Truly Moving Pictures

Appearing in three films recognized on the Truly Moving Pictures List, Heartland Film Festival was saddened by the news of actor Glenn Ford's passing yesterday. Ford turned 90 in May, and Heartland was in attendence at the birthday party hosted by some of Hollywood's most recognizable organizations. Though the actor's health was failing at the time, the event marked a milestone in the life of a celebrated actor.

Born in Canada in 1916, Ford moved to southern California at an early age and quickly fell in love with Hollywood. His passion for acting began in high school, and his screen debut came in 1939's Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence, a 20th Century Fox production.

He leapt to fame in 1946 when, after a brief stint in the army for World War II, he starred in Gilda with Rita Hayworth.

Ford's prolific career included over 200 films, and he is commonly regarded as one of the most reliable, efficient actors of old Hollywood. Though he never achieved the A-list stardom he's said to have sought, many of Ford's roles will always be remembered as classic performances in timeless films. Between the popular Westerns he starred in, Ford also took roles in more than one Truly Moving Picture.

In 1955, he played a tough-love teacher opposite Sidney Poitier in Blackboard Jungle. The next year, he appeared in Ransom! as a father fighting to have is son returned from a kidnapper. By 1963, Ford had appeared in over 60 films. That same year, he starred in the third of three Truly Moving Pictures, The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Where his earlier films highlighted Ford's dramatic skills, the actor let his guard down in the light-hearted story of a boy who tries to find the perfect match for his widower father.

In May of this year, Heartland partnered with Turner Classic Movies, American Cinematheque and Variety to celebrate Ford's 90th birthday. Several of the actor's films were screened, and former co-stars including Debbie Reynolds and Martin Landau attended to commemorate the occasion.

Jeffery L. Sparks, Heartland Film Festival President, also attended. "Glenn Ford's career set him apart as one of the pioneers of Hollywood," he said.

Heartland Film Festival and Truly Moving Pictures extend their condolences to Mr. Ford's family in their time of loss.

Top photo courtesy of the Glenn Ford Library