Glenn Ford starred in noirs, westerns, comedies, romantic dramas- you name it. His most recent role was as TCM's Star of the Month for July.
The role most people associate with Glenn Ford is likely that of Johnny Farrell in Gilda. This was certainly the case for me. When TCM announced Glenn Ford as the Star of the Month for July, I was excited to watch a few more of his films here and there. On the first night of his reign as SOTM, I watched The Big Heat (1953), a movie I wanted to see for a long time. After seeing Ford's performance as Dave Bannion, I could not wait to do a deeper dive into his filmography. There were some great films and others that were not so great. There were some knock-out performances by Ford in almost every genre across the board. These are the highlights of my month-long, twenty-four film crash course in Glenn Ford's filmography.
During my foray into Glenn Ford's films, I found myself repeatedly becoming so fascinated by his performance- no matter the quality of the film itself. Even now, it is pretty difficult to pinpoint precisely what it is about Ford's acting that is so commanding. In my Letterboxd review for Ransom! (1956), I described it as "this incredible mix of cool intensity and emotional vulnerability," and that is still the best explanation that I can think of for it. Ford never overplays a scene, yet he packs just as big of an emotional punch as his contemporaries that were much more emotionally explosive on-screen. In underplaying scenes, Ford has an electric intensity that keeps him from being passive even in scenes where he subdues his emotions and reactions. The genius of Ford as an actor lies in his subtlety.
One of my absolute favorite moments in the movies is Rita Hayworth's introduction in Gilda (1946). It's the hair flip heard 'round the world, but this moment is made even more unforgettable by Glenn Ford's reaction (check out the gif above). This is the perfect example of his subtlety. While other actors might have reacted in a grander, more dramatic fashion, Ford's reaction is almost imperceptible. He gives a quick start, opens his mouth slightly, and that is it. In this way, he still wholly serves up the scene to Hayworth but makes it very clear in one small movement not only that there is something he knows that we as the audience do not, but that there is also more trouble to come. In fact, for most of the scene where he meets Gilda, he only smirks at her. Ford has relatively minimal dialogue and lets Hayworth control the scene, but with just one sustained look, he tells us everything we need to know about Gilda and Johnny's past. It is that underplaying that Ford is best at, and it is not only found in his performance as Johnny Farrell in Gilda. It is a common thread throughout all of his roles.
Ford's subtlety is also what made him so adept at "slow burn" types of roles, some of the best examples being Dave Bannion in The Big Heat, Dave Stannard in Ransom!, and George Temple in The Fastest Gun Alive (1956). In all of these films, Ford underplaying the emotions of his characters is always used to set up a later, sudden, jarring explosion of emotion. Again, Ford plays his character's descent into brutality, despair, and frustration so subtly that it still comes as a surprise when he inevitably explodes. For example, in Ransom! Ford plays the father of a kidnapped boy, and he has to decide whether to pay a ransom to the kidnappers or try and negotiate despite the risk to his son. For many other actors at the time, this role would have been perfect for dramatic reactions and frequent explosions of emotion, but Ford keeps a remarkably cool head for most of the film all things considered.
Although there are points at which he briefly snaps, and his television broadcast directed at the kidnapper is intense and emotional, Ford maintains a level head for most of the film, underplaying the emotions his character is feeling. As such, when he finally breaks down into tears toward the end of the film, it is quite jarring since we as the audience have watched him keep it together for the entire rest of the film. It is a release of the emotion that the audience is feeling, and it exhibits Ford's ability to show vulnerability even in the most intense, seemingly unaffected characters. While his sudden burst of emotion comes as a shock, in looking back at the film there are times when Ford makes subtle changes to the way his character is handling the situation that show the slow burn of his character from determination to hopelessness. It takes an incredibly skilled actor to give us all the signs and still leave us surprised.
A truly versatile actor, Ford's subtlety also creates incredibly touching moments, such as the final
scene from Interrupted Melody (1955). He conveys so much with one slight, single look and it has become one of my favorite scenes in a movie, so naturally I had to include it here.
There is also something to be said for the fact that Rita Hayworth broke two of Glenn Ford's teeth doing this and he still finished the take.
Best Performance: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
I watched twenty-four Glenn Ford films this month and the performance that has stuck with me the
most is Ford's portrayal of Ben Wade in the western 3:10 to Yuma. Ford typically played "good guys," or anti-heroes with noble or at the very least understandable motives. This film instead casts Ford as the "bad guy." Ford applies his trademark subtlety in this role, and when he turns it on the viewer as a morally ambiguous villain, it is absolutely chilling. He plays off of his costar, Van Heflin, incredibly well. By the end of the film, Heflin's protagonist and Ford's antagonist seem more alike than different just by the character development they convey through nuanced line delivery and subtle acting choices. Ford is exceptional in this fairly atypical role.
In a quick note, The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) warrants an honorable mention for Glenn Ford's scene in the church before the final confrontation alone. The whole film is an incredibly thoughtful examination of western tropes surrounding violence, but Ford does some of his best silent acting in this film.
Personal Favorite: The Doctor and the Girl (1949)
Something about this film really struck me and stuck with me, and I still cannot pinpoint exactly what it is about it. The Doctor and the Girl is a fairly standard drama and is deceptively unassuming as a result. Glenn Ford's Dr. Michael Corday has a beautifully written story arc from starting as an arrogant young doctor to becoming a community doctor for a poor, primarily minority community upon falling in love with one of his patients, played with such sincerity by Janet Leigh.
Ford's subtle evolution makes this film both heartwarming and gutwrenching as he faces incredibly difficult choices between family, his career, and the woman he loves. It is both a romantic drama and a stinging social commentary, and Glenn Ford is perfect in the role. Ford's underplaying of his scenes makes this film compelling as opposed to a more standard melodrama complete with overly emotional performances. Ford makes Michael Corday's internal turmoil palpable through the subtlest of changes. All around, The Doctor and the Girl receives my highest recommendation.
Hidden Gem: The Gazebo (1959)
The Gazebo, the second of the two films Glenn Ford made with Debbie Reynolds, is darkly hilarious. The humor centers around Glenn Ford as a neurotic, anxious television writer who murders a man blackmailing his wife and then hides the body under a new gazebo they are building for their home.
Ford plays anxiety-ridden Elliot Nash without the same level of restraint that he typically shows in other roles, but he does not go overboard with the neuroses of his character. He comes off as burnt out, not legitimately disturbed, which is what prevents The Gazebo from becoming a Hitchcockian drama (who receives a few comedic references that give this film the air of a loving Hitchcock parody). Glenn Ford had a real talent for comedy. His comedic timing is truly great, and he provides a great blend of slapstick and screwball, deadpan comedy in his role as Elliot Nash. This is another fairly atypical role for Ford, and I would heartily recommend The Gazebo as a hidden gem of Ford's filmography.
Starting July having seen one Glenn Ford film and ending it having watched twenty-five, I am incredibly thankful to TCM for featuring Ford as their Star of the Month. Glenn Ford is not a household name outside of classic film circles anymore, which is a shame. There are very few actors who had the versatility or sheer skill of Glenn Ford, and having the opportunity to devote real, dedicated study to even this small portion of his filmography has only further convinced me of this. I have never seen another actor with the same skill of conveying so much through so little, and I truly cannot wait to watch more of Ford's filmography even after his tenure as Star of the Month ends today.
Follow along with my journey through Glenn Ford's filmography on my Letterboxd list Glenn Ford Ranked.