The Events that Led Coppola to Apocalypse Now | Ep1 | Making Apocalypse Now

Summary

This video explores the making of Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now,' drawing on interviews and resources like Eleanor Coppola's 'Hearts of Darkness.' It delves into the film's development, script, casting, and editing, highlighting Coppola's artistic vision and the challenges he faced, set against the backdrop of the New Hollywood movement.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Francis Ford Coppola's reflection on power and responsibility after the success of 'The Godfather' films led him to consider the impact of his future projects on the public.
• 🌐 The Godfather films explore themes of power and influence within a structured world, raising questions about authority in the absence of structure.
• 🎥 Coppola's next project after 'The Godfather Part II' and 'The Conversation' was to be a film about Vietnam, focusing on war and the human soul, with an awareness of the potential political implications.
• 📚 The series delves into the making of 'Apocalypse Now', a film that is a significant case study in film history due to its independent production without studio interference.
• 🌪 'Apocalypse Now' is based loosely on Joseph Conrad’s novella 'Heart of Darkness', with the setting adapted to the Vietnam War, highlighting the conflict as a 'proxy war' during the Cold War.
• 🚢 The idea to adapt 'Heart of Darkness' to the Vietnam War context was conceived by John Milius and George Lucas, after numerous failed attempts to adapt the novella for the screen.
• 🌩 The production of 'Apocalypse Now' was notorious for its difficulties, including casting issues, health problems, a typhoon, and political instability, affecting Coppola deeply.
• 🏆 'Apocalypse Now' was released during the New Hollywood movement, characterized by risk-taking and a 'revisionist' approach to filmmaking, diverging from traditional methods.
• 🏆 The film's surreal depiction of the Vietnam War, though not historically accurate, captures the war's mentality and its profound effects on soldiers, American culture, and perceptions of human nature.
• 👨‍🎓 Coppola's early life, including a bout with polio and a creative upbringing, influenced his storytelling abilities and led him to a career in filmmaking.
• 🎼 His father, Carmine Coppola, was a composer and flutist, contributing original music to several of Francis Ford Coppola's films, including 'The Godfather' series and 'Apocalypse Now'.

Q & A

What was Francis Ford Coppola's statement about power in his 1975 Playboy Magazine interview?

Coppola stated that he was determined to give tremendous thought to the impact any project he undertakes would have on the public, acknowledging the responsibility filmmakers have in considering the implications of their work.

What theme does The Godfather films explore according to Coppola's interview?

The Godfather films explore the theme of power and influence in a world of laws and structure.

What was Coppola's next project after The Godfather Part II?

Coppola's next project was a film about Vietnam, focusing on war and the human soul, rather than being strictly political.

What is the significance of Apocalypse Now in film history?

Apocalypse Now is significant as a large-budget epic art film done independently without studio interference, representing a unique case study in film history.

What is the source material for Apocalypse Now?

Apocalypse Now is loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s 1902 novella, Heart of Darkness, which was originally set in the Congo during the colonial era.

How did the setting of Apocalypse Now differ from the original setting of Heart of Darkness?

The setting of Apocalypse Now changes the backdrop of Heart of Darkness to center around the Vietnam War, reflecting the conflict between communist North Vietnam and anti-communist South Vietnam.

Who thought of the idea to recontextualize Heart of Darkness around the Vietnam War?

The idea to recontextualize Heart of Darkness around the Vietnam War was thought of by John Milius and George Lucas.

What was the impact of Roger Corman on Francis Ford Coppola's early career?

Roger Corman provided Coppola with opportunities to work on various creative jobs in filmmaking, which helped launch Coppola's career and allowed him to develop his skills.

What was the significance of The Godfather in Coppola's career?

The Godfather was a turning point in Coppola's career, rescuing him from financial difficulties and establishing him as a prominent filmmaker in Hollywood.

What challenges did Coppola face during the production of Apocalypse Now?

