"John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend" was a full-fledged feature film made for television. That is a rarity in the documentary field, and even much more so as a biographical film about a Hollywood personality. Anyone knowledgeable about movies and Hollywood since its beginning can understand why this dual biographical pix would be made. It's a very good look at the adult years of the two characters in Hollywood whose careers, in different professions within the movie industry, came together like no others.
Sydney Pollock narrates this very interesting montage of the directing career of John Ford and acting career of John Wayne. The film has some film clips from movies, but also many snippets of news, social affairs and behind the scenes segments of the two personalities. Most of these are when the two worked together on so many of their films.
Director, writer and actor Peter Bogdanovitch pitches in with interesting personal notes from Ford and Wayne, and from various other actors talking about the two. Harry Carey Jr., and Dan Ford, John Ford's grandson, provide more good vignettes about Ford and/or Wayne and their relationship. The film has some of the home movie film that Ford shot himself, especially of his yachting trips with some of his Ford company actors on board.
Some individual snippets are of either co-star talking about the other. John Wayne praises Ford and Ford intimates that Wayne has possibilities.
Several other filmmakers, historians, writers and film personalities comment and/or offer more historical tidbits. Among these are Scott Eyman, Joseph McBride, Andrew McLaglen, John Millius, Mark Rydell, Richard Schickel and Martin Scorsese. Some earlier interview segments with other actors are included. A particular segment that I relish is that of John Ford's work in organizing the U. S. Navy film section during World War II and the tremendous close-ups of the battles that he filmed, including the Battle of Midway.
This is one of the most thorough and interesting bio-documentary films about Hollywood personalities that I have seen. Ford and Wayne had a long-term unique pairing and relationship in Hollywood like no other. And their stories together are an interesting chapter in the history of Tinseltown. One can only wonder why it took so long after the deaths of Ford and Wayne for a film such as this to be made.
Younger audiences in the 21st century could learn a great deal in this documentary. It tells about the Hollywood of the early to mid-20th century, and especially about the making of great Western films, and two of the great figures of Hollywood. John Ford was a legendary director who won for Oscars, none of which was for a Western. And, John Wayne was a legendary actor who won one Oscar of three nominations, and who will always be remembered as the king of Western movies.
The narrator sums up John Ford's movie production and persona, saying, "There's something anachronous about John Ford, and maybe it's how our country has changed for the worse and that we're no longer in touch with our pioneer past and some of the values that we grew up with."
Pollack concludes this very interesting look back with these words. "Ultimately, the only thing we can know for sure is that John Ford director and John Wayne actor had a wonderfully complex relationship that led to the creation of a body of work that has stood the test of time. And in many ways, shaped the hearts and minds of a generation of Americans."
Sydney Pollock narrates this very interesting montage of the directing career of John Ford and acting career of John Wayne. The film has some film clips from movies, but also many snippets of news, social affairs and behind the scenes segments of the two personalities. Most of these are when the two worked together on so many of their films.
Director, writer and actor Peter Bogdanovitch pitches in with interesting personal notes from Ford and Wayne, and from various other actors talking about the two. Harry Carey Jr., and Dan Ford, John Ford's grandson, provide more good vignettes about Ford and/or Wayne and their relationship. The film has some of the home movie film that Ford shot himself, especially of his yachting trips with some of his Ford company actors on board.
Some individual snippets are of either co-star talking about the other. John Wayne praises Ford and Ford intimates that Wayne has possibilities.
Several other filmmakers, historians, writers and film personalities comment and/or offer more historical tidbits. Among these are Scott Eyman, Joseph McBride, Andrew McLaglen, John Millius, Mark Rydell, Richard Schickel and Martin Scorsese. Some earlier interview segments with other actors are included. A particular segment that I relish is that of John Ford's work in organizing the U. S. Navy film section during World War II and the tremendous close-ups of the battles that he filmed, including the Battle of Midway.
This is one of the most thorough and interesting bio-documentary films about Hollywood personalities that I have seen. Ford and Wayne had a long-term unique pairing and relationship in Hollywood like no other. And their stories together are an interesting chapter in the history of Tinseltown. One can only wonder why it took so long after the deaths of Ford and Wayne for a film such as this to be made.
Younger audiences in the 21st century could learn a great deal in this documentary. It tells about the Hollywood of the early to mid-20th century, and especially about the making of great Western films, and two of the great figures of Hollywood. John Ford was a legendary director who won for Oscars, none of which was for a Western. And, John Wayne was a legendary actor who won one Oscar of three nominations, and who will always be remembered as the king of Western movies.
The narrator sums up John Ford's movie production and persona, saying, "There's something anachronous about John Ford, and maybe it's how our country has changed for the worse and that we're no longer in touch with our pioneer past and some of the values that we grew up with."
Pollack concludes this very interesting look back with these words. "Ultimately, the only thing we can know for sure is that John Ford director and John Wayne actor had a wonderfully complex relationship that led to the creation of a body of work that has stood the test of time. And in many ways, shaped the hearts and minds of a generation of Americans."
