Pappy: The Life Of John Ford

Although he is best remembered for his classic westerns like Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Irish-American director John Ford (1895–1973) made 136 diverse films during his 51-year career, winning Oscars for The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, The Battle of Midway, and The Quiet Man. A master of psychological manipulation, Ford had a knack for goading brilliant performances out of his actors, albeit often through intimidation and verbal abuse. In Pappy, Dan Ford, John's grandson, draws on the director's personal archives and on intimate reminiscences from his family and friends—including John Wayne, whose acting career Ford had launched, Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and George O'Brien—to produce the most complete and honest portrait ever written of the man and his astonishing output. Pappy was often cantankerous, irascible, and drunk and rarely made time for his family, but few who worked with him could resist his appealing energy. This revealing biography brings John Ford to life while painting a vivid panoramic picture of Hollywood as well as of the American landscapes that he so dramatically evoked in his films.