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{{Short description|American academic, author, film executive and advocate for the arts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{infobox writer
{{infobox writer
| name = August Coppola
| image = AugustCoppola.jpg
| birth_name = August Floyd Coppola
| birth_name = August Floyd Coppola
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|02|16}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|02|16}}
| birth_place = [[Hartford, Connecticut]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Hartford, Connecticut]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|10|27|1934|02|16}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|10|27|1934|02|16}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| occupation = Educator, author, film executive
| occupation = Educator, author, film executive
| nationality = American
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
*[[UCLA]]
*[[UCLA]]
Line 15: Line 18:
*{{marriage|Marie Thenevin|1981|1986|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|Marie Thenevin|1981|1986|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|Martine Chevallier|1996}}}}
*{{marriage|Martine Chevallier|1996}}}}
| children = {{hlist|[[Marc Coppola (actor)|Marc]]|[[Christopher Coppola|Christopher]]|[[Nicolas Cage|Nicolas]]}}
| children = {{plainlist|
*[[Marc Coppola (actor)|Marc Coppola]]
*[[Christopher Coppola]]
*[[Nicolas Cage]]}}
| relatives = {{plainlist|
| relatives = {{plainlist|
*[[Carmine Coppola]] {{small|(father)}}
*[[Carmine Coppola]] {{small|(father)}}
*[[Italia Coppola|Italia Pennino]] {{small|(mother)}}
*[[Italia Coppola|Italia Pennino]] {{small|(mother)}}
*[[Francis Ford Coppola]] {{small|(brother)}}
*[[Francis Ford Coppola]] {{small|(brother)}}
*[[Talia Shire]] {{small|(sister)}}}}
*[[Talia Shire]] {{small|(sister)}}
*[[Anton Coppola]] {{small|(uncle)}}
*[[Gian-Carlo Coppola]] {{small|(nephew)}}
*[[Roman Coppola]] {{small|(nephew)}}
*[[Sofia Coppola]] {{small|(niece)}}
*[[Jason Schwartzman]] {{small|(nephew)}}
*[[Robert Schwartzman]] {{small|(nephew)}}
*[[Gia Coppola]] {{small|(grand-niece)}}}}
}}
}}
'''August Floyd Coppola''' (February 16, 1934 – October 27, 2009) was an American academic, author, film executive, and advocate for the arts. He was the brother of director [[Francis Ford Coppola]] and the father of actor [[Nicolas Cage]].
'''August Floyd Coppola''' (February 16, 1934 – October 27, 2009) was an American academic, author, film executive, and advocate for the arts. He was the brother of director [[Francis Ford Coppola]] and actress [[Talia Shire]], and the father of actor [[Nicolas Cage]], radio DJ [[Marc Coppola (actor)|Marc Coppola]] and director [[Christopher Coppola]].


==Family life==
==Early life and family==
August Coppola was the son of composer and flutist [[Carmine Coppola]] (1910–1991) and [[Italia Pennino]] (1912–2004), a lyricist and matriarch of the [[Coppola family tree|Coppola family]]. His siblings are film director [[Francis Ford Coppola]] and actress [[Talia Shire]]; his uncle is composer [[Anton Coppola]]. August Coppola married [[German Americans|German-American]] dancer Joy Vogelsang in 1960; they had three sons: [[Marc Coppola (actor)|Marc]], [[Christopher Coppola|Christopher]], and [[Nicolas Cage|Nicolas]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2009/11/03/august_coppola_professor_directors_sibling/|title=August Coppola, professor, director's sibling|first=Claire|last=Noland|date=November 3, 2009|via=The Boston Globe|newspaper=Boston.com}}</ref> Among his nieces and nephews are director [[Sofia Coppola]] and actor [[Jason Schwartzman]].
August Coppola was the son of composer and flautist [[Carmine Coppola]] (1910–1991) and [[Italia Coppola|Italia Pennino Coppola]] (1912–2004), a lyricist and matriarch of the [[Coppola family tree|Coppola family]]. His siblings were film director [[Francis Ford Coppola]] and actress [[Talia Shire]]; his uncle was composer [[Anton Coppola]].

⚫
Coppola and Vogelsang divorced in 1976. He married Marie Thenevin on April 16, 1981. That marriage ended in 1986. His last marriage was to {{ill|Martine Chevallier|fr}}, an actress with the [[Comédie-Française]] in Paris.


