John Ford Statue in Portland, Maine

If you asked John Ford what he did with his life, he'd tell you he made westerns. If you asked anyone else, they'd tell you he transformed the art of cinema. John Ford is a name as much as an idea. Gristly cowboys, sultry temptresses, and thrilling horse, railroad, and stagecoach adventures established him as one of Hollywood's first auteurs. His films introduced the world to John Wayne, the archetypal cowboy hero of Hollywood's history, but also served as commentaries and dissections of the genre in revolutionary ways. Film scholars regard Ford's films as some of the greatest ever made, and eleven have been inducted into the Library of Congress' National Film Registry for their historic and cultural importance. That ties Ford with contemporary Howard Hawks for director with most inducted works in the registry! The winner of four Academy Awards for Best Director, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the first American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, it's fair to say Ford is a well-respected figure in cinema. And yet, the man who brought the vistas of high noon deserts to life for generations of audiences wasn't born under the hot suns of Arizona or New Mexico territories …

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