Peter Ford - Son of Glenn Ford and Eleanor Powell

Peter Ford had the good fortune of being the only child of two of Hollywood's most renowned movie stars, Eleanor Powell, one of MGM’s greatest musical stars, and Hollywood's number one box office star of 1958, Glenn Ford.

At the age of thirty-three, Eleanor Powell gave up her career as a Hollywood dancer/actress to take on the new, and according to her, more important role of wife and mother. At the time of her early retirement, Eleanor was already a well-known, well-loved performer. Giving up her career for a life of domestic bliss to be married to a little known actor by the name of, Glenn Ford, had studio moguls and fans in an uproar. It wasn't until three years after their marriage, in 1946, that the public and studio heads knew who Glenn Ford really was. It was that year that "Gilda" was released, which starred Glenn and Rita Hayworth. They would electrify the screen in what was to become a "classic". Glenn Ford had "overnight" become a major star.

Born in Los Angeles, California on February 5th, 1945, Peter Ford was the child of a marriage made in Hollywood. He led a childhood of many privileges and opportunities that most children would never experience. Among some examples, Peter recalls learning to swim, “When I was five my parents wanted me to learn to swim. A normal activity for most young children but my parents went about it a little differently. Instead of enrolling me in swimming class, they built an Olympic sized swimming pool in our back yard. Not only did they hire a private swimming instructor to teach me, but my 'swim coach' turned out to be an old friend of Mother's from her early days in show business, Johnny Weissmuller." It was the same story with tennis, for tennis lessons he was packed off to the Beverly Hills Hotel to play with Pancho Segora, for golf - Peter practiced in the backyard with the great Ben Hogan who was also preparing his father to play him in the film, Follow the Sun.

It was certainly not the “average life” and Glenn Ford made a point to ensure his son, Peter, would not be overindulged to the point of being a spoiled brat. A common term labeled on many of Hollywood’s children.

The off-spring of a father who was a plumber or shop assistant/stay at home Mother would grow up with just the regular family friends coming to visit the family home. This was the same with Peter, however his “family friends” who’d visit frequently were quite different. "Because of my Mother’s earlier Broadway background, I met many luminaries of the stage and screen at a very young age. Eddie Cantor and Sophie Tucker were regular visitors, as was Al Jolson, who my Mother once briefly dated. Jimmy Stewart and Rita Hayworth would visit often. One clear memory is of going to Pickfair, the social 'place to be' in those days. It was the residence of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. I remember sitting on Mary Pickford's knee as she told me stories. We were only a few houses away from Pickfair so it wasn’t far from home.” Fred Astaire lived up the street and Charlie Chaplin was his next door neighbor. Peter recalls, "I will never forget the night that Charlie Chaplin, rushing down the street in his car, hit my beloved German Shepard, Bill. I suffered a lot of trauma over my dog’s death. Any child would." The fact is, as a child, Peter didn't know these people were famous. It was really no different for him to have Clark Gable, Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck sitting at his dinner table. James Mason, another neighbor, often was his baby sitter when his parents were out for the evening. Pearl Bailey is my God Mother and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson is my God Father. "My parents were entertainers and their friends were entertainers. It is amusing to think back on, now that I realize how significant these people were.

"I remember that nearly every weekend Mom, Dad and I would be poising for pictures that would accompany movie magazine stories that were being written at the time. As the only child of these two famous parents I was often needed for publicity sessions. Today, my children get a kick of seeing their Dad as a child in all these early publications."

Peter's parents were married in October of 1943. After the marriage Eleanor gave up her career to be a housewife and Mother. She never really returned to films, the family was more important to her than her career. "After 'Gilda' was released and my Father was now considered “a star”, my parents wanted to buy their own home. My Father was under contract to Harry Cohn at Columbia Studios. Mr. Cohn was not known for his generosity, so Dad, working under his old weekly contract, couldn't afford it. Mom stepped in and went to London and appeared at the Palladium where she earned enough money for the down payment on the house. They purchased a huge twenty-two room home on Cove Way, Beverly Hills." The previous owner had been Max Steiner; who composed and conducted the music for countless films, Gone with the Wind, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, and Casablanca to name just a few.

In 1952 Eleanor created and hosted a religious television show called, “Faith of our Children”. It was the first weekly religious show west of the Rockies. Peter appeared as a member of the Sunday school class for the four years the show aired. “Faith of our Children” won five local Emmys. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars at the time were guests on the program.

