Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford, professionally known as Glenn Ford, was born on May 1, 1916, in Sainte-Christine-d'Auvergne, Quebec, Canada, to Hannah Wood Mitchell and Newton Ford, a railroad executive. When Ford was just eight years old, his family relocated to Santa Monica, California, where he spent most of his childhood.
Ford's interest in acting began during his high school years, where he started performing in plays. He further honed his craft by joining West Coast, a traveling theater company. In 1939, he was discovered by Tom Moore, a talent scout for 20th Century Fox, who subsequently signed him to a contract with Columbia Pictures the same year.
Ford's contract with Columbia marked a significant departure from the studio's traditional business model. Columbia's boss, Harry Cohn, had built his poverty-row studio around the loan-outs of contract stars from major studios, who were often problematic due to salary demands or work refusals. Cohn had initially resisted developing his own stable of contract stars but relented in the late 1930s, signing Ford and fellow newcomer William Holden.
Ford made his official debut in Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939) and continued working in small roles throughout the 1940s. However, his movie career was interrupted when he joined the Marines in World War II, where he achieved the rank of captain. After the war, he returned to Hollywood but struggled to regain his career momentum. He eventually resumed his movie career with the help of Bette Davis, who gave him his first post-war break in A Stolen Life (1946).
Ford's breakthrough role came in 1946 with the classic film noir Gilda (1946),starring alongside Rita Hayworth. He went on to star in many notable films, including The Big Heat (1953),Blackboard Jungle (1955),3:10 to Yuma (1957),and The Rounders (1965). He is best known for his westerns and his calm and collected everyday-hero persona.
In the 1970s, Ford made his television debut in The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970) and appeared in two fondly remembered television series: Cade's County (1971) and The Family Holvak (1975). During the 1980s and 1990s, Ford limited his appearances to documentaries and occasional films, including a cameo in Superman (1978).
Throughout his illustrious 50-year career, Ford made over 100 films and is remembered fondly by his fans for his charismatic silver screen presence.
