John Ford

John Ford

1894-02-01 – 1973-08-31 (age 79) Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
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Biography

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.

Photos

Known For

The Horse Soldiers
The Horse Soldiers

1959

as Ned (uncredited)

The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation

1915

as Klansman (uncredited)

Shooting War
Shooting War

2000

as himself

Five Came Back
Five Came Back

2017

as Self (archive footage)

Directed by John Ford
Directed by John Ford

1971

as Self (uncredited)

Spanish Western
Spanish Western

2015

as Self (archive footage)

🎦
The Screen Director

1951

as Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)

🎦
Show-Business at War
John Ford: The Man Who Invented America
John Ford: The Man Who Invented America

2019

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

2009

as Self (archive footage)

John Wayne-A Life on Film
John Wayne-A Life on Film

2000

as Self (archive footage)

Fonda on Fonda
Fonda on Fonda

1992

as Self (archive footage)

Filmmakers for the Prosecution
Filmmakers for the Prosecution

2023

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

The American West of John Ford
John Ford & Monument Valley
John Ford & Monument Valley

2013

as Self (archive footage)

A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet

1914

as John H. Watson, M.D.

The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth
The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth

2009

as Self (archive footage)

Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'
Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'

2000

as Self (archive footage)