John Ford Stock Company

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
 * James Stewart
 * O.Z. Whitehead
 * Grant Withers


 * Four appearances:
 * Edward Brophy
 * Charley Grapewin
 * Donald Meek
 * Vera Miles
 * Mildred Natwick
 * 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 Widmark

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.

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