Glenn Ford and the Old Hollywood
Deborah Venable
09/06/06
When
I first heard the news of the passing of one of my all-time favorite actors
last week, it didn’t truly sink in for a few days. Now I can say without a doubt that the old Hollywood is
officially dead. I’m sorry if that
comes off sounding more than a little unsympathetic to those few Hollywood
personalities from the old Hollywood who still walk and talk among us, but
perhaps even most of them would agree to some extent.
Of
all the societal and cultural influences over the last century, Hollywood must
surely carry the heaviest weight if one is to be truthful. It was an entity born of futuristic dreams,
unmatched talent, and determined persistence to claim that power of influence,
but it was doomed to suffer from corruption of idealistic intentions. Power, after all, does corrupt.
The
success of Hollywood depended heavily on some impeccable examples of the “good
guy syndrome” and Glenn Ford was certainly one of the best examples of
these. He had his own idea about how to
do his chosen craft and do it well. He
was one of the most versatile actors of his era, with the ability to ease into
character in virtually any genre. While
his personal favorite was the “white hat” cowboy type, as long as the part
required a “good guy” he was equally qualified to do it right from serious
drama to romantic comedy. He couldn’t
quite pull off the bad guy role, however, probably because it wasn’t in his
nature. He exuded honesty and decency,
good humor and character, and a human sensitivity that doesn’t allow for a bad
guy image. His portrayals were not
meant to exclude the fallibility of even good men, however, and he could pull
off those less than perfect characters with a believability that you were
watching the real thing.
Few
Hollywood actors before, during, and since Glenn Ford’s heyday have carried
such integrity, both on and off the screen.
He was rare and under appreciated by those who bestow awards on his
craft, even while faithful fans kept him in demand during the tumultuous
growing pains of Hollywood. His success
was Hollywood’s gain, and the fact that it failed to celebrate his success with
noted achievement is one of the arrows in Modern Hollywood’s heart.
While
too many of his modern counterparts have gone out of their way to disparage
their country, her honor and her value, Glenn Ford stood in solid support of
the America he loved and defended. He
could play the hero’s role with ease – mainly because it fit so well. He WAS a hero. With a military service record that WAS appreciated and honored,
(including the Medal of Honor presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and
the Vietnamese Legion of Merit, as well as many more) he saw service that sent
him to the front lines of both World War II and the Vietnam War. The man was for real and patriotic to the
core.
Two years ago he told NewsMax.com, "Let's never forget that
to remain free we must always be strong. That's an important lesson I learned
in my Navy career in World War II. National defense must be the top priority
for our country. If you are strong, you are safe. Now is the time for every
American to be proud. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
If we are not brave, we will not be free."
Read
the rest of NewMax’s excellent article here.
More
Worthwhile Articles:
Kirk
Honeycutt
– Glenn Ford, an overlooked star in Hollywood
Seattle
Times AP Article
- Glenn Ford: the anti-movie-star