Glenn Ford: A Life

by Peter Ford, Patrick McGilligan (Foreword)

Glenn Ford—star of such now-classic films as Gilda, Blackboard Jungle, The Big Heat, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Rounders—had rugged good looks, a long and successful career, and a glamorous Hollywood life. Yet the man who could be accessible and charming on screen retreated to a deeply private world he created behind closed doors.

Glenn Ford: A Life chronicles the volatile life, relationships, and career of the renowned actor, beginning with his move from Canada to California and his initial discovery of theater. It follows Ford’s career in diverse media—from film to television to radio—and shows how Ford shifted effortlessly between genres, playing major roles in dramas, noir, westerns, and romances.
    This biography by Glenn Ford’s son, Peter Ford, offers an intimate view of a star’s private and public life. Included are exclusive interviews with family, friends, and professional associates, and snippets from the Ford family collection of diaries, letters, audiotapes, unpublished interviews, and rare candid photos. This biography tells a cautionary tale of Glenn Ford’s relentless infidelities and long, slow fade-out, but it also embraces his talent-driven career. The result is an authentic Hollywood story that isn’t afraid to reveal the truth.

Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the American Association of School Librarians

Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the Public Library Reviewers

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film

345 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Son of actors Eleanor Powell and Glenn Ford.

Reviews

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a fan of Glenn Ford, from films like The Green Glove, Gilda, Framed, and slew of others, I had been wanting to read this one for a while, despite it being published by a university press; this always leads to a hefty price that can make people cringe. It ended up being sort of gifted to me by my wife, in an effort to reach the free shipping threshold on Amazon when she ordered some painting supplies, so I was ecstatic to give it a go.

It is always iffy to tackle a biography or any such similar book written by a son or daughter once a big star has passed. All too often you get a dark, one-sided view of grievances from privileged children who now have free rein to express them — while making a buck — without any possibility of them being refuted. I’ll say right up front that Peter Ford is to be commended here for being both truthful yet respectful of his father and the great career and legacy Glenn Ford left behind on film, and in the lives of family and friends.

What you have here in Glenn Ford: A Life, is just that; because of that we do see the flaws in Ford’s character, but they are human flaws. Peter Ford obviously loved his father, even if his father did not always live up to expectations, doing everything he could to ensure his son didn’t allow his privilege to ruin him. The warts are shown, but also the good side that compensated for his shortcomings, allowing fans to still love Glenn Ford after reading this. It also makes you like his son for casting a mature eye backward in an effort to understand his father, his parent’s outwardly perfect yet troubled marriage, Glenn’s need for female companionship, and the quiet resentment his mother’s devotion to family above the needs of her husband may have helped contribute to a strained marriage that finally could no longer continue.

I think this is where the younger Ford really shines, not blaming either parent, especially when it would be easy to place all the blame on his father due to Ford’s numerous affairs; while not excusable, as Peter Ford points out, they were common among leading men. In its way this is a mature look at two people — Glenn Ford and Eleanor Powell — who were both big stars. They obviously loved each other very much, and yet the character flaws (or perhaps needs?) in each, contributed to what happened.

We get to see the Hollywood machine here in full force; family outings and such always planned and staged, yet often not real. When you pull back after reading this, it really shows that entire Hollywood scene, and surrounding fame, as another world from the one in which we live. Peter Ford, as he gives us glimpses of this, never once sounds bitter or angry, and that is very refreshing, and to his credit. As I said, Eleanor Powell was a wonderful star, a nice woman and a vibrant mother. Glenn Ford, while he was really never able to forge a truly traditional father/son relationship with Peter, obviously cared about him, and tried to do his best when he was around.

Glenn Ford was a man of contradictions, but at his core, a shy but kind man, and a very loyal friend. That this is shown time and again is another reason this look at Glenn Ford’s career and life is worth reading. We do get to see the affairs, the women he loved and had deep affection for; readers will be surprised who his son believes was the love of his father’s life, so I won’t ruin it. But there are no salacious details by and large, because Ford wasn’t that kind of guy; he simply had a strong need for female companionship, and genuinely loved the fairer sex, as the phrase was once used.

