Monday, November 2, 2015

Maureen O'Hara


Maureen O'Hara was born in Ireland on August 17, 1920 and just passed away on October 24, 2015. She was strong, beautiful with her red hair and green eyes, and about the only woman allowed in the Men's club of John Ford's group that included John Wayne and Ward Bond.

She is one of my all time favourite leading actresses and one woman I wish I could have met. It is a shame that Hollywood of today talks more about overly botoxed idiots that never show any ounce of working than speak of someone with such class, grace and wonder like Maureen O'Hara, who, incidentally, could sing as well.

I have put together a list of my favourite top 11 films I have seen her in. There are some films I have not seen like "The Black Swan" or The Spanish Main," but I think I still put together a pretty decent list that I hope, some of you, will get the chance to see some of these one day. So here is my list:

11. BIG JAKE-1971- She had a small part in this film but yet you could feel the warmth and genuine respect she and John Wayne had for each other. She plays his estranged wife who has requested for him to find their grandson.  A wonderful western.

10. THE RARE BREED-1966- She stars with both James Stewart and Brian Keith in this film that has some comedic overtones. Her daughter has trained their bull, meant to produce new stock, to come when whistled for. Of course, Ms. O'Hara is the object of affection from both Stewart's and Keith's characters. This film is not shown much, which is a shame.

9. THE PARENT TRAP- 1961- This is a famous Disney film where twin girls try to reunite their divorced parents.  It is a fun movie to watch especially with Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith as the parents. By the way, Maureen O'Hara was not too happy with Disney.

8.  RIO GRANDE-1950- This film is the first of 5 films she made with John Wayne and she loved him from the start...and vice-versa. She plays his estranged wife come to take her son back who has joined the regiment his father leads. A great western showing a beautiful tenderness between the 2 leads.

7. MR. HOBBS TAKES A VACATION-1962- James Stewart takes his wife, Maureen O'Hara and their brood to a seaside cottage. It is fun and a very pleasant comedy with teens being frisky as only a G rated movie can show them...in other words, unrealistic, but it is so much fun.

6. ONLY THE LONELY-1991- I have not seen this film in a long time but yet it is one of the sweetest that John Candy ever made. He plays O'Hara's son who falls in love with a cosmetician who works in a funeral home. His mom is not pleased with her son's romance even though her son seems very happy with his new girlfriend. In turn, Anthony Quinn plays a neighbour who has the hots for the mom. On a side note, John Candy had a big trailer compared to the much smaller one for Maureen O'Hara. He requested the executroids to give her the same size trailer but they stated the budget wouldn't allow it. Candy gave her his trailer and took the much smaller one. When the Execs found out, they gave him a new trailer!

5. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY-1941- A great John Ford non-western showing a small village and the family living in this village and working in the mines. Maureen O'Hara is the beautiful daughter who falls in love with the local  minister and vice-versa. This won the Oscar that year over Citizen Kane. Even if Citizen Kane is the better film, this should not diminish how good this film is.

4. MCLINTOCK-1963- What a fun, rousing western! Of course she plays the estranged wife of John Wayne who has come back to town and knows how to rattle his chains! He knows how to do the same and they know how to "duke" it out. She often did most of her own stunts so the famous mud scene has most of the actors doing the stunts themselves although she stated that falling from the ladder into the horse's trough was the most dangerous.

3. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME-1939- She plays the beguilingly beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda to Charles Laughton's hunchback. Charles Laughton actually discovered her and brought her to Hollywood with this being one of her first films. This film still makes me tear up and is my favourite of all the remakes (sorry Lon Chaney).

2. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET-1947- We all know this classic and who else could play the beautiful, independent mom in charge of many people than Maureen O'Hara. She plays the scenes with such conviction and can show authority and compassion equally.

1. THE QUIET MAN-1952- Oh of course this would be #1!! She was never more beautiful, starring in a John Ford film with all the favourites in it including John Wayne who falls for the beautiful maiden. He plays a former boxer who refuses to fight. She falls for him but feels he is a coward for not fighting for her dowry that her brother refuses to give. It all culminates in a wonderful drag out fight. Wayne's character literally drags O'Hara off the train, through the fields over cow doo-doo to "talk" to her brother. I found that scene one of the most romantic moments!

So there is my top 11. I could not do only 10.


Here she is singing Danny Boy...enjoy.

49 comments:

  1. I thought perhaps I didn't know her but I do know her from the 1947 Miracle on 30th Street. She is gorgeous and so talented.

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    1. I would think most people would know her from the Christmas film

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  2. I thought perhaps I didn't know her but I do know her from the 1947 Miracle on 30th Street. She is gorgeous and so talented.

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  3. Hi again, BB! Maureen O'hara died the same day as my aunt. She was indeed a beautiful woman and a fine actress. Along with her role in the widely known holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street (with little Natalie Wood), Maureen charmed me in a late career movie that I own on DVD called The Christmas Box co-starring Richard Thomas.

    Thank you for remembering this great lady of the silver screen, dear friend Birgit!

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    1. I remember you saying this and now your Aunt and Ms. O'Hara can be talking up a storm. I saw that movie "The Christmas Box" and truly enjoyed it.

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  4. I've seen many of the films on your list, Birgit. My favorites were Parent Trap, The Quiet Man, and How Green Was My Valley, but only because I remember the movies all the way through. I liked how she played sweet, hot-tempered, determined, and giving women.

