GLEN FORD LIKES ACTING

Chronicle (Levin), 10 August 1946, Page 6

GLEN FORD LIKES ACTING

Glenn Ford, reeently discharged froni the Marine Corps, thinks that his two-year period of enlistment really helped his acting career. He is happy to be back ip civilian life, and doing the job he likes best, which is acting. He lives in Santa Monica, right on the ocean front, with his wife, dancing star Eleanor Powell, and their small son, Peter Newton Ford. The world is a very bright spot ior the actor these days. Santa Monica, as a matter of fact, is pretty much home to Glenn. Although he was born in Quebec, Canada, his family moved to Santa JVlonica when he was a boy of seven. He attended Santa Monica High School, where he was commissioner of entertainment, a class j officer and a varsity athlete in j football, track and lacrosse. The j last named, Canada's national j sport, was his favourite game. He did quite well in English and history, as befits a nephew of Sir fJohn MacDonald, former Prime Minister of Canada, and a descendant of Martin Van Buren, eighth ; President of the" United States. When Glenn graduated from j school in 1935, he decided he want- ; ed to be an actor. Herman Shumnia was in California to put |On a West Coast production i of Lillian Hellman's "The "Chiljdren's Hour." Ford sought out Ishumlin, bodly proclaimed hic wish j to be a thespian, despite his com-' plete lack of professional experijence. The Ford lad got the job; the irole of a grocery boy. j When the show finished its ! western tour, Glenn joined The I Players, a little theatre group in j i Santa Barbara. Here, he really j 'received dramatic training, playing I ia variety of plays such as "Parnell,'' : : "The Royal Family" and "Berkeley i Square." Finally, another professional chahce came, with Francis . iLederer in "Golden Boy." Later he 1 ■supported John Beal in "Solilo.- 1 jquy," which went to Broadway. ! 1 Ford's first picture was "Heaven j With a Barbed Wire Fence," made > at Fox. Columbia executives saw it, and signed the actor to a term j : contract. He has been with Col- i : umbia ever since, except for nis j Marine Service. He admits to a ! skeletoh in his closet. His first i name is really Gwyilyn. "I changed ■ it to Glenn when I entered pictures," he explains. "You see, ; Gwyilyn sounds too much like a name for a movie actor!"