Glenn Ford’s connection to Rita Hayworth (no, it wasn’t her) was strong and tempered with kindness and understanding; it was also intimate off and on for many years. Whether this sweet soul who was the exact opposite of her screen persona ever revealed to Glenn — as she did Orson Welles — the root cause of her problems and pathological needs is not touched upon, but the bond they had appears to suggest he understood her, and was always there for her.

Ford’s career is the main thing here, with so many great films touched upon. I was surprised to discover that Ford preferred westerns above all other films, and had it been his choice, he would have made them exclusively because he enjoyed himself so when in that element. He did make some great ones, including 3:10 to Yuma, but it’s the noir and mystery films I most love him in. He was very adept at comedy as well. Ford was so good he was one of those guys like Cooper and Grant who seemed to always be playing themselves no matter what role or genre the film they were making.

Ford was Columbia’s big star, and he stayed with the notorious Cohn for decades. Perhaps if he’d bolted and gone over to MGM or Paramount or Fox, he’d have made even more great films, but hindsight is 20/20, and we’re lucky to have as many great films from a splendid actor and screen presence as we do have, since he had a long and successful career.

It was during his father’s later years, enjoying his fame while still making pictures, that young Ford spent the most time with a lonely father. At least when Glenn Ford was in between relationships, he and his son bonded as friends, and forged an imperfect but real relationship. The younger Ford’s accomplishments as a musician and his small roles in many of Ford’s films are covered, as are Glenn Ford’s many films, friendships, and more intimate relationships.

The Ford marriage is looked at with a mature eye, so that the reader is simply sad that it could not have been different, which is life. Garland, Tierney, Rita, Hope, Fitzgerald, Schell, Debbie Reynolds — the women Ford loved — and the ones which he married, they’re all here, as well as the many films Ford made, and his legacy in Hollywood.

I found this to be a very enjoyable and readable hybrid of film book, biography, and examination of a Hollywood marriage. The details are not salacious, but just enough to get a picture of the actor that is fair and balanced. That is to Peter Ford’s credit. It may be warts and all, but it is told with an understanding eye; if you liked Ford going in as I did, you will most likely still feel the same way when you finish.

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to read a another autobiography from another legend of the 40's, 50's and 60's.

A true great western star, who enjoyed playing in his favourite genre... westerns.

He also starred in many great gritty thrillers, comedies and more.

Who is better to tell the life story of Glenn Ford than his son Peter Ford.

I was personally a member of Glenn Ford web site run by Glenn Ford in his later years, seeing pictures of Glenn at home with his son, daughter in law and grandchildren.

This book by Peter open your eyes to Glenn Ford's real life, the person behind the cameras, his private life that often was not private.

Great stories of his co-stars, his friends, his holidays, his travelling, his love of making films, his very active private life his roving eye even when married. His love of woman.

The great films he made throughout his career, the long friendships he made, the marriages, the very sad decline in health especially his mind.

How he was fooled in later life by, for a better word "gold diggers", his mind taken away from him with severe health issues.

The surely could not have been an easy book for Peter to write as he was a very volatile and difficult person to live with a very different to the onscreen personality we all saw.

A great underrated actor who never was appreciated by the Academy Awards , never winning a Life Achievement Award, never winning an Academy Award, but starring in some true classics.

A private life that was filled with many affairs, relentless infidelities, lots of marriages.

Peter you had a hard childhood, but also great memories, meeting so many film stars at your home, but also the sad late years.

A great book with more details that most biographies told honestly.

Lived to a great age, but not really in great health the last few years, sadly too many legal battles.

Five stars.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been awaiting this book for several years, and it did not disappoint. Peter Ford has succeeded in not only telling his father's life story (with Glenn's encouragement, and by the help of the diaries that were kept for so many years), but also in paying a very respectful homage to Ford's long career - from the late 30s to the 90s, Glenn Ford worked until his health no longer allowed it.

