She portrayed Ada Lucas Hobson on the long-running daytime soap opera Another World, from 1967 until shortly before her death in 1993.

As a Warner Bros. contract player, she had her most famous role as Sandra Dee's heartless mother in A Summer Place (1959), in which her abused husband Richard Egan had a memorable scene telling her off for her outdated prejudices, and Ford arranges for Dee to be tested for her virginity.

Another shocking scene had Ford slapping Dee so hard that she fell into a Christmas tree, which toppled over on her.

In 1960, she played heartless Connie Walworth ("You haven't got the flair, dear ...") for director Mitchell Leisen in the "Worse Than Murder" episode of Thriller.

[10] On Search for Tomorrow, Ford was Rose Peterson, an employee of the mob, who was hired to discredit leading character Joanne Tate.

Over the years, Ford played Ada's trials - she was widowed three times and worked in a variety of professions, from hairdressing to police clerk to restaurant owner.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences gave Ford a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Contribution to Daytime Drama.