Just before I left for Toronto, one of the most likable of movie stars passed away, Glenn Ford. We haven't been able to squeeze the obit into AC Weekly, so I decided to make a blog entry.

Ford Tough
There are only a few movie stars left from the golden age of Hollywood, and one was lost last month with the death of Glenn Ford. Ford was never a superstar, but at the height of his career he was one of the most reliable and versatile actors of his generation. He has such a likable quality. When I heard of his death at ago 90, I didn’t think of a particular film role, but of the many films that used his quiet strength (especially the westerns) and his considerable skills as a light comedian. When a group of cowboys were asked once which Hollywood actor did the best job of representing them, it was not John Wayne they mentioned but Glenn Ford. His notable westerns include Cowboy, The Sheepman, The Fastest Gun Alive, 3:10 To Yuma and the comedy western The Rounders opposite Henry Fonda. He was also known as one of Rita Hayworth’s favorite co-stars including their most famous collaboration Gilda.
Beyond the westerns, he was Ford tough as a cynical cop in The Big Heat, as a schoolteacher who stands up to gang members in The Blackboard Jungle and as an FBI man trying to catch an extortionist in Experiment In Terror.
At the opposite end of the acting spectrum, he was a deft comedian. His comic skills were utilized in one of my favorite Ford films, The Gazebo, opposite Debbie Reynolds and as the Ramon Runyon nice guy gangster Dave “The Dude” in Pocketful of Miracles opposite Bette Davis. The son of a railroad executive, Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford was born in Quebec, Canada, on May 1, 1916. Pictured above, Vic Morrow and Glenn Ford in The Blackboard Jungle. P.S. The guy out of focus in the background is director Paul Mazursky.