One of America's most erratic, energetic and controversial filmmakers, Francis Ford Coppola enjoyed stunning triumphs and endured monumental setbacks before resurrecting himself, Phoenix-like, to begin the process all over again. Known primarily for his successful "Godfather" trilogy – "The Godfather" (1972), "The Godfather, Part II" (1974) and "The Godfather, Part III" (1990) – Coppola was the most celebrated of the Young Turks – a group of filmmakers who emerged in the early 1970s that included George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and William Friedkin. Unbridled by
Worked on various non-mainstream movies, "The Playgirls and the Bellboy" (1962) and "Tonight For Sure" (1962)
1962
Credited as Thomas Colchart for adapting Nebo zovyot/The Heaven's Call (1960) into "Battle Beyond the Sun"; served as assistant to director Roger Corman on "The Premature Burial" and as dialogue director on "Tower of London"
1962
Won the Samuel Goldwyn Award for his UCLA screenplay "Pilma, Pilma" (never produced)
1962
Joined Seven Arts (later Warner Brothers-Seven Arts) as scriptwriter
1963
Directed and co-wrote first legitimate feature, "Dementia 13"
