A Salute to John Ford - American Film Institute

bring John Ford's work as an assistant director and he said give Jack Ford the job he owes real good recently John Ford was discussing his beginnings with Peter Bogdanovich and said I certainly had no desire to go into pictures or have anything to do with them still have it when asked how it happened then he replied hungry Frank Nugent asked Ford about the chase in stagecoach why didn't the Indians to shoot the horses pulling the stagecoach board replied if they had it would have been the end of the picture Frank Capra once said John Ford is half tyrant half revolutionary half Saint after Satan half possible half impossible half genius half Irish but all director and all American [Music] the American Film Institute presents a salute to John for hosted by Danny Kaye guest appearances by Charlton Heston Jack Lemmon marine O'Hara Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne with a special guest performance by Leslie you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] ladies and gentlemen the President of the United States and mrs. Nixon and our guest of honor for the evening mr. John Ford [Applause] ladies and gentlemen the chairman of the for the trustees of the Film Institute mr. Charlton had you noticed I made the entrance on time tonight we've been relaxed we won't need you mr. president honored guests ladies and gentlemen tonight the American Film Institute as the privilege of presenting its first life achievement award this award has been established to pay tribute to the great architects of film and television and in so doing bring proper recognition to the motion picture is perhaps the prime artistic achievement of the United States in the 20th century the Institute is hosting this celebration to pay tribute to a man who has done as much as any man if not more to advance the art of film in the United States [Applause] it's been said that a John Ford in a John Ford film you can hear America singing oh sometimes it's things with an Irish brogue no individual has more fully explored in film the American experience The Grapes of Wrath the last hurrah stagecoach young mr. Lincoln is a but a few of the Ford creation altogether John Ford's films are a creative tapestry representing more than 50 years of a creative life an artist's life they meet the highest standards of career achievement in film art the sport one thing you thought all of us was pacing when to cut the action we don't have a company of cavalry here tonight but we do have a troupe of your friends so who better to open the evening than a gentleman who's brought happy beginnings and endings to the world audiences all over the star for whom the world is a stage the United Nations ambassador to the world's children and last is ambassador to the world of entertainment I'm very proud to present your master of ceremonies mr. Daniel [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you very much mr. Heston mr. president mrs. Nixon mr. Ford ladies and gentlemen distinguished guests there was an air of excitement all day in this room there was also a great deal of nervousness I might add because we were rather concerned about protocol and all afternoon the word on everybody's lips was protocol well now how do you how do you how do you do mr. there's certainly mr. mrs. mr. president were you and mrs. we expert on protocol seven years ago I was on a mission for UNICEF and we had been in Europe and we arrived in Austria and I was in Vienna and we met the mayor of Vienna and we met the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Children and the minister of almost every kind of Minister you have and is all very pleasant and the next day they said tomorrow you meet the president of Austria I said well that's lovely so the next day we went to the president's mansion and we walked through halls doorways auntie rose auntie rooms doorways halls halls auntie rooms doorways and we finally got into a room that's about the size of Dodger Stadium and we stood in the middle of the room I believe you know the room we stood in the middle of the room and from Brentwood came the president of Austria who was then 81 years old he was straight as a ramrod had short hair closely cropped white and he limped and he came to the center of the room and somebody said mr. president His Excellency from the United Nations Children's Fund and I stood that was me so I bowed and he said we are delighted that you are able to come here to our country because we have many things which we I'd like to show you here for you to see something which we have said well mr. president most of my life I have heard about your country and have read about it and have been told about it and I look forward very much to seeing some of the great sights in your country and meeting some of the people in your country and we talked and we talked and we talked and we talked and I got very nervous it was 81 years old he limped across the room and we are now standing in the middle of the room and I was shifting my weight from one leg to another and nothing happened and finally I said mr. president why don't we sit down he looked at me he said I am supposed to ask you they'd ask me [Applause] and with that it suddenly occurred to me that protocol really has no barriers and it is most clearly demonstrated by children traveling for UNICEF we go to many many places in the world and we got to a place in Moscow there