John Ford Goes to War
by Tom Thurman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dan Ford, Kris Kristofferson, Leonard Maltin, Oliver Stone, Peter BogdanovichDirector: Tom Thurman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 56 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-12-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of John Ford Goes to War
Movie Review: Full print of Ford's award-winning
Summary: 3 Stars
Being an admirer of John Ford's great western films, including "The Searchers", "She wore a yellow Ribbon", and "Fort Apache", I was interested to learn more about the character of this great American director as revealed in this DVD.
However, my compelling reason for acquiring the DVD was the inclusion of a copy of John Ford's Academy Award-winning "Battle of Midway" as an "Extra". This film has become very difficult to obtain through commercial sources.
Pacific War history buffs who would like to add John Ford's magnificent "Battle of Midway" to their DVD libraries may be interested to hear my opinion that the transfer from the original 16 millimetre film shot by Ford during the Japanese attack on Midway Atoll in June 1942 is excellent. The running time is 18 minutes. The print is reasonably sharp considering its source was a 16mm film. The colour is excellent. I found print wear and tear to be minimal and unobtrusive. In my opinion, inclusion of an excellent copy of "The Battle of Midway" fully justified the cost of this DVD.
Those who would like to place John Ford's film in its historical context, may wish to visit my Battle of Midway web-site at: [...]
Summary of John Ford Goes to War
Like John Huston and Frank Capra, John Ford (The Searchers) was happy to do his part for the war effort (even that old iconoclast Orson Welles got in on the action). According to this made-for-cable documentary, the legendary director was 47 when he abandoned Hollywood for the Navy in 1941. He may not have been young or fit, but as director Peter Bogdanovich asserts, "There was no way he was going to stay out of the war." So for over three years, Ford served as Chief of the Field Photographic Branch of the Office of Strategic Services. While there's no doubt the admiral was a patriot, a few commentators acknowledge that the OSS also represented an opportunity to escape an unhappy home life. John Ford Goes to War runs just under an hour, but it's a thorough portrayal and features commentary from a variety of experts, including relatives and biographers, as well as critics like Andrew Sarris and filmmakers like Oliver Stone. Their words are bolstered by clips from Torpedo Squadron 8 and The Battle of Midway (featuring voice work from Grapes of Wrath star Henry Fonda), although not all of his OSS films were as successful. Produced for Starz, the narration is provided by Kris Kristofferson--another man who knows his way around the western--and should hold great appeal for WWII buffs, film enthusiasts, and Ford fanatics alike. --Kathleen C. FennnessyOne of America's greatest directors, the legendary John Ford -- renowned for such films as The Quiet Man, The Grapes of Wrath and How Green Was My Valley -- was already a major Hollywood filmmaker when he volunteered his cinematic skills on World War II's front lines. Showing astonishing bravery, he was injured during the making of the Oscar-winning documentary The Battle of Midway (1942) and went on to earn a second Oscar for December 7th (1943). Highlights from those films and Ford's other war film work, ranging from a sex hygiene short to a poignant film about squadron members embarking on the last mission of their lives, are explored in this fascinating documentary, narrated by Kris Kristofferson. Film fans also will gain new insights into this complex, often contradictory man and his extensive legacy through little-seen home movies and interviews with directors Oliver Stone and Peter Bogdanovich, film scholars and noted critics.
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