Actor Glenn Ford dies at 90

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Glenn Ford, a handsome and quiet character actor who made his mark in big films like "Gilda" and "The Big Heat," died on Wednesday in his Beverly Hills home, police said. He was 90.
The Beverly Hills Police Department said in a statement that paramedics were called to Ford's home in the afternoon and found the actor dead.
The cause of his death was not immediately known.
The Canadian-born actor, who starred in five movies with Rita Hayworth, never quite attained the superstar status he sought, but nevertheless won the hearts of moviegoers in a variety of roles.
Many critics thought he was underrated and one, David Shipmann, wrote, "He is a good -- if not the best -- example of that second-string group, the dependable and efficient actor."
Ford made low-key appearances in more than 200 movies, and became one of the most enduring stars of the silver screen.
Away from the cameras, Ford led an intensely private life, shunning nightspots in favor of a quiet home life. He was set to make his first public appearance in 15 years at a 90th birthday tribute in Hollywood four months ago, but was unable to attend because of ill health. In his place, former co-stars such as Debbie Reynolds and Martin Landau sang his praises.
Although most frequently appearing in Westerns, Ford played a variety of quietly intense heroes and villains and is best remembered for his non-Western roles.
His career began in 1939 and was highlighted by starring roles in director Fritz Lang's "The Big Heat" in 1953, in which he played a cop out to avenge his wife's murder; Richard Brooks' "The Blackboard Jungle" in 1955, in which he played a teacher; and "The Teahouse of the August Moon" in 1956, in which he played a U.S. soldier in Japan.
After his first movie, "Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence," Ford made a number of low-budget dramas before joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942.
After returning from World War Two, he starred in his first big budget film, the romance "Gilda," with Hayworth in 1946. The movie was a hit and Bette Davis confirmed his leading-man status by picking him to star with her in "A Stolen Life," released the same year.
Ford teamed with Hayworth again for "The Loves of Carmen" (1948) and "Affair in Trinidad" (1958) and played one of his best villains, a sadistic lawman, in "The Man From Colorado"
(1948).

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