The following are my favorite movies Directed by the "Old Master" John Ford. I have listed them in the order in which they were made.1. Stagecoach (1939) Movie that made John Wayne a star.
2. Young Mr Lincoln (1939) Henry Fonda as Lincoln as a young lawyer in Illinois
3. Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) Henry Fonda again. The Revolutionary War on the frontier
4. The Grapes of Wrath (1940) The American depression. Henry Fonda (Awarded the Academy Award for Best Director)
5. How Green Was My Valley (1941) A Welsh coal mining village.He patterned the family after his Irish family (Awarded the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture)
6. The Battle of Midway (1942) Documentary about the World War II battle. Ford was in the navy and was there and filmed the battle as it happened. Later in life he wore a patch over one eye due to injuries he suffered during the battle that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.(Awarded an Academy Award for Best Documentary)
7. They Were Expendable (1945) With John Wayne. A bitter sweet story about the use of PT boats in the hopeless defense of the Philippines in the early days of World War II. Ford drew on his own war time experiences. My favorite Ford movie. I can and do watch it over and over. Donna Reed is wonderful as a Navy nurse who is left to be captured by the Japanese at Corregidor.No whiners in this movie just stoic courage and loyalty.
8. My Darling Clementine(1946) Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp at the Gunfight at the OK Corral. Filmed in Monument Valley
9. Fort Apache (1948) Wayne and Fonda. The first of the Calvary Trilogy
10. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949) My favorite John Wayne movie about the U.S Cavalry
11. Rio Grande(1950) Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in the last of the Calvary Trilogy. Ford drew upon his feelings of loyalty, comradeship and sacrifice he had learned in World War II. The Calvary was a true "Band of Brothers".
12. The Quiet Man (1952) Wayne and O'Hara in the movie Ford always wanted to make about his family's home in Ireland. Ford was in love with O'Hara and used Wayne as a stand in.(Awarded Academy Award for Best Director)
13. The Searchers (1956) Wayne in one of his best roles.Filmed in Monument Valley and it has never looked better. I love this movie.
14. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne in a western about fact and legend. When legend becomes fact print the legend.
15. How the West Was Won (1962) Ford directed the Civil War segment.
Ford also won a 4th Academy Award for the Informer in 1935
For more on John Ford click on the title for a link to his Wikipedia page. As long as people love film John Ford will be honored and remembered. An American original!
