Glenn Ford

Actor · Died August 30, 2006, aged 90 · Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Glenn Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era, with a career that spanned seven decades. Despite his versatility, Ford was best known for playing ordinary men in unusual circumstances, and appeared in films such as Gilda (1946), The Big Heat (1953), and Superman (1978).

Biography from TMDB.

Born: May 1, 1916
Died: August 30, 2006 (aged 90)
From: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Works as: Actor
Titles: 73 on MovieCove · 116 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 26% in 30 days

What are Glenn Ford's films like?

Across their 72 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Adventure5 titles48^th

Documentary4 titles65^th

Western3 titles61^st

Horror2 titles32^nd

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits 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

31%

Bonds

24%

Survival

14%

Self

13%

Power

10%

Society

Ideas

Justice20 Family bonds16 Romantic love15 Survival12 Identity8 Redemption8 Betrayal9 Duty8

What they feel like to watch

their average across 72 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 0 · Wry 4 · Earnest 67

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 24 · Serious 23 · Dark 25

Grounded

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

Grounded 47 · Stylized 22 · Heightened 3

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 40 · Intense 19

Shifting

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 25 · Shifting 45 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 49 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 7

Even-paced

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 28 · Even-paced 42 · Relentless 2

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 31 · Engaged 36 · Full focus 5

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

Easy watch 26 · Affecting 34 · Heavy 12

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 60 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

70 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 50 of 70 analyzed roles.

Hero

50 of 70

Mentor

7 of 70

Shapeshifter

5 of 70

Ally

4 of 70

Shadow

3 of 70

Herald

1 of 70

Show the 70 roles

Heraldas Barney in My Son Is Guilty (1939)
Heroas Tod Ramsey in Texas (1941)
Heroas Ludwig Kern in So Ends Our Night (1941)
Shapeshifteras Cheyenne Rogers in The Desperadoes (1943)
Heroas Johnny Farrell in Gilda (1946)
Allyas Bill Emerson in A Stolen Life (1946)
Heroas Mike Lambert in Framed (1947)
Heroas Don José Lizarabengoa in The Loves of Carmen (1948)
Allyas Doug Andrews in The Mating of Millie (1948)
Shapeshifteras Doug Andrews in The Mating of Millie (1948)
Shadowas Owen Devereaux in The Man from Colorado (1948)
Shadowas Jacob 'Dutch' Walz in Lust for Gold (1949)
Heroas Frank Warren in The Undercover Man (1949)
Heroas Joe Miracle in Mr. Soft Touch (1949)
Heroas Dr. Michael Corday in The Doctor and the Girl (1949)
Heroas Jim Canfield in The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)
Heroas Gil Kyle in The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951)
Heroas Steve Emery in Affair in Trinidad (1952)
Heroas Michael 'Mike' Blake in The Green Glove (1952)
Heroas Maxwell Webster in Young Man with Ideas (1952)
Heroas Jim Corbett in Appointment in Honduras (1953)
Heroas Sgt. Dave Bannion in The Big Heat (1953)
Heroas John Stroud in The Man from the Alamo (1953)
Heroas Al Colby in Plunder of the Sun (1953)
Heroas Peter Lyncort in Terror on a Train (1953)
Heroas Jeff Warren in Human Desire (1954)
Heroas David Blake in Trial (1955)
Allyas Dr. Thomas King in Interrupted Melody (1955)
Heroas Richard Dadier in Blackboard Jungle (1955)
Heroas John Parrish in The Violent Men (1955)
Heroas Capt. Fisby in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
Heroas Jubal Troop in Jubal (1956)
Heroas George Temple in The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)
Mentoras Lt. J.G. Max Siegel in Don't Go Near the Water (1957)
Shadowas Ben Wade in 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Heroas Lt. J.G. Max Siegel in Don't Go Near the Water (1957)
Heroas MSgt. Murphy Savage in Imitation General (1958)
Mentoras Tom Reece in Cowboy (1958)
Shapeshifteras MSgt. Murphy Savage in Imitation General (1958)
Heroas Jason Sweet in The Sheepman (1958)
Heroas Lt. Cmdr. Barney Doyle in Torpedo Run (1958)
Heroas Elliott Nash in The Gazebo (1959)
Heroas Joe Fitzpatrick in It Started with a Kiss (1959)
Heroas Yancey 'Cimarron' Cravat in Cimarron (1960)
Allyas Dave the Dude in Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
Heroas Julio Desnoyers in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)
Heroas John Ripley in Experiment in Terror (1962)
Heroas Tom Corbett in The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
Heroas John Lathrop Davis in Love Is a Ball (1963)
Heroas Captain Heath in Advance to the Rear (1964)
Shapeshifteras Harry Mork in Dear Heart (1964)
Heroas Sam McBane in Fate Is the Hunter (1964)
Heroas Ben Jones in The Rounders (1965)
Heroas Joe Baron in The Money Trap (1965)
Heroas Marshal Dan Blaine in The Last Challenge (1967)
Mentoras Marshal Dan Blaine in The Last Challenge (1967)
Heroas Maj. Wolcott in A Time for Killing (1967)
Heroas Lorn Warfield in Day of the Evil Gun (1968)
Heroas Jim Killian in Heaven with a Gun (1969)
Mentoras Smith in Smith! (1969)
Heroas Smith in Smith! (1969)
Heroas Prof. Andrew Patterson in The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970)
Heroas Sam Cade in Sam Cade (1972)
Heroas Santee in Santee (1973)
Mentoras Santee in Santee (1973)
Heroas Col. Pete Moore in The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974)
Heroas Admiral Raymond A. Spruance in Midway (1976)
Shapeshifteras Paul Dvorak in The 3,000 Mile Chase (1977)
Mentoras Pa Kent in Superman (1978)
Mentoras Dr. David Faraday in Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