In a foot note to Rock and Roll history, Peter was directly responsible for the Bill Haley and his Comet’s song “Rock Around the Clock” appearing as the theme song of his father’s film, Blackboard Jungle in 1955. This song was called the anthem of rock and roll by Dick Clark and ushered in the rock and roll revolution that was to significantly shape our American culture.

In a Hollywood sense, sixteen years of marriage is a long-term commitment. That was the length of time it took before divorce was mentioned in the Ford household and in 1959, at the age of fourteen, Peter’s secure world had crumbled around him. He recalls those times clearly.

His father didn’t want his son to become another Hollywood brat, and because of that fact he often went beyond what was necessary to instill a sense of discipline and responsibility. "There were many times when my friends wanted to play and Dad would insist I spend the weekend chopping wood and doing other chores, I was only excused if I was before the camera doing publicity. Conversely, my Mother would indulge me by buying me ice creams and milkshakes to compensate for Dad's strictness. It was a battle between the two of them and I was the chess piece stuck in the middle. It became more strategic as the divorce grew closer. I'll tell you this, divorce can be very hard on children, and it was on me.

I was not handed a new car or a wads of money for the asking. I probably felt sorry for myself at the time, but now I appreciate that it’s made me a better person for not getting the 'easy ride.' Sadly, many of my 'show biz' peers are today, bitter, lonely or dead for lack of good parenting."

Some of his fondest memories are of his father and him building projects together. "We had a workshop with tools that he taught me to use. Among other things, we created a wonderful fort, with two bunk beds and even a WW II anti aircraft gun and turret on the roof, accessed by a secret trap door. It was the hit of the neighborhood." This pursuit of woodworking was a passion that most certainly spilled over into adult life and led Peter to create his own construction company. "Dad might have been strict, but I owe him a great deal for some of the talents and qualities that I have to this day."

There were certain formalities in the Ford household. Peter remembers, "As a child I would always have to dress in a shirt and slacks for dinner. Dad would, without fail, check my hands and fingernails at dinner to make sure they were clean. They had better be clean or dinner would wait. Not only did I make my bed every day, but the quarter that my father inevitably dropped upon it, needed to bounce the required two inches. Needless to say, doing my chores and helping around the house was expected, and rightly so.

I loved both my parents but at the time of the divorce, I had to choose where I would be living. I decided to live with my Mother because she needed me, but that choice cost me the opportunity to be with my Father for a very long time. Until the time of the divorce, my parents maintained separate living areas in the same house. My bedroom was right in the middle. I remember the lawyers coming and going and whispering about what would happen to “the child”, but nothing was ever spoken about it to me out loud. It was a very stressful time. As much as my parents parting hurt me, I was glad when the separation was finalized.

Within days, my mother and I were left alone in a huge old mansion on a couple of acres of land. It was eerie, my dad was gone and with him the social life we once knew. Frank, the gardener, was the only other adult I saw for awhile at the house. We couldn’t afford to pay anyone else to help maintain the household. After a few months, as a matter of survival, mom decided that she would need to go back to work. But this was not the story that was given to the press. She took out a large loan against the house to finance the return of dancing star: “Eleanor Powell.” She was doing it because of a challenge from her son.

Over time, she developed an act and took it on the road. She was a success. At one time she was earning over twenty-five thousand dollars a week. Not a bad paycheck, and in the early 1960s it was big money. However, there was a problem. All the money she made had to be plowed back to maintain the act. By the time the dancers were paid, the costumes were cleaned and the traveling costs were calculated, not to mention everyone insisting on flying first class, there was a cash flow all right, but it was all going out. No profit!"

During those years when his mother was on the road, Peter lived by himself in the big house while he was going to college. "Dad and I started seeing each other again, in fact I moved in with him for awhile. I appeared in a handful of films with him during the late 50s and 60s. In the mid 1960s my mother retired again, and I moved back home to help her maintain the old house. Sadly, although we struggled to keep it, the house had to be sold. We just couldn’t afford its upkeep. Many nights we would sit down to a meal of Hamburger helper and beans, we honestly couldn’t afford anything else. We grew the vegetables in the yard, that everyone thought were for show, they were not, we ate them.

I really think mother did her best acting when it was time to sell the house. She was well prepared, and thinking back now, it is amusing. Because we couldn’t afford anyone to help us, on the day of a 'showing' mother and I would spend all day cleaning. She would purposely make the real estate broker’s appointments toward the end of the day in order to give us enough time to make the place look immaculate. When they eventually showed up with their clients, hopefully, potential buyers, mother would always make sure she was outside, lounging in the sun by the pool. She played the part of the retired movie star perfectly. She was entirely believable reading a glamour magazine wearing her dark glasses, and doing her best Joan Crawford. Who would have believed that just minutes before she had been furiously cleaning the toilets, with me following behind with the vacuum and dust cloth."