The production of Apocalypse Now faced numerous difficulties including casting issues, health problems, a typhoon, and even military coups, leading to a downward spiral of doubt and frustration for Coppola.

What was the role of American Zoetrope in Coppola's filmmaking journey?

American Zoetrope was a studio founded by Coppola and George Lucas as a way to make movies outside of the Hollywood studio system’s control, allowing them to pursue more independent and personal projects.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 The Impact of Power and Vision in Filmmaking

In a 1975 Playboy Magazine interview, Francis Ford Coppola reflects on the influence of his work, particularly 'The Godfather' films, and the responsibility he feels towards the impact of his projects on the public. He discusses the themes of power and structure in 'The Godfather' and the challenges of creating a film about Vietnam, emphasizing the importance of careful consideration to avoid irresponsible storytelling. The paragraph introduces a series by Tyler, exploring the making of 'Apocalypse Now,' a film that represents a high-risk, independent artistic vision in Hollywood, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and influenced by Coppola's success with 'The Godfather' and 'The Conversation'.

05:01

🌟 Coppola's Artistic Journey and the Birth of American Zoetrope

This paragraph delves into Francis Ford Coppola's early life and career, from his childhood bedridden with polio to his eventual rise in Hollywood. It highlights his relationship with his composer father, Carmine Coppola, his time at UCLA Film School, and his work with Roger Corman, which significantly influenced his approach to filmmaking. The paragraph also discusses the establishment of American Zoetrope, Coppola's endeavor to create an alternative to the Hollywood studio system, and the challenges he faced in financing and producing independent films.

10:03

🏆 The Struggles and Triumphs Leading to The Godfather

The paragraph narrates the financial and creative struggles Coppola faced with his studio, American Zoetrope, and how the success of 'Patton' and the Oscar win for its screenplay helped him stay afloat. It details the initial reluctance and eventual acceptance of directing 'The Godfather,' a project that would become a defining moment in his career. The challenges of casting Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and the innovative tactics Coppola used to convince the studio heads are also highlighted, showcasing his determination and creative vision.

15:06

🚀 The Rise of a Hollywood Powerhouse with The Godfather

After the success of 'The Godfather,' Coppola's status in Hollywood was solidified, leading to a period of significant acclaim and financial success. The paragraph discusses the accolades received for 'The Godfather Part II,' including Coppola's personal wins for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also sets the stage for 'Apocalypse Now,' a film that would be a departure from his previous work, with George Lucas initially attached to direct before Coppola took over.

20:06

🎇 The Legacy of Coppola and the Anticipation of Apocalypse Now

In this final paragraph, the focus shifts to the anticipation of the series on 'Apocalypse Now,' highlighting the film's significance in Coppola's filmography and its status as a cultural touchstone. The paragraph invites viewers to support the series through donations and Patreon, promising an in-depth exploration of the film's development, script, casting, and editing, as well as the personal and professional challenges Coppola faced during its production.

Keywords

💡Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola is a renowned American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his influential work in the New Hollywood era, particularly for directing films like 'The Godfather' and 'Apocalypse Now.' In the video, Coppola's interview in Playboy Magazine is discussed, highlighting his thoughts on the impact of his films and his approach to filmmaking. His determination to consider the public impact of his projects is a central theme.

💡The Godfather

The Godfather is a series of films directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel by Mario Puzo. The films are iconic for their portrayal of the Corleone family, a powerful Italian-American Mafia clan. The video discusses the immense impact of these films on Coppola's career and their exploration of themes like power, family, and corruption.

💡The Conversation

The Conversation is a 1974 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is a psychological thriller that delves into themes of surveillance and privacy. The video mentions this film as part of Coppola's body of work, showing his versatility and his ability to explore complex themes in different genres.

💡Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, loosely based on Joseph Conrad's novella 'Heart of Darkness.' The film is set during the Vietnam War and explores themes of the horrors of war, the human soul, and the quest for enlightenment. The video discusses the film's development, production challenges, and its significance in film history.

