Coppola, Francis Ford (1939)- a film director, best known for the films "'The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now".

Ford, John (1895-1973) - a film direc­tor, especially known for his Westerns in­cluding "Stagecoach", "How the West Was Won", etc.

Goldwin, Samuel (1882-1947) - a film producer, head of one of the companies, which later became MGM. Goldwyn is famous for saying odd things like "include me out".

Griffith, D. W. (1875-1948) - a film maker, known especially for his use of new photographic methods and for his epic si­lent films, such as "The Birth of the Na­tion" (1915) that required huge casts and enormous sets.

Griffith directed the first film, "The Ad­ventures of Dollie", in 1908 and went on to make hundreds of pictures. With "The Birth of the Nation", he created a land­mark in film industry. Also influential on the future of the film was "Intolerance" (1916). Griffith continued to make success­ful films throughout the 1920s. However, the Victorian sentiment that pervades his films was increasingly alien to the theme. He failed to make the transition to sound pictures.

Russel, Ken (1926-) — a film director, best known for documentary films and for the film "Women in Love".

Scorsese, Martin (1942—) — a film di­rector whose works include "Taxi Driver", "The Last Temptation of Christ", etc.

Spielberg, Steven (1946—) — a film di­rector who has made many very popular films, including "Jaws", "LT", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Star Wars", "Empire of the Sun", etc. His films are well known for being very fast moving and full of exciting action.

Zinneman, Frederick (1907- ) – an American film director, born in Austria, famous for the films such as "High Noon" and "The Day of Jackal".

Wilder Billy (1906-) – a film director whose films include "Sunset Boulevard" and "Some Like It Hot".

Films.

"The Birth of the Nation" — a dramatic silent film from 1915 about the American Civil War. "The Birth of the Nation" was directed by D. W. Griffith. The film, based on Thomas Dixon's novel "The Clansman", has been condemned for his­torical distortion and racial bias, but it be­came a landmark in the artistic develop­ment of motion pictures through its suc­cessful introduction of many now-standard film techniques.

"Planet of the Apes " - a film set in about imaginary future where monkeys rule the world.

''Psycho'' — a horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is especially known for a scene in which the character Mario (Janet Leigh) is stabbed in a shower by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

"Rocky" — the first of a group of films (later ones were called "Rocky II", "Rock III", etc.), starring Sylvester Stallone as a determined boxer called Rocky. In each of the films the main character overcomes difficulties and win a fight against a strong opponent. The films are especially popular with young people.

"Star Wars " — a popular science-fiction film about the battle between the hero, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader, an evil person who wears a black mask over his face and comes from an evil empire. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and is remembered for its many new exciting special effects.

"The Terminator" — a film with Arnold Schwarzenegger, set in Los Angeles in the near future in which a lot of people are killed. The film was followed by "Termina­tor II".

Actors and Actresses.

Astaire, Fred (1899—1987) — a dancer, singer and actor who made many films, often with his dancing partner, Ginger Rog­ers, and who was known for his stylishness.

Bassinger, Kim (1954—) — a film ac­tress, known especially for playing attrac­tive, sexy women.

Brando, Marlon (1924—) — an actor whose films include "A Streetcar Named Desire", "On the Waterfront", "The God­father", etc.

Cooper, Gary (1901—1962) — an actor who often played strong, silent heroes, for example in the film "High Noon".

Costner, Kevin (1955—) — an actor and director whose films include "Dances with Wolves", "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", "JFK", etc.

Cruise, Tom (1962—) — an actor who has played leading film parts since the early 1980s, e.g. in "Top Gun" and "Cock­tail". He is especially popular with women.

De Niro, Robert (1945—) — an actor, known especially for his part in the films "Taxi Driver" and "The Deer Hunter".

Dietrich, Marlene (1904—1992) — an American actress and nightclub perform­er, born in Germany, who usually played the part of an extremely sexually attractive woman. She is best remembered for her part in the film "Blue Angel".