From his early years in Canada to his breakthrough into films and up until the end of his life, Glenn Ford seemed to be endlessly searching for the kind of unconditional love that he got from his devoted mother. Sadly, many of his romantic relationships fell short of this expectation, and he often took things for granted. Four failed marriages and later a growing dependency on alcohol shadowed his life, and his career and stardom came with a price. In the studio era, the long hours the stars worked, as well as the publicity junkets and tours, meant that family life was sacrificed for the sake of the industry. Peter's story of his distant and sometimes difficult relationship with his father was sadly not uncommon. It was very hard, if not impossible for a film star and their offspring of that time to have normal parent-child relationships, and given the demands and temptations of that era, it left little time or patience to deal with the realities of relating to their spouses and children. Peter's mother was the highly talented and lovely Eleanor Powell, who gave up her career to be a wife and mother but once Peter arrived she pretty much was a parent and nothing more. Glenn began to feel excluded and even at times was jealous of his own child. His infidelities may have been out of frustration due to the situation at home but there was no doubt he loved women and they loved him. Another reviewer commented that he may have been bi-polar; while there's no medical proof to verify that it's certainly possible. Peter said his father could be a "Jekyll and Hyde". Both Glenn and Eleanor were very close to their mothers and both matriarchs were a strong force in the marriage as well, which added some interesting dynamics to the Ford/Powell household. I don't doubt however that Eleanor was a wonderful person who was the very definition of what a mother should be. She seemed much happier being "married to God" as she put it in her later years. It was touching to know that before she passed away from cancer she and Glenn shared a long goodbye over the telephone.

There were many women in Ford's life, some relationships were more serious than others, but he spoke highly of several of his female co-stars and former loves. Maria Schell and Hope Lange were two women that he was deeply in love with but neither relationship ended in marriage, which he regretted. Geraldine Brooks, Judy Garland, Gene Tierney and Marilyn Monroe touched him deeply and he wished that things had turned out differently for them and that he had more of a chance to know them. But his most important relationship with a woman (besides his beloved mother Hannah) was with his five-time costar, friend and sometime lover, Rita Hayworth. It was perhaps one of the deepest bonds he had in his life, that survived so many years and significant others. In an interview in the late 1980s he stated that he was in love Rita, so it appears that their on-screen chemistry was very real and they were an important part of one another's lives. Ford remained a devoted friend and neighbor to Hayworth before her declining health due to Alzheimer's disease made it necessary for her daughter to move her to New York where she could supervise her mother's care. Glenn was a pallbearer at Rita's funeral and to the day he died kept a framed picture of her in his bedroom.

To this day, Ford is very underrated and underappreciated as an actor, which may be due to the fact that he seemed so natural on the screen, but knowing more about him on a personal level makes me appreciate even more how talented and driven he was. Whether in westerns (his favorite genre), film noir, comedy, action/war, dramas or thrillers, Ford never gave a disappointing performance. He was the top box-office draw in 1958 (he had left Columbia, his home studio a few years earlier and signed with MGM), which proves he was popular and well-known, yet it is strange that he is not given the recognition he deserves today. He should have been given a Lifetime Achievement Award but requests fell on deaf ears. It's a shame because he deserved one for all his contributions to film.

Peter shows his father's good and bad qualities, without a tinge of bitterness or resentment, although it is clear he would have liked to have had a closer relationship with is dad. His love for both of his parents shines through, and his tone is respectful and never demeaning. As an adult, Peter chose to become his father's friend and number one fan, rather than going down a self-destructive path as he saw many of his contemporaries end up at the point of no return. Determined not become another Hollywood tragedy, Peter made a mature and wise decision that not only helped put his life on a positive path but also helped him achieve the goal of love and family.

There are many things about Glenn to admire; he could be a kind and generous person in some respects, with life-long friendships (and many of his friends were interviewed and gave insight) and charity work, yet he could seem moody and distant to those closest to him. At times you feel sad for him that he didn't always appreciate what he had, that he wasn't able to show his love for his son, and that he never seemed to find the love that he was searching for, although as Peter said in an interview, "he found happiness in Rita's arms and continued to do so for many years". It is also very disheartening to see how he was taken advantage of when his health began to fail by fortune-hunters, but his son and daughter-in-law fought back and ultimately won the battle, cared for Glenn in his last years, and provided him with security as well grandchildren who brought him joy.

