Ford. Ford’s case is both the depth of the filmography (his 29 archiveable films trail only Hitchcock and Woody Allen) and The Searchers– the best film of all-time. 14 of those films end up in their respective decades top 100 and that’s second to only Hitchcock. For all practical purposes Ford invented both the western genre (made roughly 4 of the best 8 of all-time) and John Wayne (14 films together). His work is remarkably consistent, there are multiple masterpieces (across four decades). There are even those who ride for How Green Was My Valley over Kane and as misguided as that may be—it shows just the great quality throughout the depth of Ford’s body of work (I wouldn’t use a word as fancy as oeuvre to talk about Ford—he’d hate that- haha).
Best film: The Searchers is the easy choice here as good as Stagecoach is. The Searchers is a meditation on wilderness and civilization. It’s an update of Melville—John Wayne is Ahab here, obsession—monomaniacal. It is one of the greatest examples of architecture as character in photography and film—these characters are swallowed up by the rugged uncivilized world. It’s both beautiful and unforgivably harsh. The door as a frame is Ozu—it’s brilliant and Ford emphasizes shadow. It happens again and again not just at the beginning and end which are two of the greatest moments in cinema history acting as bookends…. There’s the scene where Wayne finds Martha’s body, shadow, arriving at the Jorgensen’s, inside the cave escaping Scar towards the end and again chasing after Debbie—it’s brilliant visual film form.
total archiveable films: 29
top 100 films: 2 (The Searchers, Stagecoach)
top 500 films: : 8 (The Searchers, Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, My Darling Clementine, The Grapes of Wrath, The Quiet Man, Fort Apache, How Green Was My Valley)
top 100 films of the decade: 14 (The Iron Horse, Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Informer, The Hurricane, The Lost Patrol, My Darling Clementine, The Grapes of Wrath, Fort Apache, How Green Was My Valley, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Searchers, The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance)
most overrated: Wagon Master. I’m overdue for a revisit but currently it sits at8th for Ford and #515 on TSPDT. I can’t find a spot for it in my top 15 Ford films and I would easily get to 800-900 maybe even 1000 films without getting to it. I’m excited to revisit and see if I’m wrong.
most underrated : Fort Apache – I have it as #396 and Ford’s 7th best and TSPDT has it as #740 and Ford’s 10th. Great performances from both Fonda and Wayne. It takes a little to get going but has a devastating last half hour and is an easy MS film for me from a great master.
gem I want to spotlight: The Quiet Man. I assume most film buffs have seen his best four films- all westerns. But I watch this one almost every year around St. Patrick’s Day. I have it as Ford’s 6th best film. It’s a gorgeous bluray (wonderful use of color) and it’s a funny and accessible film that I think has aged well (and homages galore inspired from this film including in E.T.). It’s known for its location shooting in Ireland and it shows. It’s absolutely gorgeous exterior photography. It’s amongst the best work of all of the 4 leads- Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, Barry Fitzgerald (pretty sure this is his single best role) and Victor McLaglen. Honestly the only other guy I could see pulling off the McLaglen role to have that sort of size and screen presence to battle with Wayne would be Bond himself (who is good as narrator and smaller role in the film itself. I’m not saying it rivals the technical/artistic impact of in cold blood but there’s a great shot of O’Hara crying in the rain in the window. Written by Frank Nugent who also wrote The Searchers– the comedic elements might work even better here than in the 1956 all-time masterpiece. Also rightfully well known for Victor Young’s rolling musical score. There’s some fine film form going on here with bad weather in intimate scenes- first, the famous wind scene and later there’s a thunder storm when they kiss again.
