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
- 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)
A bounty hunter holds dear the memory of his son who was killed by outlaws several years before. One day he kills a crook and then takes in his son, who swears vengeance upon his adopted father. This western chronicles their adventures together. The bounty hunter is happy with his new charge and so retires to resume his previous profession as a horse breeder. Things go well until the town sheriff is shot and the breeder's adopted son blames the crime upon him. But he is innocent and so rides out to prove it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Dana Wynter, (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
- 1972
Slay Ride originated as a two-part episode of the 1971-72 series Cade's County. Glenn Ford plays Sam Cade, sheriff of Madrid County, a sprawling southwestern jurisdiction. Cade takes on the case of a young Native American (Tony Bill) who is a "chronic confessor." After the boy claims he has committed murder, he suddenly takes it on the lam, which action results in the arrival of relentless city cop Gerald S. O'Loughlin. Slay Ride was first telecast on January 30 and February 6, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Venerable movie star Glenn Ford (Torpedo Run) made a brief leap into television for this one-season drama on CBS - a hybrid contemporary western-police drama that debuted in late September 1971. The action unfurled in picturesque Madrid County, California, where dependable sheriff Sam Cade (Ford) reigned. Four additional officers supported Sam in the line of duty: the weathered and seasoned deputy J.J. Jackson (Edgar Buchanan), plus three less-experienced deputies - Arlo Pritchard (Taylor Lacher), Rudy Davillo (Victor Campos) and Pete (Peter Ford, Glenn's son). The sheriff's office benefited from the presence of a Native American female police dispatcher. Actress Sandra Ego (as Joannie Little Bird) initially occupied the role, but producers replaced her with Betty Ann Carr (as Betty Ann Sundown) early in the course of the run. Cade and co. spent episodes pursuing criminals and wielding the long arm of the law in Madrid. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this failed to connect with viewers, and following a single scheduling shift in the late summer of 1972 that did nothing to boost ratings, the program folded in early September of that year, not quite twelve months after it premiered. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Edgar Buchanan, (more)
- 1970
Glenn Ford plays a man who joins a mysterious fraternity, "The Brotherhood of the Bell", while in college. Upon attaining wealth and prominence, Ford discovers that the Brotherhood has been keeping tabs on him, and expects certain favors from him in the private sector. It dawns on Ford that the Bell is a sinister, subversive organization bent on world domination. When he tries to bring this to the attention of the public on a TV program hosted by a "gonzo" talkshow star (William Conrad), he is mocked and humiliated. Realizing that the Brotherhood of the Bell is too big and powerful to be defeated by conventional methods, Ford attempts to take on the organization in his own way. The Brotherhood of the Bell was previously presented as a "live" hourlong television drama in the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- R
Jim Killian (Glenn Ford) is a reformed gunslinger who takes a job as a local preacher in Vinagaroon, Arizona. He arrives during a time of conflict between shepherds and cattlemen who are engaged in a bloody range war. When Coke Beck (David Carradine) hangs a local Indian, the victim's daughter Leloopa (Barbara Hershey) enlists the help of Killian. He tries to mediate the conflict in a meeting between the rival factions, but a member of the congregation exposes him as an ex-convict. He also enlists the help of the heart-of-gold saloon-operator Madge (Carolyn Jones). Killian and the townsfolk, women included, organize a march to the watering hole -- the center of the controversy. The cattlemen approach and draw their guns in what could be a potentially violent confrontation. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Carolyn Jones, (more)
- 1969
One of the better Disney features of the late 1960s, Smith relies not upon humanized Volkswagens or singing bears but on the considerable talents of its cast. Glenn Ford stars as Smith, a tenacious modern-day rancher who comes to the aid of a fugitive Native American boy (Frank Ramirez). When a sadistic sheriff (Keenan Wynn), anxious to railroad the boy into jail on a trumped-up murder charge, begins stomping upon the basic civil rights of everyone within his reach, Smith vows to see that justice is done. Acting as the boy's defense counsel, Smith profoundly moves the jury with an impassioned speech about the wrongs done the American Indian in the name of "The Law." As good as Glenn Ford is (and this is one of his finest and subtlest performances), Smith is stolen by its hand-picked supporting cast, including Warren Oates as an Indian turncoat and Jay "Tonto" Silverheels in a minor role. Many of the bit parts are expertly filled by members of the Indian Actors Workshop of Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Nancy Olson, (more)
- 1968
Warfield (Glenn Ford) is the dispassionate ex-gunslinger who joins forces with peaceful neighbor Forbes (Arthur Kennedy) to help him track down the Apache Indians who have kidnapped Warfield's wife and children two months prior. In searching for the abductees, the hardened gunslinger eventually keeps a level head while the even-tempered Forbes turns into a cold-blooded killing machine. Warfield and Forbes eventually complete their personality changes that lead to the inevitable western showdown. Initially a television movie made for ABC, the company decided to release the film only in theaters. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Arthur Kennedy, (more)
- 1967
In this western, a town sheriff contends with his reputation as the "fastest gun in the West." When a young gunslinger calls him out for a showdown, the sheriff is struck by the fellows resemblance to himself when he was young. He therefore, attempts to talk him out of his foolish career choice, but the young man refuses to listen. The saloon hostess attempts to talk the sheriff out of the duel, but the old fellow does not listen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Angie Dickinson, (more)
- 1967