I have had the pleasure of corresponding with Peter a few times, and it's clear that he respects his father's fans and honors his father's life and career. This book is a wonderful read, a great achievement and a must-have for any Glenn Ford fan.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently developed a huge crush on Hollywood legend Glenn Ford when I saw him partnered up with Rita Hayworth, in their erotically charged film, "Gilda". With rugged and handsome looks, gorgeous dark hair and a smirk that always seemed a bit naughty, I bought his son, Peter Ford's biography of his dad, wondering if his story were either a tell all biography, in the vein of Christina Crawford and "Mommie Dearest" and the eventual tarnishing of Joan Crawford; or would it be a tribute and legacy to an actor who had a seven decade career, with a only a Golden Globe Award; and no other film tributes or awards?

Such a shame because his subtle way of acting smoldered.

Mr. Ford writes a honest and objective tribute of his famous father. He writes with candor about Glenn Ford's first wife, actress Eleanor Powell, his mother, and their eventual divorce. Peter Ford writes about an assortment of hangers on, gold-digging women who wound up Glenn Ford's second, third and fourth wives who just used him for his money and as a meal ticket. But he also critiques his father's performances in his films with a detachment and an unbiased view that also makes him a great film critic.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering that this book was written by the son of its subject, a famous and beloved Hollywood star, it is surprisingly objective, well-researched, and well-written. Achieving even one of those qualities in a book one writes about a parent is unlikely. To pull off all three is something of a miracle. I have read a good many biographies of actors by family members, and there is almost always a tendency either to elevate or to demonize beyond objectivity, with the writer's bias flying hard in the breeze. Peter Ford, however, has managed to show his father in a loving light without ever giving the impression that he is sweeping skeletons out of the closet and under the rug. Glenn Ford comes off as a wonderful man and simultaneously as a most difficult, moody, and petty man, and it is to Peter Ford's credit that his star-father comes off human, likable, and admirable even as his behavior is depicted as at times reprehensible. It's a delicate balancing act, and not, it seems, one designed in order to be balanced, but rather in order to clarify the balancing act that Glenn Ford worked (unconsciously?) to maintain in his life. Adding to the pleasures of the book is the fact that Ford fils has done serious research into his father's career, not content to rely on either family stories or vague remembrances to support his depiction of his father's professional life. As a film historian myself, I look closely at such books to see where they diverge from the kind of facts that only researchers know, and Peter Ford has an academic's eye for verifying his facts. That he writes in an engaging and completely humble fashion is an unexpected and added bonus. Glenn Ford maintained a long career that included real cultural milestones in movie history, and while he is overshadowed by the iconography of some of his contemporaries, he richly deserves a well-wrought biography. This most certainly is it.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glenn Ford was a under-appreciated actor with a career spanning over 50 years. He starred in such classic films as Blackboard Jungle, 3:10 to Yuma, Gilda, and the Rounders. His rugged good looks and tough, straight acting made many a western film what it was. In 1958, he was rated number one at the box office by the Quigley Publishing Company's Poll of Film Exhibitors and was consistently ranked highly from 1955-1962. And yet this actor who seemed to always have a project going throughout his acting career never collected an Oscar, never was recognized for a Life-Time Achievement Award, and was never even recognized by his native Canada because, in the words of his son Peter, "The people in charge [of the Toronto Hall of Fame where native Canadians are honored] said they had never heard of him."

In his acting career, Ford was a quiet, dedicated actor who made the most of his roles--even in films that are now long-forgotten. His fellow actors remember him as a colleague who would always help them orient themselves in a scene or with a character, or, for those just starting in the business, within the business itself. He was a man driven to act and, perhaps, continued acting long after most celebrities would have rested on their laurels. Despite the lack of recognition from award-granting entities, he had a large body of fine work upon which to rest.