stylistic innovations/traits:
You could pick either or focus on some of his shot compositions including the framing, blocking and camera movement in the opening and closing bookends of The Searchers. I think other films are close to The Searchers but when I think of that ending I can’t put anything else ahead of it on my all-time list. According to the great Roger Ebert: “Ford had an unrivaled eye for landscape, and famously used Monument Valley as the location for his Westerns. Ford’s eye for composition was bold and sure.” His work with and usage of Fonda and Wayne would make a great paper/book/article paired with Hitchcock’s usage of Stewart and Cary Grant. As good as Stewart is in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance surely that role would’ve gone to Fonda if Ford and him hadn’t got into a big fight in 1955 making Mister Roberts which resulted in Ford punching Fonda in the face. Back to those landscapes, Ford uses Monument valley in at least 8 films (Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, The Searchers, Sergeant Rutledge, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and How the West Was Won, Cheyanne Autumn). Ford’s narratives are often folk tales or yarns focusing on Americana, broader humor (This is from Ebert- he compared the low-brow humor which is a running trait in Ford’s oeuvre- to Shakespeare’s clowns- I like that), ritual (weddings, funerals) community.
top 10
- The Searchers
- Stagecoach
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
- My Darling Clementine
- The Grapes of Wrath
- The Quiet Man
- Fort Apache
- How Green Was My Valley
- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
- Young Mr. Lincoln
By year and grades
| 1924- The Iron Horse | R |
| 1934- Judge Priest | R/HR |
| 1934- The Lost Patrol | R/HR |
| 1935- The Informer | HR |
| 1937- The Hurricane | HR |
| 1937- Wee Willie Winkie | R |
| 1939- Drums Along the Mohawk | R |
| 1939- Stagecoach | MP |
| 1939- Young Mr. Lincoln | HR |
| 1940- The Grapes of Wrath | MP |
| 1940- The Long Voyage Home | R |
| 1941- How Green Was My Valley | MS |
| 1941- Tobacco Road | R |
| 1945- They Were Expendable | R |
| 1946- My Darling Clementine | MP |
| 1947- The Fugitive | R |
| 1948- Fort Apache | MS |
| 1948- The Three Godfathers | R |
| 1949- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon | HR |
| 1950- Rio Grande | R |
| 1950- Wagon Master | R |
| 1952- The Quiet Man | MP |
| 1953- Mogambo | R |
| 1956- The Searchers | MP |
| 1959- The Horse Solders | R |
| 1960- Sergeant Rutledge | R |
| 1962- How the West Was Won | HR |
| 1962-The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | MP |
| 1966- Seven Women | HR |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
just saw liberty valance the other night and i loved it. it was super easy to watch and super likable. shows that politicians are people too and that their job is to best serve the public. A great patriotic film also. i saw rio grande the other night as well which was really good, but i certainly prefer valance. stewart gives the best performance in the film i think
@m – thanks for the comment here. Stewart is great— one heck of an ensemble cast as well with Edmond O’Brien and Lee Marvin among others doing great work
[…] 10. John Ford […]
Wow finally watched stagecoach. Another great john ford film, and another reason why the great spaghettis can still never compete with the classic westerns! Thomas Mitchell was a making in this film among others. I won’t say the name of the other film, but the is a cruel movie that rips this off and this feels like a humane rebuke to that hateful film. Also john wayne was terrific in this as always. And the way we got to see everyone interact and the fight chase sequence wow.
Drake, are you aware of the recent releases by Kino Lorber of two early Ford silents, Hell Bent and Straight Shooting on blu ray/DVD? Each feature Harry Carey and I highly recommend both. Hell Bent in particular. Carey’s performance is amazing and moved me to tears near the end of the film. I love how movies over 100 years old can still affect me emotionally.
@Bonehica– I wasn’t aware- thanks for the recommend. I’ll look into it
Forgetting that the The Searchers ever existed (and who would want to do that?), where do you think Ford might land? Would he still be a top fifteen auteur? Top twenty?
@Graham– I think the filmography would put him 16-20 but if you factor in other things I think he’d fall closer to 20-30 without The Searchers. T
Watched My Darling Clementine (1946) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) back to back, both great.
My Darling Clementine (1946) was my first watch and time it instantly is going in my top 10 Westerns. Might even be my favorite John Ford film after The Searchers (1956). Loved Henry Fonda’s performance, it’s more subdued than a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood (2 of my favorites) performance. I like the way the film patiently builds towards the inevitable/final shootout. Nothing is rushed here, the story takes it time and organically grows toward the finale.