The Long Ride Home is the British title for the Columbia Civil War western A Time for Killing. The stars are Glenn Ford, a regular of sagebrushers, and Inger Stevens, a relative newcomer to the genre who between 1967-1970 made up for lost time with such films as Hang 'Em High and Firecreek. Ford is Union POW camp commander Major Walcott who rides out to capture escaped Confederate prisoner Captain Bentley (George Hamilton). Bentley and his men have kidnapped Walcott's fiancee Emily Biddle (Stevens) to assure themselves safe passage, but several of the escaped Rebs hope to divest themselves of Bentley and have their way with their beautiful captive. Among the troops is a very young Harrison Ford, collecting his meager Columbia contract paycheck and hoping for better days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, George C. Scott, (more)
- 1966
This suspenseful drama from Mexican director Gilberto Gazcon stars Glenn Ford as Reuben, a doctor who has accepted a job at a construction site south of the border following the death of his wife during childbirth. Devastated by grief, the widower is also drowning his sorrows in booze. Then a man comes stumbling out of the desert, dying from rabies, and Reuben is bitten by the same rabid dog. After delivering a baby for Pancho (David Reynoso), Reuben takes off on a mad dash across the desert to find medical aid before the rabies kills him in 2-3 days. Accompanied by the grateful Pancho and the beautiful prostitute Perla (Stella Stevens), Reuben suddenly finds himself fighting to live as time runs out. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, (more)
- 1966
In this well-regarded film noir thriller, Joe Barron (Glenn Ford) is a police detective whose wife Lisa (Elke Sommer) has inherited a stock portfolio from her father. Joe and Lisa go on a spending spree, but when their new holdings fail to pay dividends, Joe finds himself deep in debt. Dr. Horace Van Tilden (Joseph Cotten), a rich doctor who caters to high-society clientele, shoots an intruder in his home, and Joe is assigned to investigate; Joe discovers that Van Tilden has a lucrative sideline selling drugs, and that the shooting victim was actually an addict looking for dope. When Joe learns that Van Tilden keeps his drug money in a safe at home, he sees a way to finally pay off his debts, but his partner, Pete Delanos (Ricardo Montalban), gets wind of Joe's scheme and demands a cut of the action. Matters become more complicated for Joe when he learns that the man Van Tilden shot was married to Rosalie (Rita Hayworth), whom he loved many years ago. The Money Trap was directed by Burt Kennedy, who was best known for his witty and unconventional westerns. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Elke Sommer, (more)
In 1944, with Paris on the verge of Liberation by the allies, Adolph Hitler ordered that the City of Light be blown up and burned to the ground. General Dietrich Von Choltitz, after much rumination, decided that he didn't want to go down in history as the man who destroyed Paris. His refusal to follow Hitler's orders would make him a pariah in Germany for the rest of his life; nor was his gesture ever rewarded by the Allies. From this very human story in the midst of one of the most inhuman conflicts in history grew the screenplay (by Gore Vidal and Francis Ford Coppola) of the all-star, internationally produced Is Paris Burning? Whereas the earlier The Longest Day was able to support a castful of celebrities and brief subplot vignettes, Is Paris Burning? seems more weighted down than weighty. Still, a modern audience will have fun playing "spot the star" throughout the film, especially when those spotted stars include the likes of Gert Frobe (as Choltitz), Jean-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas (as Patton), Glenn Ford (as Bradley), Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, and even Anthony Perkins as a wide-eyed GI. Filmed on a gargantuan scale, Is Paris Burning? was based on a book by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre. The film was lensed in black and white, save for the Technicolor finale (in the original road-show prints). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, (more)
- 1965
Two aging bronc-busters (Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda) make their meager money by breaking wild horses. They dream of better days--possibly retiring to some island paradise--but they never put any money in the bank because they spend it all on booze and girls. They think their no-dough days are done until they acquire a wild drunkard horse which they enter in a bucking contest--no one can ride the wild, hiccupping nag. This is a pretty funny '60s western-style comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, (more)
- 1964
Union Colonel Brackenby (Melvyn Douglas) and his second-in-command, Captain Heath (Glenn Ford), attempt to command a rather inept cavalry unit during the Civil War. General Willoughby (Jim Backus) heads them out West on assignment rather than allowing them to foul things up where it counts. They soon get involved with Martha Lou, a confederate spy (Stella Stevens) posing as a prostitute, and her boss, Jenny (Joan Blondell) as well as a group of renegades and an Indian chief. In spite of their ridiculous slapstick antics, they manage to carry out their mission. This comedy was based on Company of Cowards, a novel by Jack Schaefer. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, (more)
- 1964
In this romantic comedy, a middle-aged postmistress from a small town goes to a post office convention in New York and promptly falls in love with a man who is engaged to another. His fiancee is a widow with a teenage son. The man really wants a family, but he also really wants the postmistress.Trouble ensues while he makes up his mind. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Geraldine Page, (more)
- 1964
Suspense builds around the investigation of a plane crash that caused 53 deaths in this dramatic adaption of Ernest K. Gann's novel. Authorities systematically eliminate probable causes, finally placing blame on the pilot, who was seen drinking before the flight. The airline's director of flight operations, Sam McBane (Glen Ford), knowing the pilot's excellent WW II record, refuses to accept the authorities' conclusions and begins his own investigation. With the help of the only survivor, a stewardess (Suzanne Pleshette), McBane re-creates the events leading to the crash in an attempt to discover the true cause. The character of the incriminated pilot, Captain Jack Savage (Rod Taylor), is revealed through a series of flashbacks, from a wartime army camp (with a cameo by Jane Russell) to the climactic moment of the thrilling crash. Milton Krasner's crisp cinematography earned him an Oscar nomination. ~ Lucinda Ramsey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan, (more)