was a little children's day camp and they evidently told them that some people were coming from that place meaning this country is it and they had a whole bunch of children lined up and there was a beautiful little girl a little girl was standing at the gate and we all came in and a little girl came forward she said mr. Beneke all children of soviet that we have many mr. Danny Kaye people the children of the Soviets were the date camp that we are for many mr. Danny Kaye that mr. Danny Caine flowers so mr. president we here as a group have in turn as we feel can we then not within the realm as we all mr. president flower say all the bouquets tonight are really for John Ford and you can talk about John Ford really without talking about the movies and in the history of the cinema there have been three revolutionary developments in 1889 Thomas Edison gave us the Kinetoscope and the moving picture in 1927 the Warner Brothers gave us by the phone and sound and in 1928 not to be outdone John Ford gave us Marian Michael Morrison you you out there you may know him as John Wayne [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Thank You mr. president honored guests ladies and gentlemen Jack and lovely Mary I could talk of Pappy as we call him or as coach as I call him or as Admiral as his country calls him I could talk of him through personal experience and anecdote but tonight I prefer to speak of him as the artist he's done many things of many people that are brilliant pieces of artistry but I choose to spotlight the Western tonight in the short time that I'm allotted I must use comparison his life style is similar to that of Charlie Russell Pappy lived through the bright wild and undisciplined years of our industry when it was young as Charlie before him lived through the wild and untamed west of years ago they both have diligently in their separate medium portrayed the West as it was fascinating adventurous savage and romantic happy never compromised attitude or thought of the day as always deemed progress better way it was said of the West that the sons of civilization drawn by the fascination of a fresher and bolder lights throng to the Western wilds in multitude which blighted the charms that had lured them there the Wild West is tamed that savage charm has given way to irresistible commonplace Charlie put it pretty well the cowpuncher is history well it's still a great country but the picture in the story part of it have been plowed under Jack Board gives us in his work that part of legend and history that might have been lost forever to the American people of Jack Ford the man his friends in his country are more important to him and wealth a physician or talent I was lucky enough to be a part of what we lovingly call de Ford's dock company he helped me through those rough years of early success and a certain amount of adulation which is hard for the young and the immature to cope with I loved him I could say more [Applause] being Irish he has away was wet and words you're about to see a film clip of him at his articulate vest 11 take one take one more bump with motive 1 tech boy shoot mr. Ford you made a nature called three bad men which is a large-scale Western you had a quite elaborate land rush in it how did you shoot that it was a camera the Sun shines bright kind of a little picture that you made for yourself with that the support I've noticed that the that your view of the West has become increasingly sad and melancholy over the years I'm comparing for instance wagonmaster to the man who shot Liberty valance have you been aware of that yeah engine what you're talking about what particular element about the Western appeal you from the beginning I would know did you read at the point of Fort Apache was that the tradition the tradition of the Army was more important than one individual cut I think that most of you would agree that a man who was directed a hundred and forty films probably didn't waste too much time consequently I don't think he spent much time in the front office discussing scripts or wardrobe or any of those things that he did on the set he used to go down on the set and do his job and go about his business and he loved it one day a producer or a head of a studio I don't remember which sent an assistant down to the set to tell mr. Ford that he was one day behind schedule and mr. Ford looked at him now when mr. Ford looks at you you have been looked at and he said well how many pages am I supposed to shoot in one day the younger system said oh about eight pages a day sir mr. Ford went about and he counted one two three four five six seven eight to tell your boss were on schedule and they know something he never did shoot those eight pages it was a much better picture for it there are a lot of pages he did shoot I must tell you I mean a lot and I'm sure that you'll all agree that many of them many of the best pages were about Al and he loved intensely America and our next guest has a very special importance for that reason over and above his enormous talents as an actor and so many of John Ford's films he has made the American West come alive he also happens to be a a gentleman of irresistible charm delicious sense of humor who in his illustrious career has talked back to an invisible rabbit the Senate of the United States and on one occasion to John Ford himself [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Thank You Danny Thank You mr. president