Superb performances all the way around
– Victor Mature is terrific as Doc Holliday
– Walter Brennan excellent as always
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) also excellent but probably liked it a tad less (very close and really just more to do with how much I loved My Darling Clementine). Lot of similarities as both focus on the changing ways of the west and the law vs the old west. Both focus on the building of myths. Seeing Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne together was a real treat.
What about Cheyenne Autumn?
@Harry- I’ve seen it once- wasn’t a massive admirer of it. Have you seen it? What do you think?
I’m still new to Ford, only seen Searchers and Stagecoach so far but I’ll get to it and plethora of others. The 2 I’ve seen were very enjoyable, I’m looking forward to getting deeper.
Funnily enough I just watched Liberty Valance a few hours ago and you’ve got to see it if you have Amazon Prime; it’s my favorite of Ford’s films.
Watching The Lost Patrol tonight and I’m definitely doing Liberty Valence tomorrow, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Took me longer than I wanted to but just caught Libert Valence – my favourite Ford so far as it is yours. Stewart was great, he really knew how to be angry on screen, and such a great ensemble cast as Drake points out.
Does anyone else think My Darling Clementine (1946) might be Ford’s best film aside from The Searchers?
There is nothing particularly ground breaking in this film, it has many of the standard Ford tropes, just done so well here.
– shot at monument valley like many of Ford’s films and for my money the most visually beautiful Ford film after
The Searchers and maybe The Quiet Man
– great use of low angle shots to reinforce Fonda’s Wyatt Earp’s larger than life reputation. This is contrasted
with high angle shot of the film’s villain Old Man Clanton played by the always great Walter Brennan.
– Fonda gives a great performance, he is very different than the characters John Wayne plays in Ford’s films,
he is more stoic and introverted while Wayne usually plays classic extroverts.
– Ford has ability to create worlds in his films and this is no different, recreates a living breathing world within
the film. It’s telling that the film’s villains led by Old Man Clanton are never depicted taking part of the social
activities in the town nor are they ever seen during the daylight and are often seen in shadows.
– Another strength of this film is the character Doc Holliday (Victor Mature). Clearly the hero/villain dynamic is
made clear right away, the Earps are the hero’s and the Clanton’s are the villains but Doc Holliday is a bit
mysterious and it is not clear exactly where his loyalties lie
– I like the formal touch of the Earps and Clantons crossing paths in the first few minutes of the film when
Fonda’s characters turns down Old Man Clanton’s offer to purchase Fonda’s herd, this sets in motion
the story all the way up to the inevitable final showdown.
– So many great shots (I love the one listed above on this page)
– I certainly would not argue against Stagecoach or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance but for me this is Ford’s
2nd best film.
My favorite Ford:
Stagecoach- Just a perfect film about how people defy expectations when you get to know them, the prostitute is a great caretaker, the drunk is a philosophizer and an apt physician, the notorious outlaw was only protecting his family, etc. Brilliant use of establishing character without dialogue, like how everyone reacts differently to having dust blown in their faces; Ringo smiles boyishly, Dallas is too mired in lonely sadness to even notice it, I believe Doc Boone is knocked out cold, etc. I like the comparison Ebert made with Shakespeare and Ford as well, or Mozart would also apply, all three were artistic geniuses with a penchant for tasteless humor. But in Stagecoach, the comic relief is more than welcome, as there are several truly hilarious moments that I won’t spoil here. The Apache chase is one of the most exhilarating action scenes of all time, and we cinephiles should not be afraid to praise a great action scene. The entire cast is magnificent, but Thomas Mitchell steals the show with the lovable Doc, one of the great supporting turns in cinema. Visually stunning like all of Ford’s work, both exteriors in Monument Valley and interiors like the great doorway shot, which Drake posted above. Formally excellent, as all of the characters’ arcs are resolved in a manner that is structurally neat and satisfying; wonderful character blocking, and there’s really not a single wasted moment. A towering Masterpiece.
