Henry Ford on PBS

I really enjoyed it. Much I had heard and much I hadn't. It made me wonder at the end after Edsel's death how much Henry would have changed what he did..... If he regretted any of it.... He was a proud, brilliant, and stubborn man. What it took in those days to succeed.
 
My take on Ford was that he was a talented inventor but a terrible father who was extremely narcissistic with an excessive interest in himself and his physical appearance, displaying extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of his own talents and a craving for admiration.
 
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I just caught the last half hour or so of it. So I looked it up on the DirecTv guide. It is going to show at 1:00am and 4:00am MST Thursday. So I will "tape it" (DVR) and watch it later.

I found it interesting that he yearned for the simpler life, building Greenfield Village, even though his Model T and huge factories had helped hasten the evolution of this country from a rural one to an urban one.
 
mikeinnj said:
my take on ford was that he was a talented inventor but a terrible father who was extremely narcissistic with an excessive interest in himself and his physical appearance, displaying extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of his own talents and a craving for admiration.
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ditto!!!
 
I think it takes a bit of narcissism or "bullheadedness" to be a successful person. Like it or not. But you know what they say, "as you get older your personality becomes more profound, that's all well and good unless your an A-hole."

Henry started out treating employees very fair. If not better then fair with higher pay then other companies. Then it all seemed to get a little nasty.

Didn't fathers back then treat their sons a bit harder then they do today? The old John Wayne mentality?

A tidbit that I thought was interesting was about the family, after Henry died, sold the Brazilian rubber plantation for a song and dance.

Definitely packed with info.
 
Nothing on Evangeline. I am not sure how important that is given everything else he did. I enjoyed the show, too, but it is a sad story. Edsel was brilliant, too, and not as flawed as the old man. It is an old story, the entrepreneur/founder whose vision and drive starts the company, but isn't open to how the world changes.

I read the Sorensen book long, ago, as well as The Reckoning by David Halberstam. I didn't realize that Douglas Brinkley had written a book on Ford. I will need to check this book out. The Ford story is fascinating.
 
All i know is that after watching that show , i'm more proud to drive my car down the street for everyone to see. What id didn't like was , NO commercials , at my age i need a bathroom break at least every half hour.
 
duffer said:
All i know is that after watching that show , i'm more proud to drive my car down the street for everyone to see. What id didn't like was , NO commercials , at my age i need a bathroom break at least every half hour.
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LOL, I thought you wanted to see some 1928-31 commercials.:)
 
duffer said:
All i know is that after watching that show , i'm more proud to drive my car down the street for everyone to see. What id didn't like was , NO commercials , at my age i need a bathroom break at least every half hour.
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Duffer, Dog:cool: here, do a SEARCH on "CATCH CANS"
Buster T.:cool:
 
Very much enjoyed the program. I have just finished reading Wheels for the World by Mr. Brinkley. Much of the info included last night was also in the book. The only content problem I caught was the footage shown supposedly during the chaos at the factory during WWII. What should have been bombers was instead old footage of Model A's going down the line. Other than that, it was fairly balanced and worthwhile. Check out the book by Brinkley.
 
I have an increased admiration for Edsel, and will give him most of the credit for my Model A's from now on. I knew most of Henry's darker side already, but not to the extent of how much he had turned over operations to that thug, Bennett. It was a poor way for Henry to treat the shoulders he built his empire on.
 
First of all let me start by saying that of all Great American's Henry Ford is my favorite and has been since I was very young. In fact I wanted to grow up and do something great just like he did. But I am 60 now and have not done anything that I am famous for yet !! I know of his stubborness and have heard that he was to some extent antisemitic. So I still have great admiration for him and realize he was not a perfect human being. Having said all that I must say that although I love the history and music that PBS has I sometimes think they are anticapitalistic. Sorry to throw politics into this thing but to me they were a little harsh on old Henry. Yes he did have his personal shortcomings but his contribution to America far far far outweigh that. Maybe it is just me but historians today tend to tarnish the truth of our past to fit our politically correct society. As for his stubborness without that we would have never seen the Model T and all that it brought to this country.
 
Bruce Adams said:
Did I miss anything said on EVANGELINE DAHLINGER, his personal secretary, whom I believe Henry built an adjoining mansion for her and her "Husband" his chauffer, and supposedly had secret passages to her bed room and a son who claims old Henry was his father?
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The book "The Secret Life Of Henry Ford" by John Cote Dahlinger, published in 1978 gives much insight into this aspect of Henry's life. In my opinion John Dahlinger was the object of much doting by Henry. Draw your own conclusions.
 
I too have an increased admiration for Edsel. Guess I did not realize that he essentially was the Ford that created the Model A. To bad the car, the "Edsel" did not make a better showing later on in years.
 
RE: Old Henry's anti-Semitism

Some historians suggest that Ford's long-time personal secretary Ernst Liebold was largely responsible for Henry Ford's views on Jews... Liebold was a steadfast and unapologetic anti-Semite, and made no efforts towards and resisted all attempts to be chummy with other Ford employees.

Eventually, even Liebold was deposed, and spent his remaining years selling plumbing fixtures...
 
Very good documentary, am going to check out the DVD. Kind of a sad story, a genius who ran to the beat of a different drummer, and had problems relateing to others.
 
did you notice the stamping of the engine?
the guy seemed to have the numbers in a clip on his belt
he did each number by itself
i couldnt see how he knew which number to stamp
he just reached in grabbed the next number and whacked it with the hammer
 
The quote below is compliments of wikipedia on Harry Bennetts dismissal from Ford by Henry Ford 2. I find it interesting Henry Sr lack of concern over Bennett's dismissal.

From Wikipedia:


"As his first act, Henry Ford II, then 28, handed Bennett his walking papers. Bennett got in a parting shot by telling Ford, "You're taking over a billion-dollar company that you haven't contributed a thing to." That afternoon, Bennett departed, ending his strange 30 year career with the Ford Motor Company.
The bizarre and ruthless Bennett era was finally over. Afterwards, Henry Ford II went to Henry Ford to inform him of his first executive decision: "I went to him (Henry Ford) with my guard up. I was sure he was going to blow my head off." Henry Ford, quite nonchalantly said "Well, now Harry is back on the streets where he started." "
 
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