Pappy: The Life of John Ford
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Book Overview
Although he is best remembered for his classic westerns like Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Irish-American director John Ford (1895-1973) made 136 diverse films during his 51-year career, winning Oscars for The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, The Battle of Midway, and The Quiet Man . A master of psychological manipulation, Ford had a knack for goading brilliant performances out of his actors, albeit often through intimidation and verbal abuse. In Pappy, Dan Ford, John's grandson, draws on the director's personal archives and on intimate reminiscences from his family and friends--including John Wayne, whose acting career Ford had launched, Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and George O'Brien--to produce the most complete and honest portrait ever written of the man and his astonishing output. Pappy was often cantankerous, irascible, and drunk and rarely made time for his family, but few who worked with him could resist his appealing energy. This revealing biography brings John Ford to life while painting a vivid panoramic picture of Hollywood as well as of the American landscapes that he so dramatically evoked in his films.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0306808757
ISBN13:9780306808753
Release Date:August 1998
Publisher:Da Capo
Length:372 Pages
Weight:1.10 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 5.9" x 9.0"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
An intimate portrait of the fimmaker by his grandson
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
John Ford is THE greatest film director of American Cinema, and perhaps one of the greatest artist of the 20th century. Yet his figure remains enigmatic, part of the reason is because this man never wanted to talk about himslef. This biography is a well-researched piece written by Ford's own grand son, who is also a film producer. As the director's relatibe, he had access to most of his personal papers, as well as interviews with Ford's many collaborators, which includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara and many others. It is a very good introduction about the man. I do not share the author's view about Ford's later works, and I have found some contradicting facts about the making of Cheyenne Autumn when I researched the atchive papers of Waraner Brothers, but these are details. This book is a bit sentimental, but so are many of the movies directed by the author's grandfather, so I think that's okay.
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