The John Ford Statue is located on the corner of Pleasant and Danforth Streets in Portland Maine. The great film director grew up in Portland and graduated from Portland High School. He directed more than 100 movies and has won multiple Oscars.
New York artist George Kelly made the piece, which was dedicated in 1993. His legs are crossed, seated in a directors chair with pipe in hand. Granite blocks ring the case of the statue naming his Oscar winning films. Linda Noe Lane, a Ford family friend, donated $250,000 to make the statue after visiting Portland and finding little evidence of him.
John Ford won a total of six Academy Awards. He was awarded Best Director for:
- The Informer (1935)
- The Grapes Of Wrath (1940)
- How Green Was My Valley (1941)
- The Quiet Man (1952)
He was also nominated in the Best Director category for Stagecoach in 1939 and won two Oscars for Best Documentary:
- The Battle Of Midway
- December 7th: The Movie
Maureen O’Hara was his favorite actress. The statue is located in Gorham’s Corner in Portland at 2 Pleasant Street, a neighborhood once populated by Irish immigrants.
