John Ford

John Ford
Ford in May 1973
Born	John Martin Feeney (1894-02-01)February 1, 1894 Cape Elizabeth, Maine, U.S.
Died	August 31, 1973(1973-08-31) (aged 79) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Occupations	Movie director producer
Years active	1913–1966
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Navy U.S. Naval Reserve
Years of service	1942–45 (active) 1946–62 (reserve)
Rank	Commander (active) Rear Admiral (reserve)
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Midway Battle of Normandy

John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American movie director. He is best known as a director of western movies. He was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

The Navy

Ford was a soldier in World War II. He served for the United States Navy as the leader of the photography division. On D-day, Ford and his soldiers crossed the English Channel. The soldiers arrived at Omaha Beach and watched the first boats land on the shore. Ford went on to the beach and filmed the battle take place.

Directing career

Ford started directing movies in 1917 after he moved to California. His first movies were made during The Silent Era, an era where there was no recorded sound in any movies. In 1956, Ford finished making a popular movie called The Searchers. The movie starred John Wayne as the hero. The Searchers is widely known today for its cultural and historical significance.

Death

In the early 1970s, Ford broke his hip and had to be put in a wheelchair. Ford died on August 31, 1973 at his home Palm Desert, California from stomach cancer, aged 79.