John Ford Goes to War

Product Description One of America's greatest directors, the legendary John Ford -- renowned for such films as The Quiet Man, The Grapes of Wrath and How Green Was My Valley -- was already a major Hollywood filmmaker when he volunteered his cinematic skills on World War II's front lines. Showing astonishing bravery, he was injured during the making of the Oscar-winning documentary The Battle of Midway (1942) and went on to earn a second Oscar for December 7th (1943). Highlights from those films and Ford's other war film work, ranging from a sex hygiene short to a poignant film about squadron members embarking on the last mission of their lives, are explored in this fascinating documentary, narrated by Kris Kristofferson. Film fans also will gain new insights into this complex, often contradictory man and his extensive legacy through little-seen home movies and interviews with directors Oliver Stone and Peter Bogdanovich, film scholars and noted critics. Amazon.com Like John Huston and Frank Capra, John Ford ( The Searchers) was happy to do his part for the war effort (even that old iconoclast Orson Welles got in on the action). According to this made-for-cable documentary, the legendary director was 47 when he abandoned Hollywood for the Navy in 1941. He may not have been young or fit, but as director Peter Bogdanovich asserts, "There was no way he was going to stay out of the war." So for over three years, Ford served as Chief of the Field Photographic Branch of the Office of Strategic Services. While there's no doubt the admiral was a patriot, a few commentators acknowledge that the OSS also represented an opportunity to escape an unhappy home life. John Ford Goes to War runs just under an hour, but it's a thorough portrayal and features commentary from a variety of experts, including relatives and biographers, as well as critics like Andrew Sarris and filmmakers like Oliver Stone. Their words are bolstered by clips from Torpedo Squadron 8 and The Battle of Midway (featuring voice work from Grapes of Wrath star Henry Fonda), although not all of his OSS films were as successful. Produced for Starz, the narration is provided by Kris Kristofferson--another man who knows his way around the western--and should hold great appeal for WWII buffs, film enthusiasts, and Ford fanatics alike. --Kathleen C. Fennnessy