The face that Ford's public and co-stars saw, wasn't always the same as the private one. Glenn Ford: Life is a very honest and open biography by Ford's son Peter. It presents the many sides of Ford from humble beginnings through his rise to celebrity, from fairly inept father to yearning, but unfaithful husband to non-stop ladies' man and romantic adventurer. Using exclusive interviews with family, friends, and colleagues as well as pieces from the family collection of diaries, letters, audiotapes and photos, Peter Ford presents his father as the great and flawed human being that he was. The result is a biography that gives the reader all the glitz and glamor of Hollywood with a balance of hard-hitting truth.

First posted on my blogMy Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always liked Glenn Ford on the screen. He always had a calming a reassuring presence there and was dependable. I always thought he was a man who responded to a good director when he was cast
in a proper role. During his heyday in the 40s, 50s, and 60s he was in some classic films. When he
was miscast in films like The Loves Of Carmen or The Four Horseman Of The Apocalypse the results
could be ludicrous. Peter Ford has written a great tribute to his dad figuring I suppose if he didn't
it would not be done. Ford was long out of the spotlight when he passed away in 2006 at the age of
90.

Ford was born in Quebec in 1916 and he and his parents moved to southern California soon afterward.
As a kid he discovered theater and he discovered that the capital of entertainment in America was a
stone's throw away. His looks and amiable personality got him into movies got him a 20th Century
Fox contract and he made his debut in Heaven With A Barbed Wire Fence. The film got so so reviews
and the most memorable story of the book comes from him describing his director as a mean individual who was former silent star Ricardo Cortez. Cortez was a big name back in the day but
by 1939 was doing poverty row stuff. A career as a director never materialized for him. Ford told
everyone that if he ever made it in the movie business he would never treat anyone as he was treated by Cortez. Apparently he made good on his word, no nasty words were spoken about him
with one exception.

He was rescued when he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and began getting bigger and
bigger parts. His real breakthrough came in an epic western with William Holden called Texas. The
two were destined to be lifelong friends.

After service in the marines during World War II Ford got his real shot at stardom when he did
Gilda with Rita Hayworth. Over 70 years later that classic noir film still sizzles on the screen. They did 5 films together, but when Ford and Hayworth are spoken of as a team it's Gilda and Affair
In Trinidad that people talk about. Glenn was ludicrous in The Loves Of Carmen a dramatic adaption of the opera, he did not play latins well or other foreign nationalities.

Some of the other films he did some favorites of mine are The Big Heat, Blackboard Jungle, Ransom, Trial, The Sheepman, Jubal, 3:10 To Yuma, The Gazebo, Love Is A Ball, The Fastest Gun Alive, The Rounders and so many more. One he did was a remake of Lady For A
Day, Pocketful Of Miracles. Director Frank Capra in his memoirs criticized Ford for being difficult
to work with. In this book Ford merely says that I wish he had that to my face back in the day.

Ford was married four times, first to dancing star Eleanor Powell who was the mother of his only
child, our author Peter Ford. He had his share of affairs as well as Peter describes his parents as
essentially incompatible beings. The next three marriages were of short duration and the last was
to a golddigger who Peter Ford had to fight for custody of when his father was ill in his 70s and
80s. Sad that Glenn Ford ended this way.

I suspect he did a lot of roles in mediocre films in 70s and 80s for the paycheck as these women
ran up some bills. His final role was a made for TV film adaption of Adela Rogers St.John's book
about her father defense attorney Earl Rogers. Treat Williams was Rogers and Ford played his
father a minister. It was a great part to go out on.

I hoped year after year the American Film Institute would honor both he and Richard Widmark, a
pair of guys who just outlived their times. But Ford's story needed telling and Peter Ford was the
man to tell it like no other.

[John Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating man, Glenn Ford. He was quite an actor and horseman. Sad that he dropped the ball in the family category, but I guess that was pretty common with celebrities.
Well written. Liked the attention to detail on the history of the actors and filmmakers he worked with.