==Education and work==
==Education and work==
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He taught [[comparative literature]] at [[Cal State Long Beach]] in the 1960s and '70s and served as a trustee of the [[California State University]] system before moving to San Francisco in 1984. He then served as [[Dean (education)|Dean]] of Creative Arts at [[San Francisco State University]]. In this role, Coppola earned a reputation of being a champion of the arts on the campus and in the community, and for promoting diversity within the student body of the arts school.
He taught [[comparative literature]] at [[Cal State Long Beach]] in the 1960s and '70s and served as a trustee of the [[California State University]] system before moving to San Francisco in 1984. He then served as [[Dean (education)|Dean]] of Creative Arts at [[San Francisco State University]]. In this role, Coppola earned a reputation of being a champion of the arts on the campus and in the community, and for promoting diversity within the student body of the arts school.


Additionally, August Coppola worked in film, like many other members of his family. He was an executive at his brother's [[American Zoetrope]] film studio, where he was involved in the revival of [[Abel Gance]]'s 1927 silent film [[Napoléon (1927 film)|''Napoléon'']].<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-august-coppola30-2009oct30,0,1538527.story "August Coppola dies at 75."] ''Los Angeles Times'' obituary.</ref> He was the founder and president of the San Francisco Film and Video Arts Commission,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/SFSU-names-screening-room-after-ex-dean-Coppola-3100234.php|title=SFSU names screening room after ex-dean Coppola|first1=Jane|last1=Ganahl|first2=Of the Examiner|last2=Staff|date=September 17, 1997|website=SFGate}}</ref> and served on the jury of the [[36th Berlin International Film Festival]] in 1986.<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1986/04_jury_1986/04_Jury_1986.html |title=Berlinale: 1986 Juries |accessdate=2011-01-14 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> Also, Coppola served as chairman and CEO of Education First!, an organization seeking Hollywood studio support of educational programs.
Coppola also worked in film, like many other members of his family. He was an executive at his brother's [[American Zoetrope]] film studio, where he was involved in the revival of [[Abel Gance]]'s 1927 silent film [[Napoléon (1927 film)|''Napoléon'']].<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-august-coppola30-2009oct30,0,1538527.story "August Coppola dies at 75."] ''Los Angeles Times'' obituary.</ref> He was the founder and president of the San Francisco Film and Video Arts Commission,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/SFSU-names-screening-room-after-ex-dean-Coppola-3100234.php|title=SFSU names screening room after ex-dean Coppola|first1=Jane|last1=Ganahl|date=September 17, 1997|website=SFGate}}</ref> and served on the jury of the [[36th Berlin International Film Festival]] in 1986.<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1986/04_jury_1986/04_Jury_1986.html |title=Berlinale: 1986 Juries |access-date=January 14, 2011 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> Also, Coppola served as chairman and CEO of Education First!, an organization seeking Hollywood studio support for educational programs.


Coppola also worked as an advocate for art appreciation among the [[visually impaired]]. He is credited as being the creator of the [[Exploratorium#Arts|Tactile Dome]], a feature at the San Francisco [[Exploratorium]] museum, which opened to the public on September 9, 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW-August-Coppola-Writes-2916664.php|title=WHERE ARE THEY NOW? / August Coppola Writes Quietly in Savannah|first1=Mick|last1=LaSalle|first2=Chronicle Staff|last2=Writer|date=August 1, 1999|website=SFGate}}</ref> The Dome is a lightless maze that requires visitors to pass through using only their sense of touch. In 1972 Coppola opened the AudioVision Workshop with colleague Professor Gregory Frazier, which utilized Frazier's original process of [[audio recording]] descriptions of film and theater action for the benefit of visually impaired audiences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/August-Coppola-arts-educator-dies-at-75-3282007.php|title=August Coppola, arts educator, dies at 75|first=Nanette|last=Asimov|date=November 4, 2009|website=SFGate}}</ref>
Coppola also worked as an advocate for art appreciation among the [[visually impaired]]. He is credited as being the creator of the [[Exploratorium#Arts|Tactile Dome]], a feature at the San Francisco [[Exploratorium]] museum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW-August-Coppola-Writes-2916664.php|title=WHERE ARE THEY NOW? / August Coppola Writes Quietly in Savannah|first1=Mick|last1=LaSalle|date=August 1, 1999|website=SFGate}}</ref> The Dome is a lightless maze that requires visitors to pass through using only their sense of touch. In 1972 Coppola opened the AudioVision Workshop with colleague Gregory Frazier, which employed Frazier's process of [[audio recording]] descriptions of film and theater action for the benefit of visually impaired audiences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/August-Coppola-arts-educator-dies-at-75-3282007.php|title=August Coppola, arts educator, dies at 75|first=Nanette|last=Asimov|date=November 4, 2009|website=SFGate}}</ref>


Coppola was the author of the romantic novel ''The Intimacy'' (1978), and was working on a second novel, ''The Nymbus'', while living in [[Savannah, Georgia]].
Coppola was the author of the romantic novel ''The Intimacy'' (1978).


