Attractive, amiable character actor who specialized in charming ne'er-do-well's. After a Dickensian childhood (a London orphanage, 17 Canadian foster homes), Ford entered vaudeville as a teen and eventually appeared in more than a dozen Broadway plays. His more notable stage works were "Seventeen", the critically-derided hit "Abie's Irish Rose", "Come Back, Little Sheba" and as George in "Of Mice and Men". Ford made his film bow in 1931 and racked up an impressive resume of more than 100 films, mostly in small supporting roles. Freelancing both for major studios like MGM, Paramount and UA and