Best-known for directing Westerns and silent movies, John Ford is one of the most prominent filmmakers of all time. Though many of his silent films are now lost in Hollywood archives, his legacy lives on as ‘The Great American Director’. Through his career covering nearly 50 years, he directed over 140 films, many of which were nominated for top honors with some even winning the Academy Awards. The 40s and 50s proved to be a crucial period in his career, as some of his best works including ‘Grapes of Wrath’, ‘Fort Apache’, ‘She Wore a Yellow Ribbon’ and ‘The Quiet Man’ were released. From westerns to classics and romance, he has experimented with a wide range of genres and unlike many other directors of his time, he was successful in most. His trademark style was directing long shots with his protagonists set in rocky, natural topographies. Apart from directing films, he also served in the United States Navy and was also linked with the Republican Party - although essentially apolitical, he was an ardent supporter of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and routed his money to the IRA to back them.