mr. Nixon honored guests ladies and gentlemen I'm very happy to have this opportunity to pay my respects to John Ford my first professional meeting with John Ford was a rather stormy affair I'd been hired to work in a picture that he was directing and before the pictures started I was told to report to his office at the studio for a meeting with the mr. Ford I assumed that it was for the purpose of discussing my part and the interpretation I had on the story and how I felt about the casting of the picture but I was wrong the kind of the hat that he wanted me to wear in the picture that I was going to do and he had the Hat there in the office and I tried it on and it was just a terrible hat and I I had a hat of my own that I had that I've worn in several pictures Western and I wanted to wear this hat and in this picture that I was doing with mr. Ford and I told him so that I wanted to wear this hat and and we had a discussion about that i-i-i think it was a discussion but i a while I realized I wasn't getting anywhere so I decided to appeal to the sentimental side of John four so I I said that this hat that I had I wonder where was handed down to me by my grandfather my grandfather gave it to my father and my father gave it to me which was absolutely untrue and Ford didn't buy it but then I said the Hat is a good luck hat and it it's a it's a good luck omen for me and I'm a very superstitious person and it'll affect my work if I don't wear my good luck hat and this seemed that seemed to get him and he said all right you can wear your hat but as I left the office he stopped me and he said if by chance you ever worked for me again [Laughter] [Applause] I want you to have in your contract two clause that states that you have had approval [Applause] fortunately I did work for him again and another picture and I did have in my contract a thing that said I had had approval but John Ford won again because in this picture he didn't allow me to wear a hat at all I'm very proud to know John Ford I consider that I'm very fortunate to have been cast under his spell I'm very grateful to him for the things that he has taught me about my profession about my life when I started working for him I called him boss I still call him not because that's what he is to me boss [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ladies and gentlemen miss Leslie [Applause] mr. president ladies and gentlemen there's a beautiful thing in Rio Grande where the company singers appear at twilight to serenade the commanding officer lady well with your permission mr. Ford I'd like to serenade [Music] must take a chair in tomorrow's night well be [Music] [Music] I love [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] we come now to the John Ford fellowship award it's an award for scholarship in the cinema and to present it is one of the most exciting young movie stars of the past two decades true he's playing everything from Daphne and some like it hot to The Unforgettable ensign Pulver and mr. Roberts and and next year it just may be that first performance and save the tiger he'll be playing when the my friends jack lemmon [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank God I'm not going to sing mr. president mrs. Nixon packet mrs. Ford ladies and gentlemen and Danny thank you very much I'm delighted that you plug Tiger I'm more delighted that you said young I can't believe that no I will tell you a story when I was young the very first experience I had with mr. Ford about 20 years ago as though we hit a picture called the long gray line and wait here what happened aside from the lovely Miss O'Hara there was a character in there the leading male character aged up to 80 some odd years old as I remember and for some reason the moguls at Columbia Pictures where I was under contract decided the Jon EULA Lemmon the third and magnificent ultra talented young man should test for this part now naturally with the talents the enormous talent that I had that almost matched my conceit I picked a scene where I would be 80 years old so I went through for eight hours a day about six or seven days of makeup they built rubber pieces for my face there was a past made all over my face with straws up my nose so I could breathe my side for how they build a chin a new nose ear lobe eyebrows a gray wig all kinds of things and then one Monday morning at a bright an early hour they put all of this stuff on me it took about five hours and I looked in the mirror and my god I was 80 years old there's only one thing you have to act 80 years old and a very wonderful director named Richard Quine did his very best to evoke a performance from me and I did the tests in my opinion magnificent panting for word apparently saw that little piece of film and the lights went on and he stood up and said that actor is the worst old man that I have ever seen in my life but he could be a great ensign Pulver and that's how I got the part her own power and played it very well did the long gray line and I got an Academy Award for giving a lousy test as an 80 year old man it's just crazy that my hat is off to mr. Ford I will never ever forget it among his many many attributes he's totally unpredictable but I guess that's part of greatness and perceptiveness at any rate for the stories about mr. Ford a legend as they are about other great directors that's just one of the things I guess that makes the work of the American Film Institute so