John Ford

[hebbes]

I am amazed (and horrified) that "classic" John Ford films are considered by some to be anything other than the cornball garbage they are.  I offer as a prime example "My Darling Clementine."  And then there is John Wayne.  Ford was the only director I ever encountered who was able to make a bad John Wayne film.

Ford made a film about the Battle of Midway, at which he was present.  According to a site, of which I neglected to save the name,

[ "The Battle of Midway," directed by John Ford, provides a relatively
brief account of the Japanese attack of American ships at Midway atoll.
The film is comprised mostly of authentic footage from the battle, with
dramatic narration by Henry Fonda. "Behind every cloud, there may be an
enemy," he intones as American fighter pilots search the sky. The rest
of the film mocks Emporer Tojo (sic)  of Japan and portrays him as ruthless,
bombing hospitals and churches as he tries to conquer the Pacific.]

Sounds like classic Ford (even though the author of the quote had a problem with history and spelling).  I wonder if the director was able to work in scenes of Monument Valley.

[The Burgomaster]

With all due respect, you must be crazy.

* MISTER ROBERTS

* THE SEARCHERS

* THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE

* THE QUIET MAN

* THE GRAPES OF WRATH

These five movies alone are enough to consider him a legend.  And there are plenty of quality John Ford films in addition to these five.

[Andrew]

New poster, and this is his only post, so it's a bit hard to determine much about him.  I guess we will have to see if he returns, and how the thread goes.  Surely, there are specifics to what he dislikes about "My Darling Clementine."

I have heard that some of Ford's WWII films are on the heavy-handed side, such as stuff like narration and scene overkill.  Haven't seen the aforementioned Battle of Midway documentary.

[Javakoala]

Anyone who can shoot some of the incredible scenes he did is worthy of praise.  I'll forgive a bit a jingoistic flag waving.

[retrorussell]

  Ford was the only director I ever encountered who was able to make a bad John Wayne film.

Wrong!  Dick Powell's "The Conqueror" is legendary for all the wrong reasons.

[lester1/2jr]

 I saw his  'the informer" last night and it stunk bad. and of course there was a doc extra talking about how it was the greatest movie ever made. might as well write my review here:


The Informer (1935)- big thumbs down.  I give it 3 stars for the acting and camerawork and so forth but this is one of the most torturous movies I've ever seen.  IN the begining we meet big Jimbo, who is a big lumux who is not at all pleasent to look at and who the camera follows pretty much constantly for the entirety of the movie.  He is a dumb gangster who resents his on the lamb smart gangster friend enough that he sells him out for a big reward, with which he hopes to split town, they're in ireland, for the US.  For some reason he doesn't follow through with this plan.  instead he goes out and parties with the money somwtimes returning to stare at the window that has the advertisement for going to america.  WHy doesn't he go home and wait for the place to open the next day??

                       So,  the WHOLE movie is that moment in a movie when the broken / sell out man tries to live with himself and gets drunk and revels while dying on the inside.  instead of being the last scene in a movie it's the whole thing.  I felt like I had sold the guy out.  I could go on but just know this: it's a BAD story that is not fun to watch.  I won't give away the ending but I would have liked it to have been a huge missile dropping on these miserable people.

[BoyScoutKevin]

To be honest, John Ford is one of my favorite directors. That means, if he was still living and making films, I'd pay money to see them in a theater.

I never knew the man personally, but those who did know him, say he was a miserable s.o.b. He was miserable to his family. He was miserable to his actors. Walter Brennan made one film with him and said never again. When actor Pedro Armenderiz, sr. and Ford worked together on a film, Armenderiz went for Ford phsyically, and the two men had to be separated. Yet there were actors who loved the old man and worked with him on film after film.

Thus the condrum is how such a miserable s.o.b. could make such magnificent films, And he made some magnificent films. Besides the ones named by The Burgomaster, here are some more.

Arrowsmith
How Green  Was My Valley
The Hurricane
Judge Priest
The Long Voyage Home
Mogambo
Steamboat Around the Bend
and Wee Willie Winkie w/ Shirley Temple.

As for Midway, he was on the island, when it was attacked by the Japanese. And he picked up a Purple Heart for he got a piece of shrapnel in the shoulder.

And as for Monument Valley, I've been there, and it is magnificent. One can see why he was so fond of using it in his films. And if you like his westerns as much as I do, it is a must see location for it is instantly recongizable from his films.

[lester1/2jr]

I liked Steamboat Round the Bend

[The Burgomaster]

It's a shame that he ended his career as part of a duet with England Dan.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRFZUB3NzGs

[hebbes]

Other than poor acting, and totally silly plot, there is nothing wrong with "My Darling Clementine," and there are some great shots of Monument Valley.  True, it is not in the same class as "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," or "Fargo."  It's not [yet] a cult film, but give it time.  There is, after all, no accounting for taste.