Wallace Ford
Biography
Wallace Ford, born Samuel Grundy Jones on 12 February 1898 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, was an English‑American actor who worked in vaudeville, on Broadway and in film. After spending his early childhood in a Dr. Barnardo’s home, he was adopted by a farmer in Manitoba, Canada, and ran away at about eleven, taking odd jobs before becoming a theatre usher. Following his discharge from the Army after World War I, he joined a stock company as a vaudeville performer and later appeared on Broadway. Naturalized as an American citizen, Ford became known for playing wise‑cracking, tough‑yet‑friendly characters, a small, stocky figure with a powerful presence. He achieved recognition for roles in productions such as Playhouse 90, Disneyland and Tales of Wells Fargo. He died on 11 June 1966 at the age of 68.
Career overview
Wallace Ford (born Samuel Grundy Jones on 12 February 1898 in Bolton, Lancashire, England) was an English‑American actor who worked in vaudeville, on Broadway and in motion pictures. After serving in the Army during the First World War he entered the vaudeville circuit with a stock company and subsequently appeared on Broadway, establishing a reputation for playing wise‑cracking, tough‑yet‑friendly characters. His physical presence was noted as small, stocky and powerful, which complemented his on‑stage persona.
Ford later moved to the screen, becoming a naturalized American film actor. He was frequently cast by director John Ford, appearing in thirteen of John Ford’s pictures and thereby becoming part of the director’s informal troupe. Television work also featured prominently in his later career; he is remembered for appearances in series such as Playhouse 90, Disneyland and Tales of Wells Fargo. Throughout his screen career he was credited in more than one hundred productions, demonstrating a steady presence in both film and television.
Wallace Ford died on 11 June 1966 at the age of 68. His career spanned stage, film and television, leaving a legacy of versatile supporting performances that reflected his early vaudeville training and his distinctive, affable screen style.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
150 titles- Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) as Detective Ed Fitzpatrick (archive footage)
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) as Self (archive footage)
- A Patch of Blue (1965) as Ole Pa
- Bristle Face (1964) as Emory Packer
- Vacation Playhouse (1963) as Lester Tinney
- The Great Adventure (1963) as Uncle Billy Smith
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960) as Roger Hanover
- The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1960) as Harry
- Peter Loves Mary (1960)
- Tess of the Storm Country (1960) as Fred Thorson
- The Deputy (1959) as Herk Lamson
- The Deputy (1959) as Marshal Herk Lamson
- Warlock (1959) as Judge Holloway
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
- The Last Hurrah (1958) as Charlie Hennessey
- The Matchmaker (1958) as Malachi Stack
- Twilight for the Gods (1958) as Old Brown
- Trackdown (1957) as Eli Zach
- Snowshoes: A Comedy of People and Horses (1957) as Rebel
- The Maverick Queen (1956) as Jamie
- The Rainmaker (1956) as Sheriff Howard Thomas
- The First Texan (1956) as Henry Delaney
- Johnny Concho (1956) as Albert Dark
- Thunder Over Arizona (1956) as Stiles
- Stagecoach To Fury (1956) as Judge Lester Farrell
- The 20th Century Fox Hour (1955) as Monty Smith
- Screen Director's Playhouse (1955) as Ed Rawlings
- The Man from Laramie (1955) as Charley O'Leary
- Wichita (1955) as Arthur Whiteside
- A Lawless Street (1955) as Dr. Amos Wynn
- Kings Row (1955)
- Lucy Gallant (1955) as Gus Basserman
- The Spoilers (1955) as Flapjack Simms
- Father Knows Best (1954)
- Climax! (1954) as Bunco Kelly
- Climax! (1954) as Sheriff
- Climax! (1954) as Dr. Karl Wexdig
- Climax! (1954) as Samuel Cramer
- Inner Sanctum (1954)
- Studio 57 (1954) as Boats
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Emory Packer
- The Whistler (1954)
- Destry (1954) as Doc Curtis
- The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) as Walter "Wally" Higgins
- She Couldn't Say No (1954) as Joe Wheelen
- 3 Ring Circus (1954) as Sam Morley
- The Motorola Television Hour (1953)
- The Nebraskan (1953) as 'Mac' McBride
- The Great Jesse James Raid (1953) as Elias Hobbs
- The Ford Television Theatre (1952) as Talker
- This Is Your Life (1952) as Self
- Rodeo (1952) as Barbecue Jones
- Flesh and Fury (1952) as Jack 'Pop' Richardson
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Innkeeper
- He Ran All the Way (1951) as Fred Dobbs
- Warpath (1951) as Pvt. 'Irish' Potts
- Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951) as Sam Parks
- Harvey (1950) as The Taxi Driver
- The Breaking Point (1950) as F.R. Duncan
- The Furies (1950) as Scotty Hyslip
- Dakota Lil (1950) as Carter
- The Set-Up (1949) as Gus
- Red Stallion In The Rockies (1949) as 'Talky' Carson
- Studio One (1948)
- Shed No Tears (1948) as Sam Grover
- Belle Starr's Daughter (1948) as Lafe Bailey
- Coroner Creek (1948) as Andy West
- The Man from Texas (1948) as Jed
- Embraceable You (1948) as Police Lt. Ferria
- T-Men (1947) as The Schemer
- Magic Town (1947) as Lou Dicketts
- Dead Reckoning (1946) as McGee
- Black Angel (1946) as Joe
- The Green Years (1946) as Jamie Nigg
- Crack-Up (1946) as Lt. Cochrane
- A Guy Could Change (1946) as Bill Conley
- Rendezvous with Annie (1946) as Al Morgan
- Lover Come Back (1946) as Tubbs
- Spellbound (1945) as Hotel masher
- Blood on the Sun (1945) as Ollie Miller
- On Stage Everybody (1945) as Emmett Rogers
- The Great John L. (1945) as McManus
- Secret Command (1944) as Miller
- Machine Gun Mama (1944) as John O'Reilly
- Shadow of a Doubt (1943) as Fred Saunders
- The Cross of Lorraine (1943) as Pierre
- The Ape Man (1943) as Jeff Carter
- All Through the Night (1942) as Spats Hunter
- The Mummy's Tomb (1942) as Babe Hanson
- Inside the Law (1942) as Billy
- Scattergood Survives a Murder (1942) as Wally Collins
- Blues in the Night (1941) as Brad Ames (as Wally Ford)
- A Man Betrayed (1941) as Casey ('Globe' newspaper reporter)
- Murder by Invitation (1941) as Bob White
- Roar of the Press (1941) as Wally Williams
- Scatterbrain (1940) as Sam Maxwell
- The Mummy's Hand (1940) as Babe Jenson
- Isle Of Destiny (1940) as Millard Barnes
- Two Girls on Broadway (1940) as Jed Marlowe
- Love, Honor and Oh-Baby! (1940) as Joe Redmond
- Give Us Wings (1940) as Mr. York
- Back Door to Heaven (1939) as Frankie Rogers
- The Marines Come Thru (1938) as Pvt. 'Singapore' Stebbins
- Swing It, Sailor! (1938) as Pete Kelly
- Stardust (1938) as Peter Jackson
- O.H.M.S. (1937) as Jimmy Tracy
- Exiled to Shanghai (1937) as Ted Young
- Jericho (1937) as Mike Clancy
- Two in the Dark (1936) as Harry Hilyer
- Absolute Quiet (1936) as Jack
- The Rogues' Tavern (1936) as Jimmy Kelly
- A Son Comes Home (1936) as Steve
- The Informer (1935) as Frankie McPhillip
- Swellhead (1935) as Terry McCall
- She Couldn't Take It (1935) as "Fingers" Boston
- The Whole Town's Talking (1935) as Healy
- Men of the Hour (1935) as Andy Blane
- One Frightened Night (1935) as Joe Luvalle
- The Nut Farm (1935) as Willie Barton
- Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935) as Harper
- The Mysterious Mr. Wong (1935) as Jason H. 'Jay' Barton
- Another Face (1935) as Joe Haynes, Press Agent
- Get That Man (1935) as Jack Kirkland / John Prescott
- In Spite of Danger (1935) as Bob Crane
- The Lost Patrol (1934) as Morelli
- The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934) as 'Curly'
- Men in White (1934) as Shorty
- The Hollywood Gad-About (1934) as Self (uncredited)
- A Woman's Man (1934) as Joe Flynn - Prizefighter
- Money Means Nothing (1934) as Kenneth 'Kenny' McKay
- I Hate Women (1934) as Scoop McGuire
- My Woman (1933) as Chick Rollins
- Three Cornered Moon (1933) as Kenneth Rimplegar
- Night of Terror (1933) as Tom Hartley
- The Big Cage (1933) as Russ Penny
- Goodbye Again (1933) as Arthur Westlake
- Employees' Entrance (1933) as Martin West
- East of Fifth Avenue (1933) as Vic Howard
- Headline Shooter (1933) as Mike
- Freaks (1932) as Phroso
- Hypnotized (1932) as Bill Bogard
- The Wet Parade (1932) as Jerry Tyler
- The Beast of the City (1932) as Detective Ed Fitzpatrick
- Skyscraper Souls (1932) as Slim
- Are You Listening? (1932) as Larry Barnes
- Central Park (1932) as Rick
- Possessed (1931) as Al Manning
- X Marks the Spot (1931) as Ted Lloyd
- Married in Hollywood (1929) as Mitzi's Fan (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Wallace Ford best known for?
Wallace Ford is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including A Patch of Blue (1965), The Good Shepherd (2006), The Andy Griffith Show (1960), The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1960).
When and where was Wallace Ford born?
Wallace Ford was born on February 11, 1898 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK . They passed away on June 11, 1966.
How many credits does Wallace Ford have?
Wallace Ford has accumulated over 150 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1929 to 2008.
What is Wallace Ford's background in cinema and television?
Wallace Ford, born Samuel Grundy Jones on 12 February 1898 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, was an English‑American actor who worked in vaudeville, on Broadway and in film. After spending his early childhood in a Dr. Barnardo’s home, he was adopted by a farmer in Manitoba, Canada, and ran away at about eleven, taking od...