important but at any rate to get to a very important thing as far back as whatever Michelangelo as far as history surface we know that young artists serve their apprenticeship studying under the tutelage of their masters but for some unknown reason in this country it sort of gone by the board's that process of perpetuating the arts as far as motion pictures and television goes so tonight the American Film Institute is initiating the John Ford fellowship award and out of over 500 applicants three young film students have been chosen and given scholarships so that they may continue their work at the Center for Advanced Film Studies and I'd like to introduce them right now if I might one I hope would melt am ski ina may and Leroy MacDonald please stand out there they are and [Applause] and behalf of all of us I offer congratulations and the reminder that in your hands lies the future of one of the greatest native industries that America has ever known so God blessed and user willin if you happen to need an eight-year-old Irishman [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] one court has made a movie for every one of the 25 letters in the alphabet yes a UVW y'see there was no X it almost happened once quite by accident see in those years Jack Ford was doing pictures where he would finish one one night and then he would go to bed and get up the next morning and he would be sent his script or given his script and they never told him what it was or what it was about or who was in it and he go on the set and he'd start shooting the picture well this one morning he got up and he went on the set and there was a scene with a gentleman and a young lady and the gentleman was supposed to kiss her so he said all right roll him or whatever his term was and they started to perform and mr. Ford sat there and he looked at it for a while and he said cut he said look I know I know it's early in the morning and I know that perhaps you're not up to it yet but this scene is a scene in which you have to portrays some emotion some contact some continuation of your feeling toward this woman now you're supposed to kiss him and if you're gonna kiss her take her in your arms kiss her passionately and kiss her like you really meant it and the actor said we'll find mr. Ford I'll be happy to do anything you like but I feel I should tell you that in this picture this little girl plays my daughter [Laughter] all of mr. Ford's pictures are rated G especially no that's true especially when they saw the beautiful leading lady of how green was my Valley the long gray line and the quiet man and when marine O'Hara steps out on that screen you know immediately what G stands for it's for gorgeous and gifted and glamorous and just plain G [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] mr. president ladies and gentlemen and if you'll forgive me more importantly mr. Shawn Aloysius Kilmartin Oh Feeny alias mr. John Ford sometimes Rear Admiral John Ford but to all of us who love him so very very dearly he'll always be happy and happy with your permission tonight I'd like to salute you and the Admirals Lady Mary by singing to you from the score of the quiet man [Music] ow [Music] then always but heavens love right my dear it's never too late for the light [Music] is ours [Music] read [Music] you [Music] Oh I [Music] [Applause] directed by John for that credit has appeared on 140 films the credit that has been well and truly honored John Ford's the only director in the world has received six Academy Awards and four New York Film Critics Awards not to mention a score of other prizes from countries all around the world John Ford's name on a picture has come to come to mean a special kind of quality the quality that is run so so consistently throughout all of his films that they should not really be considered individually at all but rather is a body of work a single achievement that can stand alongside the the works of the great authors painters and composers of the world films like drums along the Mohawk Tobacco Road she wore a yellow ribbon Marie of Scotland long voyage [Music] the searchers [Music] [Music] young mr. Lincoln [Music] hello are you doing in Springfield [Music] lawyer stagecoach [Music] [Applause] [Music] real grab fight now what started this fight I refuse to answer sir go ahead tell him rip this fella here spoke real derogatory about the boys Pappy yeah he also said he was the teacher's pet of a chowderheaded Mick sergeant what's that mean that did you say that yes I did yep did did you yes I did did you mean it did you yes I did we'll settle this tonight behind the picket line soldier fashion Marquis of Queensbury rules shouted face Joe what was it he said chowderheaded Mick sergeant and you meant it did you yes I did not tonight boys the man who shot Liberty valance that's my stake balance have you heard him dude pick it up Oh pilgrim hold it I said you balance you pick it up three against one Donathan my boy plumpie the kitchen door I said you Liberty you pick it up everybody in this country kill-crazy the quiet man [Music] wings of eagles [Applause] sorry shorty I'm mr. kangaroo the horse soldiers [Music] [Music] [Music] back to the matter muley after what them dust is done to the land the tenant system don't work no ball grapes around much they show a profit by one man in the tractor can handle twelve or fourteen of these places you just pay him a wage and take all the crop yeah but we