[Marion Cantacessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving sons memoeies...

Peter, what a living tribute to your dad. I always enjoyed his movies especially his western and the way he wore his western hat.

[Joe DeKock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I believe that anyone who enjoys biographies on people who were part of our American pop-culture in the mid-20th century would find this to be worth their time. I am personally a fan of older pictures and the Hollywood culture from the 1940s-70's. While I have known of and watched a few pictures with Glenn Ford, I cannot say that I was a "huge fan" of him. I will look to watch some more of his works after reading his biography.

This read was full of a good American story as well of someone (Mr. Ford) who like so many actors in the motion pictures of his time, had to work hard an forge a path for themselves by being creative and having a little luck along the way. It always fascinates me with folks like Mr. Ford who had such a drive and passion for believing in what they can do, were capable of, and worked hard to achieve.

Mr. Ford's life is chockfull of being in a circle with other Hollywood elites in his life so hearing stories about those connections and some of the "inside stories" was fascinating. In particular what makes Mr. Ford even more fascinating is the impeccable documentation of his life story he kept through journaling, audio tape recordings of himself dictating events and happenings, as well as secretly recorded phone conversations he recorded and kept. It is feasible that this biography offers the closest thing to fact of Mr. Ford's life and the stories of others in his life because of the source they were pulled from.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of Mr. Peter Ford's personal view of his father. Mr. Peter Ford is the author of this book and is a fantastic author from the perspective of how he writes. The reading flowed really well and was a pleasure to read and read quickly. However, I was confused as to his own take on his father's life. He seemed to flip flop between emotionally isolating his father as just an actor he knows and back to being a father and friend. At the end of Glenn's life, Peter worked hard to take conservatorship back from Glenn's circle of managers and Peter claims Glenn was manipulated into not having a relationship with his father and was therefore not part of the conservatorship and his will. Peter legally was able to wrestle this from the circle of managers, caretakers, and lawyers that Mr. Ford originally assigned the duties to.

I always say there are two sides to every story, but the relationship between Glenn Ford and his only child and son, Peter Ford (the author) is only told from one side. (Peter's). It would be interesting to know if in all the journaling and audio recording's of Glenn dictating his life and events throughout the course of his life if there was anything spoken of my Glenn Ford himself and his relationship with his son. It was either omitted or not spoken of by Glenn at all which would seem odd because Glenn seemingly was impeccable about keeping very detailed journals and dictated audio recordings throughout his entire life and wrote and spoke on everyone in his life.

[**Cherry** · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this Glenn Ford phase in my senior year of high school and I remember ordering it from this big bookstore and being a dime short on buying it and having to ask my mom for a dime like it was 1901. This was not the first of my biography addiction. I am VERY strict with my biographies, they must be from the 1st person or as close to 1st person as possible and this being written by his son was close enough to me. Especially since Glenn in his last years helped with this book, along with his detailed journals that came along with his ocd, which is one of the things I had in common with Glenn Ford. A great read! Autobiographies always suck me in it’s grasp and I give it up to them for writing this so well. What makes reading autobiographies so insightful is that you learn on your own how easily a perspective can be changed from the narrator to benefit themselves or be written under a different tone. This was the case here in some moments because I feel Peter Ford let his “should’ve just gotten some therapy before writing this book” feelings out in some of his attitudes such as misinterpreting that his father’s later “girlfriends” were actually manipulating and technically mentally abusing his elderly father. There were other moments as I read that I think if Peter handled his own personal unsealed resentments from his father, those particular sections wouldn’t have sounded like a rant from a child when it’s from a grown man. That’s my criticism towards the reading but I rate this 5 stars from how touching this book was to read, to own and to be a cemented great autobiographical read.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. One of my favourite biographies I've read. It took forever... I went down so many rabbit holes, starting with Eleanor Powell. I rented many of these movies on amazon prime (watched the Blackboard Jungle the other day - amazing).