💡Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It is a central backdrop for 'Apocalypse Now,' reflecting the anti-communist efforts of South Vietnam, supported by the United States, against North Vietnam, supported by communist allies. The video discusses how the film uses this historical context to explore broader themes.

💡New Hollywood

New Hollywood, also known as the Hollywood Renaissance, refers to a period in the late 1960s to early 1980s when Hollywood studios took more risks and allowed greater creative freedom for directors. The video mentions this era as a time when Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now' was made, highlighting the unique circumstances that allowed for such an ambitious and independent film.

💡Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness is a novella by Joseph Conrad, set in the Congo during the height of European imperialism. The novella is a significant influence on 'Apocalypse Now,' with its themes of obsession, the darkness of the human soul, and the journey into the unknown. The video discusses how Coppola recontextualized this story within the Vietnam War.

💡Roger Corman

Roger Corman is an American film director, producer, and distributor, known for his low-budget, high-impact films. He is also known for mentoring many future film industry greats, including Francis Ford Coppola. The video mentions Corman's influence on Coppola's early career, highlighting the importance of Corman's model for independent filmmaking.

💡American Zoetrope

American Zoetrope is a film production company founded by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas in 1969. It was intended as a studio to produce films outside the constraints of the Hollywood studio system. The video discusses the challenges and failures of Zoetrope, which ultimately led to Coppola's decision to direct 'The Godfather.'

💡The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part II is a 1974 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and a sequel to 'The Godfather.' It is notable for its exploration of the Corleone family's rise and fall, as well as its innovative narrative structure. The video mentions this film as a pinnacle of Coppola's career, winning him an Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

💡Risk

Risk is a central theme in the video, particularly in relation to the making of 'Apocalypse Now.' The film is described as a case study in film history for its high-risk, independent production without studio interference. The video discusses how Coppola's willingness to take risks was a defining characteristic of his career and the New Hollywood era.

Highlights

Francis Ford Coppola's reflection on the impact of his projects on the public after the success of The Godfather films.

Coppola's contemplation on power dynamics and structure, particularly in the context of his next project about Vietnam.

Coppola's approach to his next film being about war and the human soul, with awareness of the potential for irresponsible representation.

The introduction of a series exploring the making of Apocalypse Now, including development, script, casting, and editing.

The significance of Hearts of Darkness documentary in providing a comprehensive picture of the making of Apocalypse Now.

Apocalypse Now as a case study in film history for its independent production without studio interference.

The connection between Apocalypse Now and the New Hollywood movement, known for taking risks and allowing director's visions.

The symbolic representation of the Vietnam War in Apocalypse Now, emphasizing the surreal and bizarre nature of the conflict.

The importance of understanding Coppola's life and career leading up to Apocalypse Now, including his early struggles with polio.

Coppola's early career and the influence of his father, a composer and flutist, on his filmmaking.

The impact of Roger Corman on Coppola's career, providing opportunities and shaping the Hollywood Renaissance.

Coppola's founding of American Zoetrope with George Lucas as an alternative to the Hollywood studio system.

The financial struggles of American Zoetrope and the role of The Godfather in its salvation.

The story behind getting Marlon Brando cast as Vito Corleone in The Godfather against the studio's initial disapproval.

Coppola's unprecedented achievement of winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards for The Godfather Part II against his own film, The Conversation.

The initial plan for George Lucas to direct Apocalypse Now as a low-budget Vietnam war movie.

Transcripts

In the July 1975 issue of Playboy Magazine, Francis Ford Coppola gave an interview on

The Godfather Part II and The Conversation, in which Coppola had this to say about the

enormous impact The Godfather films have had: “Let me make a statement about power: From

now on, I’m determined to give tremendous thought to the impact any project I undertake

will have on the public. It may sound wordy, it may sound obvious, but very few filmmakers

ever really do that” (Directors Interviews 92).

The Godfather films play with the theme of power and influence in a world of laws and

structure, but what happens when there is no structure?

Who’s in charge here?

Charge? I don’t know, man. I’m just the night man. Doing what I’m told.

