he is most identified with is that of Horace Vandergelder opposite Shirley Booth in the 1958 screen version of The Matchmaker. Ford had an active career in both films and television until his retirement in the early 1970s. Despite being a respected Broadway character actor, Ford was notorious for being unable to remember his lines. This would cause difficulty forcing him and those around him to improvise. This became especially notable on The Phil Silvers Show. He appeared in the 1962–1963 season in the CBS anthology The Lloyd Bridges Show. He starred in The Baileys of Balboa, which lasted only one season (1964–1965). His stage credits include Another Part of the Forest (1946), Command Decision (1947), The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953), Whoop-Up (1958), replacing David Burns as Mayor Shinn in The Music Man (1957), A Thurber Carnival (1960), Never Too Late (1962), 3 Bags Full (1966), and What Did We Do Wrong? (1967). Most actors who worked with Ford claimed he was a kindly and very funny man. He was known for his quotes about the Depression in later years, including, "My kids used to think everyone lived on peanut butter sandwiches." His final role prior to his death was a Washington doctor in Richard. Death On 12 April 1976, Ford died of a heart attack at Nassau Hospital in Mineola, New York. He was 74. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and two sons. Recognition Ford was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards: Best Supporting Performance by an Actor (1957), Best Continuing Supporting Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic or Comedy Series (1958) and Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor (1963). The first two were for his work on The Phil Silvers Show; the third was for a role on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Ford was nominated in 1963 for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Never Too Late. Ford's obituary in The New York Times noted "In 1967 Mr. Ford was cited by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures as the best supporting actor for his role in The Comedians." Partial filmography The House on 92nd Street (1945) as Police Sergeant (uncredited) The Front Page (TV Movie 1945) The Naked City (1948) as Henry Fowler (uncredited) Lust for Gold