I
(baptized April 17, 1586, Ilsington, Devon, Eng.
died 1639?) British dramatist.
Early in his career he studied law and wrote collaboratively with several other playwrights, but little more is known of his life, and the dating of many of his works is uncertain. His revenge tragedies are characterized by scenes of austere beauty, insight into human passions, and poetic diction of a high order. His reputation rests on the first four plays he wrote alone, only one of which can be dated with certainty: The Broken Heart ; The Lover's Melancholy (1628); Perkin Warbeck ; and 'Tis Pity She's a Whore , an eloquently sympathetic story of incestuous lovers that is his best-known work.
II
orig. Sean Aloysius O'Feeney or O'Fearna
born Feb. 1, 1895, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, U.S.
died Aug. 31, 1973, Palm Desert, Calif.
U.S. film director.
In 1914 Ford went to Hollywood to join his brother, who was there acting in films. Ford became a director of westerns, achieving success with The Iron Horse (1924). His distinctive style united action with colourful characterization and reflected his sense of American identity. He is best remembered for such westerns as Stagecoach (1939), My Darling Clementine (1946), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), many of which starred John Wayne . He also directed such historical dramas as Mary of Scotland (1936) and Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). He received Academy Awards for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952), and also for his wartime documentaries The Battle of Midway (1942) and December 7th (1943).