The John Ford Stock Company is the name given to the large collection of actors used repeatedly in the films of American director John Ford. Most famous among these was John Wayne, who appeared in twenty-four films and three television episodes for the director.
Actors Members of the "stock company" include:
Jack Pennick – 41 films, 1 TV episode Francis Ford (the director's brother) – 32 films Harry Carey, Sr. – 27 films John Wayne – 24 films, 3 TV episodes Ward Bond – 24 films, 2 TV episodes Harry Tenbrook – 26 films J. Farrell MacDonald – 25 films Vester Pegg – 23 films Mae Marsh – 17 films, 1 TV episode Frank Baker – 17 films Duke Lee – 16 films Joe Harris – 14 films Danny Borzage – 13 films Hoot Gibson – 13 films Willis Bouchey – 9 films, 3 TV episodes John Carradine – 11 films, 1 TV episode Ken Curtis – 11 films, 1 TV episode William Henry – 11 films, 1 TV episode Victor McLaglen – 12 films George O'Brien – 12 films Molly Malone – 11 films Harry Carey Jr. – 9 films, 1 TV episode Sam Harris – 10 films Robert Homans – 10 films Cliff Lyons – 9 films, 1 TV episode Robert Parrish – 10 films Chuck Roberson – 9 films, 1 TV episode Russell Simpson – 10 films William Steele – 10 films Patrick Wayne – 8 films, 2 TV episodes Henry Fonda – 9 films Ed Jones – 9 films John Qualen – 9 films Mickey Simpson – 9 films Pat Somerset – 9 films Hank Worden – 8 films, 1 TV episode Anna Lee – 8 films, 1 TV episode Ruth Clifford – 8 films Mary Gordon – 8 films James Flavin – 8 films Ben Hall – 8 films Chuck Hayward (as actor) – 7 films, 1 TV episode Harry Strang – 8 films Carleton Young – 6 films, 2 TV episodes Brandon Hurst – 7 films Fred Libby – 7 films Jane Darwell – 7 films Steve Pendleton – 7 films Charles Seel – 5 films, 2 TV episodes Charles Trowbridge – 7 films Jack Woods – 7 films Frank Albertson – 6 films Mimi Doyle – 6 films Earle Foxe – 6 films Si Jenks – 6 films Robert Lowery – 6 films James A. Marcus – 6 films Cyril McLaglen – 6 films Paul McVey – 6 films Jack Mower – 6 films Lionel Pape – 6 films Arthur Shields – 6 films Charles Tannen – 6 films Harry Tyler – 5 films, 1 TV episode Tom Tyler – 6 films Jack Walters – 6 films
Scores of actors appeared repeatedly for Ford up to five times. Among the best known of these are:
Five appearances Chief John Big Tree Berton Churchill Donald Crisp Andy Devine Stepin Fetchit Shug Fisher Barry Fitzgerald Wallace Ford Maureen O'Hara Ben Johnson Joe Sawyer O.Z. Whitehead Grant Withers
Four appearances Edward Brophy Charley Grapewin Donald Meek Vera Miles Mildred Natwick James Stewart Woody Strode Slim Summerville Blue Washington
Three appearances Pedro Armendáriz Olive Carey Dan Dailey Paul Fix Preston Foster Jeffrey Hunter George Irving Mike Mazurki Thomas Mitchell Denver Pyle Will Rogers C. Aubrey Smith Spencer Tracy Richard WidmarkJohn Ford, by Peter Bogdanovich
Membership in the John Ford Stock Company did not necessitate membership in Ford's social circle, and indeed many of the actors in the Stock Company never encountered Ford outside of work situations.Pappy: The Life of John Ford, by Dan Ford
Crew Ford had many long-standing relationships with members of his crew, and would often maintain longer and more prolific relationships with crew members than cast.
Screenwriters Frank S. Nugent George Hively Eugene B. Lewis H. Tipton Steck Charles J. Wilson Jr. Jules Furthman George C. Hull Dorothy Yost Charles Kenyon Frances Marion James Kevin McGuiness John Stone Dudley Nichols Spig Wead Lamar Trotti Nunnally Johnson Laurence Stallings James Warner Bellah Philip Dunne
Producers Merian C. Cooper P.A. Powers Sol Wurtzel Cliff Reid Darryl F. Zanuck Walter Wanger Lowell Farrell Michael Killanin Patrick Ford Samuel Goldwyn Winfield Sheehan
Cinematographers Gregg Toland Ben Reynolds John W. Brown Harry C. Fowler George Schneiderman Joseph H. August Charles G. Clarke Arthur Miller Bert Glennon Archie Stout Winton C. Hoch
Editors Alex Troffey Frank E. Hull Paul Weatherwax George Hively Walter Thompson Robert Simpson Robert Parrish Jack Murray Barbara Ford Otho Lovering
Composers Max Steiner Samuel Kaylin Louis Silvers Alfred Newman Richard Hageman Victor Young Cyril J. Mockridge
Art Directors Van Nest Polglase William Darling Richard Day Mark Lee Kirk James Basevi Lyle R. Wheeler Frank Hotaling Martin Obzina Eddie Imazu
Set Decorators Thomas Little Julia Heron Joe Kish John McCarthy Darrell Silvera
Assistant Directors Edward O'Fearna Jack Pennick Wingate Smith
Second Unit Directors Cliff Lyons
Costume Designers Walter Plunkett
References