John Ford

[Lzcutter]

> I've just watched a documentary about John Ford in which Peter Bogdanovich interview him and other celebrities about his films

Sounds like Directed by John Ford. Bogdanovich did the documentary back in the day and a few years back, TCM and the AFI partnered together to restore and expand the documentary.

It's a terrific documentary and glad you got the opportunity to see it!

I always thought Col. Thursday was based on aspects of Custer's personality.

[JackFavell]

I may be wrong about it, but I think all they did to Henry Fonda for Young Mr. Lincoln was build up the bridge of his nose a bit.

[RedRiver]

Fonda looks different to me too. Whetever they did to alter his appearance, it's very effective.

I'm another who had to see HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY several times before fully appreciating it. It's a movie that sneaks up on you.

[MissGoddess]

The way Fonda is photographed also creates lots of hollows and shadows on his face, and that adds to the illusion. Isn't it remarkable what movies can accomplish?

One thing about Fonda that seems especially suited to Lincoln is his voice. Most accounts I've read by those who heard Lincoln speak claim he had a somewhat nasal twang to his voice, and so Fonda would seem to be pitch perfect casting in that regard.

I love Directed by John Ford, it's my favorite Hollywood documentary (big surprise).

[charliechaplinfan]

> I've just watched a documentary about John Ford in which Peter Bogdanovich interview him and other celebrities about his films

Sounds like Directed by John Ford. Bogdanovich did the documentary back in the day and a few years back, TCM and the AFI partnered together to restore and expand the documentary.

It's a terrific documentary and glad you got the opportunity to see it!

I always thought Col. Thursday was based on aspects of Custer's personality.

It was a terrific documentary, hubby watched part of it with me and thought it was good, if a bit of a mismatch, part older stars and part recent directors. I thought it must have been an original work expanded to include newer names and open Ford's work up to a new audience. I had to smile when Ford is first shown interviewed by Bogdanovich, his attitude I have seem in the stubborn Irish streak of my family many times, I felt like I knew him. It's definetly a keeper, it should be used to teach modern documentary makers how to make a documentary and then set them to work on the other great directrs of the Golden age.

Re Henry Fond as Lincoln, for the first clip for quite a few seconds he doesn't speak and both hubby and myself were looking and trying to work out who it could be as I was saying 'I always thought it was Henry Fonda in this movie' as Chris is shaking his head saying it's certainly not Fonda. Then he spoke, yes it was, no one else speaks like that.

[moira finnie]

Our own Miss Goddess has a Q & A here about her splendidly appointed website,Directed by John Ford. Enjoy & keep surprising us, will ya, April!?

[pvitari]

Wowee! That is a TERRIFIC interview! Fabulous questions, fabulous answers.

I posted the links at my Ben Johnson page and also posted two Wagon Master publicity stills (which you can also find on SSO in the Ben Johnson thread) for some Fordian illustration. I also let the fans at dukewayne.com know about the interview.

Thanks Moira and Miss Goddess for sharing all your insights with us!!

P.S. Has anyone here seen Gideon of Scotland Yard? It stars one of my most beloved actors, Jack Hawkins, but I've never seen it and I'd give a significant body part to get a copy. How does it stack up in the Ford filmography?

[MissGoddess]

Moira, you made me and my site look better than we are in your article, and I'm very grateful for your interest and to be spotlighted by you at "Skeins of Thought" is a real honor. Paula...you do me double honor by posting those gorgeous photos! Please check your PM box.

[movieman1957]

Paula:

I've seen "Gideon of Scotland yard." It may be among the slowest movies I've ever seen , Ford or not. It supposed to be over one day but it feels like it was a 30 hour day.

For my thinking it's a pretty lame film.

[pvitari]

Miss Goddess, glad you like those two stills. They are keepers. :) However, nothing in my PM inbox. ;)

[movieman1957]

April, on the site "Laura's Miscellaneous Musings" your interview with Moira is mentioned and you are referred to as "John Ford scholar..."

You've been upgraded!! (or verified.)

[MissGoddess]

Oh dear, more proof the internet can be a dangerous place! Anyone now is a scholar and a gentleman...and I know I'm neither! But that's very flattering.

[pvitari]

Warner Bros. is releasing Fort Apache on Blu-ray on February 21! I sure hope this means a blu-ray of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is on the way.


The Warner Bros. Press Release:

Fort Apache, acclaimed for pairing one of the greatest director-star combinations in Hollywood history, gets the Warner Home Video Blu-ray treatment.

Roughhouse camaraderie, sentimental vignettes of frontier life, massive action sequences staged in Monument Valley – all are part of FortApache. So is Ford’s exploration of the West’s darker side. Themes of justice, heroism and honor that Ford would revisit in later Westerns are given free rein in this moving, thought-provoking film that, even as it salutes a legend, gives reasons to question it.

Master director John Ford, leading man John Wayne and many familiar Ford “stock company” supporting players saddle up for the first time on Blu-ray in the film that is part of the director’s famed 1948 cavalry trilogy(She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande are the others). Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath, On Golden Pond), Shirley Temple (reunited with her director from Wee Willie Winkie), Temple’s then-current-husband John Agar, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond and George O’Brien join Wayne in the stellar cast.

Special Features:

· Commentary by F.X. Feeney

· Vintage featurette Monument Valley: John Ford Country

Fort Apache BLU-RAY DISC™
Street Date: February 21, 2012
Order Due Date: January 17, 2012
Not Rated
Black & White
Feature Run Time: 128 minutes
Pricing: $19.98 SRP
Cat / UPC: 1000246443/ 883929222087

[MissGoddess]

Thanks for the notice, Paula! This is very unexpected and even though I still don't have a blu-ray player, I'm always glad to see classics appear on whatever format pleases the audience. WHV really leads the pack, though, when it comes to releasing classics. I understand they are putting out altogether 50 classics next year, whether those are Blu only or both standard and Blu, I'm not sure, but I'm curious about what else is in the pipeline.

Again, thanks for the great news.

[pvitari]

They release around 30 classic titles (or more) through the Warner Archive every *month* so that 50 must refer to blu-ray.