A career with a span of 50 years and accredited as one of the top attractions of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s in Hollywood, the life and work of Glenn Ford, a Canadian actor, deserves a mention in every book ever written in regards of Hollywood and its successful names.
He has appeared in over 100 movies, making an impression in each of them by portraying legendary roles, and his name has been etched forever in the history of Hollywood and big names. He has also been associated with Marilyn Monroe, which shows his life was also colourful and full of stories. The vintage star had a lot in his store that we will be discussing here.
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Early Life
Ford was born on 1st May, 1916 in Sainte-Christine-d’Auvergne, Quebec, Canada. His father was the nephew of Sir John Macdonald, former Prime Minister of Canada, and had his bloodline shared with Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the USA.
His father owned a paper mill, but his family relocated to Santa Monica, California, when he was 8 years old, and he spent his childhood days there, and his inclination towards acting had a lot to do with his shifting to the United State. He also had 3 siblings, two brothers and 1 sister.
Based on the information available, Ford went to Santa Monica High School, where his love for acting and the stage deepened, and he began with participating in the school plays as well as local theatres, becoming more polished with his acting skills.
Beginning of Career
Before getting into the mainstream Hollywood movies, he did many odd jobs like a stable hand job for Will Rogers, an actor. He was actively doing theatres, mainly in New York, and got his first ever screen test with 20th Century Fox Studios, but he couldn’t succeed in. He gave another test with Columbia Pictures and finally grabbed a role in “Heaven With A Barbed Wire Fence” in 1939.
Post this, he was in a multi-year contract with Columbia, and this was just the beginning. He was mostly being cast in the low-budget movies, but he left in 1943 to join marines to serve 2 years in World War II. This didn’t mark the end of his career, and as soon as he returned, he was casted in a series of movies like “Gilda” in 1947 and “The Big Heat” in 1953, both earned him acclamation.
His huge success was unlocked with “Blackboard Jungle” in 1955, which even earned 4 Oscar nominations. He also worked in Western and Dramas and got successful there as well. Some of his notable works include “Pocketful of Miracles,” “Cimarron,” and “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.” He was even awarded a “Golden Globe” for his work in “Pocketful of Miracles.”
Ford turned to television in the 1970s and was cast in “Cade’s Country” and “The Family Holvak” and also hosted a series, “When Havoc Struck.” His health started to deteriorate in the 1990s, and that was about the end of his career too. He died on 30th August 2006 at his home in Beverly Hills.
Shot to Fame
Glenn worked in Hollywood for about 5 decades and his career consists some of the most successful movies ever made. His shot to fame came with “Gilda,” where he starred opposite Rita Hayworth, and since success walked hand in hand with Ford, he even won him a Golden Globe.
Relationships
Glenn had several romantic involvements throughout his life, including his co-stars Rita Hayworth, Gloria Grahame, Linda Christian, and Marilyn Monroe, both before and after his marriage. It is reported that he was married multiple times, but the confirmed marriage was to Eleanor Powell, whom he married in 1943 and divorced in 1959. They also had a son named Peter Ford.
Major Sources of Income and Net Worth
Ford’s estimated net worth at the time of his death is said to be about $15 million, which he acquired by working for almost 50 years in Hollywood.