Melancholic

Warm

Dread

Contemplative

Other

How their films linger

Bittersweet27 Feel-good20 Thought-provoking18 Hopeful16 Fun13 Rousing12

How their films end · 10 with a twist

Happy26
Bittersweet33
Tragic7
Ambiguous5
Cyclical1

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 Glenn Ford's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 73 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Howdy4 titles, show their 4 titles on Howdy
Sony Pictures Core3 titles, show their 3 titles on Sony Pictures Core
Cineverse2 titles, show their 2 titles on Cineverse
Midnight Pulp2 titles, show their 2 titles on Midnight Pulp
ScreenPix2 titles, show their 2 titles on ScreenPix
Docurama1 title, show their title on Docurama
IndieFlix1 title, show their title on IndieFlix

Subscription and free streaming for Glenn Ford's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits 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

116 credits, 73 with a MovieCove page; 21 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Final Verdict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
as Rev. Rogers
Raw Nerve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
as Captain Gavin
Border Shootout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
as Sheriff Danaher
Casablanca Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
as Major Gen. Williams
Heavy Petting(1989)
Actor
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
My Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
as Lucas Wheeler
Happy Birthday to Me(1981)
as Dr. David Faraday
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Great White Death(1981)
as Narrator
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Superman II(1980)
as Jonathan Kent (archive footage) (uncredited)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Virus(1980)
as President Richardson
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Day of the Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
as Christakis
The Gift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
as Billy Devlin
Beggarman, Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Show 2 episodes · as David Donnelly
The Sacketts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Show 2 episodes · as Tom Sunday
The Hollywood Clowns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
as Narrator (voice)
The Visitor(1979)
as Det. Jake Durham
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Superman(1978)
as Pa Kent
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Evening in Byzantium (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Show 2 episodes · as Jesse Craig
No Margin for Error(1978)
as Deputy Chief Walter Hayes
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The 3,000 Mile Chase(1977)
as Paul Dvorak / Leonard Staveck
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Once an Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Show 7 episodes · as George Caldwell
Midway(1976)
as Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Long Way Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
as Rev. Tom Holvak
The Family Holvak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Show 10 episodes · Actor
Punch and Jody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
as Peter 'Punch' Travers
The Greatest Gift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
as Rev. Holvak
The Disappearance of Flight 412(1974)
as Colonel Pete Moore
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Santee(1973)
as Santee
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Jarrett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
as Sam Jarrett
Sam Cade(1972)
as Sam Cade
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Marshal of Madrid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
as Sam Cade
Cade's County (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Show 24 episodes · as Sheriff Sam Cade
The Brotherhood of the Bell(1970)
as Prof. Andrew 'Andy' Patterson
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Heaven with a Gun(1969)
as Jim Killan
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Smith!(1969)
as Smith
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Day of the Evil Gun(1968)
as Lorn Warfield
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
A Time for Killing(1967)
as Tom Wolcott
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
The Last Challenge(1967)
as Marshal Dan Blaine
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Rage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
as Reuben
Is Paris Burning?(1966)
as Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Dean Martin Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Show 1 episode · Actor
The Money Trap(1965)
as Joe Baron
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Dear Heart(1964)
as Harry Mork
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Rounders(1965)
as Ben Jones
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Fate Is the Hunter(1964)
as Sam McBane
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Advance to the Rear(1964)
as Capt. Jared Heath
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Love Is a Ball(1963)
as John Lathrop Davis
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
The Courtship of Eddie's Father(1963)
as Tom Corbett
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Experiment in Terror(1962)
as John Ripley
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse(1962)
as Julio Desnoyers
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Pocketful of Miracles(1961)
Associate Producer · as Dave 'The Dude' Conway
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Cry for Happy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
as Andy Cyphers
Cimarron(1960)
as Yancey 'Cimarron' Cravat
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Gazebo(1959)
as Elliott Nash
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
It Started with a Kiss(1959)
as Joe Fitzpatrick
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Torpedo Run(1958)
as Lt. Cmdr. Barney Doyle
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Imitation General(1958)
as MSgt. Murphy Savage
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Sheepman(1958)
as Jason Sweet
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Cowboy(1958)
as Tom Reese
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Day Called X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
as Narrator
Don't Go Near the Water(1957)
as Lt. J.G. Max Siegel
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
3:10 to Yuma(1957)
as Ben Wade
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The Teahouse of the August Moon(1956)
as Captain Fisby
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Fastest Gun Alive(1956)
as George Temple / George Kelby, Jr.
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Jubal(1956)
as Jubal Troop
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Ransom! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
