John Ford is arguably the greatest American movie director of all time. Best known for the films “The Grapes of Wrath,” “The Informer,” “How Green Was My Valley” and “The Quiet Man,” he took home an Academy Award for each of them and still holds the record for having the most Oscars for Best Director.
But in 1940, he took a hiatus from Hollywood and joined the U.S. Navy Reserve to make films for the Navy, creating the Naval Field Photographic Unit which eventually became known as “John Ford’s Navy.”
Ford filmed combat from the front lines of World War II, on any front to which he could send cameramen. He also worked for the Office of Strategic Services, forerunner to the modern-day CIA. His career was not unblemished, however: He was also known for hard drinking and an irate temperament, impatience and perfectionism. He also never showed up to receive any …