Wisconsin Film Studies
Patrick McGilligan, series editor

Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the American Association of School Librarians

Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the Public Library Reviewers

“A frank portrait of a conflicted man and a respected star of Golden Age Hollywood . . . Peter succeeds in objectively revisiting his father's life and work while peeling back without fear the painful layers in their mutual history. . . . This biography should rank with Maria Riva's Marlene Dietrich as one of the best examples of a family biography and should appeal to film scholars and film fans alike.”
—Library Journal

“[Glenn Ford was] a genuine American movie star. As a young actor coming along, I tagged him as someone from whom I could learn.”
—Sidney Poitier

Glenn Ford—star of such now-classic films as Gilda, Blackboard Jungle, The Big Heat, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Rounders—had rugged good looks, a long and successful career, and a glamorous Hollywood life. Yet the man who could be accessible and charming on screen retreated to a deeply private world he created behind closed doors.

Glenn Ford: A Life chronicles the volatile life, relationships, and career of the renowned actor, beginning with his move from Canada to California and his initial discovery of theater. It follows Ford's career in diverse media—from film to television to radio—and shows how Ford shifted effortlessly between genres, playing major roles in dramas, noir, westerns, and romances.

This biography by Glenn Ford's son, Peter Ford, offers an intimate view of a star's private and public life. Included are exclusive interviews with family, friends, and professional associates, and snippets from the Ford family collection of diaries, letters, audiotapes, unpublished interviews, and rare candid photos. This biography tells a cautionary tale of Glenn Ford's relentless infidelities and long, slow fade-out, but it also embraces his talent-driven career. The result is an authentic Hollywood story that isn’t afraid to reveal the truth.

A photo of Peter Ford, author of the UWPress title Glenn Ford, and son of the actor. Peter Ford appeared in eight films with his father, Glenn Ford, as well as many other movies, television shows, and stage productions. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

“Glenn Ford was a perfect gentleman, educated and kind. When called upon to perform, he was a hell of an actor.”
—Mickey Rooney

“Glenn Ford was more than an accomplished and brilliant actor. He was a master at his craft: comedy, westerns, drama, film Noir—everything. I adored working with him.”
—Debbie Reynolds

“Glenn Ford never got the respect he deserved for being a tough, straight-ahead actor who always had a way of rising to the occasion demanded by Fritz Lang or Vincente Minnelli. His son's biography is a welcome tribute to a conflicted man and an often overlooked star.”
—Scott Eyman, author of Pieces of My Heart