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You are here: Home / Archives for The Quiet Man

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man (A PERFECT Movie from 1952)

July 11, 2022 By Joi

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man (one of my absolute favorite movies… it’s more of an obsession than anything really!) was the second (of five) films starring Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne. It was directed by the legendary John Ford, who happened to direct each of their first three films together: Rio Grande (‘50), The Quiet Man (‘52), and The Wings of Eagles (‘57).

The 1952  masterpiece… a perfect movie in every way had a cast that had to find a way to keep from being overshadowed by the gorgeousness that was and is Ireland… one of the most beautiful scene-stealers I can think of. The cast includes John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, and Maureen O’Hara’s brothers Charles B. Fitzsimons and James O’Hara.

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

John Wayne, The Quiet ManJohn Wayne, The Quiet Man

 

 

 

Filed Under: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Perfect Movies, Picture of the Day Tagged With: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Beautiful Promotional Photo for The Quiet Man

April 20, 2022 By Joi

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man Promotional Picture

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man 

While I love absolutely every movie John Wayne made, every movie Maureen O’Hara made, and most movies directed by John Ford (didn’t care for Mogambo), when the three teamed up, magic happened.

In addition to directing Maureen O’Hara in How Green was my Valley and John Wayne in MANY movies, John Ford directed the legendary cinematic pair in Rio Grande and The Quiet Man. While both movies are spectacular, The Quiet Man is absolutely magical – one of the best movies ever made… possibly THE best in my opinion.

The Quiet Man stars John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, and Maureen O’Hara’s own brothers James O’Hara and Charles B. Fitzsimons. It also stars one of the most beautiful scene-stealers I’ve ever seen, Ireland.

If you haven’t seen this uncommonly stunning movie yet, I hope you won’t let another day pass before you treat yourself to it’s beauty, magic, and perfection.

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

Filed Under: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Perfect Movies, Picture of the Day, The Quiet Man Tagged With: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man Does…. Proof That the Perfect Movie DOES Exist!

November 18, 2021 By Joi

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man (1952, directed by the wonderful John Ford) stars a cast that’s as great a cast as you’ll ever see assembled: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, and Maureen O’Hara’s own brothers James O’Hara and Charles B. Fitzsimons.

One of the greatest stars in this film wasn’t even human… Ireland. The landscape and, somehow, the very soul of its beautiful people is on full display in this film and it will take your breath away if you aren’t careful.

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

The Quiet Man Publicity Still: Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, The Quiet Man

 

 

Filed Under: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Perfect Movies, Picture of the Day Tagged With: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

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

November 16, 2020 By Joi

John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

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, The Quiet Man

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne

Filed Under: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man Tagged With: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man: One of the Most Beautiful & Enjoyable Movies Ever Made (Review)

April 14, 2019 By Joi

The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara

Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: “Well, then. Now. I’ll begin at the beginnin’. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off. He didn’t have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin’ rod.”

And with those lines, one of the most special movies you’ll ever have the privilege of watching begins.

One of my absolute favorite actresses is Maureen O’Hara. Right up there with Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth, and Audrey Hepburn.

Two of my favorite actors are John Wayne and Barry Fitzgerald.

How could one of my favorite movies NOT be The Quiet Man?! I mean, some things are just destiny.

Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man

Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man

Although.. truth be told…  the writing, scenery, production, dialogue, direction – the EVERYTHING about The Quiet Man is so perfect, I have a feeling it would be one of my favorite movies even if these three exceptional stars weren’t in it.

But am I ever glad they are.

Director John Ford created an absolute MASTERPIECE with The Quiet Man – a masterpiece wherein every single thing is perfect. While the cast is as wonderful as a cast can possibly be, they’re darn near upstaged by the incredible scenery! In a word, Ireland is breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking.

Everything about The Quiet Man is phenomenal – the music, the scenery, the acting, the cast, the wardrobe, the dialogue, the writing. When I first watched it, years ago, I remember thinking (several times throughout the movie), “Please don’t take a bad turn… I’m falling in love with you.. please don’t go bad!”

We’ve all had movies suddenly go from great to awful, halfway through or at the end. In fact, I’ve had THREE in the last month go from 10s to 3s within the last 30 minutes! When a movie goes south, it always feels like a blow, doesn’t it?

I was so thankful when The Quiet Man just kept getting better and better with each passing minute.

