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.

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Known For

The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation

1915

as Klansman (uncredited)

The Horse Soldiers
The Horse Soldiers

1959

as Ned (uncredited)

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Directed by John Ford
Directed by John Ford

1971

as Self (uncredited)

Filmmakers for the Prosecution
Filmmakers for the Prosecution

2023

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

John Ford: The Man Who Invented America
John Ford: The Man Who Invented America

2019

as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

Five Came Back
Five Came Back

2017

as Self (archive footage)

Spanish Western
Spanish Western

2015

as Self (archive footage)

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

2009

as Self (archive footage)

Shooting War
Shooting War

2000

as himself

Show-Business at War
The Bandit's Wager
The Bandit's Wager

1916

as Nan's Brother

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The American West of John Ford
Big Time
Big Time

1929

as John Ford (uncredited)

The Western: A Lost TV Special