When asked about what would be his next film, Coppola had this to say, "My next project

is going to be delicate in that context. It’s going to be a film about Vietnam, although

it won’t necessarily be political— it will be about war and the human soul. But

it’s dangerous, because I’ll be venturing into an area that is laden with so many implications

that if I select some aspects and ignore others, I may be doing something irresponsible. So

I’ll be thinking hard about it” (Directors Interviews 93).

Hello cinephile, Tyler here. You are watching Part One of a series where I uncover the making

of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Like my 2001: A Space Odyssey series, I will

take you through the film from beginning to end telling you the stories behind the story,

but this time, we will be making some pit stops along the way to talk specifically about

the development, script, casting, editing, reception, and... something I’ll tell you

about a little bit later.

These are the main resources that will carry us through the film. You may have seen the

incredible documentary filmed by Eleanor Coppola on the making of Apocalypse Now titled Hearts

of Darkness, with the help of these and many other resources will give us a more complete

picture of what these artists went through and what Apocalypse Now means to filmmaking

and film history.

So, why Apocalypse Now? The story of the making of Apocalypse Now is one of doubt and struggle,

but perhaps more important considering what’s going on with the industry today, Apocalypse

Now is about risk. Apocalypse Now is a very special case-study in film history— a large

budget epic art film done independently without studio interference on Coppola’s vision—

something that was only possible because of an unprecedented period in Hollywood lining up

with Coppola’s unique circumstances after The Godfather Parts 1 and 2 and The Conversation.

Click the CC button if you’d like to see the transcript with citations and smaller quotes.

Also, I’m just one guy doing this, so I will probably make some mistakes along the way.

Nicely point them out with sources and I will pin the corrections to the top of the comments.

Let’s get started!

Apocalypse Now is loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s 1902 novella, Heart of Darkness

following a boat journeying up the Congo River— there, a man tells the story of his obsession

with an ivory trader named Kurtz (Wiki).

The story was based on Conrad’s actual experiences working for a company that brought goods back

from the jungle for trade (Travers 83).

The setting of Apocalypse Now changes the backdrop of the Heart of Darkness story to

center around the Vietnam War in which the communist North Vietnam, with the support

of communist allies like the Soviet Union and China, fought the anti-communist South

Vietnam, supported by anti-communist allies like the Philippines, Australia,

and the United States (Wiki).

The war happened during the United States’ Cold War with the Soviet Union and it is considered

to be a “proxy war” in which the United States and the Soviet Union could fight without

having to actually go to war with each other (Wiki).

The idea to recontextualize the Heart of Darkness story around the Vietnam War was thought of

by John Milius and George Lucas (Martin 209). Many had tried to adapt Heart of Darkness

for the screen and failed. The most notable of these failures would have to be the adaptation

that, if it had been made, would have been Orson Welles’ first film…

instead of Citizen Kane (Hearts of Darkness).

Welles performed the story with others in 1938 as part of his

radio series “The Mercury Theater on the Air” (Travers 83).

The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading

to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky—seemed to lead

into the heart of an immense darkness.

They did screen-tests and designed sets, but [quote] “the studio backed away fearing

that Welles elaborate film would go over-budget” (Hearts of Darkness).

We’ll talk about this more in a later episode. The production of Apocalypse Now has become

legendary for its many difficulties ranging from casting issues, health issues, a typhoon,

and even military coups (Martin 209). Francis Ford Coppola himself kind of went on this

downward spiral of doubt and frustration and nearly lost his mind.

Apocalypse Now was released near the end of the New Hollywood movement— also known as

the Hollywood Renaissance— in which Hollywood studios took more risks and gave more leeway

to the directors’ vision (Wiki).

One of the main traits of New Hollywood movies is taking a “revisionist” approach to

filmmaking— shedding the [quote/unquote] “traditional” approach that was prevalent

in the 1950s (Martin 209).

