-By Gregg Kilday

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will toast Francis Ford Coppola, veteran actor Eli Wallach, French director Jean-Luc Godard and preservationist Kevin Brownlow at its 2nd annual Governors Awards in November.

Coppola, a five-time Oscar winner for "Patton" and his first two "Godfather" movies, will be the recipient of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, given to a producer for his body of work.

Honorary Academy Awards will be presented to Wallach, Godard and Brownlow.

Wallach, who has appeared in such recent films as "The Ghost Writer" and the upcoming "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," has not previously been honored by the Academy, but his resume includes such classic films as "Baby Doll," "The Misfits," "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

Godard is one of the seminal figures in the French new wave movement and has directed such ground-breaking films as "Breathless," "Contempt" and "Weekend."

Brownlow is a prominent film historian, who has worked to restore such films as Abel Gance's 1927 "Napoleon" and has made such documentaries as "Unknown Chaplin" and "D.W. Griffith: Father of Film."

"Each of these honorees has touched movie audiences worldwide and influenced the motion picture industry through their work," Academy president Tom Sherak said. "It will be an honor to celebrate their extraordinary achievements and contributions at the Governors Awards."

The Academy's board of governors, at its monthly meeting Tuesday evening, approved the honors.

Traditionally, the honorary trophies were handed out during the Oscar broadcast, but last year for the first time, the Academy established a separate, non-televised ceremony, an informal and collegial banquet that was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hollywood & Highland Center.

Lauren Bacall, director/producer Roger Corman and Gordon Willis were last year's recipients of Honorary Awards. The Thalberg went to producer John Calley.

While the honoress were acknowledged during the subsequent Academy Awards show in March, the move was designed to save air-time during the Oscarcast. It also allowed the Academy to spend more time lavishing praise on the honorary winners at the separate awards presentation, which harkened back to the spirit of the original Oscar dinners.

The Honorary Awards are Oscar statuettes. The Thalberg is a bust of its namesake.

This year's Governors Awards, which will be produced by former Academy president Sid Ganis, will be held on Nov. 13.
-The Hollywood Reporter