John Ford Biography

Fast Facts

• Began his career in film as an assistant to his older brother, Francis Ford
• Made his directorial debut with 1917's The Tornado
• Made 33 films between 1917 and '19
• Paid homage to his Irish and Gaelic heritage with movies such as How Green Was My Valley, an Oscar-winning study of life in a Welsh mining community
• Filmed documentaries as a member of the Field Photographic Division unit while serving in the U
• S
• Naval Reserves during World War II
• In 1952, became the first director to win four Academy Awards
• Directed film legends Harry Carey and John Wayne in more than 35 films collectively
• Was the subject of Peter Bogdanovich's 1971 documentary Directed by John Ford
• In 1973, received the first Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon