Glenn Ford Movies
The son of a Canadian railroad executive, Glenn Ford first toddled on-stage at age four in a community production of Tom Thumb's Wedding. In 1924, Ford's family moved to California, where he was active in high-school theatricals. He landed his first professional theater job as a stage manager in 1934, and, within a year, he was acting in the West Coast company of Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour. Although he made his film debut in 20th Century Fox's Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence (1939), Ford was signed by Columbia, which remained his home base for the next 14 years. After an apprenticeship in such B-movies as Blondie Plays Cupid (1940), Ford was promoted to Columbia's A-list.Outwardly a most ordinary and unprepossessing personality, Ford possessed that intangible "something" that connected with audiences. The first phase of his stardom was interrupted by World War II service in the Marines (he retained his officer's commission long after the war, enabling him to make goodwill visits to Korea and Vietnam). Upon his return, Ford had some difficulty jump-starting his career, but, in 1946, he was back on top as Rita Hayworth's co-star in Gilda. While he insisted that he "never played anyone but [himself] onscreen," Ford's range was quite extensive. He was equally effective as a tormented film noir hero (The Big Heat [1953], Human Desire [1954]) as he was in light comedy (Teahouse of the August Moon [1956], The Gazebo[1959]). Nearly half of his films were Westerns, many of which -- The Desperadoes (1943), The Fastest Gun Alive (1956), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Cowboy (1958) -- were among the best and most successful examples of that highly specialized genre. He was also quite effective at conveying courage under pressure: While it was clear that his characters in such films as The Blackboard Jungle (1955) and Ransom (1956) were terrified by the circumstances surrounding them, it was also obvious that they weren't about to let that terror get the better of them.
In 1958, Ford was voted the number one male box-office attraction. Through sagacious career choices, the actor was able to extend his popularity long after the studio system that "created" him had collapsed. In 1971, he joined such film stars as Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Quinn, and Jimmy Stewart in the weekly television grind. While his series Cade's County ended after a single season, in the long run it was more successful than the vintage-like programs of MacLaine, Quinn, et al., and enjoyed a healthy life in syndication. Ford went on to star in another series, The Family Holvak (1975), and hosted a weekly documentary, When Havoc Struck (1978). He also headlined such miniseries as Once an Eagle (1976) and Evening in Byzantium (1978), and delivered a particularly strong performance as an Irish-American patriarch in the made-for-TV feature The Gift (1979). He continued showing up in choice movie supporting roles into the early '90s; one of the best of these was as Clark Kent's foster father in Superman: The Movie (1978).
Although illness sharply curtailed his performing activities after that, Ford was still seemingly on call during the 1980s and '90s whenever a cable TV documentary on Hollywood's Golden Era required an eyewitness interview subject. In 1970, Ford published an autobiography, Glenn Ford, RFD Beverly Hills. His first wife was actress Eleanor Powell; He was also married to Kathryn Hays and Cynthia Hayward. His last film appearance was a cameo in 1993's Tombstone; after a series of strokes later that decade, he died in 2006 at the age of 90. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2008
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The epic length (3 1/2 hour) Time Life release Personal Journeys of World War II stitches together recollections from U.S. soldiers who served in the titular global conflict, to create a tapestry-style oral history of the century-defining fight against Nazi domination of Europe and Japanese imperialist domination of the Pacific. As narrated by the late actor Glenn Ford - himself a WWII-era Navy enlistee - this program bridges reminiscences from those Americans who served at home and reminiscences from those who served abroad, intercut with telling footage culled from newsreel and archival sources, much of it depicting battlefront activity. Participants include: Senator Daniel K. Inouye, President Gerald Ford, actor Eli Wallach, Senator Bob Dole and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this documentary, a variety of directors and actors, many of them well known, give answers to questions the viewer never hears -- answers which, on the face of it, call into question the validity of the whole filmmaking enterprise and the culture which spawned it. The narration asserts that the theme is "art versus enterprise," but critics objected that the film is not sufficiently focused to back up that claim. It does, however, reveal a strong anti-Hollywood bias. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Stone
When, during a rash of grotesque shotgun murders, a young race car driver goes to the police claiming that he's been having dreams about the killer, he gets locked up as the suspect. A lady reporter falls in love with the suspect and sets out prove his innocence and find the real killer. A rogue biker who accosts the reporter and kidnaps her is thought to be the killer in question so after he's slaughtered in a shoot-out, they figure they've solved the shotgun slayings. But have they? ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Sandahl Bergman, (more)
- 1991
A crucial chapter in the life of famed defense attorney Earl Rogers is re-created in the made-for-TV Final Verdict. Treat Williams stars as Rogers, who matriculates from small-claims court to the judicial Big Time in 1919. Defending a client whom he knows to be guilty, Rogers foments a crisis in his own family--and within himself. Glenn Ford co-stars as Rogers' minister father. Final Verdict debuted September 9, 1991, over the TNT cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Treat Williams, Glenn Ford, (more)
