John Ford

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John Ford

John Ford was an American motion-picture director. Winner of four Academy Awards, and is known as one of America’s great film directors. He began his career in the film industry around 1913. According to Ellis, Ford’s style is evident in both the themes he is drawn toward and the visual treatment of those themes, in his direction of the camera and in what’s in front of it. Although he began his career in the silent film area and continued to work fruitfully for decades after the thirties, Ford reached creative maturity in the thirties. Ford, unlike other directors continued to do some of his finest work after the nineteen thirties. Nevertheless, he shaped his art into personal and full expression during those precedent-setting years. (Pg.200)

Ford directed more than two hundred movies throughout his career. Following in his brother’s foot steps; Ford produced, directed, and wrote many films. Throughout his career, which spanned nearly fifty years, he worked for such studios as Universal, Fox Film Corporation, RKO, United Artists, 20th Century Fox, Republic Pictures, and Warner Brothers. John Ford was born to Irish immigrants on February 1, 1894 or 1895, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. His birth name was Sean Aloysius O’Fearna (Feeney). He changed his name when he began his career in the film industry. John’s brother, Frances Ford took him under his wing and showed him the ropes. He started out in Hollywood by doing stunt work, camera work, and film editing. In addition, Ford performed in such movies as Lucille Love, Girl of Mystery (1914), The Mysterious Rose (1914), The Broken Coin (1915), The Hidden City (1915), The Bandit’s Wager (1916), The Lumber Yard Gang (1916), and Chicken-Hearted Jim (1916). He even pl...

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...erved. Copyright © 1997-98, 03/01/1999

5. Robinson and Lloyd, The Illustrated History of the Cinema. New York, N.Y.: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986

6. Sklar, Robert, Film an International History of the Medium. New York, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1993

7. Http://us.imdb.com/name?Ford,+John, 03/01/1999

Ford, John. Orig. Sean Aloysius O' Feeney o-'fe-ne . 1895-1973. American motion-picture director, b. Cape Elizabeth, Me. Director of The Iron Horse (1924), The Informer (1935, Academy Award), Stagecoach (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940, Academy Award), Tobacco Road (1941), How Green Was My Valley (1941, Academy Award), My Darling Clementine (1946), Wagonmaster (1950), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952, Academy Award), Mister Roberts (1955), The Searchers (1956), How the West Was Won (1962), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), etc.

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