Peter Ford

"We are all three people," actor Glenn Ford said in a 1949 interview,"the person we think we are, the person the world thinks we are, and the person we really are." In son Peter Ford's new biography Glenn Ford: A Life we learn, in dramatic fashion, just how true that statement really is. On screen, in such classic Hollywood  films as Gilda, 3:10 to Yuma,The Big Heat, The Rounders, and Blackboard Jungle, the Canadianborn Ford was cast as an American Everyman,developing a naturalistic on-screen style that allowed him to effortlessly shift among almost every film genre, from drama to film noir to western to romantic comedy. Following his discovery in theatre, he worked on radio and in television in addition to his extensive film appearances. In the pages of numerous fan magazines he starred, alongside wife, Eleanor Powell (MGM's first lady of film dance), and son, Peter, as part of the Perfect Family," a devoted husband and father living the good life in Hollywood's Golden Age. But behind the scenes, Ford's personality and his private life were in stark contrast to his easygoing public persona. Glenn Ford: A Life reveals a driven, dedicated, enormously talented actor whose career spanned seven decades and over 100 film appearances. But it also reveals a man who could be intensely distant to those closest to him, and whose serial philandering (with the likes of Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, and Judy Garland) led to a series of failed marriages and personal heartache. The result is a moving, nuanced portrait of one of Hollywood's greatest stars told with the keen insight and unflinching candor that only his son could provide.

Growing up as the son of film stars, Peter had the opportunity to meet many legends including Eddie Cantor, Sophie Tucker and Al Jolson, who were regular visitors. One clear memory is of going to Pickfair as a child, the social 'watering hole' in those days, and sitting on Mary Pickford's knee as she told me stories of the days of yore. Clark Gable, Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck would come to dinner. Neighbor James Mason was often his baby sitter and Charlie Chaplin, who lived next door, was not the Little Tramp but the villain of Peter's young life when he accidentally killed Peter's beloved dog,Bill. In a foot note to Rock and Roll history, Peter was responsible for the Bill Haley and the Comet's song Rock Around the Clock being used as the theme song of his father's film, Blackboard Jungle in 1955. Musically precocious, young Peter's record collection and his recommendations were the source that director Richard Brooks used for this MGM film. This song, that Dick Clark dubbed the natio nal anthem of rock and roll,ushered in the rock and roll revolution that was to significantly shape American culture.After graduating from college, Peter pursued a career as an actor and singer.

Under contract to Capitol Records, Peter was mentored by the incomparable Nat King Cole. Later, his single, Blue Ribbons, resulted in appearances on many teen music television shows, including American Bandstand, Hullabaloo and Ninth Street West. He eventually formed his own group, The Creations, who appeared in various local clubs, as well as the Whiskey a Go-Go in San Francisco and the El Cortez Club in Las Vegas. Peter appeared in eight movies with his father as well as many other movies, television shows, and stage productions. He eventually left acting and singing and became a licensed contractor and built and remodeled homes for many of the most famous people in Hollywood. By the time he retired from building in 1996, his work had been published in architectural magazines across the world. Later, he hosted a successful late-night political talk show on radio. Peter met his wife, Lynda, when they were both students at USC. They have been married for over 40 years and have three children. SPECIAL GUEST: PETER FORD Discussing his new book about his father GLENN FORD.