Here, we see a surreal depiction of the Vietnam War by people who never served. But even here,

the war is more of a symbolic backdrop than something trying to be historically accurate

or contain a realistic view of the events. Still, with the drug use by soldiers and the

bizarre nature of the war itself, Apocalypse Now seems almost like a good historical account

of the mentality of the war and how insane it was that the United States were even involved--

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…

—as well as the effect it had on the soldiers, on American culture,

and on our view of human nature.

It’s important to understand Francis Ford Coppola’s life leading up to Apocalypse Now.

Before Apocalypse Now, people only knew Francis Ford Coppola for being so good at

filmmaking, that he won a Best Picture Oscar against himself for a sequel to a movie that

also won the Best Picture Oscar— not to mention winning a Best Adapted Screenplay

Oscar for both.

The Godfather Part II— Francis Ford Coppola, Gray Frederickson, and Fred Roos.

But let’s go further back and look at the parts of his life that specifically relate

to what we’ll talk about in the rest of the series.

Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 to Italia and Carmine Coppola. Carmine was a composer

and flutist, not a flautist

I asked him once, of course, what’s the difference between a flutist and a flautist

and he said, ‘fifty dollars a week.'

Carmine would go on to compose and perform original music for his son’s films:

The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, and The Godfather Part III (Wiki).

When Francis was young, he was diagnosed with polio and like fellow iconic director Martin

Scorsese, he spent a decent chunk of his childhood bedridden, which likely fostered his love

of storytelling because he would pass the time by putting on little theater productions

with his homemade puppets (Wiki).

And his grandfather Pennino gave him a 16mm film projector (Travers 15).

Coppola said, “there was about a year and a half when I stayed at home. I was paralyzed

for a while. And so I basically watched television, and listened to the radio, and played with

a tape recorder, and puppets, and my day was made up of those kinds of things (achievement.org).

So, I guess if you want to make a legendary film director, just confine them to a bed

during childhood.

Coppola majored in theater arts at Hofstra College, but changed his focus to filmmaking

after seeing Sergei Eisenstein’s October: Ten Days That Shook the World — reportedly,

he was very taken with the film’s editing (Wiki).

After getting his degree from Hofstra, he went to UCLA Film School where he directed

a couple of shorts and then he made a soft-core comedy movie called Tonight For Sure, or did

he just edit it? Either way this got him a job recutting a German film and adding in

nude scenes for an American drive-in audience (Wiki).

Coppola: “They were made out of different films and the director was in Germany and

I didn’t honestly every believe— and I say this sincerely— that I was ever going

to see my name on the screen because it seemed like it was so magical to see, ‘directed

by someone,’ so I just put ‘directed by Francis Coppola’ and I put ‘music by Carmine

Coppola’ because I wanted to see my father get a credit. No one was there to argue, but

I’ve had to live that down ever since.

I was like the third editor.”

He was then hired by “The Pope of Pop Cinema” himself Roger Corman, to recut and completely

dub over a Russian sci-fi movie called Battle Beyond the Sun where Coppola wrote new dialogue

to change the story and remove all the anti-American propaganda (Wiki).

Coppola even directed some footage of “space monsters fighting” to be put into the film (Wiki).

After seeing his work, Corman hired him for various creative jobs on some movies

he was directing (Wiki). Coppola was recommended to Corman by Dorothy Arzner, a legendary film

director who got her start in the late silent era

and taught at UCLA while Coppola was a student (Travers 20).

Roger Corman had a unique way of doing things. The “Corman Model” was to make super cheap

movies with sex or violence “every ten minutes” and promote the movie like an event (FlavorWire).

If people thought the movie sucked, no matter, by the time word got around, the next movie

would be coming out. The new “Film School Generation” was in full swing and Corman

would hire these kids fresh out of University for cheap.

Corman might as well be a cinematic saint at this point— not as much for his own films

as his impact on the industry. He pretty much gave us Jonathan Demme, Peter Bogdanovich,

Ron Howard (as a director), John Sayles, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford

Coppola who all got their start (or break) with Corman — not to mention actors like

Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, and Dennis Hopper (Wired).

