Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company (Scarecrow Filmmakers)

This excellent book harks back to a Hollywood era when men were men. It encompasses the silent films starring Carey's father, who was a major star and successfully made the transition to talkies, and is full of anecdotes about an age when stars like John Wayne were expected to be as tough as the characters they portrayed.Carey himself even in old age has the boyish looks that probably spoiled his chances of emulating Wayne in the tough-guy roles,but what a career. His stories of Wayne and Ford are great,but what makes the book even more enjoyable are the stories concerning the less well known characters who were the backbone of Ford's films. Actors like Ben Johnson who was also a world champion rodeo rider,Hank Worden who always seemed to get the dotty old-timer roles but who was a great horseman and tough as old boots,Ken Curtis,Ward Bond,and the bit-players who made these films so wonderful. In the days before the computer generated image ruined the action film these men(and women!)literally threw themselves into their roles,and Carey's stories bring the whole era to life. Reading what Ford did to Carey to make his death scene in "3 Godfathers" realistic,and the sadistic treatment handed out even to Wayne ,makes you glad to be reading it from the comfort of your armchair.These films have never been bettered,and this book shows you why.A great read.

The value in this book is not just that it paints an interesting picture of the great John Ford, but that it also shows sides of the Ford stock actors we have not seen. Did you know that Ward Bond loved the ladies and had the hots for Vera Ralston when they were filming The Searchers? That Ford and Richard Widmark got along like gangbusters? That Ken Curtis's strange accent in The Searchers came about by accident and got him the part of Festus on Gunsmoke years later? Or that Victor Jory was a tough old bird? The book is full of interesting little tidbits of information like this about actors I have known and loved. It even gave me an understanding of why The Long Grey Line - one of my favorite Ford films - was not well received. All the details of the problems, the ends and outs, the stuntmen, the jokes, the hard work of making each film made me want to pull all those films off the shelf and watch them again. If you love old these truly classic films you will not want to miss this book.

A really fine book by someone who has a true appreciation for the giants he worked with. Mr. Carey is a wonderful story teller, sensitive with a good sense of humor. His observations make for what may be the best book about John Ford ever written. But it is Dobe Carey's depiction of all the greats who worked for Ford that makes this book special indeed. They were unique and wonderful screen icons, the likes of which we will never see again. Mr. Carey brings them to life again in a way I shall never forget. Do not miss this book!

The man knows how to write. His conversational style conveys the feeling that he is seated next to you, telling one insightful tale after another. As one might imagine, the presence of John Ford looms large over the text. Hopefully he will write another volume about his experiences working with other film directors.

This is a heartwarming biographical sketch of not only the film work of John Ford, but of John Wayne, Ward Bond, and others. I've read other books about Ford, but this ranks tops in my estimation. He tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but does it in a human way.