as David G. 'Dave' Stannard
Trial(1955)
as David Blake
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Show 3 episodes · as Dave Stannard in 'Ransom!' (archive footage)
Interrupted Melody(1955)
as Dr. Thomas King
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Blackboard Jungle(1955)
as Richard Dadier
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Violent Men(1955)
as John Parrish
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Americano (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
as Sam Dent
Human Desire(1954)
as Jeff Warren
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
City Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
as Narrator
Appointment in Honduras(1953)
as Jim Corbett
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
The Big Heat(1953)
as Det. Sgt. Dave Bannion
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Plunder of the Sun(1953)
as Al Colby
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Man from the Alamo(1953)
as John Stroud
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Terror on a Train(1953)
as Peter Lyncort
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Affair in Trinidad(1952)
as Steve Emery
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Young Man with Ideas(1952)
as Maxwell Webster
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Green Glove(1952)
as Michael 'Mike' Blake
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The Secret of Convict Lake(1951)
as Jim Canfield
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Follow the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
as Ben Hogan
The Redhead and the Cowboy(1951)
as Gil Kyle
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
The Flying Missile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
as William A. Talbot
Convicted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
as Joe Hufford
The White Tower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
as Martin Ordway
The Doctor and the Girl(1949)
as Dr. Michael Corday
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Mr. Soft Touch(1949)
as Joe Miracle
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Lust for Gold(1949)
as Jacob 'Dutch' Walz
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Undercover Man(1949)
as Frank Warren
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Return of October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
as Prof. Bentley 'Bass' Bassett Jr.
The Loves of Carmen(1948)
as Don José
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Man from Colorado(1948)
as Col. Owen Devereaux
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Mating of Millie(1948)
as Doug Andrews
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Framed(1947)
as Mike Lambert
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Gallant Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
as John J. Montgomery
A Stolen Life(1946)
as Bill Emerson
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Gilda(1946)
as Johnny Farrell
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Guadalcanal Diary(1943)
as Marine Extra (uncredited)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Destroyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
as Mickey Donohue
The Desperadoes(1943)
as Cheyenne Rogers
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Flight Lieutenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
as Danny Doyle
The Adventures of Martin Eden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
as Martin Eden
Go West, Young Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
as Tex Miller
Texas(1941)
as Tod Ramsey
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
So Ends Our Night(1941)
as Ludwig Kern
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Blondie Plays Cupid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
as Charlie
The Lady in Question(1940)
as Pierre Morestan
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Babies for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
as Steve Burton / Oscar Hanson
Men Without Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
as Johnny Adams
Convicted Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
as Jim Brent (Reporter)
My Son Is Guilty(1939)
as Barney
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
as Joe Riley

Career shape

Star power in the 99^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 115 titles from 1939 to 1991; peak year 1961.

Biggest box office

Superman (1978)

$300M worldwide

Highest rated

The Big Heat (1953)

Midcredits 98^th

Film career

19391991

Peak 1961 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 26 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

1940Screen debut· The Lady in Question
1947First top-billed film· Framed
1953Career best· The Big Heat

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting115 of 115 · 66^thProducing1 of 115

By decade

1930s2 · acting1940s25 · acting1950s35 · acting1960s20 · 20 acting · 1 crew1970s24 · acting1980s7 · acting1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 70% of 43 roles

33%

83%

91%

100%

83%

20%

405055606575

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 Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Glenn Ford's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65^th percentile, the median of all 73; across their 72 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63^rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63^rdpercentile

Typical film, the median of 72

Approval · how many liked their films

66^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 72

Reach · how many have seen their films

53^rdpercentile

Typical film, the median of 72

Midcredits score across 73 titles, by percentile

75^th and up23
50^th to 74^th25
25^th to 49^th22
Below 25^th3

Shape of the crowd

46 of their 73 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved5
Cult Classic1
Crowd Pleaser46
Broadly Agreed9
Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

No Margin for Error (1978)

74^th percentile spread · 13% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Big Heat (1953)

Midcredits 98^th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 67 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; 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 Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove 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 Glenn Ford's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles

Violence & Gore6 titles31–74 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all films

Sex & Nudity11 titles6–32 · median 18 · mildlighter than most films

Profanity6 titles3–64 · median 17 · mildlighter than most films

Alcohol & Drugs6 titles26–47 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all films

Frightening / Intense7 titles33–61 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all films

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.