As the only child of two actor parents it is a given that the only child of two people in “the business” would try his hand at the same profession. Peter did just that. Peter has worked in nearly two dozen-film projects, both as an actor and a dialogue director. The first film in which Father and son both worked on together was “Gilda” where they used Peter’s photo to represent Johhny Farell (Glenn’s role in the film) as a child, and later, “The Americano” which was shot in Brazil in 1954. Peter’s first speaking role was in The Gazebo in 1959, one of Glenn's favorite comedies, co-starring Debbie Reynolds. He also appeared in Pocketful of Miracles, Dear Heart, Advance to the Rear, Fate is the Hunter and The Rounders, to name a few

Peter graduated from Chadwick High School in Palos Verdes, California in 1962. He received Associates of Arts degree from Santa Monica College in 1966 while pursuing a career as an actor and singer. Under contract to Capitol Records, Peter was being mentored by the legendary, Nat King Cole. Later, when recording for Phillips Records, the release of his single, “Blue Ribbons”, resulted in appearances on many teen music television shows including, American Bandstand, Hullabaloo and Ninth Street West. Later, Peter was also under contract as a singer at MGM records

He eventually formed his own group, The Creations, and they appeared in various local clubs in and around the Los Angeles area, as well as the Whiskey A Go Go in San Francisco and the El Cortez Club in Las Vegas.

In the summer of 1966, Peter and his group were scheduled to appear in San Diego, on the bill with pop music stars, Peter and Gordon. It was a major break but the unimaginable happened, Peter was struck with crippling arthritis. Within weeks he was totally bedridden. He was forced to give up everything he had worked so hard to gain. Just when it was within reach, it was taken away. Peter remembers back to those days. “I was told I’d most likely be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I remember being in such excruciating pain. Some mornings I would have to crawl from room to room just to get around. Most doctors told me it was a hopeless case, I would be crippled from this disease, and I would never walk again. I refused to believe it and went about my own health regime to mend my broken body. I gave up all red meat, liquor and most other things considered “bad for you” and eventually I was able to stand then walk with a cane. It was agonizing to make such an effort but I had to, I refused to give in, there was too much at stake."

Peter went back to College. His singing career now virtually ended before it had really began, but there was no other choice but to go back to school. He was accepted at the University of Southern California. Throughout those two years at U.S.C Peter had to walk with a cane and crutches. It was diagnosed that he would need them his entire life, and would never walk unassisted again.

It was at U.S.C that he met his future wife, Lynda Gundersen. Both were English majors. In 1968, Peter graduated, cum laude, with a B.A degree in English. He was accepted to law school at U.S.C., Lynda went on to receive a Masters in Education and became an elementary public school teacher.

For Peter, Law school was put on hold, when the summer of 1968 he was offered a job he couldn’t refuse. He was asked by actor/producer, George Montgomery to co-star with Chuck Connors and Ceasar Romero in a western: The Proud and the Damned. It was to be filmed in Columbia, South America. Peter, still suffering from arthritis, took the part. He was only able to complete the film with massive doses of medication. But by necessity, Peter felt he had to try and make a steady and reliable living by what he knew best, carpentry. To try and work full time in the movie business was too physically demanding. He started doing small jobs for family and friends. It would soon be the start of a successful building company.

Peter and Lynda were married in his Father’s home in December 1970. Rita Hayworth, now Glenn's next door neighbor, was the guest of honor. Peter and Lynda's first home was a small rented apartment in West Hollywood. It was during this time that Peter, between building commissions, began working at Twentieth Century Fox as a dialogue director. His first project was The Mephisto Waltz starring Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset. Peter’s association at Fox afforded him other opportunities, including a recurring role as an actor on “The New Perry Mason” television show.

While at Fox in 1972, he was invited to play a supporting role in his Father’s new T.V series, “Cade’s County.” The series ran for one year on CBS. Peter appeared as the forensic deputy, Peter Odom, in nearly every one of the twenty-six episodes.

All through the filming, Peter was still suffering terribly from the crippling arthritis. His strict diet continued medication and intense physical therapy had only become bearable. One night, after yet another heavy does of steroids, he asked his Mother to help him, to pray from the release from the grip of pain in which he had been living. She did just that, and the next day, he was, for the first time in years, without any pain. His doctor was amazed, Peter was amazed. All hope had been given up that he’d ever be completely well and all of a sudden this miracle had occurred. Soon, Peter stopped all medication. Over three decades later, Peter remains completely free of the once crippling illness.

