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
- 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)
- 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
- 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
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
- 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
- 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
- 1975
Long Way Home is comprised of the first two episodes of the 1975 TV series The Family Holvak. Glenn Ford plays the Reverend Tom Holvak, who lives with his family in a depression-era southern town. Holvak opens his doors to a charming vagabond, played by David Carradine. Only the Holvak son Ramey (Lance Kerwin) figures out that Carradine is an escaped convict. To make matters worse, Carradine plans another crime--and doesn't cotton to witnesses. Julie Harris costars as Holvak's wife Elizabeth, with Elizabeth Cheshire appearing as daughter Julie Mae. Long Way Home was originally telecast September 7 and 14, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The Greatest Gift stars Glenn Ford as Reverend Holvak, a poverty-stricken small-town preacher. He struggles to keep his family and his rapidly dwindling congregation together in a small Southern town. Throughout this made-for-TV movie, Holvak is under attack from two fronts: the remonstrative church deacons, and a bullying redneck sheriff (Harris Yulin). Filmed on location in Statesboro, Georgia, The Greatest Gift served as the pilot for the short-lived Glenn Ford TV series The Family Holvak. While the pilot was set in contemporary times, the subsequent series took place during the Depression. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
US Air Force colonel Glenn Ford has a dilemma on his hands. He knows for a fact that two jets under his command were last seen chasing a UFO. But the military higher-ups have no intention of filling Ford in on further developments. Despite these stonewalling tactics, Ford steps up his own investigation--and uncovers an insidious right-wing plot to overthrow the government. Bradford Dillman, who has probably made more TV movies than Karen Valentine even, costars in The Disappearance of Flight 412. The film was telecast two months after Watergate, a time in which "conspiracy" movies were breeding like rabbits. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Bradford Dillman, (more)
- 1973
Glenn Ford is Jarrett, a former boxer with an artistic streak. He becomes a private detective, specializing in cases that will allow him to breath the rarefied air of art galleries and museums. Anthony Quayle is Jarrett's "Moriarity," a wealthy art collector who will stop at nothing to build up his collection. Jarrett was written to accommodate a younger actor, but the producers owed a commitment to Glenn Ford. As a result, the storyline, involving the search for some rare scrolls, became an endurance test for both the venerable Mr. Ford and the audience. To be fair, the star does manage to handle the glib dialogue well (when he's not out of breath). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Anthony Quayle, (more)
- 1972
Sam Cade was the first feature-length "movie" put together from episodes of Cade's County, the early '70s series starring Glenn Ford as a modern-day sheriff in Madrid County, CA. In the first half, directed by Marvin Chomsky, Cade finds himself targeted for assassination when he's scheduled to testify in the trial of a mob kingpin -- what he doesn't know is that the assassin is one of his oldest friends (Darren McGavin), who is romancing another old friend (Loretta Swit) with a troubled past and using Cade's determination and his investigative skills to set him up for a hit. In the second half, directed by Richard Donner, Cade gets a tip that the mob has planned an assassination on a retired crime boss (Edward Asner) living in the county, who is so bull-headed and distrustful of the law that he won't accept any help or provide any information on who the killers might be, even though he's putting his own daughter (Shelley Fabares) at risk. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Edgar Buchanan, (more)
- 1972
This 100-minute feature actually consists of two episodes of the series Cade's County, starring Glenn Ford as Sam Cade, the modern-day sheriff of Madrid County, CA, with Edgar Buchanan as his chief deputy. In the first half, Bobby Darin plays a psychopathic ex-con, obsessed with Billy the Kid, who starts to act out episodes in Billy's life in the modern West. Carrying a bazooka as well as Billy's real frontier revolver, he holds up armored cars from horseback, attempts to kill people he thinks betrayed him (and killed John Tunstall), and plans a move on trains and banks. He also involves his estranged wife (Linda Cristal) and the son (Leif Garrett) he didn't know he had in a plot to get revenge on the sheriff who betrayed him -- except that this sheriff is Sam Cade, not Pat Garrett. In the second half, a local bully is stabbed to death and the prime suspect is the Chicano laborer he had just fought with -- but Cade smells a rat when he discovers that the supposed killer was afraid of knives and that the victim never had his out, or even reached for his despite being attacked from the front. He begins digging, with help from a border patrolman (Rudolfo Acosta) and discovers that there's a lot of activity at the ranch where the suspect and the victim worked and lived that doesn't seem right, and too many ties between the victim, the ranch owner (James Gregory) and his lawyer (Simon Scott), and the witnesses, for all the pieces to fit together. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
