Francis Ford Coppola is a Legendary Director

Francis Ford Coppola Breaks Down His Most Iconic Films

What happened to Coppola after “The Black Cat”?

After his brief but memorable foray into the horror genre, Coppola returned to the world of drama the genre he’d made his name. He went on to direct multiple award-winning dramas throughout his prolific career, including “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “Rumble Fish.” He also made his mark in the comedy genre with films like “The Outsiders,” “Peggy Sue Got Married,” and “Jack.” As a producer, Coppola has worked on films in every genre at one point or another. He even served as the executive producer on several horror films throughout the 80s and 90s, including “The Entity,” “Ragtime,” “The Cotton Club,” and “The Godfather Part III.”

Which of Francis Ford Coppola’s other films are worth watching?

Although it’s his most famous work, “The Black Cat” is not necessarily Coppola’s best work. That said, it’s certainly worth watching for the following reasons:

- It’s the first film many people see directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

- It’s the only film to feature the dynamic duo of Jack Nicholson and Anthony Perkins.

- It’s the only film to feature the great Vincent Price in a leading role.

- It’s the only film to feature the terrifying combination of the three in a horror story.

- It’s the only film to feature the iconic poster that has become so iconic.

- It’s the only film to feature the black cat that became so central to the story.

- It’s the only film to feature the late Raul Julia, who would later go on to star in Coppola’s “The Godfather Part III.”

- It’s the only film to feature the late Teresa Wright, who would later go on to star in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Shadow of a Doubt.”

- It’s the only film to feature the late Elisha Cook Jr.

- It’s the only film to feature the late Mary Webster, who would later go on to star in Tod Browning’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

The horror within the plot of “The Black Cat”

From a plot perspective, there’s nothing particularly scary about “The Black Cat.” That said, the film does have a few creepy elements worth mentioning. For example, Coppola’s decision to cast the late Vincent Price in the role of the narrator was an inspired choice after all, who doesn’t get chills at the sound of his voice? Similarly, the plot’s focus on the black cat, which plays a central role in the story, is a bit chilling. After all, the cat is a key plot device in the film and is featured in almost every frame. That said, the film is most chilling when it focuses on the relationship between the central characters. Here, we see two brothers at odds with one another to the point of violence over their shared love interest.

The monster within the production of “The Black Cat”

Coppola’s experience on the set of “The Black Cat” was far from ideal despite being his first-ever experience directing a film. He shared his memories of the production in a 2012 interview with The Guardian, describing what it was like to work with Jack Nicholson on the film: “It was a horrible experience,” he says, “for many reasons. My first wife was pregnant, and I was on a low salary. Jack Nicholson was terrible, and I didn’t know how to handle him. He was a real drug addict and very destructive. He was shooting smack every day and was out of his mind. There was a lot of hostility on the set.” Indeed, the film almost ended up being written off as a complete disaster. After all, it went through several rewrites, it had various directors attached to it, and it was almost shut down due to its excessive budget.

Final Words

As we can see, Francis Ford Coppola has a long history in the film industry. With a total of 55 years under his belt, this director, writer, and producer are one of the most experienced people in the business. Fortunately for us, he chose to make his foray into the horror genre with “The Black Cat” a film that is considered by many to be a modern masterpiece. Coppola’s decision to make this film almost came at a price. Fortunately, he was able to channel the experience into what is widely recognized as one of the most important horror films of all time.