Additional information
by Michael F. Blake (Author)
The Cavalry Trilogy captures the genesis of Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950), from pre-production to theatrical releases. Along the way, readers learn why Ford loved his favorite location (Monument Valley), how various stunts were achieved, and how Ford used his unique style in various scenes (called a "Fordian touch" by film critics and scholars). In addition, each film includes an analysis of Ford's scene construction and character development. Illustrated with numerous behind-the-scenes photographs, many which have never been published before, and screen captures from the cutting room floor, this book is the ultimate gift for John Ford fans and readers who love to discover the grit and glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age.
Author Biography
Michael F. Blake spent 60 years working in the film and television industry prior to his retirement in 2018. He began acting at the age of two, and for the next twenty years appeared in numerous television shows such as Adam-12, The Lucy Show, The Munsters, Red Skelton Show, Kung Fu, Bewitched and Bonanza.
For 40 years he worked as a makeup artist on numerous movies and television shows, such as X-Men: First Class, Westworld, Spider-Man 3, Happy Days (final season), Soapdish, Tough Guys, Independence Day, Disney Sunday Night Movie, Magnum, P.I. (pilot) and Strange Days to name a few. He received two Emmy Awards for Best Makeup in 1998 (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer)and 2016 (Key and Peele).
He has written three books on Hollywood's "Man of a Thousand Faces," Lon Chaney, which are considered the definitive work on the actor's life and career. His books served as the basis for Kevin Brownlow's 2000 documentary for Turner Classic Movies, Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces. Blake also authored My Code of Honor: The Making of High Noon, Shane and The Searchers and Hollywood and the O.K. Corral, both of which are considered valuable contributions to the genre.
The Cowboy President: The American West and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt was named the best political biography of 2018 by True West magazine. The book also won the gold medal in the Biography/Memoir category from the Will Rogers Medallion Awards. My follow-up book, Go West, Mr. President: Theodore Roosevelt's Great Loop Tour of 1903 has been praised for shining a light on a little-known aspect of the 26th President's life and career.
Blake also writes about Hollywood, filmmaking, and the West for Wild West, American Cinematographer, True West, Round-Up and Los Angeles Times. He Lives in Buckeye, Arizona
