John Ford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Ford (February 1, 1894 - August 31, 1973) was one of the most accomplished American film directors of the 1930s to 1960s, known particularly as a director of the Westerns, although his tributes to the veterans of World War II and Americana are also equally effective. In recent years, it has been claimed that his westerns, particularly The Searchers, portray Native Americans in an unflattering light, though it has also been said that The Searchers is actually a critique of the pathology of American racism.
From Feeney to Ford
He was born John Martin Feeney in Cape Elizabeth, Maine to John Augustine Feeney and Barbara (Abbey) Curren, both of whom were born in Spiddal1, County Galway, Ireland in 1856. John A. Feeney's grandmother, Barbara Morris, was said to be a member of a local (impoverished) gentry family, the Morrises of Spiddal, presently headed by the decidedly well-off Redmond Morris, 3rd Lord Killanin.
John Augustine and Barbara Feeney arrived in Boston and Portland within a few days of each other in May and June 1872, were married in 1875, and became American citizens three years later. They had eleven children: Mamie (Mary Agnes), born 1876; Delia (Edith), 1878-1881; Patrick; Francis; Bridget, 1883-84; Barbara, born and died 1888; Edward, born 1889; Josephine, born 1891; Hannah (Johanna), born and died 1892; John Martin, 1894-1973; and Daniel, born/died 1896.
Many of his films contain direct and indirect references to his very Irish and Gaelic heritage. His family referred to him as Sean.
He began acting in 1914, adopting the name "Ford" as a more acceptable stage name. He married Mary McBryde Smith, a Protestant who refused to convert (but also refused to divorce him over his affair with Katharine Hepburn) on July 3, 1920. They were married until his death in 1973.
Director
In 1921, he turned to directing. During the 1920s, he served as president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a forerunner to today's Directors Guild of America. His many awards are listed below.
With the making of the 1939 classic Stagecoach Ford would take a "B" star, John Wayne, and mentor Wayne to become an "American icon". He would use Wayne to make a statement of the American frontier spirit, and Wayne would become one of the biggest box office stars of the 20th century in the process. Ford's friendship with John Wayne led them to work together on films that featured some of Wayne's most iconic roles. Over the next 35 years Wayne would appear in over twenty of Ford's films, including Stagecoach (1939), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), The Quiet Man (1952), The Searchers (1956), The Wings of Eagles (1957), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). John Wayne would call Ford "Coach" and "Pappy".
Probably the setting that Ford most loved to work with would be Utah's Monument Valley. He made numerous films there (including some that are out of character/setting). Ford would define images of the American West with some of the most beautiful and powerful cinematography ever shot, including those in Stagecoach, The Searchers, Fort Apache, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.
Ford was good friends and a frequent collaborator with Merian C. Cooper (best known as the director of King Kong), who produced several of Ford's most beloved films.
Navy career and subsequent work
During World War II Commander John Ford, USNR, served in the United States Navy and made documentaries for the Defense Department. He would win two more Academy Awards during this time, one for The Battle of Midway (1942), and a second for acclaimed documentary December 7th (1943) (see[[1]]). For more information on his military contributions check the Naval Historical Center link below.
In 1955, Ford was tapped to direct the classic Navy comedy Mister Roberts, starring Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, William Powell, and James Cagney. But, Ford was replaced by Mervyn LeRoy during filming when he suffered a ruptured gallbladder.
Ford cast Ward Bond as himself, under the character of John Dodge, in the 1957 movie The Wings of Eagles again starring his good friends, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.
John Ford Stock Company
Some other actors whom Ford repeatedly used throughout his directorial career include: Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, Jane Darwell, Francis Ford (brother), Ben Johnson, Victor McLaglen, Harry Carey, Jr., and others. They would be known as The John Ford Stock Company.
Awards
He won four Academy Awards as best director for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952) - none of them Westerns (also starring in the last two was Maureen O'Hara, 'his favorite actress'). He was also nominated as Best Director for Stagecoach. As producer he received nominations for Best Picture for The Quiet Man and The Long Voyage Home.
He was the first recipient of the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 1973.
There is a statue of him in Portland, Maine. He is depicted sitting on a directors chair and there are quotes and information about him and his movies displayed.
Ford passed away from stomach cancer, at age 79, in Palm Desert, California. He was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford_%28film_director%29