After Cade’s County had ended, Peter was asked to join the LA. County Sheriff’s Department as a Reserve Deputy. He had played a sheriff in the forensic lab in the series and had been trained for his role by a technical advisor from the Sheriff’s Department. Peter, who only months before was nearly disabled, was able to join the force in 1973. He eventually reached the rank of Lieutenant, and retired in 1996 after twenty-two years of public service.

During the mid seventies, Peter continued to work in the film industry. It was in a nearly fatal airplane accident (in a scene with actor, James Wood) while filming an episode of a television series at the time, “Barnaby Jones”, that led him away from acting and back to his love, building and working with his hands. Before he stopped acting, Peter appeared in eight films with his Father, he had several roles in television shows, a singing career and had even appeared in a play, “Member of the Wedding” with Ethel Waters. Peter, not only had the opportunity of working at every major motion picture studio, but, as was mentioned earlier, he also had a speaking role in Frank Capra's last film, Pocketful of Miracles.

With Lynda teaching school and now also working in films, they both remodeled their first home. Their funds were scarce, so they did all the work themselves. Peter did the construction, Lynda sewed the drapes and decorated, and together they painted the rooms. Their first child, Aubrey Newton Ford, joined the family in January 1977. They sold their home and made enough profit to purchase another and remodel that one as well. Eventually it became a pattern. Peter and Lynda decided to put all their energies into buying, remodeling and selling homes for a living. Before they stopped, and moved in to care for Peter's father, they renovated and sold seven homes.

Peter’s first major home building commission was for Walter and Rita Coblenz, producer of All the President’s Men and The Onion Field. He took a partner into his company and the Blackoak Development Company was born. Peter went on to build and remodel homes for many well known clients producer, Steve Tisch, actress, Mary Kay Place, producer, Jerry Belson, super agent, Jeff Berg, Don Simpson, producer of Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop, Chuck Shyer and Nancy Meyers who wrote Private Benjamin, actress Jo Beth Williams, health guru Richard Simmons, actress Sally Kellerman and Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews.

In August 1984, Ryan Welsie Ford was born and their daughter, Eleanor Powell Ford joined the family in July of 1988. In 1989 Peter took over the company and operated it as a sole proprietorship until his retirement from building in 1996.

Peter’s company, Blackoak/Ford, was a respected custom residential construction firm working in Los Angeles. His work has been published in the most prestigious architectural magazines throughout the world. The Schnabel House, designed by noted architect, Frank Gehry, was voted by the New York Times as one of the “Ten Contemporary American Homes that matter most to Architects.”

Today, Peter and Lynda support many charitable causes. Peter also serves as a member of the board of trustees of The Americanism League. He’s a student and collector of Native American material culture, an avid reader, collects movie memorabilia from Hollywood's Golden Age, and maintains The Glenn Ford and Eleanor Powell Library and Archives. As a writer, he also has had numerous articles published. His collection of the personally inscribed photos to him, which he started collecting as a child, is extensive (see www.peterford.com ). One expert who has seen his autographed photos said it was one of the most comprehensive collections he had ever seen. Peter had the rare opportunity of personally knowing most of the greatest figures of stage and screen from the bygone days. In addition, he is a public speaker dealing with issues of Americanism and patriotism, as well as recalling his adventures as a participant in that starry cosmos known as Hollywood.

Peter’s various interests led him to KIEV 870 AM radio, where for nearly three years he hosted a popular weekly nighttime political talk show. The station was sold in 1998, and he left the air.

Peter has run twice for non partisan elected office. He received ten thousand votes in his first attempt and thirty thousand in the next, but both were unsuccessful. The outcome of these two efforts sparked considerable interest by many people who have encouraged Peter to seek partisan office in the future.

Peter is now retired, but remains active in many endeavors, from sitting on Boards of Directors, helping local charities and pursuing his various hobbies. He is currently writing a book about his Father, and another about his unique place growing up in Hollywood's Golden Age. Peter’s mother, Eleanor Powell, died in 1982. Today, Peter and his wife, Lynda reside in Beverly Hills, California.

It does certainly seem Peter Ford not only survived being one of child of Hollywood, but made his own way in the world, built a business, had a family and lived through the normal ups and downs that all of us endure from time to time. Although, through it all, his success was not because he was the son of two movie star parents; it was simply because he was, Peter Ford.

Go to Peterford.com