But when I finally got to the end, I bawled my eyes out for about 10 minutes. Glenn Ford was not perfect, as a husband or father, and one can say much of the difficulty he had in later years was self inflicted or maybe even karma. Yet at the same time, this guy led an exciting life, saw the world and did what we loved. Isn't that what most of us want?

I was touched to read how you (Peter) and your family devoted yourselves to his care. I can imagine he was haiku to have his house full of people who lived him unconditionally. That's when I cried and didn't stop until the end. Well done.

[Debra A. Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Glenn Ford was always good looking, I suspected he was womanizer. But I do so love his movies. I love the way the book went through his movies and a little story about when they were made. I wrote down some on the names so I can see them. It's funny how some people have every thing and realized it. Glenn Ford was one of these people.




The book was very good and I recommend it. Iove the way the book went through his movies and had a little story that occurred during filming. I even wrote down some of the movies I haven't seen and would like to. It's funny how some people have everything in life, a rich and rewarding life, and are not able to see it. Glenn Ford was one of these people.

[Dickie Arbiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cowboy's Cowboy

Glenn Ford has been one of my favourite actors for god knows how long, so to come across this biography by his son, Peter Ford, is a bonus. I have lost count of the number of Glenn Ford films I have seen and being a western officiated The Sheepman and The Fastest Gun Alive stand out. Peter Ford has written an honest account about his troubled father desperately seeking the love of a woman and invariably being let down by his current squeeze and himself. Actors like Glenn Ford, alas, do not exist anymore and for me Ford,
along with John Wayne, will always remain the cowboys cowboy. The western of yesteryear is lost without these two giants

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting biography of Glenn Ford - warts and all! I love him as an actor but I was shocked to read about his personal life and particular his troubled relationship with his son, Peter Ford who is the author of this book. Before reading this book and watching more of his movies during TCM's salute to him as Star of the Month for July 2019, I thought he always played nice and/or heroic characters. However, he played parts in Gilda and 3:10 to Yuma who were questionable, deeply flawed and/or mean characters (in 3:10 to Yuma - the villain!). A very enjoyable and fascinating book.

[Mike O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure that I've ever read a better entertainment biography written by a family member of the subject, with author Peter Ford in this case being the son of actor Glenn Ford. Both comprehensive and balanced in its approach, I found this to be a compelling portrait of a sensitive and even occasionally troubled man. Highly recommended.

[Donnacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big Glenn Ford fan but I thought this book was a bit boring. But it was well told and an interesting read. No holes barred. Maybe I'm not into biographies as much as I thought. If you're a Ford fan it's a must read.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like movies from the 40s, 50s and 60s, and followed the movie stars of those times, then you will definitely enjoy this book. The story takes the reader backstage into the private life of Glenn Ford and a number of film stars, producers and directors.

[Mary Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glenn Ford has always been one of my favorite actors. As an actor I have always enjoyed his performances....as a human....well, like everyone else, he has flaws. Unfortunately for his wife and child those flaws wreaked havoc on those who cared for him.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting getting to know Glenn. My interest started by watching him in old movies. He's really a great actor and im sorry i didn't realize that until he was gone.

[Jessica Welman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best written book, but given it is his son, doubt you get a more detailed and intimate portrait of the oft-forgotten star of yesteryear.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Glenn Ford, and enjoyed reading this. Has so much information.

[Lydia Landen Swallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glen Ford: A Life

Wonderful reading! Very poignant. It's a moving , realistic biography of one of the greats by his son, Peter Ford.

[AlanH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book, but, at times, it’s hard to tell if this is a biography about Glenn Ford or the autobiography of Peter Ford.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biographies of classic Hollywood stars were actually what led me to the library in the first place. I'm revisiting that genre and decided to start with Glenn Ford. Glenn Ford, A Life seemed an intriguing biography given that it was written by Ford's son, Peter. I just love the photo selected for the cover of the book, which tells so much the era in which Ford made movies. I was pleased with the easy writing style that was conversational, but still informative.

Given how many movies Ford was in and how many people he interacted with, I was relieved to see that Peter was able to quickly relay enough background information to give context to these events without launching into a tangent on irrelevant issues.