John Wayne plays Sean Thornton, an ex-boxer from America who had a horrifying experience in the ring and has moved to Ireland to reclaim a family homestead and escape his past. Right off the bat, in one of the most beautiful scenes in film history, Sean notices Mary Kate Danaher (perfectly portrayed by Maureen O’Hara). She’s  (obviously) a very beautiful and spirited woman who happens to be the sister of a hot-head named “Red” Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen). Both of the Danahers (to varying enjoyable degrees!) cause trouble for Sean.

Mary Kate Danaher: Could you use a little water in your whiskey?

Michaleen Flynn: When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey; and when I drink water, I drink water.

The relationship that develops between Sean and Mary Kate could not be more enjoyable – the chemistry between the two stars is palpable and the writing is superb. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara were friends in real life and they worked magic when they were on the screen. This was the second of five movies they made together.

While the love story is a wonderful, huge part of the movie, it doesn’t strike me as purely a romantic movie. Will’s nastiness and the underlying plot of Sean trying to escape himself, to an extent, make for a compelling and fascinating movie.

When I stop and think about The Quiet Man, the thing that truly stands out is the characters. There are so many larger than life, lovable, and FUN characters in this film – they are a joy to watch. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara lead the way, certainly, but The Quiet Man would not be the perfect movie that it is without Barry Fitzgerald as the wonderful Michaleen Oge Flynn or Ward Bond as Father Peter Lonergan.

The characters in this film stay with you long after you’ve seen the movie.

It’s one of those movies, too, that seems to be EVEN better each time you watch it. I think it’s because you notice new things each time – and everything is so stunningly wonderful about this film, noticing new things is a huge positive. You “catch” new lines of dialogue, too. I’ve seen the movie quite a few times and I often hear something one of the characters says and think, “I didn’t know he/she said that…’ The reason is there are so many wonderful lines, you’re often laughing at one while another is being said!

Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man

Fast Facts About The Quiet Man

  • The Quiet Man is one of the few Hollywood films in which Gaelic (the native Irish language) is spoken…. and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. It adds to the authenticity of the movie so much.
  • Green, Ireland’s national color, can be seen in every scene of this beautiful movie.
  • In the famous scene where Sean finds Mary Kate in his cottage, the wind blew her hair so wildly that she kept squinting.  Apparently John Ford screamed at her with a stream of profanity… something that didn’t go over well with Maureen O’Hara! Apparently she yelled back at him, “What would a bald-headed son of a bitch know about hair lashing across his eyeballs.”  Sigh. I love her so.
  • Cast members Charles B. Fitzsimons (Hugh Forbes) and James O’Hara (Father Paul) were Maureen O’Hara’s younger brothers.
  • John Wayne described why the role of Sean Thornton (considered one of his best) was difficult to portray: “For nine weeks I was just playing straight man to those wonderful characters, and that’s really hard.”
  • Barry Fitzgerald, who plays the character of the Roman Catholic Michaleen Oge Flynn (not only one of the best characters in this movie, but one of the most enjoyable ones in any movie as far as I’m concerned!), and Arthur Shields, who played the Protestant vicar Cyril ‘Snuffy’ Playfair, were brothers in real life.
  • I’ve read that when Maureen O’Hara passed away (2015),  she did so while listening to Victor Young’s score to The Quiet Man.
  • In 1986, a New York police officer, was shot and paralyzed on the job. His young wife mentioned to reporters that The Quiet Man was her husband’s favorite movie and that he was a huge fan of Maureen O’Hara. After reading this, Maureen O’Hara flew to New York to meet the officer and lift his spirits! She became involved with the couple as he recovered, attended their baby’s christening, and even marched in a parade on his behalf. Phenomenal woman… phenomenal.
  • The Quiet Man was Maureen O’Hara’s favorite of her movies.
  • The scene where Sean and Mary Kate take a stroll through the countryside is so beautiful and so perfect, it leaves me speechless. Okay, so this is more an opinion than a “fast fact,” but.. well, there you have it.

There are many movies I would “make” people watch if I had the power. You know how it is when you love a movie so much you want everyone else to experience the joy for themselves. This is one of those movies I recommend to others… then frequently bug them by asking, “Have you watched The Quiet Man yet??”

I don’t mind being a pest when it comes to The Quiet Man. In fact, I insist upon it. Speaking of which, have you watched The Quiet Man yet?


John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man

Filed Under: Barry Fitzgerald, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Movie Reviews, The Quiet Man Tagged With: Barry Fitzgerald, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Old Movie Reviews, The Quiet Man, The Quiet Man Review

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