- 1990
- R
An Elmore Leonard novel was the basis for the old-fashioned western Border Shootout. In his last film appearance to date, Glenn Ford plays an aging, unpopular Arizona sheriff, transporting a dangerous criminal to federal prison. Ford leaves the town in the hands of part-time deputy Cody Glenn. Raised in the belief that honesty is the best policy, Glenn is ill-equipped to deal with a gang of cattle rustlers; he must also contend with the lynch fever stirred up local gadfly Jeff Kaake. Charlene Tilton and Michael Ansara are among the reliable cast members who tend to be ill served by C.T. McIntyre's haphazard direction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This actioner involves Nazi soldiers hijacking a train carrying England's prime minister. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1986
My Town is a one-hour Disney TV movie set in a tranquil American community. Meredith Salenger considers the place "My Town," and prefers that it remain untouched. Thus Salenger is dead set against the urban renewal plans of town banker Glenn Ford--who is also her grandfather. My Town first saw the light of day on May 25, 1986. It was shown back to back with another 60-minute film, The Casebusters, on ABC's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A double disaster film with both an American and a Japanese cast, Virus presents some pretty wild probabilities to viewers. First of all, a virus has been developed that gets loose and starts to destroy humanity on a grand scale. The only people who are remotely safe are a group of eight hundred men and eight women on Antarctica. Since the President of the United States warns them by radio communications not to accept anyone into their area who has been contaminated, the men and women are somewhat prepared. That does not mean they are ready to handle the crew of a Russian submarine that seeks refuge with them. The second disaster is nuclear, and part of the suspense lies in whether or not it will be ultimately averted -- and who, if any, will survive all this. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Chiba, Chuck Connors, (more)
- 1981
Treasure hunters from around the world race to Mexico after a Middle Eastern luxury yacht explodes, sending a fortune in gold to the bottom of the ocean. An agent (Chuck Connors) must stop the ruthless fortune hunters. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Certainly the low point in Glenn Ford's acting career, this Canadian production is, nevertheless, one of the slickest-looking slasher films from that subgenre's early-'80s heyday. The plot (what one can make of it) involves an unseen killer stalking a group of college students at the prestigious Crawford Academy. The well-staged murders are mysteriously linked to the slightly off-kilter Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson, formerly of Little House on the Prairie), whose disturbing past holds the key to the killer's identity. Though this film brought nothing new to the psycho-horror field, it did feature one of the more interesting ad campaigns of the period. One-sheets loudly boasted, "Six of the most bizarre murders you've ever seen!" and barred all late-arriving patrons from entering the theater during the final ten minutes (a promotional stunt stolen from Psycho). This hype proved less than apropos since the murders in question are not particularly bizarre or original (aside from the shish-kabob impalement depicted in the ads), and the film's climax is so painfully contrived that latecomers may be more able to comprehend it than those bemused viewers who watched the film from the beginning. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, (more)
- 1980
- R
Teetering between camp, silly, and derivative, this undistinguished horror film by Giulio Paradisi, aka Michael J. Paradise, stars several respectable actors. Mel Ferrer is an Atlanta notable who is mysteriously in communication with some demonic forces. These evil powers want him to father a child by his wife who carries the necessary genes to produce a real live earthling demon. When she refuses to go through yet another labor, the horrific shenanigans start. Glenn Ford is a detective intent on investigating the reason for the mayhem, but he soon meets a ghastly end himself -- though for some viewers, his end may not be as bad as that of the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford, (more)
The made-for-television western The Sacketts combines the plotlines from two seperate Louis L'Amour novels, The Daybreakers and The Sacketts. In this film, the three Tennessee-raised Sackett brothers migrate to the West following the conclusion of the Civil War. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This western adventure, based on a Louis L'Amour novel, follows the Sackett brothers as they move from Tennessee into the wild West. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Beggarman, Thief is the 4-hour sequel to the ratings-busting miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man; both productions were based on the works of novelist Irwin Shaw. For the purposes of the sequel, a new member of the Jordache clan is introduced: filmmaker Gretchen Jordache Burke, played by Jean Simmons. It is Gretchen's task to keep the family together after the murder of her brother Tom (played by Nick Nolte in Rich Man, Poor Man) and the recent disappearance of her other brother Rudy (Peter Strauss, re-creating his RMPM role). Originally presented in two parts, Beggarman, Thief was first telecast November 26 and 27, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Glenn Ford, (more)
- 1979
The Gift was a Christmas 1979 TV-movie offering based on the semi-autobiographical book written in 1973 by Pete Hammill. Gary Frank plays the Hammill counterpart, a Brooklyn-born sailor about to be shipped off to the Korean War. Frank decides to use his 3-day pass to discover if his girl friend really loves him, if he can communicate at last with his troublesome parents, and if he can get his own life together before being sent into battle.