Gwyllyn, as he was born, is to me an extremely underrated and overlooked star. I always think it is funny to hear about the struggles stars had early in their careers. Ford wrestled with unsympathetic bosses, bad jobs, and poverty before he even though about becoming an actor. Once he did, many, many people said no to him before he achieved stardom. Ford was a product of the Columbia studio system, which meant he did not have control over which movies he was in. He finally managed to break his contract when the studio failed to abide by its obligations. Like me, audiences found Ford a genuine person who looked out for his costars. Despite being very likable, he somehow never got the kind of recognition that other stars like William Holden did.

I found it commendable that Peter wrote about his father in what I found to be an objective way. He addressed his parent's marriage, his own upbringing, and both the good and bad decisions his father made. Ford came across as a dashing and honest man, so it was surprising to me that he got swept up in the celebrity of Hollywood. He cheated on his wife Eleanor Powell, a star well-known for her tap dancing ability, with Rita Hayworth and several other stars.

The quotes from Ford and his contemporaries that appeared in the book gave this a personal touch, adding to how much I liked this biography. My first exposure to Ford was in the popular movie Gilda with Rita Hayworth, which I intend to watch again now that I understand the off-screen relationship between the two stars.


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[Dennis Burchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good biography of the actor by his son. Glenn Ford was a versatile actor whose forte was high quality westerns, such as 3.10 to Yuma, where he played the smilingly sinister badman. He was also adept at light comedy such as the darkly comic The Gazebo. While he was highly respected by his peers, his relationship with his son was less than paternal. Ford explains how his father had a tortuous relationship with his mother, the dancer and actress, Eleanor Powell, who virtually gave up her career when she married Ford. She stayed home to be a wife and mother, while he went off on location, and had romantic liaisons with almost all of his female costars. It was only when he grew older that the younger Ford developed a better relationship with his father. While there may be some sugar coating, young Ford respected his father's talent, and he paints a pretty complete picture of his father's life.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Ford is a nifty writer that was willing to take on the task of writing a biography of his father, actor Glenn Ford. Mr. Ford was a noted film and television actor of the 1940s until he was unable to act due to healthcare issues. He was a very complicated man, more adept at his craft, not so adept in many ways in his personal life.

Mr. Ford (Peter, that is) takes the high road writing about his father which is a remarkable task to bring off. There is extensive material about his mother, film and stage star Eleanor Powell contained here, but other authors will be publishing a biography about her which is scheduled to be published in the summer or fall of 2023. (Note: that will not be self-published but produced by an academic press as is Mr. Ford's book.)

Possibly the best biography of a film star that I've ever read.

Finally, the biography of Eleanor Powell, "Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance" was published in August, 2023. It is highly recommended.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of the book knows the subject well - he is the son of Glenn Ford. This may not sound like a page turner but it is. Ford was a number 1 box office actor for years and made several great movies. He was a player when it came to women and was a serial husband. This all-Canadian boy became famous rather fast when his family moved to Los Angeles and went through the experiences of acting in some clunkers along the way to stardom. The book will be of interest to those who love old movies and it is chock full of interesting Hollywood fare.

[Joanne Liddy-mctavish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love biographies of old Hollywood. I always knew Glenn Ford was from Quebec City and I had heard he wasn't the nicest guy so I was intrigued when this book came out. No one better to write it than his son and I find this story very fair. Peter Ford tells more of his emotional impact in interviews and keeps the book more factual.

This book has made me watch more of Glenn Ford's old movies on YouTube and I have a greater appreciation of his talent.

I loved him in Superman (filmed here in Calgary).

If you love old Hollywood you will love this book.

[Geraldine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thorough book about the life and times of actor Glenn Ford written by his son, Peter Ford.

This book tells of the life of a fine actor who made some awful movies at the beginning of his career, but once he told hold of his own destiny without the contract with Columbia Pictures, Ford was able to make the kinds of films that really showed his acting talents. The exception of this was the film "Gilda" with Rita Hayworth.

As for his personal life, well...let Peter Ford tell you that.