. The Godfather is a violent and chilling portrait of the Sicilian family's struggle to stay in power in a post-war American corruption, deceit and betrayal. Coppola begins his legendary trilogy, masterfully balancing the story of the Corleone's family life and the ugly crime bussiness in which they are engaged. Based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel and featuring career-making performance by Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall, this searing and brilliant film garnered ten Academy Award nominations, and won three including Best Picture of 1972**

The Converstaion - Thriller

**Francis Ford Coppola's provoking mystery-drama explores the morality of privacy and stars Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, expert surveillance man. A routine wire-tapping job turns into a nightmare as Harry hears something disturbing in his recording of a young couple in a park. He begins to worry about what the tape may be used for and becomes invovled in a maze of secrecy and murder. Set in San Francisco, the film also features Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford and Federic Forrest. Nominated for Best Picture of 1974, The Conversation was made between The Godfather and The Godfather Part Two**

~Francis Ford Coppola

Coppola was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 7, 1939. His father, Carmine, was a concert flautist who played with Arturo Toscanini's NBC Symphony Orchestra. His mother, Italia, was an actress who at one time had appeared in films. Coppola's younger sister Talia would later follow in her mother's footsteps into the world of film acting, changing her name to Talia Shire and starring in the film Rocky alongside Silvester Stallone. A few years after his birth, Coppola and his family moved to the suburbs around New York City, where he would spend most of his childhood.
All the Coppola children were driven to succeed in show business and the arts. Leading by example was Coppola's father, who had achieved success as a musician for hire but longed to compose scores of his own. Francis seemed the least likely to redeem his father's promise, however. He was an awkward, myopic (short sightedness) child who did poorly at school. At age nine, he was stricken with polio (an acute viral disease, usually affecting children and young adults, caused by any of three polioviruses, characterized by inflammation of the motor neurons of the brain stem and spinal cord, and resulting in a motor paralysis, followed by muscular atrophy and often permanent deformities). The illness forced him into bed for a year, a period during which he played with puppets, watched television, and became lost in an inner fantasy world. After his recovery, he began to make movies with an eight millimeter camera and a tape recorder.

http://www.answers.com/topic/francis-ford-coppola

~Movies Francis Ford Coppola Has Directed

Movies he has directed are:
- Tetro (2009)
- Youth with youth (2007)
- Supernova (2000/1)
- The Rainmaker (1997)
- Jack (1996)
- Dracula (1992)
- Making `Bram Stoker`s Dracula' (1992)
- Godfather Part 3 (1990)
- New York series (1989)
- Tucker: The man and his dreams (1980)
- Gardens of stone (1987)
- Peggy Sue got married (1986)
- Captain EO (1986)
- The cotton club (1984)
- Rumble Fish (1983)
- The Outsiders (1983)
- One from the heart (1982)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Godfather Part 2 (1974)
- The conversation (1974)
- The Godfather (1972)
- The rainpeople (1969)
- Finian's rainbow (1968)
-You're a big bot now (1966)
- Dementia (1963)
- The terror (1963)
- Tonight for sure (1962)
- The bellboy and the playgirls (1962)
- Nebo zouyot (1960)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/