Glenn Ford, R. I. P.

WASHINGTON — Glenn Ford, a rugged but amiable leading man who appeared in nearly 100 movies, died Wednesday at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home, police said. He was 90.

Police found him dead about 4 p.m., Sgt. Lincoln Hoshino said. No foul play was suspected. Mr. Ford had suffered a series of strokes in the 1990s.

Three of Mr. Ford's best films were "Gilda" (1946), "The Big Heat" (1953) and "The Blackboard Jungle" (1955). In them, he was a gambler, a police detective and a schoolteacher, respectively. As varied as the parts were, all benefited from his low-boil technique. He also was the Man of Steel's adoptive father in "Superman" (1978).

I remember Ford in so many movies that it's hard to count them. Besides the ones mentioned above, The Sheepman is a favorite. He was one of those guys who could play almost any role and play it well.