Canadian – American actor Glenn Ford was best known for playing the role of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in the movie ‘Pocketful of Miracles’ (1961). His other highly rated movies include ‘Gilda’ (1946), ‘Man from the Alamo’ (1953), ‘Jubal’ (1956), ‘Experiment in Terror’ (1962) and ‘Is Paris Burning’ (1966). His films ‘Human Desire’ (1954), ‘Midway’ (1976) and ‘Happy Birthday to Me’ (1981) did not do well at the box office.
Ford appeared in the modern day Western series ‘Cade’s County’ (1971 – 1972). He portrayed a Depression – era preacher in the family drama series ‘The Family Holvak’ (1975 – 1976). He signed up to star in the series ‘African Skies’ in 1991, but had to drop out due to his medical condition. He was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Â
Gilda is a romantic thriller drama film which tells the story of Mudson, a casino owner, who soon comes to know that his new wife Gilda, has a past with Johnny, his right-hand man. Things get complicated when he disappears mysteriously, and is soon considered dead.
When incorruptible detective Sgt. Dave Bannion starts investigating the suspicious death of a fellow officer, he receives threatening calls and is pulled off the case. When his car is blown killing his wife, Bannion stands against influential mob-bosses who wield power over the town. Helped by Debby, the spurned mistress of the gangster, Bannion battles corruption, powerful adversaries, and violence, to bring the mob to justice.
Richard Dadier is a navy veteran, who takes up a job as a teacher at North Manual Trades High School. However, things are not quite easy for him, because Gregory Miller, along with other students engage in anti-social behavior. The class doesn’t show respect for Dadier, and things even get worse after Dadier is forced to subdue a student who attacks another teacher.
Dave the Dude is a successful gangster in New York City, who believes that the apples that he purchases from Apple Annie, an alcoholic street peddler, brings him luck. When Annie learns that her daughter is being escorted by an aristocratic suitor, she finds herself in a dilemma as she had tricked her daughter into believing that she is a wealthy socialite. Fearing that her true identity is going to disappoint her daughter, she decides to ask Dave for help.
Midway is a historical war drama film which revolves around the Battle of Midway in the World War II, which was a major naval battle, and is considered as a turning point for the US in the Second World War. The film portrays how brave US seamen unite to defeat the Japanese forces.
Jor-EI, a scientist from the doomed Planet Krypton, sends his infant son Kal-EI on a spaceship to Earth. Brought up in Smallville by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, he becomes aware of his extraordinary abilities during boyhood. Later, working for Daily Planet as a gentle and polite reporter Clark Kent, he uses his superhuman powers to fight criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor.
In 1871, Jim Canfield, an innocent wrongly sentenced for murder, escapes Nevada Prison with a group of toughened criminals and leads them to a farming settlement, to avenge the man who framed him. With only women at the settlement while men are off prospecting, Canfield is drawn towards Marcia, fiancée of the man who trapped him. What happens when the man returns?
While traveling to Texas, ex-confederates Tod and Dan stumble upon a stagecoach robbery, and after snatching the loot from the robbers the two go separate ways. When they meet later, Tod is an honest ranch-helper, while Dan, now a rustler, is trying to steal Tod’s cattle. Also, both are vying for the same girl. Can they continue to be the friends they were?
After being discovered as half-Jew, Ludwig Kern is jailed and his passport is seized. Later, he travels to Czechoslovakia with anti-Nazi Josef Steiner, and meets Jew refugee Ruth Holland. Ludwig and Ruth fall in love, while Josef tries to see his ailing wife in Germany. With commencement of WWII, as Nazis invade European countries, the three refugees try to evade the advancing army.
A former gunslinger arrives in a frontier town, hoping to establish himself as the local preacher. Quickly, his wish to lead a peaceful life is dashed due to the constant rivalry between the cattlemen and sheep herders and decides to take up arm when his church is burned down. But he must weigh his options carefully so that the cycle of retribution and revenge is not perpetuated.
Recent medical-school graduate Michael Corday joins renowned hospital for internship, but criticized by colleagues for his curt manners with patients, he tries to change. When he falls for his patient Evelyn, a penurious candy-store worker, his father, a prominent surgeon who always controlled his children’s lives, tries to break their romance. But they get married and start medical practice in the poor neighborhood.
Lorn Warfield, a former gunslinger who had disappeared three years ago, returns home to find his wife and two children kidnapped by Apaches. As he embarks on a mission to rescue his family, he is accompanied by his neighbor, rancher Owen Forbes, who is also in love with Warfield's wife, and a Native American trader feigning insanity.
Steve Boleslavski, one of the ship-yard crew that built WWII destroyer S.S. John Paul Jones, re-enlists in the Navy to serve on her. The ship is assigned to carry mail, when it encounters a Japanese sub and the ensuing battle damages the destroyer leading to possibilities of sinking. With Boleslavski’s suggestion of underwater wielding, the destroyer succeeds in wrecking the Japanese sub.
When Joe Hufford accidentally kills the son of a powerful man, he is sent to prison by district attorney. George Knowland. However, he remains skeptical about Joe’s guilt and when he becomes the warden of the prison, where Joe is housed, he starts taking a special interest in him. But by then, Joe has mastered the prison’s code of silence.
Treasury department agent, Frank Warren, is determined to bring down ruthless mobster, The Big Fellow. But, he struggles to make a case as informants keep getting murdered and there are too many corrupt police officers. When all hope seems lost, Frank finds unlikely help in one syndicate bookkeeper who might turn on the mob.