couldn't do on any lessons what our share is now what the children ain't get enough to eat as it is and there's a ragged we'd be ashamed if everybody else's children wasn't the same way I can't help that all I know is I got my orders they told me to tell you to get off and that's what I'm telling you you mean get off my own land i don't don't--i blaming me it ain't my fault you know who owns the land the Shawnee Land and Cattle Company and who's the Shawnee land cattle camp it ain't nobody it's a company they got a president thing they got somebody knows when I stock guns for anything well son it ain't his fault because the bank tells him what to do all right where's the bank Tulsa what's he used to picking on him he ain't nothing but the manager and he's half crazy yourself trying to keep up with his artists from the east and who do we shoot brother I don't know if I did I'd tell you I just don't know who's to blame I'm right here to tell you mister there ain't nobody gonna push me off my land my grandfather took up this land 70 years ago my father was born here we was all born on it and some of us was killed on some of us died on it that's what makes you run in going on it working on it dying and not no piece of paper with right now [Music] [Applause] [Music] now I'm proud to present to you the man who's been central to everything the American Film Institute is done from its earliest inception our director mr. George Stevens jr. [Applause] we created the American Film Institute with a deep belief that the past and the future have an important connection the history of art tells us that creativity is an inspiration for future generations the trustees elected to establish an award to honor an individual each year who in a fundamental way had contributed to the advancement of the art of film a person most importantly whose work had stood the test of time perhaps because he grew up near the sea on the coast of Maine it is the John Ford has told interviewers over the years that that what he really wanted to be was a tugboat captain well the fact is that God made him a poet and we're all the better for it I think Orson Welles probably said it better than anyone when asked what he thought were the greatest American directors of all time he answered simply the great masters John Ford John Ford and John we have just seen a few brief moments of John Ford's artistic vision that film that was projected is amounts to one-tenth of one percent of his life's work we must face the fact that through neglect a great many of John Ford's films no longer exist and mindful of that the trustees have made a part of this award our pledge that we will preserve for all time the surviving works of John Ford selecting the recipient for this first annual award I have to tell you was not difficult we simply chose the man who stands alone as the most important director since the late DW Griffith a man who has enriched our lives immeasurably and there's a place for us to in his life and we take that place tonight it was another Yankee the philosopher Henry Adams who said he too serves a purpose who only stands and Cheers so I give you our purpose tonight in presenting this award for life achievement I invite you to stand and Cheer mr. John Ford [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] mr. president mrs. Nixon ladies and gentlemen and little cometh gratitude I wish I had the words to express my feelings but I don't but thank you all exacting not American Film Institute George Stevens Jr Bruce Ellington all their colleagues I am most grateful tonight is multiple menses occasion in the history in the annals of motion pictures tonight the first time the chief executive US nation is honored a public motion picture event with his presence this tonight long to remember it will be my name Thank You mr. president [Applause] it means that and statute to our image we are most grateful that's about all I can see before I break down thank you I don't think that I have ever been in a room that has been so charged with emotion and all the years that I can remember see Duke Wayne and Jimmy Stewart and all the people at that table and all the people in the audience moved to tears is one of the most exciting and rewarding things I have ever seen in my life and it engenders the most remarkable feeling of pride that I think I have ever felt in our profession in my profession and in yours because I honestly believe that our profession is the single greatest self-sustaining democracy in the world never to my knowledge as anybody in my profession refused to walk out on a stage because there are members of different nationalities or faiths or colors in an audience and by the same token nobody has ever been refused admittance into our profession by virtue of what they were our criteria was very simple how well do you do your job and how well do you please your audience and those standards have remained fairly constant throughout the world and our profession as an art form has really created a brotherhood of man and has become I believe the most singularly powerful weapon for communication I think in our times it has educated it has illuminated vast areas of darkness it has brought entertainment to people throughout the world it has become I believe a most remarkable profession and in a profession where for many many years my friends we have been sometimes laughter and derided or scoffed at or even maligned it's quite