Synopses & Reviews
John Ford (1894-1973) is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. He is the only person to win four Academy Awards for Direction, for
The Informer (1935),
The Grapes of Wrath (1940),
How Green Was My Valley (1941), and
The Quiet Man (1952). This reference book is a comprehensive guide to his career. The volume begins with a biography that looks at Ford as a person, a director, and a cinematic legend and influence. Ford's life is discussed chronologically, but the biography repeatedly considers how his early experiences shaped his creative vision and attempts to explain why he was so self-destructive and unhappy throughout his career. In addition, the biography carefully scrutinizes his methods, styles, techniques, and secrets of direction. A chronology presents his achievements in capsule form.
The rest of the book provides detailed information about his many productions and about the response to his works. The heart of the volume is a filmography, which includes individual entries for 184 films with which Ford was involved, as either an actor, a director, a producer, a writer, an advisor, or an assistant. These entries include cast and credit information, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews. The book also includes the most extensive annotated bibliography on Ford ever published, with more than 1000 entries for books, articles, dissertations, documentaries, and even four works of fiction concerning Ford. Additional sections of the book provide information about his unrealized projects; his radio, television, and theater work; his awards and honors; and special collections and archives.
Review
For many years to come, this will be the definitive bibliography about John Ford. It is clearly presented, thoughtfully annotated, and chock-full of information....Levy includes a biographical account, an extremely detailed chronology of Ford's life, a filmography, lists of unrealized projects, awards and honors given to Ford, and relevant archival collections in the US and abroad. The filmography deserves to be singled out for its valuable commentaries and coverage of film reviews in popular magazines. Essential for most academic and public libraries.Choice
Review
The latest volume in the excellent Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts series is Bill Levy's John Ford....The filmography is excellent, with complete credits, synopses, commentary, a sampling of reviews, and documentation not only on other reviews but also book references. The bibliography is subdivided (even including sections on dissertations and documentaries), fully annotated, and certainly gives the impression that the author has actually read every one of these citations. I hate to single out any one volume in the Bio-Bibliographies series as being better than any other, but this is, I believe, one of the best that I have seen.Matinee at the Bookshelf
Review
Such a remarkable life is long overdue for a bio-bibliography, a treatment that includes a biography; chronology; filmography, radio, television, and theater credits; a comprehensive review of his unrealized projects; an annotated bibliography (a whopping 123 pages of more than 1,000 entries, in this case!); archival collections and special sources; and a complete listing of his awards and honors....[W]hat Levy has included is riveting stuff....The information included with each entry is about as thorough as anyone could want: cast and credit details, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews.Movie Collector's World
Review
[Bill Levy has] done a remarkable job putting all this information together...It will be indispensible to future generations of film students.Dan Ford Author of Pappy: The Life of John Ford (1979)
Review
[Bill Levy has] given us the best biographical account of [this] great man and the bibliographical commentaries are always on the mark.William Darby Author of John Ford's Westerns: A Thematic Analysis (1996)
Synopsis
John Ford (1894-1973) is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. He is the only person to win four Academy Awards for Direction, and he was also honored by receiving virtually every other cinematic award for his work as a director. This reference book provides researchers an opportunity to locate quickly and conveniently a vast body of information about John Ford. The heart of the volume is a detailed filmography, which includes individual entries for 184 motion pictures with which Ford was involved. The entries provide plot summaries, critical commentaries, cast and credit information, and excerpts from reviews. Also of importance is the book's enormous annotated bibliography, which cites more than 1000 works. The opening biography examines Ford as a person, as a director, and as a cinematic influence and provides a background for the entries that comprise the bulk of the volume. Additional sections include a chronology; a list of Ford's unrealized projects; his radio, television, and theater credits; his awards and honors; and special collections and archives.
Synopsis
Gives a broad overview of John Ford's work in the cinema, with a biography, chronology, filmography, and extensive bibliographic information.
About the Author
BILL LEVY is a Western New Jersey freelance writer focusing on twentieth-century American culture.
Table of Contents
Preface
Biography
Chronology
Filmography
Radio, Television, Theater Credits
Unrealized Projects
Bibliography
Collections, Archival and Special Sources
Awards and Honors
Index