John Ford
Birth Name:
John Martin Feeney
Birth Place:
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, United States
Profession
Director, Producer, Writer, Actor, Assistant director, Soundtrack, Cinematographer, Editor, Stunts
Fast Facts
- Achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy Reserve after serving in World War II and the Korean War
- Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1973
- After moving to California to pursue a career in acting, he landed an uncredited role as a Klansman in "The Birth of a Nation․"
- Quote: "It is easier to get an actor to be a cowboy than to get a cowboy to be an actor․"
- A pioneer in the film industry for his use of location shooting and long shots
- Frequently incorporates characters with conflicted morals in his films
- Made documentaries for the Navy Department during World War II
- Once threw a young man out of his office after the kid asked him for advice about filmmaking, who turned out to be future director Steven Spielberg
- Virtually never took more than two takes per shot when shooting a scene
- Wore an eye patch due to complete eyesight loss in one eye when, impatiently, he decided to uncover his eyes earlier than doctors informed him following cataracts surgery
Awards
- 1934Special RecommendationWinner
- 1934Mussolini Cup - Best Foreign Film:Nominated
- 1935NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1935Mussolini Cup - Best Foreign Film:Nominated
- 1936Oscar - Best Director:Winner
- 1936Special RecommendationWinner
- 1936Mussolini Cup - Best Foreign Film:Nominated
- 1939NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1940Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1940NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1941Oscar - Best Director:Winner
- 1941NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1942Oscar - Best Director:Winner
- 1943Silver Condor - Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera):Winner
- 1947NYFCC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1948Silver Ribbon - Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero):Winner
- 1948Prize - Best Director:Winner
- 1948Grand International AwardNominated
- 1948International AwardWinner
- 1950Grand PrixWinner
- 1952International AwardWinner
- 1952Pasinetti AwardWinner
- 1952OCIC AwardWinner
- 1952Golden LionNominated
- 1953Oscar - Best Director:Winner
- 1953Oscar - Best Picture:Nominated
- 1953Grand Prize of the FestivalNominated
- 1953DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Winner
- 1953Golden Globe - Best Director:Nominated
- 1956DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Nominated
- 1956DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Nominated
- 1957DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Nominated
- 1958NBR Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1960DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Nominated
- 1960Golden Seashell - Best Film:Nominated
- 1961Top 10 Film Award - Best Film:Nominated
- 1963Blue Ribbon Award - Best Foreign Language Film:Winner
- 1963Kinema Junpo Award - Best Foreign Language Film:Nominated
- 1963Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture:Winner
- 1964Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture:Winner
- 1965CEC AwardWinner
- 1965Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture:Winner
- 1966Top 10 Film Award - Best Film:Nominated
- 1966Crystal Globe - Best Film:Nominated