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John Ford

John Ford

Director, producer and writer, also cinematographer and editor · Died August 31, 1973, aged 79 · Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA

John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His four Academy Awards for Best Director (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, and one of those films, How Green Was My Valley (1941), also won Best Picture. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films (although nearly all of his silent films are now lost) and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford's films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues, with Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles among those who have named him as one of the greatest directors of all time. In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 1, 1894
Died
August 31, 1973 (aged 79)
From
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
Works as
Director, producer and writer, also cinematographer and editor
Titles
69 on Motif · 166 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 15% in 30 days

What are John Ford's films like?

Across their 64 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama25 titlesTypical Motif score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy14 titlesTypical Motif score: 64th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure8 titlesTypical Motif score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Action6 titlesTypical Motif score: 56th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Motif score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Motif score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Motif score: 47th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Bonds
24%
Society
21%
Survival
11%
Self
10%
Power
4%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds17 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice16 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity16 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty11 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty8 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 64 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 18 · Serious 22 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 37 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 32 · Intense 17

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 34 · Shifting 28 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 36 · Some laughs 22 · Funny 6

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 41 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 29 · Engaged 33 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 22 · Affecting 24 · Heavy 18

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 57 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
37
Melancholic
31
Warm
18
Hopeful
17
Contemplative
15
Other
55

How their films linger

Bittersweet33 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet33
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous7
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Ford's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 69 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Ford's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

166 credits, 69 with a Motif page; 28 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Battleground (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Unforgiven(1992)

    Thanks

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · as Himself/Interviewer

  • Vietnam! Vietnam! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Executive Producer

  • 7 Women(1965)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Cheyenne Autumn(1964)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Donovan's Reef(1963)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    Director

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Flashing Spikes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(1962)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Alcoa Premiere (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Two Rode Together(1961)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Colter Craven Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Alamo(1960)

    Second Unit Director

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sergeant Rutledge(1960)

    Director

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Horse Soldiers(1959)

    Director · as Ned (uncredited)

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Korea (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • The Last Hurrah(1958)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Gideon of Scotland Yard(1958)

    Director

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • John Ford at the NFT (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Rising of the Moon(1957)

    Director

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Wings of Eagles(1957)

    Director

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Growler Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • The Searchers(1956)

    Director

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Rookie of the Year (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Screen Director's Playhouse (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Director · as Self - Introduction

  • The Jane Wyman Show (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Mister Roberts(1955)

    Director

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Red, White and Blue Line (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • The Long Gray Line(1955)

    Director

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Mogambo(1953)

    Director

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Sun Shines Bright(1953)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • What Price Glory(1952)

    Director

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Quiet Man(1952)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • This Is Korea! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1951)

    Director

  • Rio Grande(1950)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Wagon Master(1950)

    Director · Executive Producer · Presenter · Story

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • When Willie Comes Marching Home(1950)

    Director

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949)

    Director · Executive Producer · Presenter

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Mighty Joe Young(1949)

    Executive Producer

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Pinky(1949)

    Director

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • 3 Godfathers(1948)

    Director · Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Fort Apache(1948)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Fugitive(1947)

    Director · Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • My Darling Clementine(1946)

    Director

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • It's Your America (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1946)

    Director

  • They Were Expendable(1945)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Nazi Concentration and Prison Camps(1945)

    Producer

    Motif score: 99th percentile of all films

  • In Memoriam Manuel Quezon (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • At the Front in North Africa with the U.S. Army (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • We Sail at Midnight (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • December 7th(1943)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 45th percentile of all films

  • German Industrial Manpower (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · as J.P. Baldwin

  • The Battle of Midway(1942)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Sex Hygiene (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Torpedo Squadron 8 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Women in Defense (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    Director · Producer

  • How Green Was My Valley(1941)

    Director

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Tobacco Road(1941)

    Director

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Long Voyage Home(1940)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Grapes of Wrath(1940)

    Director

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Drums Along the Mohawk(1939)

    Director

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Young Mr. Lincoln(1939)

    Director

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Stagecoach(1939)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Submarine Patrol (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • Four Men and a Prayer(1938)

    Director

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Hurricane(1937)

    Director

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Wee Willie Winkie(1937)

    Director

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Plough and the Stars(1936)

    Director

    Motif score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Mary of Scotland(1936)

    Director

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Last Outlaw (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    Story

  • The Prisoner of Shark Island(1936)

    Director

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Steamboat Round the Bend(1935)

    Director

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Informer(1935)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Whole Town's Talking(1935)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Judge Priest(1934)

    Director

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The World Moves On(1934)

