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John Ford

John Ford

Director, producer and writer, also cinematographer and editor · Died August 31, 1973, aged 79 · Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA

John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His four Academy Awards for Best Director (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, and one of those films, How Green Was My Valley (1941), also won Best Picture. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films (although nearly all of his silent films are now lost) and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford's films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues, with Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles among those who have named him as one of the greatest directors of all time. In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 1, 1894
Died
August 31, 1973 (aged 79)
From
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer, also cinematographer and editor
Titles
69 on MovieCove · 166 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What are John Ford's films like?

Across their 64 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 64 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 18 · Serious 22 · Dark 24

A split, not a type: Grounded 37 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 3

Gentle 15 · Charged 32 · Intense 17

Steady 34 · Shifting 28 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced 36 · Some laughs 22 · Funny 6

Slow burn 41 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 2

Casual 29 · Engaged 33 · Full focus 2

Easy watch 22 · Affecting 24 · Heavy 18

Resolved 57 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
37
Melancholic
31
Warm
18
Hopeful
17
Contemplative
15
Other
55

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet33
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous7
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Ford's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 69 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Subscription and free streaming for John Ford's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

166 credits, 69 with a MovieCove page; 28 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Battleground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Unforgiven(1992)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · as Himself/Interviewer

  • Vietnam! Vietnam! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Executive Producer

  • 7 Women(1965)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
  • Cheyenne Autumn(1964)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Donovan's Reef(1963)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
  • Flashing Spikes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(1962)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Alcoa Premiere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Two Rode Together(1961)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • The Colter Craven Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Alamo(1960)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
  • Sergeant Rutledge(1960)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • The Horse Soldiers(1959)

    Director · as Ned (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
  • Korea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • The Last Hurrah(1958)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
  • John Ford at the NFT (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • The Wings of Eagles(1957)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • The Growler Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • The Searchers(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Rookie of the Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Screen Director's Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Director · as Self - Introduction

  • The Jane Wyman Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Mister Roberts(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • The Red, White and Blue Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • The Long Gray Line(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Mogambo(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • The Sun Shines Bright(1953)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
  • What Price Glory(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • The Quiet Man(1952)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • This Is Korea! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director

  • Rio Grande(1950)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Wagon Master(1950)

    Director · Executive Producer · Presenter · Story

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949)

    Director · Executive Producer · Presenter

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Mighty Joe Young(1949)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
  • Pinky(1949)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • 3 Godfathers(1948)

    Director · Presenter · Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Fort Apache(1948)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • The Fugitive(1947)

    Director · Presenter · Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
  • My Darling Clementine(1946)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • It's Your America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Director

  • They Were Expendable(1945)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • In Memoriam Manuel Quezon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • At the Front in North Africa with the U.S. Army (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • We Sail at Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • December 7th(1943)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
  • German Industrial Manpower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · as J.P. Baldwin

  • The Battle of Midway(1942)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • Sex Hygiene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Torpedo Squadron 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Women in Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director · Producer

  • Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Tobacco Road(1941)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Long Voyage Home(1940)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
  • The Grapes of Wrath(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • Young Mr. Lincoln(1939)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • Stagecoach(1939)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Submarine Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • Four Men and a Prayer(1938)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
  • The Hurricane(1937)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Wee Willie Winkie(1937)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
  • Mary of Scotland(1936)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • The Last Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Story

  • Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • The Informer(1935)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
  • The Whole Town's Talking(1935)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
  • Judge Priest(1934)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • The World Moves On(1934)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • The Lost Patrol(1934)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • Doctor Bull(1933)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • Pilgrimage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director · Producer

  • Air Mail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • Arrowsmith(1931)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
  • The Brat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • The Seas Beneath(1931)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
  • Up the River(1930)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Born Reckless(1930)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
  • Men Without Women(1930)

    Director · Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
  • Big Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as John Ford (uncredited)

  • Salute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director · Producer

  • The Black Watch(1929)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
  • Strong Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Riley the Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director · Producer

  • Napoleon's Barber (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Hangman's House(1928)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
  • Four Sons(1928)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Mother Machree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director · Producer

  • Upstream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • The Blue Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Producer

  • 3 Bad Men(1926)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • The Shamrock Handicap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Producer

  • The Fighting Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Thank You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • The Iron Horse(1924)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • Kentucky Pride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Lightnin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Hearts of Oak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Director

  • Hoodman Blind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • North of Hudson Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • Cameo Kirby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • Three Jumps Ahead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director · Writer

  • The Face on the Barroom Floor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • The Village Blacksmith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Silver Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Little Miss Smiles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Jackie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Sure Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Action (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Desperate Trails (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Wallop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Freeze-Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Big Punch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Writer

  • Just Pals(1920)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Hitchin' Posts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • The Girl in Number 29 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • The Prince of Avenue A (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • Marked Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • A Gun Fightin' Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Story

  • Rider of the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Ace of the Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Outcasts of Poker Flat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Last Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Story

  • Riders of Vengeance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Gun Packer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Story

  • By Indian Post (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Gun Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Bare Fists(1919)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • The Rustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • A Fight For Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Fighting Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Roped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Three Mounted Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Craving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer

  • A Woman's Fool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Hell Bent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Story · Writer

  • The Scarlet Drop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Story

  • Thieves' Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Wild Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Phantom Riders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Bucking Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • A Marked Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Secret Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Scenario Writer

  • Straight Shooting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Cheyenne's Pal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Story

  • The Soul Herder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Scrapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Writer · as Buck, the scrapper

  • The Trail of Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Scenario Writer · as Lt. Jack Brewer

  • The Tornado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Writer · as Jack Dayton (as Jack Ford)

  • The Purple Mask (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as (unconfirmed)

  • The Bandit's Wager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Nan's Brother

  • The Broken Coin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Assistant Director · as Sacchio's Accomplice (as Jack Ford)

  • The Birth of a Nation(1915)

    as Klansman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
  • A Study in Scarlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as John H. Watson, M.D.

  • Lucille Love: The Girl of Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Props · Stunts · Actor

Career shape

A full career of 165 titles from 1914 to 2004.

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 165: 6 only acting, 7 with another roleDirecting151 of 165: 100 only directing, 51 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thWriting19 of 165: 1 only writing, 18 with another roleProducing38 of 165: 3 only producing, 35 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thCinematography1 of 165: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 165: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew8 of 165: 2 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score85th

165 titles, 53 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 35 of them.

By decade

1910s38 · 9 acting · 34 crew1920s38 · 1 acting · 37 crew1930s27 · crew1940s23 · 1 acting · 23 crew1950s24 · 2 acting · 23 crew1960s11 · crew1970s2 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do John Ford's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 68; across their 64 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Reach · how many have seen their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Midcredits score across 69 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up36
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th2

Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 63 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John Ford's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles27–49 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles1–28 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles0–24 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs12 titles22–43 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles22–59 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does John Ford work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Ford's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dudley Nichols shares the most, 15.

Writers

Actors

  • Ward Bond14 titles
    See newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Ward Bond
  • John Wayne13 titles
    See newest 12 of 13 shared titles with John Wayne
  • Henry Fonda9 titles
    See all 9 shared titles with Henry Fonda
  • Victor McLaglen9 titles
    See all 9 shared titles with Victor McLaglen

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers