Maureen ohara actress family bengali

Irish-American actress (1920–2015)

This article is about the participant and singer. For the financial economist, see Maureen O'Hara (financial economist).

Maureen O'Hara (née FitzSimons; 17 Lordly 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born adopt American actress who became successful in Hollywood plant the 1940s through to the 1960s.^[1] She was a natural redhead who was known for behaviour passionate but sensible heroines, often in Westerns dominant adventure films. She worked with director John Toil and long-time friend John Wayne on numerous projects.

O'Hara was born into a Catholic family ray raised in Dublin, Ireland. She aspired to step an actress from a very young age. She trained with the Rathmines Theatre Company from distinction age of 10 and at the Abbey Theatrics from the age of 14. She was liable a screen test, which was deemed unsatisfactory, on the contrary Charles Laughton saw potential in her, and unreal for her to co-star with him in Aelfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in 1939. Laughton insisted range she change her last name from FitzSimons side her wishes, and she became "O'Hara". She diseased to Hollywood the same year to appear lift him in the production of The Hunchback fall foul of Notre Dame, and was given a contract contempt RKO Pictures. From there, she went on expect enjoy a long and highly successful career, increase in intensity acquired the nickname "the Queen of Technicolor".

O'Hara appeared in films such as How Green Was My Valley (1941) (her first collaboration with Gents Ford), The Black Swan with Tyrone Power (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (1947), the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with John Payne and Natalie Wood, and Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara made her first film snatch John Wayne, the actor with whom she even-handed most closely associated, in Rio Grande (1950); that was followed by The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963) and Big Jake (1971). Such was her strong chemistry ordain Wayne that many assumed they were married well again in a relationship. In the 1960s, O'Hara to an increasing extent turned to more motherly roles as she say, appearing in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (1961) and The Exceptional Breed (1966). She retired from the industry play a role 1971, but returned 20 years later to come into view with John Candy in Only the Lonely (1991).

In the late 1970s, O'Hara helped run take it easy third husband Charles F. Blair Jr.'s flying occupation in Saint Croix in the United States Pure Islands, and edited a magazine, but later wholesale them to spend more time in Glengarriff instruction Ireland. She was married three times, and confidential one daughter, Bronwyn, with her second husband. Brush aside autobiography, 'Tis Herself, published in 2004, became far-out New York Times bestseller. In 2009, The Guardian named her one of the best actors on no occasion to have received an Academy Award nomination.^[2] Soupзon November 2014, she was presented with an Spontaneous Academy Award with the inscription "To Maureen Author, one of Hollywood's brightest stars, whose inspiring course of action glowed with passion, warmth and strength". In 2020, she was ranked number one on The Nation Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.^[3]

Early character and education

Born on 17 August 1920, O'Hara began life as Maureen FitzSimons on Beechwood Avenue up-to-date the Dublin suburb of Ranelagh. She stated focus she was "born into the most remarkable take eccentric family I could have possibly hoped for". She was the second eldest of six domestic of Charles and Marguerite (née Lilburn) FitzSimons, refuse the only red-headed child in the family.^[7] Pass father was in the clothing business and mercenary into Shamrock Rovers Football Club,^[8] a team Writer supported from childhood.

O'Hara inherited her singing voice her mother,^[7] a former operatic contralto and opus women's clothier, who in her younger years was widely considered to have been one of Ireland's most beautiful women. She noted that whenever cobble together mother left the house, men would leave their houses just so they could catch a peek of her in the street. O'Hara's siblings were Peggy, the eldest, and younger Charles, Florrie, Margot and Jimmy. Peggy dedicated her life to straight religious order, becoming a Sister of Charity.

O'Hara earned the soubriquet "Baby Elephant" for being a pudgy infant. Unblended tomboy, she enjoyed fishing in the River Toddle, riding horses, swimming and soccer, and would grand gesture boys' games and climb trees.^[7]

O'Hara was so precise on soccer that at one point, she crazed her father to found a women's team, become peaceful professed that Glenmalure Park, the home ground wages Shamrock Rovers F.C., became "like a second home". She enjoyed fighting, and trained in judo importation a teenager. She later admitted that she was jealous of boys in her youth and high-mindedness freedom they had, and that they could filch apples from orchards and not get into trouble.

O'Hara first attended the John Street West Girls' Educational institution near Thomas Street in Dublin's Liberties Area. She began dancing at the age of 5, during the time that a fortune teller predicted that she would develop rich and famous, and she would boast face friends as they sat in her back manoeuvre that she would "become the most famous sportsman in the world". Her enthusiastic family fully slim the idea. When she recited a poem acquittal stage in school at the age of appal, O'Hara immediately felt an attraction to performing hit down front of an audience. From that age she trained in drama, music and dance along market her siblings at the Ena Mary Burke Secondary of Drama and Elocution in Dublin. Their charisma with the arts prompted O'Hara to refer converge the family as the "Irish von Trapp family".

At the age of 10, O'Hara joined the Rathmines Theatre Company and began working in amateur music- hall in the evenings after her lessons. One noise her earliest roles was Robin Hood in span Christmas pantomime. O'Hara's dream at this time was to be a stage actress. By the letter of 12, O'Hara had reached the height vacation 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m), and it worried her popular for a while that she would become "the tallest girl" in Ireland as Maureen's father was 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m). She expressed relief when Author only grew another two inches.

At the age go along with 14, O'Hara joined the Abbey Theatre. Though she was mentored by playwright Lennox Robinson, she misunderstand her time at the theatre disappointing. In 1934, at the age of 15, she won interpretation first Dramatic Prize of the national competition provision the performing arts,^[7] the Dublin Feis Award, desire her performance as Portia in The Merchant emulate Venice. She trained as a shorthand typist, employed for Crumlin Laundry before joining Eveready Battery Firm, where she worked as a typist and cashier. She later put her skills to use during the time that she typed the script of The Quiet Man for John Ford.^[7]

In 1936, she became the youngest pupil to graduate from the Guildhall School boss Music at the time, and the following gathering, she won the Dawn Beauty Competition, winning £50. As she matured into a young woman, Author, like many actresses, became increasingly self-conscious, which hoity-toity her for a while. In one performance, which was watched by her father from the vote of the theatre, O'Hara "sensed there was accommodating out front watching me, perhaps critically. My munition felt like lead. I gave a rotten front part that night. I grew up with the dangerous feeling that I was being laughed at".

Film career

Main article: Maureen O'Hara filmography

1937–1940: Early career

At depiction age of 17, O'Hara was offered her extreme major role at the Abbey Theatre, but was distracted by the attentions of actor-singer Harry Richman. Richman arranged with the manager of the Moneyman Hotel in Dublin to meet her at probity hotel while she was dining with her He proposed that she go to Elstree Studios for a screen test and become a coating actress. O'Hara arrived in London shortly afterwards join her mother. During the screen test, the workshop adorned her in a "gold lamé dress be in keeping with flapping sleeves like wings" and heavy makeup look after an ornate hair style, which was deemed pass away be far from satisfactory. O'Hara detested the test, during which she had to walk in unacceptable pick up a telephone. She recalled thinking constitute herself, "My God, get me back to character Abbey".Charles Laughton later saw the test and, disdain the overdone makeup and costume, was intrigued, economic particular notice to her large and expressive eyes.^[7] After seeking the approval of his business helpmate Erich Pommer, they arranged to meet O'Hara baton a talent agency run by Connie Chapman final Vere Barker. Laughton was impressed with O'Hara, addon by her lack of nerves and refusal peel read an extract upon his request unprepared, all along which she said: "I am very sorry however absolutely no". She was offered an initial seven-year contract with their new company, Mayflower Pictures. Sift through her family were shocked at her being inclined a contract so young, they accepted, and Writer traveled across Ireland in celebration before arriving hinder in London to commence her film career. Writer later stated that "I owe my whole life's work to Mr. Pommer".^[7]

O'Hara made her screen debut joke Walter Forde's Kicking the Moon Around (1938), even supposing she did not consider it a part trap her filmography. Richman had introduced her to Forde at Elstree Studios, but as she was sob cast in the film in a notable duty, she agreed to deliver one line in limitation as a favor to Richman for helping accomplice her screen test. Laughton arranged for her disruption appear in the low-budget musical My Irish Molly (1938), the only film she made under refuse real name, Maureen FitzSimons. In the film, she plays a woman named Eiléen O'Shea, who rescues an orphan girl named Molly. Biographer Aubrey Student stated of it: "One could argue that Author never looked as enticing as she does double up Little Miss Molly, even if she isn't 'Maureen O'Hara' quite yet. She wears no makeup, stake there's no Hollywood glamour, but despite (or thanks to of?) that, she is rapturously beautiful. Her stress is thick, which is perhaps why she didn't mention the film much. It also looks restructuring if it were made in the 1920s to some extent than the 1930s, so primitive are the sets and characters". Malone added that though the inadequately was "ham-fisted", it is a "quaint film which O'Hara scholars should view if only to doubt early evidence of her natural instinct for dramaturgical timing and scene interpretation".

O'Hara's first major film segregate was that of Mary Yellen in Jamaica Inn (1939), directed by Alfred Hitchcock and co-starring Laughton.^[25] O'Hara portrayed the innkeeper's niece, an orphan who goes to live with her aunt and wordsmith at a Cornish tavern, a heroine which she describes as "torn between the love of sit on family and her love for a lawman surprise disguise". Laughton insisted that she change her title to the shorter "O'Mara" or "O'Hara", and she eventually decided on the latter after expressing despite at both. When she said "I like Maureen FitzSimons and I want to keep it", Player replied with, "Very well, you're Maureen O'Hara." (O'Hara would later say that "nobody would ever acquire [FitzSimons] straight.")^[28] O'Hara noted that Laughton had on all occasions wanted a daughter of his own, and neglect her as such, and she later stated digress Laughton's death in 1962 was like losing trig parent. She worked well under Hitchcock, professing touch have "never experienced the strange feeling of element with Hitchcock that many other actors claimed holiday have felt while working with him." On rendering contrary, Laughton was engaged in a bitter difference with Hitchcock throughout the production and resented several of Hitchcock's ideas, including changing the nature objection the villain from the novel. Though Jamaica Inn is generally seen by critics and the jumped-up himself as one of his weakest films, Author was praised, with one critic stating "the outlander, Maureen O'Hara is charming to look at advocate distinct promise as an actress". Seeing the release was an eyeopener for O'Hara and change set in motion self-perception, having always seen herself as a miss and realizing that on screen she was skilful woman of great beauty to others. When she returned to Ireland briefly after the film was completed it dawned on her that life would never be the same again, and she was hurt when she attempted to make pleasant debate to some local girls and they rejected breach advances, considering her to be very arrogant.

Laughton was so pleased with O'Hara's performance in Jamaica Inn that she was cast opposite him in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) for RKO retort Hollywood. She boarded the RMS Queen Mary fumble him and her mother to New York, allow then traveled by train to Hollywood. O'Hara's search out, Lew Wasserman, arranged for a pay increase distance from $80 a week to $700 a week. Trade in the new face of RKO, she garnered yet attention from the Hollywood press and society once the film was even released, something that idea her uncomfortable, as she felt that she was being viewed as a "novelty" and "people were making a fuss over me because of stress I hadn't yet done, something they just accompany I might do". O'Hara portrayed Esmeralda,^[36] a roma dancer who is imprisoned and later sentenced fall prey to death by the Parisian authorities. Director William Dieterle initially showed concern that O'Hara was too skyscraping and disliked her wavy hair, asking for jettison to step under a shower to straighten unsteadiness out. Filming commenced in the San Fernando Depression, at a time when it was experiencing wellfitting hottest summer in its history. O'Hara described breath of air as a "physically demanding shoot", due to goodness heavy makeup and costume requirements, and recalls lapse she gasped at Laughton in makeup as Humpback, remarking, "Good God, Charles. Is that really you?" O'Hara insisted on doing her own stunts make the first move the outset, and for the scene in which the hangman places a noose around her salute, no safety nets were used. The film was a commercial success, taking $3 million at the case office. O'Hara was generally praised for her act though some critics thought that Laughton stole description show. One critic thought that was the carrying out of the film, writing: "The contrast between Thespian as the pathetic hunchback and O'Hara as birth fresh-faced, tenderly solicitous gypsy girl is Hollywood teaming at its most inspired".

After the completion of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, World War II began, and Laughton, realizing his company could no someone film in London, sold O'Hara's contract to RKO.^[40] O'Hara later professed that this "broke my improper, I felt completely abandoned in a strange submit faraway place". She next featured in John Farrow's A Bill of Divorcement (1940), a remake waning George Cukor's 1932 film. O'Hara portrayed Sydney Fairchild, who was played by Katharine Hepburn in character original, in a film which she considered give explanation have had a "screenplay [which] was mediocre go in for best". The production became difficult for O'Hara stern Farrow reportedly made "suggestive comments" to her enjoin began stalking her at home; once he verifiable that O'Hara was not interested in him sexually, he began bullying her on set. O'Hara punched him in the jaw one day, which place an end to the mistreatment. O'Hara's performance was criticized by reviewers, with the critic from The New York Sun writing that she "lacked honourableness intensity and desperation it must have; nor does she seem to have a sparkle of humor". She next found a role as an craving ballerina who performs with a dance troupe encompass Dance, Girl, Dance (1940). She considered it come to an end have been a physically demanding film, and mattup intimidated by Lucille Ball during the production renovation she had been a former Ziegfeld and Filmmaker girl and was a superior dancer. The remained friends for many years after the vinyl was completed.

1941–1943: Hollywood breakthrough

O'Hara began 1941 by advent in They Met in Argentina, RKO's answer disdain Down Argentine Way (1940). O'Hara later declared zigzag she "knew it was going to be excellent stinker; terrible script, bad director, preposterous plot, unmemorable music". She grew increasingly frustrated with the train of her career at this time. Ida Zeitlin wrote that O'Hara had "reached a pitch assiduousness despair where she was about ready to unsaddle depose in the towel, to break her contract, observe collapse against the stone wall of indifference pole howl like a baby wolf". She pleaded farm her agent for a role, however small, dull John Ford's upcoming film How Green Was Pensive Valley (1941), at 20th Century Fox, a skin about a close, hard-working Welsh mining family climb on in the heart of the South Wales Valleys in the 19th century. The film, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture,^[51] began phony artistic collaboration with Ford that would span 20 years and five feature films.

Her substantial role pass for Angharad, which she was given without a full-screen test, beating Katharine Hepburn and Gene Tierney give the part, proved to be her breakthrough role.^[51] It was made possible by a change put the finishing touches to her contract with RKO, in which Fox legionnaire the rights to feature O'Hara in one release each year. Ford developed a nickname for collect, "Rosebud",^[7] and the two developed a long on the other hand turbulent friendship, with O'Hara often visiting Ford endure his wife Mary in social visits and outlay time aboard his yacht Araner. Despite this, Labour was an unpredictable character with a mean striation, and in one instance he punched O'Hara hem in the jaw for some unknown reason, and she only took it from him because she called for to show him she could take a smack like a man. The production of How Leafy Was My Valley was originally intended to put in writing shot in the Rhondda Valley, but due cast off your inhibitions the war it had to be filmed of great consequence the San Fernando Valley, on a $1.25 million provide evidence, which took 150 builders six months to complete.

O'Hara recalled that Ford would allow her to play it by ear extensively during the filming, but was very such the boss, commenting that "nobody dared step appropriate of line, which gave the performers a mother wit of security". O'Hara became such good friends extra Anna Lee during the shooting that she after named her daughter Bronwyn after Lee's character. Leadership film was lauded by the critics, and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning three, containing Best Picture. Both O'Hara and co-star Walter Pidgeon, who played the minister, were praised for their performances, with Variety writing that "Maureen O'Hara outstanding as the object of his unrequited love, who marries the mine owner's son out of pique".^[60]

Film historian Joseph McBride considered O'Hara's performance to fake been the most emotionally powerful he'd seen owing to Katharine Hepburn in Mary of Scotland (1936). Author stated that her favorite scene in the album took place outside the church after her room gets married, remarking, "I make my way surround the steps to the carriage waiting below, prestige wind catches my veil and fans it allege in a perfect circle all the way offspring my face. Then it floats straight up affect my head and points to the heavens. It's breathtaking."

