Glenn Ford (1 May 1916 – 30 August 2006)

Glenn Ford made his film debut in the 1939 drama Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence. It is a wonder that, after this, Glenn continued with his career. The film’s director, Ricardo Cortez, bullied Ford the whole time. The harassment culminated in a mortifying incident where Cortez dressed Ford down in front of the whole crew, telling him that he was a bad actor and that he wished he’d never hired him.

Glenn Ford neither forgave nor forgot the incident.

Glenn Ford later met actress Eleanor Powell when he went on a cross-country 12-city tour to sell war bonds for Army and Navy Relief as the United States entered World War II. He soon proposed to her and they married in 1943. Their son named Peter Ford (later become singer and actor) was born on February 5, 1945. The couple appeared together in the 1950s film Have Faith in Our Children and eventually divorced in 1959.

According to Ford’s son, he had a decades long love affair with his famous co-star Rita Hayworth, that began during the filming of Gilda in 1945.

He has appeared in five films with Rita Hayworth: Affair in Trinidad (1952), The Lady in Question (1940), The Loves of Carmen (1948), The Money Trap (1965) and Gilda (1946).

He had intended to portray Hondo Lane in Hondo (1953), but backed out when John Farrow was chosen to direct. Ford and Farrow did not get on – while making Plunder of the Sun (1953), causing Ford to lose interest in the role. The role was subsequently portrayed by John Wayne.

One bit of useless information – He is credited with being the fastest “gun” in Hollywood westerns, able to draw and fire in 0.4 seconds, he was faster than James Arness (Matt Dillon of “Gunsmoke” (1955)) and John Wayne. Well he did star in the excellent ‘The Fastest Gun Aiive’

Despite his illustrious career in films that spanned more than 50 years, he was never nominated for an Oscar.

Glenn Ford – The Man from the Alamo

Directed by Budd Boetticher

Cast: Glenn Ford (John Stroud), Julie Adams (Beth Anders), Chill Wills (John Gage), Hugh O’Brian (Lt. Lamar), Victor Jory (Jess Wade), Neville Brand (Dawes), John Day (Cavish), Myra Marsh (Ma Anders), Jeanne Cooper (Kate Lamar), Mark Cavell (Carlos), Edward Norris (Mapes), Guy Williams (Sergeant)

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Budd Boetticher made some terrific pictures and  The Man From The Alamo (1953) is one of the best. It’s a film filled with action — from the attack on the Alamo to a number of fist fights to the climactic wagon train scenes. It’s all handled perfectly.

The actual filming seemed to be plagued by injuries, it’s easy to see why. I think I have read that Glenn Ford broke three ribs and the filming was halted for three weeks or so

John Stroud (Glenn Ford) is the one man who left the Alamo after Travis wrongly labelled him as a coward.

Stroud sees the chance to help other families make their way to safety as a way to clear his name — and get his revenge on Wade (Victor Jory), the leader of a band of mercenaries

Glenn Ford does a good job here as a man who’s lost everything, even his good name.

Victor Jory is Wade, the soldier responsible for the death of Ford’s family. Jory proves to be a great baddie – he’s at his absolute best in this film

Julie Adams is so beautiful in Russell Metty’s Technicolor — she was perfect for Universal International’s bright, colourful Westerns of the 50s.

The Technicolor here is incredible.