Immediately prior to heading off to war, Glenn Ford completed the last film of the first part of his career, DESTROYER, in 1943. Ford served as a private in the Marine Corp., before finishing WWII as a Sergeant.

Much has been written about his war record and according to son Peter, much of it is inaccurate. He did serve with distinction but the mysterious details of his service will have to be clarified and reported in the much-anticipated Glenn Ford biography Peter Ford and Christopher Nickens are collaborating on as we speak—and which we are all waiting, with bated breath, to read!

It was during the Second World War that Glenn met and married his wife, Eleanor Powell, the brilliant tap dancer. Pat O’Brien, Glenn’s co-star in FLIGHT LIEUTENANT, became something of a mentor to Glenn and in fact introduced him to Eleanor in the hope that they would hit it off.

Glenn and Eleanor were married not long after they met and their only child, son Peter, was born in 1945.

With the war over, Glenn Ford, like thousands of other young men, was happy to return to civilian life and eager to resume his acting career. There was just one problem: none of the studios were interested.

A STOLEN LIFE (1946) – Directed by Curtis Bernhardt, starring Bette Davis & Glenn Ford

Bette Davis was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the 1940s. She had a lot of pull with the studios and when she wanted something she usually got it.

For her upcoming Warner Bros. extravaganza, A STOLEN LIFE, a soapy, multi-hanky women’s picture in which she was to play twin sisters—Davis wanted an appealing, relatively new leading man. Over the objections of virtually everyone in Hollywood (or at least at Warner Bros.) she chose Glenn Ford, then fought like the dickens to get him.

And while it was GILDA, Glenn’s next film, that established him among the brightest of Hollywood’s post-war male stars—and which was released before A STOLEN LIFE, even though it was filmed immediately after—it was Glenn’s opportunity to get back before the cameras in A STOLEN LIFE that kick-started his career back into gear after three long years. Not only Glenn—but all Glenn Ford fans everywhere—owe Bette Davis a deep debt of gratitude.

A STOLEN LIFE is a dated film. The melodramatic story is typical of the sentimental tear-jerkers made in the 1940s. It is, however, a very well-made and highly entertaining film.

Bette is the whole show as twin sisters Katie and Pat Bosworth whose opposite personalities keep the sparks flying. Glenn Ford plays Bill Emerson, a lighthouse keeper who appears a rather rough character at first, at least until he falls for Davis’ Katie, the reserved one of the two sisters.

Glenn is seen near the start of the film smoking a pipe, which is an effective visual aid in communicating his new maturity on-screen. Barely thirty years old at this time, Glenn Ford still looked rather boyish with his round face and full head of dark hair. The pipe was no doubt used to counter his youthfulness and convey a more settled individual. This is complemented by the ‘rooted’ quality in Glenn’s acting. He is always rooted in truth and never comes across as phony or forced. He holds his own with Bette Davis, even though his role is rather muted compared with her tour-de-force dual performance.

Of course any film featuring Walter Brennan and Charles Ruggles, two of the finest character actors EVER, is going to benefit greatly and have its entertainment quotient upped considerably. In fact, Brennan and Ruggles are so good you don’t even notice that Edgar Buchanan (Glenn’s frequent character actor co-star) isn’t in this one!

As stated at the beginning of this series, Glenn Ford’s films themselves will receive less detailed analyses here. Rather the focus will be maintained on Glenn’s development as an actor and an artist. Nevertheless, enough has to be said about each film to help pique the viewer’s interest in seeing it—or avoiding it, in a few cases.

A STOLEN LIFE is dominated by Davis, which was actually an ideal scenario for Glenn to ease back into films. He seems confident on camera and apart from his new air of maturity, gives the impression that his absence from the screen was far less than three years.

Glenn Ford had already proven himself before the war as an intelligent student of his profession by learning from his established co-stars like Brian Aherne (THE LADY IN QUESTION), Pat O’Brien (FLIGHT LIEUTENANT), Fredric March (SO ENDS OUR NIGHT) and Edward G. Robinson (DESTROYER). He must have learned a great deal from Bette Davis, as well.

Few actresses have used their eyes to such effect as Bette Davis. She manipulates her large, luminous eyes with subtle, studied, artful purpose, more often than not to reveal her ‘sub-text’ (the thoughts behind what she is really saying—or not saying).

Glenn Ford may have learned this technique from her, though he utilizes a more masculine approach. One of the ways to tell a good actor from a bad actor is whether you see the light of truth in their eyes. Do you believe them, no matter what they say or do? In Ford’s case his learned technique enhances his gift. You not only believe him, you trust him.

Glenn’s low-key acting style can be studied in the wedding scene. Conniving sister Patricia has managed to win Glenn away from Katie, the sister more temperamentally suited to Ford’s character. Patricia is a New York socialite who thrives on attention and glamour. Their wedding is lavish and loud. Bill Emerson (Ford’s character) finds himself suddenly a fish out of water. During the wedding reception Ford conveys Bill’s discomfort without saying a word. When posing for pictures, Ford darts his eyes around the room, as if he can’t quite believe what is happening. He looks thoroughly uncomfortable, as indeed he should. He has been uprooted.

As it turns out, Pat is unfaithful to Bill. In scenes of confrontation Ford conveys all the hurt and humiliation of the wronged husband with sensitivity and strength. He gives a full-dimensional performance in a role that, played by a lesser actor, could have come across as one-note and weak. To really appreciate his work in this film, contrast his performance with that of Dane Clark, the other male lead. Clark plays a rather troubled, flamboyant character, in stark contrast to Ford’s Bill Emerson, but Clark falls into the trap of being melodramatic in a melodrama. When a script is written melodramatically, it still has to be played as truthfully as if it were a kitchen sink drama. Ford never forgets to be real. (If ‘melodrama’ is defined as a ‘sensational dramatic piece with crude appeals to emotions’, this observation might be better understood).

A STOLEN LIFE is an unabashed ‘woman’s picture’ and because of its soapish elements a lot of people will write it off. The fact remains it is a very good film of its type. Bette Davis is the whole show here but Glenn Ford more than holds his own.

Enjoyed for what it is, A STOLEN LIFE is a humdinger of a soap. For Glenn Ford is was an excellent opportunity to resume his career. He didn’t have to carry the picture but the role was substantial enough and the film high profile enough (with a top star) that he couldn’t help but benefit. Glenn Ford was back. And as we shall see from GILDA, audiences couldn’t get enough of him!

One last thought about the film: When Glenn utters the last line of A STOLEN LIFE: ‘Oh Katie, I love you so much!’ females in the audience must have swooned in satisfaction. Sure the film is dated, but how can anyone not enjoy a happy ending?

GLENN FORD RETROSPECTIVE PART ONE LINKS:
INTRODUCTION
FILMS OF THE 1930s
FILMS OF 1940
FILMS OF 1941
FILMS OF 1942-43

GLENN FORD RETROSPECTIVE PART TWO LINKS:
INTRODUCTION & A STOLEN LIFE
FILMS OF 1946
FILMS OF 1947-48
FILMS OF 1948-49
FILMS OF 1949
FILMS OF 1950

Jon Ted Wynne