Disclaimer: by “my favorite Ford” I do not mean to claim it is objectively his best; that would be The Searchers, so don’t kill me. Of course the criticism of the comic relief in The Searchers is a superficial one just as it would be with Shakespeare’s clowns (an apt comparison). What matters most is the cinematic/visual elements, with the camera as Ford’s paintbrush, a regard in which The Searchers can stand next to any other film ever made.
@Max – I am same way, my favorite Ford film is My Darling Clementine but I agree that The Searchers is his objectively best.
5 Favorite
1. My Darling Clementine
2. The Searchers
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
4. Stagecoach
5. The Quiet Man
5 Best
1. The Searchers
2. My Darling Clementine
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
4. Stagecoach
5. The Quiet Man
The Iron Horse R
Judge Priest —
The Lost Patrol —
The Informer R
The Hurricane —
Wee Willie Winkie —
Drums Along the Mohawk —
Stagecoach MS
Young Mr. Lincoln HR
The Grapes of Wrath MS
The Long Voyage Home R
How Green Was My Valley MS
Tobacco Road R
They Were Expendable R
My Darling Clementine MS
The Fugitive —
Fort Apache HR
The Three Godfathers —
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon R
Rio Grande R
Wagon Master R
The Quiet Man HR
Mogambo —
The Sun Shines Bright R
The Searchers MP
The Horse Solders —
Sergeant Rutledge —
How the West Was Won —
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance MP
Seven Women R
My ranking of Ford`s films that I`ve seen:
1. The Searchers MP
2. My Darling Clementine MP
3. Stagecoach MP
4. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance MP
5. The Grapes of Wrath MP
6. The Quiet Man MP
7. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon MS
8. Fort Apache MS
9. How Green Was my Valley MS
10. Young Mr. Lincoln HR
11. The Informer HR
12. How the West Was Won HR
13. The Lost Patrol HR
14. Hurricane HR
15. Wagon Master HR
16. Judge Priest R
17. The Iron Horse R
18. They Were Expendable R
19. Mister Roberts R
10 Best Performances
1. Wayne- The Searchers
2. Fonda- The Grapes of Wrath
3. McLaglen- The Informer
4. Fonda- My Darling Clementine
5. Mitchell- Stagecoach
6. Stewart- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
7. Wayne- The Quiet Man
8. O`Hara- The Quiet Man
9. Wayne- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
10. Darwell- The Grapes of Wrath
@RujK- Really well done- adding so much to the Ford and Ozu pages- thank you.
I know you should always try to see as many films by the greats as you can, but I think my buddy took it too far by watching the 70+ available Ford feature films haha
@LeBron Smith- haha wow- I have 30 John Ford films in the archives and have probably seen another 10-15 over the years. I bet your buddy’s ratio of seeing archiveable films to unarchiveable films during the study was still as good as mine on a normal viewing month.
@Drake – I’d have to ask him again but I think he saw 72 or 73 and had around 40 as archivable.
I’m curious, around what percentage of films are unarchivable that you watch? I have to imagine it’s higher than most since you try to view as many films as you can instead of seeking out mostly high rated ones.
@LeBron Smith- just a random sampling but 10 unarchiveable films out of the last 30 or so. So-33%? I am trying to seek out good films (right now a high volume of 2022 and then my Mizoguchi study) but I believe in random as well. I need to pepper in more of the best films, but you cannot just watch the best films either – you’ll lose some perspective. I remember early on in my studies I watched Goodfellas, Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now all in the same day for the first time ever. Haha- just too much.
@Drake – I completely agree with you. I was like you when I started and would only watch the films that would get a MS or MP grade. Definitely think it’s better to try to watch a little bit of everything instead of only the best.
Just checked and I’ve watched 34 Ford films so far. I could see myself getting to around 50-55 but 70+? I don’t think I could do it haha
Also can’t wait for the Mizoguchi study @Drake. Plan on doing one myself sometime this year.