Julie Harris plays Frank's mother, while Glenn Ford portrays Frank's pugnacious, one-legged Irish dad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Julie Harris plays Frank's mother, while Glenn Ford portrays Frank's pugnacious, one-legged Irish dad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion features a number of the most beloved television cowboys reminiscing about their time on the air. Some who were unable to attend, like Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, and Burt Reynolds are seen in clips from their work. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In this entry in the Police Story crime drama series, the repercussions of a police shoot-out where two innocent people were killed must be faced by a police chief and his force. One of the officers involved is filled with guilt over the accidental deaths. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Richard Donner's big-budget blockbuster Superman: The Movie is an immensely entertaining recounting of the origin of the famous comic book character. Opening on Krypton (where Marlon Brando plays Superman's father), the film follows the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) as he's sent to Earth where he develops his alter-ego Clark Kent and is raised by a Midwestern family. In no time, the movie has run through his teenage years, and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet, where he is a news reporter. It's there that he falls in love with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), who is already in love with Superman. But the love story is quickly sidetracked once the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) launches a diabolical plan to conquer the world and kill Superman. Superman: The Movie is filled with action, special effects and a surprising amount of humor. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1978
A piece of made-for-television hack work that suddenly became sort of topical 23 years later, with the attacks on the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Evening in Byzantium was a two-part made-for-TV feature based very loosely on Irwin Shaw's best-seller. The book involved intrigue and romance at the Cannes Film Festival, but the television producers evidently thought that this did not justify a two-night prime time movie event, so they added a story about Middle Eastern terrorists using the Cannes Film Festival as part of a larger plot to attack the West. Glenn Ford plays Jesse Craig, a down-on-his-luck producer with a film project in mind involving terrorists, who goes to Cannes to raise money and finds himself dealing with his ex-wife (Shirley Jones) and romancing Erin Gray. But before too long, he uncovers a plot by real terrorists to replace commercial airliners in flight (blowing them out of the sky and taking over their authorized flight paths) with specially converted airliners and bomb targets in the United States. Also on hand is Vince Edwards, playing an actor with a radical political agenda, who is alarmed that Ford's proposed film parallels his own terrorist plans; Michael Cole as Ford's associate; Eddie Albert and Gloria De Haven as a couple with ties to the movie business; Harry Guardino as a skeptical American security officer; and Marcel Hillaire as the French police inspector trying to unravel the terrorists plans. It's all very silly, though played very sincerely by most of the cast, and none of the plot described is less plausible than the notion that Glenn Ford and Erin Gray could ignore the 36-year difference in their ages. Evening in Byzantium was originally shown in August of 1978 as part of the syndicated Operation Prime Time programming series, intended to compete with the three networks. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1977
A casual glance at the cast list for the made-for-TV 3000 Mile Chase might lead one to conclude that stars Cliff De Young and Glenn Ford play dual roles. In fact, De Young is a bonded courier, and Ford is a government witness. Both men are obliged to assume false identities while en route to a murder trial, lest they be shot full of holes by syndicate henchmen. Produced by Roy Huggins, 3,000 Mile Chase was a revamping of his earlier busted pilot film Target Risk (1974). Originally telecast June 16, 1977, Chase likewise failed to graduate to a weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An expensive war epic, Midway emulates The Longest Day and Tora! Tora! Tora! in attempting to re-create a famous World War II battle from both the American and Japanese viewpoints. The 1942 battle of Midway was the turning point of the War in the Pacific; the Japanese invasion fleet was destroyed, and America's string of humiliating defeats was finally broken. Though the battle itself was sufficiently dramatic to fill two films, Midway also has plotline involving the mixed-race relationship between Ensign Garth (Edward Albert), son of Navy Captain Matt Garth (Charlton Heston), and Haruko Sakura (Christina Kokubo), a Hawaiian girl of Japanese descent. The real-life personages depicted herein include American Admirals Nimitz (Henry Fonda), Halsey (Robert Mitchum) and Spruance (Glenn Ford), and Japanese Admiral Yamamoto (Toshiro Mifune, his voice once again dubbed by Paul Frees, whom Mifune personally selected for the job). For its original road show release, Midway was offered in the "Sensurround" process, which electronically shook and vibrated the audience's chairs during the battle sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, (more)
- 1976
In this drama, a man leaves his wife to join the circus. Many years later, he bumps into a pretty teenage girl who turns out to be the daughter he never knew existed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
