This is one of the better books out there about John Ford. Ford is one of the greatest American directors ever, and arugably the best director to ever emerge from the studio system (some may disagree on that a bit). Tag Gallagher talks about all phases of Ford's career, from stunt man/prop person to masterful director. Ford directed over 200 (!) films, and almost all of them were classics or near classics. Only until the end of his career did Ford become a little sloppy, but even then, many of his films were still damn good.



Gallagher talks about Ford's relationships with studios, actors, actresses, and specific films (including really hard to find films of Ford's, like Rising of the Moon, Gideon's Day, The Sun Shines Bright, and Seven Women, Ford's last feature). Gallagher goes into a myriad of details about almost every film, but his deepest analysis goes into two films, The Sun Shines Bright (Ford's favorite of all his work), and Ford's final feature, Seven Women, which is arguably his most underrated film and one of the most unique films in his entire canon. In fact, Gallagher dedicates nearly 15 pages of his book to Seven Women, including a reprint of a letter sent to him by none other than Ford himself. Ford thanked him for his support, and even said he felt it was one of his best films.



This is a delightful book for anyone interested in John Ford. Ford's films still resonate today, and this book will enhance them beautifully.