I’m an American!

Corman was kind of an incubator for budding filmmakers. Corman once told Ron Howard, “If

you do a good job on this film, you’ll never have to work for me again” (Wiki). Corman

was actually honored with some cameos in his proteges’ films including Coppola’s The

Godfather Part II, Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs, and Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (Wiki).

Corman’s philosophy of letting inexperienced filmmakers run with their creativity was one

of the main seeds that would blossom into the Hollywood Renaissance of the 1970s where

many of America’s greatest movies were made.

Instead of hiring people to make a [quote/unquote]

“traditional movie,” he hired people who didn’t necessarily know the expected way

of doing things. The same thing happened with Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey with Kubrick

hiring some young and less-experienced artists to help work on the special effects. They

didn’t know the “right” or “wrong” ways of doing things and didn’t have any

preconceived notion of whether something was possible or not.

Corman's model also gave rise to the blockbuster, which is, in essence, Corman’s story structure

and promotion formula… but with money (Wired). It is very likely that Jaws and Star Wars

were influenced by Corman’s formula

and we all know what happened after those movies came out… (Wired).

I actually made a little video about Corman’s impact on American movies for No Film School

if you’d like to know more.

One of Coppola’s turning points happened when Corman had some money left over from

a film he was directing with Coppola doing sound—at this point, Coppola was Corman’s guy--

doing anything and everything from being a script doctor, to second-unit directing,

to, in this case, running sound (Martin 202).

Roger Corman: “He was the sound-man, the second assistant director, and shot second

unit all on one picture. Very versatile.”

Conan: “Okay, and did you know then, this kid’s going places?”

Corman: “Actually, I knew he was good. I had no idea that he was going to go to the

heights he did.”

Coppola said, “About three-quarters through that film, which was called The Young Racers, Roger

was called back home to direct The Raven with Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff. I knew he couldn’t

pass up a bargain to make another film while we were in Europe. So I said, 'Roger, you

know, I have a script that could be made. It’s kind of like Psycho.’ He always

wanted a film that was like some hit film. Hitchcock’s Psycho was a big deal at the

time. I said, ‘I have this script…' and he said, ‘Show me some of it.’

I showed him the three pages I wrote that night, which was of course the most garish

kind of action scene I could come up with. And he said, “Okay.” And I went off. He

gave me a check for $20,000. He sent me with a young woman who had worked on the production

who was going to be the co-signer — and I went to Ireland. When I was in Ireland,

I met another producer, and I said I was making a film for Roger, and this guy offered to

buy the English rights for another $20,000. So I had now $40,000. Roger, of course, expected

to get his $20,000 back, still make the movie for the 20 with the English rights, and get

the film for free. But I sort of just duped him. I took both checks and I put it in the bank.

And I had this young woman sign the check, and I just kind of made the amount

to the whole amount, so she basically was out of the check signing. Then I made the

movie for $40,000, which was this little black-and-white horror film called Dementia 13, which we

made in about nine days” (achievement.org).

One who walks with silent tread and strikes with ruthless force…

It was on the set of Dementia 13 that Coppola met Eleanor Neil and, in 1963, they would

be married (Wiki). And look who it is! Patrick Magee from Barry Lyndon and A Clockwork Orange!

Shortly after Dementia 13, Coppola won the Samuel Goldwyn Writing award for a screenplay

that would never be produced, but it got Coppola writing jobs for an up-and-coming studio called

Seven Arts (Martin 202).

Let’s jump ahead a bit to 1969 when Coppola founded his own studio with a friend named

George Lucas called American Zoetrope as a way to make movies outside of the Hollywood

studio system’s control (Wiki).

He had made an independent personal film called The Rain People and leased the warehouse they

had used as a soundstage to be the makeshift headquarters of American Zoetrope (Martin 204).

Making The Rain People proved to Coppola that he could make a film on the cheap

without relying on the studio system (Martin 204).

At the same time, three other Corman proteges: Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, and Peter Fonda

had just come out with a super cheap indie movie that became a big success— Easy Rider.

George Lucas said, "Francis saw Zoetrope as a sort of alternative Easy Rider studio

where he could do the same thing: get a lot of young talent for nothing, make these movies,

hope that one of them would be a hit, and eventually build a studio that way” (Martin 204).

Coppola was a little older than many of the other “greats” of the film school generation

and he was the first of them to work in Hollywood. While working at Warner Bros., he would steal

film stock from the supply room for Zoetrope and had promised to bring his friends up with

him when he finally “made it” (Travers 88).

Patton came out in 1970, which Coppola co-wrote the screenplay for. 20th Century Fox thought

it was a little bizarre—

Coppola said, “the script was very controversial when I wrote it, because they thought it was

so stylized. It was supposed to be like, sort of, you know, The Longest Day… I was sort

of interested in the reincarnation. And I had this very bizarre opening where he stands

up in front of an American flag and gives this speech.

That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war.

Ultimately, I wasn’t fired, but I was fired, meaning that when the script was done, they said,

“Okay, thank you very much,” and they went and hired another writer and that script was forgotten.

And I remember very vividly this long, kind of being raked over the coals for this opening scene” (achievement.org).

George C. Scott, who played Patton in the movie, said that he would only do it if they

used Coppola’s script and so they did (Wiki). The speech is now iconic and Coppola won an

Academy Award for the screenplay (Wiki).

I know that Mr. Coppola would join me in thanking you very much for this award.

This Oscar, made possible by George C. Scott’s decision, in effect thrusted Coppola’s into

the mainstream.

By the way, Scott won best actor and refused the award for a interesting reason— he was

the first one who did that and he said that he wouldn’t accept the award because he

[quote] “believed that every dramatic performance was unique and could not be compared to others” (Wiki).

A couple years later, Marlon Brando would also decline the award, but he declined

the award because of the “poor treatment of Native Americans in the film industry” (Wiki).

It’s interesting how both of those Best Act or refusals were for movies that Coppola co-wrote.

Warner Bothers made a deal with Coppola to finance several of Zoetrope’s scripts (Travers 4).

The first slate of Zoetrope projects included The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, but before

those would be George Lucas’ first feature, based on a student film he made, titled THX-1138  (Martin 205).

They took the film to Seven Arts who financed the project. At this point

they had merged with Warner Brothers and became Warner-Seven Arts. Warner-Seven Arts [quote]

"hated Lucas’s film so much that they cited a clause in Coppola’s contract: if they

deemed a film to be unsuitable for release, he had to buy back the picture from them” (Martin 205).

They suddenly called the financing “a loan” and wanted it repaid (Travers 65).

So one day, everything is going great with a slate of scripts ready to go and the next day, everything

is put on hold and Coppola is “about $300,000” in debt (Travers 65). He would have to repay

the money or buy back all of their scripts (Travers 65). To put this in perspective,

Lucas was quoted saying “There probably was only a handful of professional athletes

in America making as much as $100,000 per year in 1970 (Travers 66). Coppola thought

that the contract he had with Warner-Seven Arts was [quote] “a solid multi-picture

deal,” but who knows how much he was aware of this

'turn-all-of-your-funding-into-a-loan' clause (Travers 65).

Coppola said, "My enthusiasm and my imagination far outpaced any kind of financial logic…

I wasn’t associated with anyone who was the businessman of the group. It was all me,

and I was forging ahead without looking back and seeing whether we could afford this or

that” (Travers 66). The only thing keeping Coppola from completely going under was the

success of Patton that was a hit in theaters during 1970, however, the money being made

by Coppola wasn’t going to be enough to save Zoetrope (Travers 66).

The stage was now set for one of those cinematic miracles— Paramount was looking for someone

of Italian decent to direct a little mafia adaptation called The Godfather (Martin 205).