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    1. She did play that style and I believe it is a part of her personality

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  5. I have seen 2,6, and 9! That is progress for me. I loved The Parent Trap when I was growing up. What a beautiful woman she was and she sounds like she was fascinating as well. Thanks for sharing more about her with us. :)
    ~Jess

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    1. She was great and I couldn't believe her singing voice!

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  6. The Parent Trap, Only the Lonely and Miracle on 34th street I've seen for sure, they were good ones indeed. She sure had quite the list.

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    1. Those 3 are her most recognizable but hope you get to see The Quiet Man and McLintock

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  7. I saw the news of her death. She had a good long life, but I was still saddened to hear of her passing. I haven't seen many of the films you listed, but I am well acquainted with her work. Somehow.

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    1. She did live a long life and she is often talked about especially when they speak of John Wayne and/or John Ford

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  8. She was a great talent and showed a different, stronger side of women in the movies.

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    1. You are so right! She was one of the strong ladies of the cinema

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  9. I saw Miracle on 34th Street and The Parent Trap. World lost a great actress when she died last week. I found it interesting she played the estranged wife of John Wayne in a couple of the movies you listed. But then of course that would add conflict to the plot line :)

    betty

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    1. I was surprised how many she played the estranged wife to John Wayne-it made me giggle actually. You are right about the plot line because those 2 were great showing conflict as a spark of love

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  10. I loved Maureen O'Hara. She and John Wayne were perfect together.
    And that song, OMG. Thank you for sharing that.
    RIP, Maureen.

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    1. Glad you listened to the song! She loved Ireland and she loved singing. I had no idea how beautiful her voice was

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  11. Prayers for Maureen O'Hara. Sorry for her loss.

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  12. Maureen O'Hara was such a rare beauty. And I have to believe her characters reflected some of her real personality. I love her.

    Great post, Birgit. Perfect picture of Maureen in better days.

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    1. I believe they did show some of her true personality. I think she was strong, sweet, loyal and a fughter

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  13. Oh, how I love Maureen O'Hara. She was a great actress and extraordinarily beautiful.

    Love,
    Janie

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  14. What happened to Hollywood? It really did go from class to trash. I remember watching Parent Trap when I was little. I remember thinking it was so funny. And of course I love Miracle on 34th St. I didn't watch it the last couple of years. I need to do that this year though. It's time to get back to the classics, I think.

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    1. It is pretty trashy now and forgetting the old stars. I plan on watching that film this year for sure

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  15. How Green was my Valley - a classic Sunday afternoon b&w film from my childhood. The Parent Trap I remember more for Hayley Mills. I've seen a few of the others, but those are the two that stand out in my memory. 95 seems really old till I remember that my Mum just turned 89 last month!
    Anabel's Travel Blog

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    1. 95 is a good long life and your mom is 89! Congrats to your mom and is she is still strong and can converse etc... then she is still young at heart. My mom is 87 and can do this but she has dementia so one can see the age now. I love the movie How Green is My Valley and feel bad it is being knocked a bit just because it won against Citizen Kane. Kane should have won the Oscar but politics is always involved

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  16. Just shows how much attention I pay to movies. I have seen several of your listed movies, but I only really remember her in The Quiet Man.

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    1. Oh one can see movies and recall bits and pieces but it may not have made a big impression or it was a long time ago. The Quiet Man is a true gem of a film. Hope you see Miracle on 34th St again this Christmas

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  17. A very classy lady. I wish more people in Hollywood strived for that image today.

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    1. I agree with your statement. I would have rather seen a tribute to her than hearing about Odem O.Ding at a brothel for the umpteenth time

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  18. Big Jake was probably my favorite western.

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  19. She was extraordinarily beautiful. Sadly, the days of classy, elegant actresses like her and Audrey Hepburn appear to be gone.

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    1. I know-sad isn't it. Now it's all about botox, selfies and catty remarks-who cares!

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  20. Another great star from the past now gone. So it goes, so it goes. When I was a kid How Green Was My Valley was one of my favorite films. I don't know how old I was when first saw it, but I absolutely loved that film. I have a copy on DVD. I should watch it again since it's been several years since I last viewed it.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. It is such a great movie and Anna Lee played the wife of one of the brothers. She was pregnant when making the film and miscarried during the making of the film. John Ford was beside himself

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  21. She was an amazing lady - strong yet delicate but definitely not a push over. Miracle is my Christmas staple...has been for as long as I can remember. And most oldies I love and cherish had this great lady in it. Your Top 11 says it all. What a great lady!
    hugs Asha

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    1. Thanks Asha! Miracle, Wonderful Life and Going My Way are my staples each year

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  22. I fell in love with her in the movie Miracle on 34th Street. We have our own copie and watch it every Christmas.

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  23. I'm a fan of classics. She was not only beautiful but so talented. Such a loss.

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  24. Enjoyed this post. Maureen was one of a kind, and didn't need the 'botox' to be & stay a beautiful & accomplished lady. The only disagreement I'd have with what you wrote, was McClintock would be #2, right behind #1's Quiet Man! Didn't they make a superlative team? Both of them were so unique, and Hollywood has _nothing_ like them today. This is why I prefer old movies to current. Laughed about Bond, James Bond. But I did enjoy watching Sean in the gig. The rest didn't quite measure up! (I've read that Fleming had Connery in mind, when he wrote the first story. Sure fit my ideal of what the guy would be). TFS

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    1. Maureen was in a class by herself for sure. I always thought Wayne and O'Hara would have been great off screen too, meaning more than just friends but their friendship was real and stood the test of time...and marriages. Sean is the best Bond and Ian Fleming was happy to have him in the role and thought he was perfect.

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