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Natalie, an independent film starring Patty Duke, released July 1969. In 1970, Pacino signed with the talent agency Creative Management Associates (CMA). It was the 1971 film The Panic in Needle Park, in which he played a heroin addict, that would bring Pacino to the attention of director Francis Ford Coppola, who cast him as Michael Corleone in the blockbuster 1972 Mafia film The Godfather. Although several established actors, including Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, and a little-known Robert De Niro also wanted to portray Michael Corleone, Coppola selected the relatively unknown Pacino, much to the dismay of studio executives. He was even teased on the set because he was short in height. Pacino's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination, and offered a prime example of his early acting style, described by Halliwell's Film Guide as "intense" and "tightly clenched". However Pacino boycotted the 45th Academy Awards as he was insulted at being nominated for the Supporting Acting award, noting that he had more screen time than Brando - who was himself boycotting the awards. In 1973, he co-starred in Scarecrow, with Gene Hackman, and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. That same year he Pacino starred in the popular Serpico, based on the true story of New York City policeman Frank Serpico who went undercover to expose the corruption of fellow officers. In 1974, Pacino reprised his role as Michael Corleone in the successful sequel The Godfather
1970s
Part II, acclaimed as being comparable to the original, the film became the first sequel to win the Best Picture Oscar, and Pacino was nominated for his third Oscar. Newsweek magazine declared that his performance in the film "is arguably cinema's greatest portrayal of the hardening of a heart". In 1975, he enjoyed further success with the release of Dog Day Afternoon, based on the true story of bank robber John Wojtowicz. It was directed by Sidney Lumet, who also directed him in Serpico a few years earlier, and for both films Pacino was nominated for Best Actor. In 1977, Pacino starred as a race-car driver in Bobby Deerfield, directed by Sydney Pollack, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama for his portrayal of the title role, losing out to Richard Burton, who won for Equus. His next