John Ford

John Ford (1894-1973) is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. He is the only person to win four Academy Awards for Direction, for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952). This reference book is a comprehensive guide to his career. The volume begins with a biography that looks at Ford as a person, a director, and a cinematic legend and influence. Ford's life is discussed chronologically, but the biography repeatedly considers how his early experiences shaped his creative vision and attempts to explain why he was so self-destructive and unhappy throughout his career. In addition, the biography carefully scrutinizes his methods, styles, techniques, and secrets of direction. A chronology presents his achievements in capsule form.The rest of the book provides detailed information about his many productions and about the response to his works. The heart of the volume is a filmography, which includes individual entries for 184 films with which Ford was involved, as either an actor, a director, a producer, a writer, an advisor, or an assistant. These entries include cast and credit information, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews. The book also includes the most extensive annotated bibliography on Ford ever published, with more than 1000 entries for books, articles, dissertations, documentaries, and even four works of fiction concerning Ford. Additional sections of the book provide information about his unrealized projects; his radio, television, and theater work; his awards and honors; and special collections and archives.

"[Bill Levy has] done a remarkable job putting all this information together...It will be indispensible to future generations of film students."-Dan Ford Author of Pappy: The Life of John Ford (1979), "[Bill Levy has] given us the best biographical account of [this] great man and the bibliographical commentaries are always on the mark."-William Darby Author of John Ford's Westerns: A Thematic Analysis (1996), "[Bill Levy's] book on John Ford is a treasure! [It is] an absolutely remarkable piece of work."-Harry Carey, Jr. Author of Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in The John Ford Stock Company, "Such a remarkable life is long overdue for a bio-bibliography, a treatment that includes a biography; chronology; filmography, radio, television, and theater credits; a comprehensive review of his unrealized projects; an annotated bibliography (a whopping 123 pages of more than 1,000 entries, in this case!); archival collections and special sources; and a complete listing of his awards and honors....[W]hat Levy has included is riveting stuff....The information included with each entry is about as thorough as anyone could want: cast and credit details, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews."-Movie Collector's World, ?[A] part of any serious film fan's home library.?-Big Reel

BILL LEVY is a Western New Jersey freelance writer focusing on twentieth-century American culture. He contributes regularly to Movie Collector's World, and is the author of the humorous newspaper column, Levy's Wry.