In racially segregated America, Angel Chavez, a Mexican-American ends up on a beach which is off-limit to Mexican-Americans. There a non-Hispanic schoolmate who suffers from a weak heart suddenly dies, in front of him. Wrongly accused of attempted rape and murder, he is defended by law professor, David Blak,e while others try to use him for political gains.
American adventurer Al Colby is hired by a woman called Anna Luz and her antiquities collector husband to help them to smuggle an artifact from Havana into Mexico, where it can be properly valued. He agrees; but the process is not at all safe and easy.
The film is based on the life of Marjorie Lawrence. Celebrated as one of the most popular opera singers of her time, she becomes famous both in Australia and USA. But while touring South America in 1941, she is stricken with polio, which puts an end to her career. The story then goes on to depict how she triumphs over her disability with the help of her husband and makes a successful comeback.
During WWII, a US Navy Personal Relations unit is based on a small South Pacific island. Lt. Max Siegel, looking after the PR duties, runs around keeping war-correspondents and politicians happy by taking them around the island. He also plays a helpful cupid in his yeoman’s romance with an officer nurse, while Siegel himself tries to win over the local schoolteacher Melora.
The Lady in Question is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of Andre, a juror, who is convinced that Natalie, the defendant, is innocent and he pushes for her acquittal. Later, he invites her to his home, feeling pity for her, and soon his son starts falling in love with her.
The film is a dramatization of the legendary golfer Ben Hogan’s life. Teenaged Ben works as caddy to learn his beloved game of golf. When he confesses his dream of becoming a professional golfer, wife Valerie supports him in his struggles to achieve higher ranks in golfing. Though a terrible car accident leaves him badly injured, with grit and determination he returns to resume his game.
Betty Andrews is a young, innocent and unemployed woman who is wrongfully convicted of shoplifting. Despite the best efforts of her lawyer Mary Ellis and Jim Brent, a reporter, she is sent to a women’s prison for a year. Betty is forced to deal with a cruel and sadistic warden, as well as bullying inmates.
The Money Trap is a crime thriller drama film which tells the story of two cops who is assigned to a burglary case, when half a million dollars disappears from a doctor’s office. However, when they find the money, they decide to keep it for themselves.
A Native Indian boy Gabriel is falsely accused of murder. He decides to flee instead of turning himself in and takes refuge on the land of a rancher named Smith. Smith decides to stand up for the young boy, thinking that he will receive a fair trial.
An engineered virus manages to kill the entire human population, and the only ones remaining are scientists and military personnel in Antarctica. They try to find a cure and save what is remaining of the human race
This romantic drama adventure film takes us to 19th century Spain and tells the story of a gypsy girl Carmen who lures a naïve young soldier named Don Jose into a romantic relationship. Because of her influence, he deserts the army and is also coerced by her into killing her husband. He continues his life of crime and soon falls in with a gang of bandits.
The White Tower is a 1950 adventure film, which revolves around a group of people who come together in the Swiss Alps in order to climb a mountain that has never been conquered before. In this process, all the people reveal their true inner selves.
Lot McGuire’s ambition is to become the fastest gunman and to achieve his goal he must defeat Dan Blaine, a famous bandit turned lawman of a small town. But when he reaches his destination, he is must first face Lisa, a brothel owner in love with Blaine. Later he meets Blaine in a bar, where the lawman tries to talk him out of his mission, but fails, resulting in a shootout.
Hearing that her husband, a US sergeant stationed in Spain, has won a custom-built 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, a former dancer flies off to join him. The car also draws the attention of a famous matador, who starts courting her. Meanwhile, his superior officers order him to send the car back to USA and warn it will cost him an unaffordable amount in tax.
Etienne is a professional matchmaker who makes a living out of marrying poor titled aristocrats to wealthy low-bred women. On one occasion, her client falls in love with one of her employees, which leads to a hilarious situation.
Demoted for their incompetence, Union infantrymen Brackenbury and Heath are sent to Fort Hooker to command Company Q, a troupe of misfits, and guard Union gold. The Confederates deploy special ‘spy’ to find out about Company Q. As the Confederate guerrillas steal the gold and weapons, Brackenbury and Heath have barely any time to retrieve it before their superior arrives for checking.
After losing his job, Maxwell Webster considers it as an opportunity to start something on his own. Eventually, he tries to convince his wife to move to Los Angeles, with him and their three adolescent children. However, things don’t go as expected, and life seems to be even harder than before.
Sam is a military pilot, who gets his co-pilot killed during a crash, as he was being drunk. Soon after, he leaves the country. Sam’s son also becomes a pilot years later, and he falls for a girl who is the niece of the man who was killed in the crash.
Happy Birthday to Me is a mystery horror thriller film which tells the story of a girl named Virginia, studying at the Crawford Academy, who is quite pretty and also popular among her fellow students. Things get ugly when her friends start to go missing one by one.
After Confederate soldiers escape from Union Prison, Major Walcott sets out to hunt them down. They also kidnap Walcott’s fiancée Emily and head towards the Mexican border. On their way, they kill a Union courier carrying news of the end of the Civil War. This results in more conflict with Union soldiers.
Glenn Ford Awards
| Pocketful of Miracles | Best Actor - Comedy or Musical | 1962 |
