Happy Birthday, Glenn Ford!

NewsMax.com ^ | 5/01/04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[Wings-n-Wind]

Wings <-----watching Glenn Ford in Fate Is The Hunter"
An airline flick based on the Ernest Gann novel.... a` la "The High & The Mighty"...etc.

Ford brought a lot of talent to the screen...

Thanks for the post
Regards,

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I am a big fan of Herman Wouk's WWII novels, Winds of War and War and Remembrance. Since I first read them in the seventies, I always pictured Glenn Ford portraying main character Capt. Victor Henry in the movie version I hoped would come along. When they finally did a TV miniseries in the eighties, I was deeply saddened that they gave the role of Capt. Henry to Robert Mitchum. Glenn Ford would have been perfect. Mitchum was a disaster on every level.

Thanks for the posting, kattracks. I didn't know about Ford's real military career.

[holymoly]

One of my all-time favorite actors. Happy Birthday Mr. Ford!

And since Mr. Ford is a Marine:

Marine Band Ceremonial CD (free download)
http://www.usmc.mil/band/m_bandcd.nsf

[Moose4]

Didn't he star in a submarine movie (with Ernest Borgnine) where he ended up torpedoing a Japanese freighter carrying civilian refugee prisoners from the Philippines, including his own daughter and child? And then ended up going after and sinking a Japanese carrier at the cost of his own boat?

}:-)4

[kattracks]

I didn't know about Ford's real military career.

I didn't either. Unlike today, there were true patriots in Hollywood back then.

I also got a kick out of the fact that Mr. Ford is a Hannity fan. Puts him squarely the Conservative camp, imo.

[holymoly]

Torpedo Run (1958)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052303/

[Ruth A.]

I'm confused. How can he start as a Marine private and end up a Navy captain?

[Jaxter]

He's always been one of my favorite actors. Contrast this great gentleman with the (mostly) liberal creeps that currently occupy Hollywood. I never knew about his outstanding military carreer.

[holymoly]

One possible way: He entered Officer Candidates School. He then joined the Navy.

[Jaxter]

There's lots of guys that have served in 2 or even 3 branches of the service. And many mustangs that enlist and end up as officers either through battlefield commissions (like Audie Murphy) or by getting a college education. I served with a guy that had started out in the Army in the Korean War and then went in the Navy and then the Air Force. It all counts toward retirement.

[lasereye]

In 1976, Glenn costarred with such film greats as Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, James Coburn, Eddie Albert and Hal Holbrook in the film classic "Midway," which told the story of one of history’s greatest naval victories.

James Coburn was in that? Maybe they're confusing him with Charlton Heston?

[BooBoo1000]

Happy Birthday Mr.Ford, and thank you for many things. First you Military Service, and also for the good, GOOD movies you starred in over the years. Lots of good entertainment. Thank you Sir.

[elbucko]

I'm confused. How can he start as a Marine private and end up a Navy captain?

That's Hollywood. It can confuse anything or anyone it wants.

[ConservativeConvert]

I thought he died years ago...great actor. Love his movies.

[m87339]

From IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074899/):

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston .... Capt. Matthew Garth
Edward Albert .... Ens. Thomas Garth
Henry Fonda .... Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
James Coburn .... Capt. Vinton Maddox
Glenn Ford .... RAdm. Raymond A. Spruance
Hal Holbrook .... Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort
Toshirô Mifune .... Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
Robert Mitchum .... Vice Adm. William F. 'Bull' Halsey Jr.
Cliff Robertson .... Cmdr. Carl Jessop
Robert Wagner .... Lt. Cmdr. Ernest L. Blake
Robert Webber .... RAdm. Frank J. 'Jack' Fletcher
Ed Nelson .... Cmmdre. Harry Pearson
James Shigeta .... Vice Adm. Chuichi Nagumo
Christina Kokubo .... Miss Haruko Sakura
Monte Markham .... Cmdr. Maxwell F. Leslie
(more)

[kabar]

He also served two tours of duty in Vietnam, often under enemy fire,

Ford didn't "serve" two tours in Vietnam. He visited the troops as a number of Hollywood stars did. He landed on my ship, USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2), in 1966. He was a Commander, USNR at the time and wore his greens. We included an autographed picture of him in our cruise book. Great guy and a real patriot. Hollywood needs more like him.

[Neenah]

Glenn Ford

During his service with the Marines in WWII, he helped build safe houses in France for those hiding from the Nazis. Mr. Ford also served two tours of duty in Vietnam and is the only actor to have served with both the Green Berets and the French Foreign Legion.

Among his numerous medals and commendations are the Medal of Honor, presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the French Legion of Honor Medal for his service in WWII, two commendation medals from the US Navy and the Vietnamese Legion of Merit.

[Neenah]

Ooops !

Source of above post by me.

[what's up]

Wow...he must be the only Hollywood actor from his era to serve 2 tours of duty in Vietnam. Pretty amazing.