nice to know that we have earned every bit of respect that our profession now enjoys and it is fitting there tonight we honor one of our own greats and to all of us I believe it is a tribute to the dignity and the growth of our profession in that we're all being honored tonight by the presence of the President of the United States mr. mrs. card all of our distinguished guests tonight as most of you know I have made many speeches in my life I've never had a harder act to follow it was however not an act because everything that we've heard the night was from the heart and as I with you enjoyed this program I thought that mr. Ford would want me to say that tonight we honor a man we think of him as a great man one of the geniuses of his profession but I think he would want me to say speaking for all of the American people we honor a great profession all of the people in the motion picture profession thank you I might only guys maybe I think I've seen virtually all of the 140 movies and I'm grateful to all of you in Hollywood in this great profession for making us first in the world in motion pictures and conveying through American motion pictures to the world what I believe is a complete picture of America and a good picture of America because that is what you have done I now come to my part on the program and the tribute to mr. Ford I have noted tonight that he has been characterized in several different ways some have called him boss and others have called him jack and most have called him Pappy but there was one term that I did not like they called him a Rear Admiral John Ford was never rear and as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces for the balance of this evening John Ford is a full at [Applause] the second part of my presentation is one that gives me great honor the President of the United States as as always and should be in the free country has to take positions and make speeches from time to time in which there is a difference of opinion among our people however there are rare occasions and this is one of them when he speaks for all the people it used to be said in American politics as Maine goes so goes the nation and in 1932 that proved not to be true but tonight as this son of Maine goes so goes the nation it isn't just the landslide it's unanimous for John Ford and therefore I tonight speak for all of the American people for millions of people around this world who respect and appreciate his genius because John Ford is one who by what he has done has earned the respect of not only his countrymen but of others throughout the world there's little that I can add to the citation that I will read to you in a moment except to say that we can present to him only the highest civilian award that can be presented in this country and its name is one that is very appropriate because John Ford passionately loves freedom John Ford in his works as depicted freedom in all of its profound deaths in all of its aspects to all of the world and John Ford has fought for freedom and for that reason it is appropriate that tonight on behalf of all of the American people he received the Medal of Freedom I now read the citation the President of the United States of America Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to John four in the annals of American film no name shines more brightly than that of John Ford director and filmmaker for more than half a century he stands pre-eminent in the crack not only as a creator of individual films of surpassing excellence but as a master among those who transform the early motion pictures into a compelling new art form that developed in America and swept the whole world as an interpreter of the nation's heritage he left his personal stamp indelibly imprinted on the consciousness of whole generations both here and abroad in his life and in his work john-boy represents the best in American films and the very best in America [Applause] thank you sir his captain Jeremiah Dutton said hopefully feely there's some but rage of us I'm crying his captain Stenton says he set foot to the first time many years and caught little American soil I'm stunned and bewildered at this reception he added with god bless america I caught his words there are some people in this world I don't think that we movie folks have any religion but a glance around this distinguished audience is a little reputation of that nonsense as it frankly sir I broke down my blubbered and cried like a baby then I reached my rosary and said a few decades of the beach and I know the shop filling prayer not an original prayer the one that is spoken in millions of American homes today it's a simple prayer simply god bless mr. Dixon thank you [Applause] employment I want to thank all the people who made this tribute possible and that literally includes people from all phases of film of course the special thanks to our master of ceremonies mr. Danny Kaye [Applause] finally we're most indebted to thee many members of the American Film Institute who have so unselfishly given their time and their money to help us in our efforts to preserve what is great in the past of American film so that we can ensure what will be great in its future [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] who's they

Channel: Garage Sale Films

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Id: 9-6xX-3qFf4

Length: 74min 47sec (4487 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 31 2018