John Ford

John Ford Headshot

Director

Birth Date: February 1, 1894

Death Date: August 31, 1973

Birth Place: Cape Elizabeth, Maine

As one of the most influential directors in Hollywood history, John Ford was as famous for defining the Western genre as he was for his collaborations with screen icon John Wayne. Having started his career in the silent era, Ford honed his craft making scores of short films before become one of Hollywood's most decorated directors, winning a total of four Best Director Academy Awards. His first came with "The Informer" (1935), but it was his second for the seminal "Stagecoach" (1939) that cemented his place in cinema history. The film marked the true beginning of his collaboration with Wayne, even though the actor had appeared in uncredited roles in a number of his silent movies. His ability to blend art and commerce in films like "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940), "How Green Was My Valley" (1941), "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949) and "The Quiet Man" (1952) assured performers of a platform for displaying their finest work. Ford was also a pioneer of location shooting and often shot in Utah's Monument Valley, a virtually prehistoric landscape that he helped make famous in "The Searchers" (1956), widely considered the best Western ever made. With "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962), his last great film, Ford capped a career that influenced generations of directors while offering audiences some of cinema's most important films.

Credits

Colors Of War: The Pacific

Director
Show
2009

A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

Actor
Himself (archive footage)
Movie
1995

海ゆかば

Director
Movie
1974

Vietnam! Vietnam!

Executive Producer
Movie
1971

Seven Women

Director
Movie
1966

Young Cassidy

Director
Movie
1965

Cheyenne AutumnStream

Director
Movie
1964
60%

Cheyenne AutumnStream

Producer
Movie
1964
60%

Donovan's ReefStream

Director
Movie
1963
54%

Donovan's ReefStream

Producer
Movie
1963
54%

The Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceStream

Director
Movie
1962
94%

The Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceStream

Producer
Movie
1962
94%

How the West Was WonStream

Director
Movie
1962
87%

Two Rode Together

Director
Movie
1961

Two Rode Together

Producer
Movie
1961

Sergeant Rutledge

Director
Movie
1960

The Horse SoldiersStream

Director
Movie
1959
81%

The Last Hurrah

Director
Movie
1958

The Last Hurrah

Producer
Movie
1958

Gideon of Scotland Yard

Director
Movie
1958

Wagon TrainStream

Director
Series
1957

The Wings of Eagles

Director
Movie
1957

The Rising of the Moon

Director
Movie
1957

The SearchersStream

Director
Movie
1956
94%

Screen Directors Playhouse

Director
Show
1955

The Long Gray Line

Director
Movie
1955

Mister RobertsStream

Director
Movie
1955
93%

The Sun Shines Bright

Director
Movie
1954

The Sun Shines Bright

Producer
Movie
1954

MogamboStream

Director
Movie
1953
77%

The Quiet ManStream

Director
Movie
1952
91%

The Quiet ManStream

Producer
Movie
1952
91%

What Price Glory?

Director
Movie
1952

This Is Korea!

Director
Movie
1951

Rio Grande

Director
Movie
1950

Rio Grande

Producer
Movie
1950

When Willie Comes Marching Home

Director
Movie
1950

Le Convoi des braves

Director
Movie
1950

Wagon Master

Director
Movie
1950

Wagon Master

Producer
Movie
1950

Mighty Joe Young

Producer
Movie
1949

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Director
Movie
1949

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Executive Producer
Movie
1949

Fort Apache

Director
Movie
1948

Fort Apache

Executive Producer
Movie
1948

3 Godfathers

Director
Movie
1948

3 Godfathers

Producer
Movie
1948

The Fugitive

Director
Movie
1947

The Fugitive

Producer
Movie
1947

My Darling Clementine

Director
Movie
1946

They Were Expendable

Director
Movie
1945

They Were Expendable

Producer
Movie
1945

How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines

Actor
J. P. Baldwin
Movie
1943

How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines

Director
Movie
1943

How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines

Producer
Movie
1943

December 7th

Director
Movie
1943

The Battle of Midway

Cinematography
Show
1942

The Battle of Midway

Director
Show
1942

The Battle of Midway

Editor
Show
1942

The Battle of Midway

Producer
Show
1942

Torpedo Squadron

Director
Movie
1942

The Battle of Midway

Director
Movie
1942

The Battle of Midway

Producer
Movie
1942

The Battle of Midway

Screenwriter
Movie
1942

How Green Was My ValleyStream

Director
Movie
1941
93%

Tobacco Road

Director
Movie
1941

The Long Voyage Home

Director
Movie
1940

The Long Voyage Home

Producer
Movie
1940

The Grapes of WrathStream

Director
Movie
1940
100%

Drums Along the Mohawk

Director
Movie
1939

StagecoachStream

Director
Movie
1939
100%

StagecoachStream

Producer
Movie
1939
100%

Young Mr. LincolnStream

Director
Movie
1939
100%

Four Men and a Prayer

Director
Movie
1938

Submarine Patrol

Director
Movie
1938

The Hurricane

Director
Movie
1937

Wee Willie Winkie

Director
Movie
1937

Mary of ScotlandStream

Director
Movie
1936

The Prisoner of Shark Island

Director
Movie
1936

The Plough and the Stars

Director
Movie
1936

The Whole Town's Talking

Director
Movie
1935

Steamboat 'Round the Bend

Director
Movie
1935

The Informer

Director
Movie
1935

The Informer

Producer
Movie
1935

Judge Priest

Director
Movie
1934

The Lost Patrol

Director
Movie
1934

The World Moves On

Director
Movie
1934

Pilgrimage

Director
Movie
1933

Dr. Bull

Director
Movie
1933

Flesh

Director
Movie
1932

Flesh

Producer
Movie
1932

Air Mail

Director
Movie
1932

The Brat

Director
Movie
1931

Arrowsmith

Director
Movie
1931

The Seas Beneath

Director
Movie
1931

Born Reckless

Director
Movie
1930

Men Without Women

Director
Movie
1930

Up the River

Director
Movie
1930

The Black Watch

Director
Movie
1929

Salute

Director
Movie
1929

Hangman's House

Director
Movie
1928

Hangman's House

Producer
Movie
1928

Riley the Cop

Director
Movie
1928

Four Sons

Director
Movie
1928

Mother Machree

Director
Movie
1928

Upstream

Director
Movie
1927

Three Bad Men

Director
Movie
1926

The Blue Eagle

Director
Movie
1926

The Shamrock Handicap

Director
Movie
1926

Kentucky Pride

Director
Movie
1925

Lightnin'

Director
Movie
1925

The Iron Horse

Director
Movie
1924

Hoodman Blind

Director
Movie
1923

North of Hudson Bay

Director
Movie
1923

Little Miss Smiles

Director
Movie
1922

The Freeze-Out

Director
Movie
1921

The Wallop

Director
Movie
1921

The Wallop

Producer
Movie
1921

Jackie

Director
Movie
1921

Just Pals

Director
Movie
1920

Hitchin' Posts

Director
Movie
1920

The Prince of Avenue A

Actor
Movie
1920

The Prince of Avenue A

Director
Movie
1920

Hell Bent

Director
Movie
1918

Hell Bent

Screenwriter
Movie
1918

The Scarlet Drop

Director
Movie
1918

The Tornado

Actor
Jack Dayton
Movie
1917

The Tornado

Director
Movie
1917

Bucking Broadway

Director
Movie
1917

Straight Shooting

Director
Movie
1917

Lucille Love: Girl of Mystery

Actor
Movie
1914

News about
John Ford