John Ford: A Bio-Bibliography

(Hardback)

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Description

John Ford (1894-1973) is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. He is the only person to win four Academy Awards for Direction, for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952). This reference book is a comprehensive guide to his career. The volume begins with a biography that looks at Ford as a person, a director, and a cinematic legend and influence. Ford's life is discussed chronologically, but the biography repeatedly considers how his early experiences shaped his creative vision and attempts to explain why he was so self-destructive and unhappy throughout his career. In addition, the biography carefully scrutinizes his methods, styles, techniques, and secrets of direction. A chronology presents his achievements in capsule form. The rest of the book provides detailed information about his many productions and about the response to his works. The heart of the volume is a filmography, which includes individual entries for 184 films with which Ford was involved, as either an actor, a director, a producer, a writer, an advisor, or an assistant. These entries include cast and credit information, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews. The book also includes the most extensive annotated bibliography on Ford ever published, with more than 1000 entries for books, articles, dissertations, documentaries, and even four works of fiction concerning Ford. Additional sections of the book provide information about his unrealized projects; his radio, television, and theater work; his awards and honors; and special collections and archives.

Reviews

"[Bill Levy has] done a remarkable job putting all this information together...It will be indispensible to future generations of film students."-Dan Ford Author of Pappy: The Life of John Ford (1979)
"[Bill Levy has] given us the best biographical account of [this] great man and the bibliographical commentaries are always on the mark."-William Darby Author of John Ford's Westerns: A Thematic Analysis (1996)
"[Bill Levy's] book on John Ford is a treasure! [It is] an absolutely remarkable piece of work."-Harry Carey, Jr. Author of Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in The John Ford Stock Company
"Such a remarkable life is long overdue for a bio-bibliography, a treatment that includes a biography; chronology; filmography, radio, television, and theater credits; a comprehensive review of his unrealized projects; an annotated bibliography (a whopping 123 pages of more than 1,000 entries, in this case!); archival collections and special sources; and a complete listing of his awards and honors....[W]hat Levy has included is riveting stuff....The information included with each entry is about as thorough as anyone could want: cast and credit details, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews."-Movie Collector's World
[A] part of any serious film fan's home library.-Big Reel
For many years to come, this will be the definitive bibliography about John Ford. It is clearly presented, thoughtfully annotated, and chock-full of information....Levy includes a biographical account, an extremely detailed chronology of Ford's life, a filmography, lists of unrealized projects, awards and honors given to Ford, and relevant archival collections in the US and abroad. The filmography deserves to be singled out for its valuable commentaries and coverage of film reviews in popular magazines. Essential for most academic and public libraries.-Choice
John Ford: A Bio-Bibliography will lead Ford students to new areas of study. For general readers, it's a good reference they'll get easily lost in.-American Reference Books Annual
Levy's book follows the format of other entries in the series. It opens with an overview of Ford's life and career. The bulk of the book is taken up with a filmography, a bibliography, sources and awards. Such raw information takes up the back of other Ford books, but it hasn't been gathered together for easy reference before now....John Ford: A Bio-Bibliography will lead Ford students to new areas of study. For general readers, it's a good reference they'll get easily lost in.-Movie Collector's World
Such a remarkable life is long overdue for a bio-bibliography, a treatment that includes a biography; chronology; filmography, radio, television, and theater credits; a comprehensive review of his unrealized projects; an annotated bibliography (a whopping 123 pages of more than 1,000 entries, in this case!); archival collections and special sources; and a complete listing of his awards and honors....[W]hat Levy has included is riveting stuff....The information included with each entry is about as thorough as anyone could want: cast and credit details, a plot synopsis, critical commentary, and excerpts from reviews.-Movie Collector's World
The latest volume in the excellent Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts series is Bill Levy's John Ford....The filmography is excellent, with complete credits, synopses, commentary, a sampling of reviews, and documentation not only on other reviews but also book references. The bibliography is subdivided (even including sections on dissertations and documentaries), fully annotated, and certainly gives the impression that the author has actually read every one of these citations. I hate to single out any one volume in the Bio-Bibliographies series as being better than any other, but this is, I believe, one of the best that I have seen.-Matinee at the Bookshelf
This is a solid reference source that admirably presents the life and work of one of the United States' most respected film directors. Any library with a motion picture collection would do well to purchase this volume.-Classic Images
"A part of any serious film fan's home library."-Big Reel
"[A] part of any serious film fan's home library."-Big Reel
"For many years to come, this will be the definitive bibliography about John Ford. It is clearly presented, thoughtfully annotated, and chock-full of information....Levy includes a biographical account, an extremely detailed chronology of Ford's life, a filmography, lists of unrealized projects, awards and honors given to Ford, and relevant archival collections in the US and abroad. The filmography deserves to be singled out for its valuable commentaries and coverage of film reviews in popular magazines. Essential for most academic and public libraries."-Choice
"John Ford: A Bio-Bibliography will lead Ford students to new areas of study. For general readers, it's a good reference they'll get easily lost in."-American Reference Books Annual
"Levy's book follows the format of other entries in the series. It opens with an overview of Ford's life and career. The bulk of the book is taken up with a filmography, a bibliography, sources and awards. Such raw information takes up the back of other Ford books, but it hasn't been gathered together for easy reference before now....John Ford: A Bio-Bibliography will lead Ford students to new areas of study. For general readers, it's a good reference they'll get easily lost in."-Movie Collector's World
"This is a solid reference source that admirably presents the life and work of one of the United States' most respected film directors. Any library with a motion picture collection would do well to purchase this volume."-Classic Images
"The latest volume in the excellent Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts series is Bill Levy's John Ford....The filmography is excellent, with complete credits, synopses, commentary, a sampling of reviews, and documentation not only on other reviews but also book references. The bibliography is subdivided (even including sections on dissertations and documentaries), fully annotated, and certainly gives the impression that the author has actually read every one of these citations. I hate to single out any one volume in the Bio-Bibliographies series as being better than any other, but this is, I believe, one of the best that I have seen."-Matinee at the Bookshelf

Author Bio

BILL LEVY is a Western New Jersey freelance writer focusing on twentieth-century American culture. He contributes regularly to Movie Collector's World, and is the author of the humorous newspaper column, Levy's Wry.