==Death and legacy==
==Personal life ==
Coppola married German-American dancer Joy Vogelsang (1935–2021) in 1960;<ref>Daniel S. Levine: [https://popculture.com/celebrity/news/joy-vogelsang-nicolas-cage-mom-dead-85/ ''Joy Vogelsang, Nicolas Cage's Mom, Dead at 85''], [[PopCulture.com]], June 20, 2021</ref> they had three sons: [[Marc Coppola (actor)|Marc]], [[Christopher Coppola|Christopher]], and [[Nicolas Cage|Nicolas]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2009/11/03/august_coppola_professor_directors_sibling/|title=August Coppola, professor, director's sibling|first=Claire|last=Noland|date=November 3, 2009|via=The Boston Globe|newspaper=Boston.com}}</ref> Among his nieces and nephews are director [[Sofia Coppola]] and actor [[Jason Schwartzman]].
⚫
August Coppola's final home was in Los Angeles, where he died of a [[heart attack]] on October 27, 2009 at age 75.


⚫
Coppola and Vogelsang divorced in 1976. He married Marie Thenevin on April 16, 1981. That marriage ended in 1986. His last marriage was to [[Martine Chevallier]], an actress with the [[Comédie-Française]] in Paris.
⚫
The 150-seat August Coppola Theater on the San Francisco State campus is named in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1692024/bio|title=August Coppola|website=IMDb}}</ref> Francis Ford Coppola dedicated his 1983 film ''[[Rumble Fish]]'' to him.


⚫
Coppola's final home was in Los Angeles, where he died of a heart attack on October 27, 2009, at age 75.
In [[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)|''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'']] (2010), August Coppola's name is mentioned at the very end of credits.

==Legacy==
⚫
The 150-seat August Coppola Theater on the San Francisco State University campus is named in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1692024/bio|title=August Coppola|website=IMDb}}</ref> Francis Ford Coppola dedicated his 1983 film ''[[Rumble Fish]]'' to him.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=Gene D. |title=Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola |date=2014 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |page=214 |isbn=9780813146713 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XBHAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA214}}</ref>

Nicolas Cage partially based his idea for the film [[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)|''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'']] (2010) and his character Balthazar on his father August Coppola.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wei |first1=Liu |title=Cage feels the magic in ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2010-09/10/content_11283173.htm |access-date=July 11, 2020 |work=[[China Daily]] |date=September 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Nicolas Cage honors his father with 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/architecture/2010/07/13/nicolas-cage-honors-his-father-with-sorcerer-s-apprentice/ |access-date=July 11, 2020 |work=[[Dallas Morning News]] |date=July 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lowman |first1=Rob |title=Cage's occult interests led to film |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/movies/2010/07/14/Cage-s-occult-interests-led-to-film/stories/201007140222 |access-date=July 11, 2020 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=July 14, 2010}}</ref> The closing credits read "With Memories of Dr. August Coppola".<ref>{{cite web |title=''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'': Credits |url=http://chicagoscifi.com/movies/0021/text/credits.pdf |website=ChicagoSciFi.com |access-date=July 11, 2020}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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{{Coppola family}}
{{Coppola family}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coppola, August}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coppola, August}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:American academics]]
[[Category:California State University, Long Beach faculty]]
[[Category:American male writers]]
[[Category:American male writers]]
[[Category:American writers of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American writers of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Coppola family]]
[[Category:People of Campanian descent]]
[[Category:People of Lucanian descent]]
[[Category:Coppola family|August]]
[[Category:Hofstra University alumni]]
[[Category:Hofstra University alumni]]
[[Category:Occidental College alumni]]
[[Category:Occidental College alumni]]

Latest revision as of 02:59, 15 December 2023

August Coppola
BornAugust Floyd Coppola
(1934-02-16)February 16, 1934
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedOctober 27, 2009(2009-10-27) (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationEducator, author, film executive
Alma mater
Spouse
Joy Vogelsang
​
​
(m. 1960; div. 1976)​
Marie Thenevin
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 1986)​
Martine Chevallier
​
(m. 1996)​
Children
Relatives

August Floyd Coppola (February 16, 1934 – October 27, 2009) was an American academic, author, film executive, and advocate for the arts. He was the brother of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, and the father of actor Nicolas Cage, radio DJ Marc Coppola and director Christopher Coppola.

