John Ford
Born
February 1, 1894
Died
August 31, 1973 (79 years old)
Known For
Directing
Place of Birth
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His four Academy Awards for Best Director (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, and one of those films, How Green Was My Valley (1941), also won Best Picture.
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films (although nearly all of his silent films are now lost) and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford's films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues, with Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles among those who have named him as one of the greatest directors of all time.
In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain.
Known For
Filmmakers for the Prosecution
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2023
John Ford: The Man Who Invented America
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2019
Five Came Back
Self (archive footage)
2017
Spanish Western
Self (archive footage)
2015
John Ford & Monument Valley
Self (archive footage)
2013
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Self (archive footage)
2009
The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth
Self (archive footage)
2009
Monument Valley: John Ford Country
Self (voice) (archive footage)
2006
Serenity at Sea: John Ford and the Araner
Himself (archive footage)
2006
Shooting War
himself
2000
Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'
Self (archive footage)
2000
John Wayne-A Life on Film
Self (archive footage)
2000
National Geographic Explorer: The Battle For Midway
Himself - Filmmaker (archive footage) (unaccredited)
1999
Omnibus: John Ford, Part One
Self (archive footage)
1992
John Wayne's 'The Alamo'
Self
1992
Fonda on Fonda
Self (archive footage)
1992
John Ford's America
Himself (Archive Footage)
1989
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · (1 episode)
1973
The American West of John Ford
Self
1971
Directed by John Ford
Self (uncredited)
1971
My Name Is John Ford, I Make Westerns
Self
1970
The Horse Soldiers
Ned (uncredited)
1959
Screen Director's Playhouse
Self - Introduction · (1 episode)
1955
Ton Diagonismon Dia Thn Anadixin Tis Star Ellas
Himself (Grand Ball Attendee)
1952
The Screen Director
Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)
1951
Show-Business at War
Self
1943
Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines
J.P. Baldwin
1943
Big Time
John Ford (uncredited)
1929
The Scrapper
Buck, the scrapper
1917
The Trail of Hate
Lt. Jack Brewer
1917
The Tornado
Jack Dayton (as Jack Ford)
1917
The Purple Mask
(unconfirmed)
1916
The Bandit's Wager
1916
The Broken Coin
Sacchio's Accomplice (as Jack Ford)
1915
The Birth of a Nation
Klansman (uncredited)
1915
A Study in Scarlet
John H. Watson, M.D.
1914
Lucille Love: The Girl of Mystery
1914