All Else Confusion

Glenn Ford
May 1, 1916 - August 30, 2006

Hollywood movie star Glenn Ford died Wednesday at the age of 90. When asked how he wanted to be remembered Ford replied, "he did his best and he believed in God."

Ford's movie career spanned 6 decades, with over 100 movies and numerous television productions. It's hard to believe today that he struggled to get his career going. Following several small roles at Columbia pictures in the late 30's, Ford joined the Marines and spent World War II building safe houses in France. It wasn't until after his return, with his role as Johnny Farrell in 1946's Gilda that he achieved stardom. Ford would be re-teamed with his Gilda co-star Rita Hayworth for three more pictures.

Over half of Glenn Ford's movies were westerns (he was called the fasted gun in Hollywood because he could draw and shoot in .04 seconds, faster than John Wayne or James Arness). Check out the appropriately titled, The Fasted Gun Alive. But, some of his most memorable movies were were also crime dramas, contemporary dramas, war movies, and comedies. In The Big Heat, he played a police detective who takes on a powerful crime syndicate, and in the process loses his wife (played by Marlon Brando's sister, Jocelyn Brando) to a car bomb. In Blackboard Jungle, Ford played a soft-spoken teacher who confronts inner-city delinquents (one of whom was Sidney Poitier, who would go on to play the teacher in To Sir With Love). In Ransom! he played a father whose son has been kidnapped, a role later revived by Mel Gibson. He would play a military captain in Teahouse of the August Moon with Marlon Brando; in The Courship of Eddie's Father he played the widowed father of a young and very cute Ronnie Howard, who is determined to find his father a round-eyed girl for his next wife.

In 1961, Glenn Ford won the only award of his career, a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Dave "The Dude" in Frank Capra remake of Pocket Full of Miracles, which he produced.

Glenn Ford often said that he didn't act, he just played himself. If so, he must have been quite a man.

Check out the six movie tribute to Glenn Ford on September 10 on TCM starting at 8AM.

Lineup:
8:00 AM The Desperadoes ('43)
9:30 AM Stolen Life ('46)
11:30 AM Gilda ('46)
1:30 PM Blackboard Jungle ('55)
3:30 PM The Teahouse of the August Moon ('56)
5:45 PM The Courtship of Eddie's Father ('63)

Labels: movies