Early life and family[edit]

August Coppola was the son of composer and flautist Carmine Coppola (1910–1991) and Italia Pennino Coppola (1912–2004), a lyricist and matriarch of the Coppola family. His siblings were film director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire; his uncle was composer Anton Coppola.

Education and work[edit]

Coppola received his undergraduate degree at UCLA and his graduate degree at Hofstra University, where his thesis Ernest Hemingway: The Problem of In Our Time was published in 1956. Coppola earned his doctorate at Occidental College in 1960.

He taught comparative literature at Cal State Long Beach in the 1960s and '70s and served as a trustee of the California State University system before moving to San Francisco in 1984. He then served as Dean of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University. In this role, Coppola earned a reputation of being a champion of the arts on the campus and in the community, and for promoting diversity within the student body of the arts school.

Coppola also worked in film, like many other members of his family. He was an executive at his brother's American Zoetrope film studio, where he was involved in the revival of Abel Gance's 1927 silent film Napoléon.[1] He was the founder and president of the San Francisco Film and Video Arts Commission,[2] and served on the jury of the 36th Berlin International Film Festival in 1986.[3] Also, Coppola served as chairman and CEO of Education First!, an organization seeking Hollywood studio support for educational programs.

Coppola also worked as an advocate for art appreciation among the visually impaired. He is credited as being the creator of the Tactile Dome, a feature at the San Francisco Exploratorium museum.[4] The Dome is a lightless maze that requires visitors to pass through using only their sense of touch. In 1972 Coppola opened the AudioVision Workshop with colleague Gregory Frazier, which employed Frazier's process of audio recording descriptions of film and theater action for the benefit of visually impaired audiences.[5]

Coppola was the author of the romantic novel The Intimacy (1978).

Personal life[edit]

Coppola married German-American dancer Joy Vogelsang (1935–2021) in 1960;[6] they had three sons: Marc, Christopher, and Nicolas.[7] Among his nieces and nephews are director Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman.

Coppola and Vogelsang divorced in 1976. He married Marie Thenevin on April 16, 1981. That marriage ended in 1986. His last marriage was to Martine Chevallier, an actress with the Comédie-Française in Paris.

Coppola's final home was in Los Angeles, where he died of a heart attack on October 27, 2009, at age 75.

Legacy[edit]

The 150-seat August Coppola Theater on the San Francisco State University campus is named in his honor.[8] Francis Ford Coppola dedicated his 1983 film Rumble Fish to him.[9]

Nicolas Cage partially based his idea for the film The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) and his character Balthazar on his father August Coppola.[10][11][12] The closing credits read "With Memories of Dr. August Coppola".[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "August Coppola dies at 75." Los Angeles Times obituary.
  2. ^ Ganahl, Jane (September 17, 1997). "SFSU names screening room after ex-dean Coppola". SFGate.
  3. ^ "Berlinale: 1986 Juries". berlinale.de. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  4. ^ LaSalle, Mick (August 1, 1999). "WHERE ARE THEY NOW? / August Coppola Writes Quietly in Savannah". SFGate.
  5. ^ Asimov, Nanette (November 4, 2009). "August Coppola, arts educator, dies at 75". SFGate.
  6. ^ Daniel S. Levine: Joy Vogelsang, Nicolas Cage's Mom, Dead at 85, PopCulture.com, June 20, 2021
  7. ^ Noland, Claire (November 3, 2009). "August Coppola, professor, director's sibling". Boston.com – via The Boston Globe.
  8. ^ "August Coppola". IMDb.
  9. ^ Phillips, Gene D. (2014). Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola. University Press of Kentucky. p. 214. ISBN 9780813146713.
  10. ^ Wei, Liu (September 10, 2010). "Cage feels the magic in The Sorcerer's Apprentice". China Daily. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  11. ^ "Nicolas Cage honors his father with 'Sorcerer's Apprentice'". Dallas Morning News. July 13, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  12. ^ Lowman, Rob (July 14, 2010). "Cage's occult interests led to film". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  13. ^ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Credits" (PDF). ChicagoSciFi.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.

External links[edit]

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