Robert Evans, the head of Paramount, knew that mafia movies usually do poorly when they

are directed by non-Italians— that’s why he first offered the job to Sergio Leone,

but he was busy making his own mafia movie: Once Upon a Time in America (Wiki). Besides,

most of the mafia movies being made became “flops” and the big directors didn’t

want to touch them (SiriusXM). Evans said that he wanted to [quote] “smell the spaghetti” (Wiki).

And you fry some garlic, then you throw in some tomatoes, some tomato paste, you fry

it, you make sure it doesn’t stick…

Robert Evans: “I didn’t particularly want Francis until I met with him. And he’s brilliant

and he’s operatic and really what makes the picture work is the opera of it.”

Coppola originally didn’t want to make a mafia movie for fear of disparaging his Italian

heritage and because he wanted to do “art films.” He had written The Conversation

at this point and was really trying to get that made, but with Lucas reminding him that

they were out of money and Coppola’s realization that he could make the story more about American

capitalism, he agreed (Wiki). I’m tellin’ ya, most of the best movies combine artistic

expression and commercial appeal.

Lucas said, “For him, it wasn’t really, Should I do this movie?… It was, Can I really

accept the fact that the dream of Zoetrope, of this alternative studio, all this stuff

we’d been talking about for the last two years—failed? Because at that point, Zoetrope

fell apart. Francis was very disappointed when the whole thing collapsed, but he had

to pay his debt back"(Travers 68).

Evans would attempt to fire Coppola from The Godfather in 1971, but before he could, Coppola

won the Oscar for writing Patton and Evans couldn’t fire an Oscar winner (Travers 4).

The story of making The Godfather deserves a whole series of videos, so I’m only going

to talk about the stuff that will be relevant later in this series. Coppola really wanted

Marlon Brando for the role of Vito Corleone but Paramount wanted Ernest Borgnine (Wiki).

Even though he won an Academy Award for screenwriting, Coppola didn’t have much clout in Hollywood.

He went on and on about wanting Brando, but the Evans wouldn’t hear of it.

Coppola: “I was told by the president of Paramount Pictures, ‘Francis, Marlon Brando

will not appear in this movie and I forbid you, as president of Paramount, to bring his

name up again’ and at which time, I fell on the floor in a faint — I did it deliberately—

and he said, ‘what!?’ And I said, “Well, if I can’t even talk about it, then what

kind of a director am I?” And he said, “Okay, you can talk about it.”

Evans finally relented under the conditions that Brando do the movie for free, do a screen

test, and put up a one million dollar bond in case anything goes wrong (92nd Street Y).

He went to Brando’s house and filmed him trying out some characterizations for

the [quote/unquote] ’screen test’ and went over Evan’s head to the president of

Gulf and Western, which had acquired Paramount Pictures, and Coppola turned on the video

of Brando’s screen test.

Coppola: “And Charlie Bluhdorn said, ‘No, no, absolutely n…

that’s incredible!’”

And that’s how Brando got hired (92nd Street Y). They didn’t make him put up the bond,

but they only paid him something like $120,000 (92nd Street Y).

So Coppola built his career on taking risks— sometimes failing, but sometimes…

Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather!

Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo!

The winner is Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part II!

The Godfather won every award and made every dollar and now tops every list and Francis

Ford Coppola is a household name.

Coppola: “Firstly, I’d like to thank Peter Bart who was responsible for getting me this

job in the first place, which sort of rescued me from my wonderful romantic financial adventure

in San Francisco, which still lives.”

A couple years later, Coppola found himself directing two films— The Conversation and

The Godfather Part II and this lead to him being nominated against himself for Best Picture

at the Academy Awards— winning for The Godfather Part II— and also winning Best Adapted Screenplay.

Godfather Part II— Francis Ford Coppola, Gray Frederickson, and Fred Roos.

By the way, let’s look at that clip of Coppola winning against himself again. Look, he also

won against his old nemesis Robert Evans who produced Chinatown that year.

The stage was now set for a low-budget Vietnam war movie called Apocalypse Now. The director?

George Lucas.

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