Glenn Ford, Dead

A favourite in many, many roles.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Actor Glenn Ford, who played strong, thoughtful protagonists in films such as "The Blackboard Jungle," "Gilda" and "The Big Heat," died Wednesday, police said. He was 90.

Paramedics called to Ford's home just before 4 p.m. found Ford dead, police Sgt. Terry Nutall said, reading a prepared statement. "They do not suspect foul play," he said.

Ford suffered a series of strokes in the 1990s.

Failing health forced him to skip a 90th birthday tribute on May 1 at Hollywood's historic Grauman's Egyptian Theatre. But he did send greetings via videotape, adding, "I wish I were up and around, but I'm doing the best that I can.... There's so much I have to be grateful for."

At the event, Shirley Jones, who co-starred with him in the comedy "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," called Ford "one of the cornerstones of our industry, and there aren't many left."

Ford appeared in scores of films during his 53-year Hollywood career. The Film Encyclopedia, a reference book, lists 85 films from 1939 to 1991.

He was cast usually as the handsome tough, but his acting talents ranged from romance to comedy. His more famous credits include "Superman," "Gilda," "The Sheepman," "The Gazebo," "Pocketful of Miracles" and "Don't Go Near the Water."

Glenn Ford was always one of my favorite actors.

Oh, I am so sorry to hear about that. May he rest in peace!

I saw that item, edgar. Inspired me to go on a search for the lost Dutchman's mine. <smile> Hmmm. Maybe that should be the Dutchman's lost mine.

I had a tape of that film, Letty. But I forgot the name exactly. Maybe Lust For Gold.

That's it, edgar. Saw that film when I was a kid and developed a big crush on Glen.

You should have told him about your crush when he was alive Letty. He would have been honored.

I had forgotten that Glenn Ford was born in Canada. Born Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford on May 1, 1916, Sainte-Christine, Portneuf county, Quebec, Canada

A list of his movies:

1. 3:10 To Yuma (1957)
2. Advance To The Rear (1964)
3. The Adventures Of Martin Eden (1942)
4. Affair In Trinidad (1952)
5. The Americano (1955)
6. Appointment In Honduras (1953)
7. Babies For Sale (1940)
8. The Big Heat (1953)
9. Blackboard Jungle (1955)
10. Blondie Plays Cupid (1940)
11. Border Shootout (1990)
12. Casablanca Express (1989)
13. Cimarron (1960)
14. Convicted (1950)
15. Convicted Woman (1940)
16. The Courtship Of Eddie's Father (1963)
17. Cowboy (1958)
18. Cry For Happy (1961)
19. Day Of The Evil Gun (1968)
20. Dear Heart (1964)
21. The Desperadoes (1943)
22. Destroyer (1943)
23. The Disappearance Of Flight 412 (1974)
24. The Doctor And The Girl (1949)
25. Don't Go Near The Water (1957)
26. Evening In Byzantium (1978)
27. Experiment In Terror (1962)
28. The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)
29. Fate Is The Hunter (1964)
30. Flight Lieutenant (1942)
31. The Flying Missile (1950)
32. Follow The Sun (1951)
33. The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (1962)
34. Framed (1947)
35. Gallant Journey (1946)
36. The Gazebo (1959)
37. The Gift (1979)
38. Gilda (1946)
39. Go West, Young Lady (1941)
40. The Green Glove (1952)
41. Happy Birthday To Me (1981)
42. Heaven With A Barbed Wire Fence (1939)
43. Heaven With A Gun (1969)
44. Human Desire (1954)
45. Imitation General (1958)
46. Interrupted Melody (1955)
47. Is Paris Burning? (1966)
48. It Started With A Kiss (1959)
49. Jubal (1956)
50. The Lady In Question (1940)
51. The Last Challenge (1967)
52. Love Is A Ball (1963)
53. The Loves Of Carmen (1948)
54. Lust For Gold (1949)
55. The Man From Colorado (1948)
56. The Man From The Alamo (1953)
57. The Mating Of Millie (1948)
58. Men Without Souls (1940)
59. Midway (1976)
aka: The Battle Of Midway
60. The Money Trap (1965)
61. Mr. Soft Touch (1949)
62. My Son Is Guilty (1939)
63. Plunder Of The Sun (1953)
64. Pocketful Of Miracles (1961)
65. Rage (1966)
66. Ransom! (1956)
67. Raw Nerve (1991)
68. The Redhead And The Cowboy (1950)
69. The Return Of October (1948)
70. The Rounders (1965)
71. Santee (1973)
72. The Secret Of Convict Lake (1951)
73. Sheepman (1958)
74. Smith! (1969)
75. So Ends Our Night (1941)
76. A Stolen Life (1946)
77. Superman: The Movie (1978)
aka: Superman
78. The Teahouse Of The August Moon (1956)
79. Texas (1941)
80. Time Bomb (1953)
aka: Terror On A Train
81. A Time for Killing (1967)
aka: The Long Ride Home
82. Torpedo Run (1958)
83. Trial (1955)
84. The Undercover Man (1949)
85. The Violent Men (1955)
86. Virus (1980)
87. The Visitor (1979)
88. The White Tower (1950)
89. Young Man With Ideas (1952)

Hey, nick. I don't think I could write back then.

Intrepid, Wow. That is some list. "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"? Amazing.

The best part of the film was Glenn Ford's performance and then the Andre Previn score which Barbra Streisand actually sang the lyrics of the main theme on her "The Hollywood Album." It was recently shown on INHD with a pristine 35mm print. Not as good as the black-and-white oldie but still good. Of course, the idealistic teacher of "Blackboard Jungle" should have won him at least an Oscar nomination but he was shut out.

His one big award was the 1962 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for "A Pocketful of Miracles," which remains my favorite Glenn Ford performance, with "Gilda" way up at the top -- man was he unctuous!

Hey, Mr. Wizard, in your first post you said "the best part of the film..." Which film did you mean?

I don't recall him at all in Pocketful of Miracles.

Glenn Ford was in Pocketful of Miracles in 1961.

All I remember from Pocketful of Miracles is the song, Intrepid, but I am still not certain that Mr. Wizard was referring to that film.

I watch a lot of the oldies on AMC and TMC. Some are great; some are lousy.

The first comment was on "The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse," made
previously in 1921 with Rudolph Valentino!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012190/

The Cinemascope version with Ford was saddled down with some pretentious dialogue and static flow of the narrative. It's watchable, again, just for the scoring but I also have that on CD.

Ok, gotcha, Mr. Wizard. I wasn't quite certain which film you meant.

A fine actor. Sad to see him go.