Okay, so Nina's the one that usually does these eulogy things, but I thought I'd give it a go this morning...
Glenn Ford passed away yesterday at his home in Beverly Hills at the age of 90. No cause of death was given, but like my doctor tells me, when you're 90, just about any ailment is considered to be "natural causes."
Ford had a long career in Hollywood, having started around 1939, playing parts in comedies and westerns. This is the part where Nina would tell you about how he got his big break opposite Rita Hayworth in Gilda or how he's probably most well-known for his role in The Blackboard Jungle. But for me, I was sad to hear of his passing because to me, Glenn Ford will ALWAYS be Pa Kent, Superman's adoptive dad.
Back in the day, when Donner's Superman was made, much ado was made about Marlon Brando's million-dollar paycheck for his small turn as Jor-El. But there was also a small fervor made about Ford being cast as Jonathan Kent, who practically INVENTED the term "gravitas" by taking on that role.
Is there a more honest and magical scene in the history of the movies than the one where Pa Kent and Clark have their little "father and son" talk right before Ford clutches his chest and says "oh no..."? I can't imagine that there is.
That scene defined fatherhood for millions of children, including proabably Bryan Singer, who put Ford's picture up on the mantle of the Kent homestead in Superman Returns. Like Brando, he didn't even TRY to find a replacement. Ford's performance had a major impact on me and my older brothers as well. In face, if my ex-husband had even a hint of that gravitas, I might have stayed married to him for the sake of the kids. But even he would admit that Glenn Ford as Pa Kent playing on a loop would have been a more effective father figure.
And to top things off... Ford often remarked that no matter who he played on screen, he was just playing himself.
So long, Pa.
