Product Details

• Actors: Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, Edna May Oliver, Jane Darwell, Walter Pidgeon
• Directors: Fred C. Brannon, John Ford
• Writers: Bess Meredyth, John Steinbeck, Lamar Trotti, Nunnally Johnson, Philip Dunne
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: December 4, 2007
• Run Time: 716 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000WMA6HS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,448 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Ford At Fox Collection: The Essential John Ford Collection (The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath / Becoming John Ford)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

ESSENTIAL JOHN FORD COLLECTION - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of John Ford's best known classics while at Fox, October 4, 2007

By 

calvinnme - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ford At Fox Collection: The Essential John Ford Collection (The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath / Becoming John Ford) (DVD)

This is one of three boxed sets coming out in addition to the giant "Ford at Fox" set, and it contains four of John Ford's best known and most successful films that he directed while at Fox in addition to the documentary that was especially made for "Ford at Fox". Included are:

Drums Along The Mohawk (1939) (already on DVD) - stars Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert as Gilbert and Lana Martin, newlyweds trying to make a go of a homestead in upstate New York during the American revolution. They battle the elements as well as the Indians in their attempt to build a life together.
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish/French Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Commentary by Film Historians Julie Kirgo & Nick Redman
Theatrical trailer
Still galleries:
Advertising
Lobby cards
Studio portraits
Behind the scenes
Production stills

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) (on DVD under the Studio Classics series). The story of the Joads as they suffer mistreatment when they move from their repossessed Dust Bowl farm to California. The first of only two Best Actor nominations for Henry Fonda.
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Biographer & Film Historian Joseph McBride
U.K. prologue
Biography: Daryl Zannuck: 20th Century Filmmaker
Restoration comparison
Theatrical trailer
Movie Tone News:
1934: "First Drought In Many Years Hits Mid-West"
1934: "Drought Distress Is Increasing In The Mid-West"
1934: "Mid-West Drought Distress Becomes National Disaster"
1934: "Outtakes"
1941: "Roosevelt Lauds Motion Pictures At Academy Fete"
Still gallery

How Green Was My Valley (1941) (on DVD under Studio Classics series). Stars Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara in the story of how lush Welsh countryside became an ugly strip-mined area over time. Won Best Picture.
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish/French Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Anna Lee Nathan and Biographer & Film Historian Joseph McBride
Backstory: How Green Was My Valley
Still gallery
Theatrical trailer

My Darling Clementine (1946) (on DVD under Studio Classics series). John Ford, who actually knew Wyatt Earp, directs Henry Fonda, who plays Wyatt Earp.
Disc One
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish/French Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Wyatt Earp III
Disc Two
Alternate pre-release version (Ford's cut)
What is the pre-release version featurette
Theatrical trailer
Behind the scenes

Becoming John Ford (2007)
Feature-length documentary with English Stereo and Spanish/French subtitles
The Battle of Midway (doc. 1942)
Battle of Midway - Additional Footage (1942)
December 7th (doc. 1943)
Torpedo Squadron (doc. 1942)
Ford at Fox Photo Galleries (estimated 29 to be broken out by title)
Ford at Fox Movie Poster / lobby card gallery
Pressbook Galleries
Vintage Programs: The Iron Horse, Four Sons

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FORD AT FOX A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO FILM "LITERATURE", February 8, 2008

By 

Lowell S. Harris "terlat" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ford At Fox Collection: The Essential John Ford Collection (The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath / Becoming John Ford) (DVD)

Congratulate Fox on separating their enormous full collection of Ford's work at the studio with three smaller but potent boxes: The Classics, The Silents, and The Comedies. Although these classics have already been issued, the addition of 1939's "Frontier Marshall," which was the precursor to "My Darling Clementine," in a beautifully remastered version, and the documentary "Becoming John Ford" are worth the price of the whole set (I bought it at Amazon for $24.99!). In fact, the Ford documentary also includes "The Battle of Midway" with additional footage, "December 7th," and the much-neglected "Torpedo Squadron" (1942). Commentary has also been added to "Drums Along The Mohawk."

All these films represent "must have" classics for your collection. The packaging is compact and colorful.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best package of Ford's Fox films, January 13, 2009

By 

Douglas M - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ford At Fox Collection: The Essential John Ford Collection (The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath / Becoming John Ford) (DVD)

Sifting through the various packages which are available on DVD of John Ford's filmaking at 20th Century Fox, this set is probably the one which offers the most reliable entertainment, the highest standard of films and the best value. It is worth noting that all of the films, with the exception of "Frontier Marshall" (not a Ford film), represent Ford at his best while he worked within the constraints of the studio system (not necessarily a bad thing) and in collaboration with Darryl F. Zanuck, the studio head and as strong minded as Ford. All of the films have extensive and informative reviews under their individual titles, so here a few random comments:

- "Frontier Marshall", a B grade western directed by Alan Dwan, is a precursor to "My Darling Clementine". It demonstrates the difference between an assembly line western with a tight budget and the achievements of Ford with a much bigger budget and a much better cast for the lyrical "My Darling Clementine". Everything about the latter is superior, possible with the exception of an amusing Binnie Barnes in the part modified for Linda Darnell which Darnell played so artificially.
- Ford preferred not to work with conventional stars and Claudette Colbert undermines "Drums along the Mohawk". While she acts the part, she never looks the part. With her reputation for vanity, the false eyelashes etc are absurd.
- "How Green was My Valley" contains a really good commentary with geriatric Anna Lee, one of the stars of the film, adding her comments.

All of the prints are in great condition and the documentaries provide invaluable information about the films, the studio and Zanuck. The dud of the set, if you discount "Frontier Marshall", is the documentary, "Becoming John Ford", a prototype of pretentious and tedious film making. You will learn much more about Ford himself by watching the documentary attached to "How Green was My Valley" in which Roddy McDowell, Maureen O'Hara and Anna Lee appear or listening to the very detailed commentary on "My Darling Clementine". This disk also contains a pre-release cut of the film and the differences are carefully analysed. It gives a rare opportunity to understand how Zanuck could use his editorial skills to enhance a narrative.