    Director

    Motif score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Lost Patrol(1934)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Doctor Bull(1933)

    Director

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Pilgrimage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Flesh (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Director · Producer

  • Air Mail (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • Arrowsmith(1931)

    Director

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Brat (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • The Seas Beneath(1931)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Up the River(1930)

    Director · Writer

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Born Reckless(1930)

    Director

    Motif score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Men Without Women(1930)

    Director · Producer · Story

    Motif score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Big Time (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    as John Ford (uncredited)

  • Salute (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Director · Producer

  • The Black Watch(1929)

    Director

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Strong Boy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Riley the Cop (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Director · Producer

  • Napoleon's Barber (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Hangman's House(1928)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Four Sons(1928)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Mother Machree (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Director · Producer

  • Upstream (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Director

  • The Blue Eagle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Producer

  • 3 Bad Men(1926)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Shamrock Handicap (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Producer

  • The Fighting Heart (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Thank You (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • The Iron Horse(1924)

    Director · Producer

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Kentucky Pride (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Lightnin' (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Hearts of Oak (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Director

  • Hoodman Blind (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • North of Hudson Bay (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • Cameo Kirby (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • Three Jumps Ahead (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Director · Writer

  • The Face on the Barroom Floor (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • The Village Blacksmith (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Silver Wings (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Little Miss Smiles (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Jackie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Sure Fire (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Action (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • Desperate Trails (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Wallop (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Freeze-Out (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Big Punch (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Writer

  • Just Pals(1920)

    Director

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Hitchin' Posts (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • The Girl in Number 29 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • The Prince of Avenue A (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • Marked Men (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • A Gun Fightin' Gentleman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Story

  • Rider of the Law (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Ace of the Saddle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Outcasts of Poker Flat (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Last Outlaw (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Story

  • Riders of Vengeance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Gun Packer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Story

  • By Indian Post (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Gun Law (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Bare Fists(1919)

    Director

    Motif score: 4th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Rustlers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • A Fight For Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Fighting Brothers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Roped (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Three Mounted Men (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Craving (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer

  • A Woman's Fool (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Hell Bent (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Story · Writer

  • The Scarlet Drop (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Story

  • Thieves' Gold (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Wild Women (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Phantom Riders (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Bucking Broadway (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • A Marked Man (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Secret Man (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Scenario Writer

  • Straight Shooting (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Cheyenne's Pal (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Story

  • The Soul Herder (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Scrapper (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Writer · as Buck, the scrapper

  • The Trail of Hate (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Scenario Writer · as Lt. Jack Brewer

  • The Tornado (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Writer · as Jack Dayton (as Jack Ford)

  • The Purple Mask (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)

    as (unconfirmed)

  • The Bandit's Wager (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)

    as Nan's Brother

  • The Broken Coin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1915)

    Assistant Director · as Sacchio's Accomplice (as Jack Ford)

  • The Birth of a Nation(1915)

    as Klansman (uncredited)

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • A Study in Scarlet (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1914)

    as John H. Watson, M.D.

  • Lucille Love: The Girl of Mystery (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1914)

    Props · Stunts · Actor

Career shape

A full career of 165 titles from 1914 to 2004.

Biggest box office

How the West Was Won (1962)

$77K worldwide

Highest rated

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Motif 99th

Most popular right now

Fort Apache (1948)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 165: 6 only acting, 7 with another roleDirecting151 of 165: 100 only directing, 51 with another role · typical Motif score75thWriting19 of 165: 1 only writing, 18 with another roleProducing38 of 165: 3 only producing, 35 with another role · typical Motif score84thCinematography1 of 165: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 165: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew8 of 165: 2 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Motif score85th

165 titles, 53 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 35 of them.

By decade

1910s38 · 9 acting · 34 crew1920s38 · 1 acting · 37 crew1930s27 · crew1940s23 · 1 acting · 23 crew1950s24 · 2 acting · 23 crew1960s11 · crew1970s2 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do John Ford's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 68; across their 64 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Reach · how many have seen their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Motif score across 69 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up36
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

41 of their 69 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser41
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

82nd percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Motif 99th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 63 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John Ford's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles27–49 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles1–28 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles0–24 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs12 titles22–43 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles22–59 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does John Ford work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Ford's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dudley Nichols shares the most, 15.

Writers

Actors

  • Ward Bond14 titles    See newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Ward Bond
  • John Wayne13 titles    See newest 12 of 13 shared titles with John Wayne
  • Henry Fonda9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Henry Fonda
  • Victor McLaglen9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Victor McLaglen

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers