Maureen O'Hara | Hollywood Yesterday

Happy St. Patrick’s Day with One of My VERY Favorite Movies, The Quiet Man

March 17, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barry Fitzgerald and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man

We all have that movie (or movies) that are extra special to us. We put it in the dvd player or turn on the television and INSTANTLY everything is wonderful in our little world.

The Quiet Man is one of those magical movies for me. From the gorgeousness of Ireland to the PERFECT cast (Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen…), this movie hypnotizes me each and every time I watch it.

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One of the things I love best about The Quiet Man is its beautiful simplicity. John Ford (one of the greatest directors of all time) took a beautiful love story, found a beautiful setting, and assembled the perfect cast…. all while allowing Ireland and its extraordinary people to be front and center.

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While I have a busy day in front of me, behind me, and all around me – I just wanted to quickly pay tribute to this glorious movie by making it the pictures of the day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you!

~ Joi (“Joy”)

You can find The Quiet Man (Collector’s DVD on Amazon) on dvd or watch on Prime Video.

Maureen O’Hara and Charles Laughton: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Publicity Photos

March 16, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara

I have many favorite actresses and actors (one glance at my About page certainly backs up this claim). However, if push came to shove and I was forced to name my number one ride-or-die favorite actress… well, you’re looking at her.

There’s just something about her talent, beauty, charisma, and extemporary character that resonates with me. It has since I was a little girl and saw my first Maureen O’Hara movie, Miracle on 34th Street and it does today, many years and many Maureen O’Hara movies later.

While I love Maureen and Charles Laughton’s performances in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), I don’t rewatch this one as often as I do her other films. As someone who is incredibly emphatic (meaning I STRONGLY feel other people’s emotions – whether they’re real or fictional), sad movies/books actually break my heart a little and cause a black cloud to follow me around for a bit.

Who has time for that?!

It is, however, an extraordinary movie and I do schedule “re-watches” every now and again because the performances are so very strong. I simply make sure I follow it up (quickly!) with a light comedy or musical. Elvis movies always hit the spot.

You can find The Hunchback of Notre Dame (link to the dvd on Amazon) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video. Be prepared for the great Charles Laughton to both amaze you and break your heart a little. The man was such a phenomenal actor.

Maureen O’Hara McLintock! Lobby Cards

February 15, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Bruce Cabot and Maureen O’Hara, McLintock!

The lobby card above features Maureen O’Hara and Bruce Cabot in the wonderfully fun western McLintock! The 1963 film, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, boasts an unbelievably strong and colorful cast. In addition to Cabot and O’Hara, the film stars John Wayne, Stefanie Powers, Patrick Wayne, Yvonne DeCarlo, Chill Wills, Jerry Van Dyke, Edgar Buchanan, and Jack Kruschen.

You can watch McLintock on Prime Video or buy the dvd on Amazon for your collection.

Fellow Lobby Card Fanatics and Collectors, you can find a great collection of lobby cards on both eBay and Amazon. I’ve always been aware of the availability of the cards on eBay but have only recently become aware of the great number on Amzaon.

Maureen O’Hara McLintock Lobby Card (love this one!)

Maureen O’Hara and Tyrone Power, The Black Swan (Stunning Publicity Photo)

January 30, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara and Tyrone Power

The Black Swan (1942, directed by Henry King) is one of my favorite Swashbuckler movies. While it helps that it stars my beloved Maureen O’Hara, I also really love the story, the beautiful, lush technicolor, and the wonderful cast. Tyrone Power is Maureen’s wonderful leading man in this action adventure and their chemistry is perfection.

George Sanders, Anthony Quinn, Laird Cregar, Thomas Mitchell, and George Zucco round out the cast.

You can find The Black Swan on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Maureen O’Hara, The Black Swan

Maureen O’Hara: Malaga Promotional Photo

January 15, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara, Malaga Promotional Photo

Malaga (1954) isn’t one of Maureen O’Hara’s better-known films but it is a darn good one (at least I think so).

Malaga was directed by Richard Sale and starred Maureen O’Hara, Macdonald Carey, and Binnie Barnes (I always love seeing her show up in movies and always wish she were in more scenes).

If you ever see Malaga on dvd, buy it without asking any questions! I cannot find it anywhere for my Maureen O’Hara collection and, trust me, I am always looking.

If you find it on television (again, almost impossible), be sure to check it out. Not sure you’ll get another chance!

Maureen O’Hara, Malaga

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Rio Grande

November 27, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Rio Grande

I’m feeling kind of lazy today – as I usually do the day after a big holiday. Not only is fixing all the food exhausting, eating that much zaps your energy too, doesn’t it?!

I do have the gumption to post a couple of pictures of the day, however and… you know me… odds are it’s going to be pictures from a western and most likely one with Maureen O’Hara or John Wayne… or, better yet, both!

Rio Grande is a wonderful Western and one of my favorite these two favorite stars made together. If you’ve never seen Rio Grande, I highly recommend it. You can watch Rio Grande on Prime Video or buy the dvd on Amazon (Rio Grande, links to the dvd, but blu-ray is also available)

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Rio Grande

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne in the Perfection Known as The Quiet Man

November 16, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara… Perfection!

I’ll just go ahead and say it… people who say there’s no such thing as perfection have never seen The Quiet Man (1952, directed by the wonderful John Ford). If they HAD, they would say, “Outside of The Quiet Man, there’s no such thing as perfection.”

The movie is perfect, the cast is perfect, the director was perfect, the scenery is perfect (what a breathtaking beauty Ireland is), the sets are perfect, the script is perfect, the dialogue is perfect… if it’s aired on television, the commercials are perfect…

Okay, so I got a bit carried away.

If you’ve never seen The Quiet Man – or if it’s been a while since you last saw it – I hope you’ll pop some popcorn, grab a tall glass of raspberry tea (or drink of your choice) and escape with Mary Kate, Sean Thornton, Michaleen Oge Flynn, and Father Peter Lonergan to one of the most serene settings and colorful cast of characters you’re ever going to find.

You can buy The Quiet Man on dvd (link to Amazon) or watch on Prime Video…. or, you could always do like me and do both. Both is good.

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne

Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood in the Wonderful Classic, Miracle on 34th Street

November 3, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street

Halloween has come and gone, so my heart and eyes are fully on Thanksgiving and Christmas! Actually, I’ll let you in on a little secret… my eyes and heart are on them year-round. I experiment with recipes I’ll use at Thanksgiving and Christmas throughout the year and buy gifts and decorations 12 months a year and keep them safely hidden in totes until it’s time to wrap them.

When you have a large family, it might just be the only way from having a mental breakdown when December 1st rolls around!

Since I can finally own up to my all-consuming love of Christmas now, without looking like a complete fruitcake, I decided to go with a scene from one of my absolute favorite movies ever – Miracle on 34th Street. I’ll soon be in my den… visiting Susan, Fred, Doris, and of course Kris Kringle for the first time in 2020.

For as long as I can remember, I kick off the “official” Christmas season with this film, followed by It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I’m so anal about it all that I also “end” the official season with the same three.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do know that I’m as mad as a hatter… but I see no reason to change at this stage of the game!

You can find the wonderful, black and white 1947 Miracle on 34th Street (link to the dvd on Amazon) on Amazon for less than $10. Much easier than waiting for it to show up on television.

Maureen O’Hara, Comanche Territory (1950)

October 18, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Comanche Territory Lobby Card

Given that I am, undoubtedly, the biggest Maureen O’Hara fan in the world, it will come as no surprise to you that I’ve even seen her less-known films, including Comanche Territory (1950, directed by George Sherman).

The funny thing is, some of her lesser-known films are some of my favorites! Don’t get me wrong, nothing beats The Quiet Man, McLintock!, Rio Grande, The Parent Trap, Spencer’s Mountain, Sinbad the Sailor or the legendary Miracle on 34th Street, but the beautiful actress had a LOT more wonderful films than most realize.

In addition to these well-known outstanding films, a few of my other favorites are:

A Woman’s Face
Kangaroo
The Red Head from Wyoming (trust me on this one, it’s good!)
The Spanish Main (possibly my favorite of her swashbucklers)
Buffalo Bill
The Fallen Sparrow
Dance, Girl, Dance
The Black Swan

Comanche Territory is simply a great, old-fashioned, fun, and deliciously entertaining Western. She didn’t have the same kind of chemistry with her leading man in this one (Macdonald Carey) as she had with other actors (Melvyn Douglas, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Brian Keith… and an actor you may have heard of before… John Wayne!). The movie is more than worth watching.

You can find Comanche Territory (affiliate link to the dvd) on Amazon. I don’t think it’s available on Prime Video yet.

Maureen O’Hara, Comanche Territory

Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, and Yvonne De Carlo: McLintock!

August 31, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, and Yvonne De Carlo in McLintock!

One of my favorite Westerns is McLintock! (1963). Talk about an outstanding cast: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Yvonne De Carlo, Stefanie Powers, Patrick Wayne, Chill Wills, Jerry Van Dyke, Jack Kruschen, Strother Martin, Edgar Buchanan, Bruce Cabot… The director, Andrew V. McLaglen, was an all star, himself!

Like most Westerns (and films, for that matter), McLintock! doesn’t need to be taken overly seriously – unfortunately may people choose to do so anyway.

I’ll let you in on a little secret – it doesn’t make me enjoy it any less!

It’s just a fun, outrageously colorful and light-hearted Western that may possibly get better each time I see it.

Buy McLintock! (link to the dvd on Amazon) on Amazon or watch on Prime.