otherpeople
John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973
) was an
American film director of
Irish heritage famous for both his
westerns such as
Stagecoach and
The Searchers and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as
The Grapes of Wrath. His four
Best Director Academy Awards (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, although only one of those films,
How Green Was My Valley, also won Best Picture.
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed 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.
[Gallagher, Tag John Ford: The Man and his Films (University of California Press, 1984), 'Preface'] 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.
