John Ford Biography (1895-1973)



Real name, Sean Aloysius O'Feeney (or John Augustine Feeney); born February 1, 1895, in Cape Elizabeth, ME; died August 31, 1973, in Palm Desert, CA; sonof Sean and Barbara (maiden name, Curran) O'Feeney; married Mary McBryde Smith, 1920; children: one son, one daughter. Religion: Roman Catholic. Career: Director, actor, stuntman, and special effects man. Universal, actor, stuntman, and special effects man, 1914-17, then contract director, 1917-21; Fox Film Corp, signee, 1921; Military service: Assembled film crew that became Field Photographic Branch of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, 1940; U.S. Marine Corps, 1942-45, Lieutenant Commander; was given the rank of Rear Admiral by President Nixon, Naval Reserve; Legion of Merit and Purple Heart. Awards, Honors: Venice Film Festival Special Recommendation Award, 1934, for The World Moves On; Academy Award, best director, and New York Film Critics Award, best direction, both 1935, for The Informer; Venice Film Festival Special Recommendation Award, 1936, for Mary of Scotland; New York Film Critics Award, best direction, 1939, for Stagecoach; Academy Award, best director, 1940, for Grapes of Wrath;Academy Award, best director, and New York Film Critics Award, best direction, both 1941, for How Green Was My Valley; Academy Award nomination, best picture, 1941, for The Long Voyage Home; Academy Award, best documentary, 1942, for Battle of Midway; Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Award for Feature Films, 1952, Academy Award, best director, 1953, and Academy Award nomination, best picture, 1953, all for The Quiet Man; D.W. Griffith Award, 1954; Golden Globe Pioneer Award, 1955; Venice Festival Grand Lion Award, 1971; American Film Institute LifetimeAchievement Award, 1973; Brandeis University Creative Arts Award, 1973; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1973.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Director, actor
Birth Details
February 1, 1895
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, United States
Death Details
August 31, 1973
Palm Desert, California, United States

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