Bette Ford (born Harriet Elizabeth Dingeldein; June 24, 1927) is an American actress and model turned professional bullfighter. She was the first American woman to fight on foot in the

Plaza México A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

, the world's largest bullfight arena.

Personal life

Shortly after moving to New York at the age of 18, she married another actor, David Ford, whose name she would keep, although the marriage ended after nine months. She later married John Meston (July 30, 1914 – March 24, 1979) an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

best known for co-creating (with

Norman Macdonnell Norman Scarth Macdonnell (November 8, 1916 – November 28, 1979) was an American producer for radio, television, and feature films. He is best known for co-creating with writer John Meston the Western series ''Gunsmoke'', which was broadcast on ...

), the long-running radio/TV series, ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

''. Ford's third and current husband is Scott Wolkoff (born May 27, 1947), some two decades her junior.

Early modeling and acting career

Born as Harriet Elizabeth Dingeldein in

McKeesport, Pennsylvania McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census. It ...

in 1927, she and her brother were raised by relatives after being abandoned, first by their mother and then later by their father. After graduating from high school in 1945, she began her career as a model and actress in New York, where her modeling credits included stints as the Jantzen Bathing Suit Girl, the Camay Bride, and the Parliament Cigarette Girl, and her acting credits included appearances as a regular on ''

The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...

'' and ''The Jimmy Durante Show''.

Bullfighting career

While on a modeling photo shoot in Bogotá, Colombia, Ford was introduced to the renowned matador Luis Miguel Dominguín and watched him fight in the ring. Soon after, Ford left New York for Mexico to train as a bullfighter. In 1954,

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

made a

documentary short A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

about her training, '' Beauty and the Bull''. Her historic debut at the

was followed by several years of fighting as a ''figura'' (bullfighting celebrity) in Mexico and the Philippines. The studio MGM, which had offered her an acting contract before she left New York to become a bullfighter, planned a full-length feature film based on her life story, and sent several writers, among them

John Meston John Lyman Meston (July 30, 1914March 24, 1979) was an American scriptwriter best known for co-creating with producer Norman Macdonnell the long-running Western series ''Gunsmoke''. He developed storylines and wrote radio scripts and teleplays f ...

, the co-creator of ''

'', to meet with Ford and discuss a screenplay. Ford married Meston shortly after they met and then retired as a bullfighter.

Post-bullfighting acting career

Ford has appeared in feature films including the Clint-Eastwood-directed ''

Sudden Impact ''Sudden Impact'' is a 1983 American vigilante action thriller film, the fourth in the ''Dirty Harry'' series, directed, produced by and starring Clint Eastwood (making it the only ''Dirty Harry'' film to be directed by Eastwood himself) and co ...

'' and ''

Honkytonk Man ''Honkytonk Man'' is a 1982 American comedy-drama musical western film set in the Great Depression. Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed, stars with his son, Kyle Eastwood. Clancy Carlile's screenplay is based on his 1980 novel of the same ...

'', and television series including ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'', ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'', ''

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'', and '' Felicity''. Her voice can be heard in ''

The Animatrix is a 2003 adult animated science-fiction anthology film produced by the Wachowskis. The film details through nine animated short films the backstory of ''The Matrix'' film series, including the original war between humanity and machines which l ...

'', the companion animated DVD of the film trilogy ''

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...

'', and numerous commercials."Model, actress and McKeesport graduate puts on a cape to fight the bulls in Mexico"
post-gazette.com; accessed April 27, 2016.

Selected filmography

* '' Beauty and the Bull'' (1954, Short) .... Bette Ford * ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' (1968, TV Series) .... Millie * ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situatio ...

'' (1977, TV Series) .... Juen Edwards * ''

James at 15 ''James at 15'' (later ''James at 16'') is an American drama series that aired on NBC during the 1977–1978 season. The series was preceded by the 1977 made-for-TV movie ''James at 15'', which aired on Monday September 5, 1977, and was intended ...

'' (1977, TV Series) .... Mrs. Droste * ''

'' (1982) .... Lulu * ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' (1983, TV Series) .... Prison Guard * ''

'' (1983) .... Leah * ''

Emerald Point N.A.S. ''Emerald Point N.A.S'' is an American primetime soap opera created by ''Dynasty''s Richard and Esther Shapiro which premiered on CBS on Monday, September 26, 1983. The series revolved around the lives of personnel stationed on a naval air stati ...

'' (1984, TV Series) .... Mrs. Randolph * '' St. Elsewhere'' (1984, TV Series) .... Pat Kroll * ''

'' (1984, TV Series) .... Irene Blanchard * '' Crazy Like a Fox'' (1985, TV Series) * ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'' (1985, TV Series) .... Mrs. Fielding * '' Crime Story'' (1987, TV Series) .... Angie / Bartender * ''

A Year in the Life ''A Year in the Life'' is an American dramatic series that ran on NBC from September 16, 1987 to April 13, 1988, during the 1987–1988 television season, created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey. The series began as a three-part miniseries whi ...

'' (1987, TV Series) .... Jackie * ''

'' (1987-1988, TV Series) .... Rusty Farrell * ''

Major Dad ''Major Dad'' is an American sitcom television series created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens, developed by Earl Pomerantz, that originally ran from September 17, 1989, to May 17, 1993 on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. Ma ...

'' (1989, TV Series) ... Mom * ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

'' (1990, TV Series) ... Anna Scarlatti * ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...

'' (1990, TV Series) ... Madame Chatchka * ''

Marked for Death ''Marked for Death'' is a 1990 American action film directed by Dwight H. Little. The film stars Steven Seagal as John Hatcher, a former DEA troubleshooter who returns to his Illinois hometown to find it taken over by a posse of vicious Jamaica ...

'' (1990) .... Kate Hatcher * '' Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter'' (1991) .... DeDe Ball * ''

The Commish ''The Commish'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC in the United States from September 28, 1991, to January 11, 1996. The series focuses on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in Eastbridge, New ...

'' (1992, TV Series) .... Irene Wallerstein * ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

'' (1992, TV Series) ... Aunt Muriel * ''

'' (1993, TV Series) .... Mrs. Wilson * ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'' (1994, TV Series) .... Mrs. Peterson * ''Season of Change'' (1994) .... Granny Upton * '' Thunder Alley'' (1995, TV Series) .... Wanda * ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...

'' (1995, TV Series) .... Miss Corso * '' It Was Him or Us'' (1995, TV Movie) .... Maggie Shepard * '' A Face to Die For'' (1996, TV Movie) .... Mrs. Berman * ''

Nash Bridges ''Nash Bridges'' is an American police procedural television series created by Carlton Cuse. The show stars Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The seri ...

'' (1996, TV Series) * ''

Promised Land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

'' .... (1997, TV Series) .... Marie Jasper * ''

A River Made to Drown In ''River Made to Drown In'' is a 1997 drama film starring Michael Imperioli, Richard Chamberlain, Ute Lemper and James Duval. Although directed by James Merendino, Merendino had his name removed, and the film is credited to Alan Smithee.Daniel He ...

'' (1997) .... Lady with Whip * ''The Landlady'' (1998) .... Justine Welch * ''

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

'' (1998, TV Series) .... Marge Ryecart * ''My Engagement Party'' (1998) .... Estelle Salsburg * ''

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

'' (1999, TV Series) .... Hildy * '' ER'' (2001, TV Series) .... Princess Taffeta * '' Felicity'' (2001, TV Series) .... Professor May * ''

The Division ''The Division'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine starring Bonnie Bedelia. The series focuses on a team of female detectives and police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The ...

'' (2002, TV Series) .... Mrs. Sanders * ''

Final Flight of the Osiris is a 2003 adult animated science-fiction anthology film produced by the Wachowskis. The film details through nine animated short films the backstory of ''The Matrix'' film series, including the original war between humanity and machines which ...

'' (2003, Short) .... Old Woman (English version, voice) * ''

'' (2003) .... Old Woman (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") (voice) * ''Valley of the Sun'' (2011) .... Bunny McGill

Notes

External links

"La Estocada" (interviewed by Fortunato Salazar in ''Guernica'' magazine, 2011)
accessed December 29, 2016.
"Bette Ford: Story of a Lady Bullfighter" (Bette Ford interviewed by "Gus O'Shaugn" in the ''Village Voice'', 1955)
accessed April 27, 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Bette 1927 births Living people American bullfighters Female bullfighters People from McKeesport, Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Pittsburgh Actresses from Pittsburgh Female models from Pennsylvania American television actresses American expatriates in Mexico 21st-century American women