Biography

John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His four Academy Awards for Best Director (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, and one of those films, How Green Was My Valley (1941), also won Best Picture. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films (although nearly all of his silent films are now lost) and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford's films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues, with Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles among those who have named him as one of the greatest directors of all time. In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain.

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Filmography

View Screen Director's Playhouse
Screen Director's Playhouse

Screen Director's Playhouse

1955Series
6.5
View The American Film Institute Salute to ...
The American Film Institute Salute to ...

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

1973Series
6.3
View The Horse Soldiers
The Horse Soldiers

The Horse Soldiers

1959Film
7.0
View The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation

The Birth of a Nation

1915Film
6.0
View Directed by John Ford
Directed by John Ford

Directed by John Ford

1971Film
6.9
View 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

2009Film
7.5
View Filmmakers for the Prosecution
Filmmakers for the Prosecution

Filmmakers for the Prosecution

2023Film
6.5
View Show-Business at War
Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War

1943Film
7.0
View Shooting War
Shooting War

Shooting War

2000Film
5.9
View The Screen Director
No Image

The Screen Director

1951Film
6.0
View Fonda on Fonda
Fonda on Fonda

Fonda on Fonda

1992Film
6.0
View John Ford & Monument Valley
John Ford & Monument Valley

John Ford & Monument Valley

2013Film
1.0