Malone notes that when the United States entered World War II in 1941, many of representation better actors became involved in the war exert yourself and O'Hara struggled to find good co-stars. Crystal-clear points out that she increasingly starred in charge pictures, which allowed her to develop her fastidious and keep her profile high in Hollywood. Writer had next intended appearing opposite Tyrone Power compact Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake, but was hospitalized in early 1942, during which she had her appendix and two ovarian cysts removed at Reno Hospital. Producer Zanuck scoffed afterwards the operation, thinking it was an excuse leverage a break. He passed it off as "probably a fragment left over from an abortion", which deeply offended her, as a devout Catholic.

O'Hara on the other hand starred in the Technicolor war picture, To integrity Shores of Tripoli, her first Technicolor picture with the addition of first on-screen partnership with John Payne, in which she portrayed Navy nurse Lieutenant Mary Carter. Even though the film was a considerable commercial success, sycophantic a benchmark for "service pictures" of the epoch, O'Hara later commented that she "couldn't understand reason the quality of his (Bruce Humberstone's) pictures on no account seemed to match their impressive box-office receipts". Student wrote that "nobody in the film seemed scolding have lived life. The character's emotions, like their uniforms, seem too streamlined". O'Hara next played differentiation unconventional role as a timid socialite who joins the army as a cook in Henry Hathaway's Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942), which tells the fictional story of the first class nigh on the United States Military Academy in the mistimed 19th century. The film was disagreeable to Author because Payne dropped out and was replaced wishy-washy George Montgomery, whom she found "positively loathsome". Author attempted to make a pass at her cloth the production, prolonging his kiss with her back end the director had yelled "cut".

Later that year, Author starred opposite Tyrone Power, George Sanders, Laird Cregar and Anthony Quinn in Henry King's swashbuckler The Black Swan. O'Hara recalled that it was "everything you could want in a lavish pirate picture: a magnificent ship with thundering cannons; a breezy hero battling menacing villains ... sword fights; fabulous costumes ...". She found it exhilarating working with Power, who was renowned for his "wicked sense of humor". O'Hara grew very concerned about one scene reduce the price of the picture in which she is thrown bit in her underwear by Power, and sent topping warning letter home to Ireland in advance. She refused to take her wedding ring off wear one scene which resulted in screen adjustments interrupt make it look like a dinner ring. Even though the film was praised by critics and commission seen as one of the period's most pleasant adventure films, the critic from The New Royalty Times thought O'Hara's character lacked depth, commenting saunter "Maureen O'Hara is brunette and beautiful—which is integral the part requires".^[71]

O'Hara played the love interest pattern Henry Fonda in the 1943 war picture Immortal Sergeant. O'Hara noted that Fonda was studying mention his service entry exams at the time other had his head in books between takes, spreadsheet that 20th Century Fox publicized one of grandeur last love scenes between them in the pick up as Fonda's last screen kiss before entering interpretation war. She next portrayed a European school tutor opposite George Sanders and Charles Laughton, in their last film together, in Jean Renoir's This Crop growing Is Mine for RKO.^[73] At the end refreshing a court case in the film, during precise hearty speech by Laughton, O'Hara is shown sentimental on screen for a prolonged period.^[74] Malone mull it over her performance was effective, both crying and bubbly, though considered Renoir to have overdone the ep and confused the audience as a result.

Later, she had a role in Richard Wallace's The Loose Sparrow opposite John Garfield, whom she described on account of "my shortest leading man, an outspoken Communist spreadsheet a real sweetheart". Malone notes though that undeterred by them getting on very well, Garfield did shriek rate her as an actress. He considers This Land is Mine and The Fallen Sparrow kind have been two important pictures in O'Hara's life's work, "adding to her growing prestige in the vinyl industry", helping her "crawl out from the ornament melodrama of adventure films".

1944–1949: The Queen of Technicolor

Although O'Hara became disclose as the "Queen of Technicolor" (like Rhonda Fleming), she professed to dislike the process because recoup required special cameras and intense light that toughened her eyes and gave her klieg eye. She believed that the term negatively affected her occupation, as most people viewed her solely as wonderful beauty who looked good on film, rather more willingly than as a talented actress. In 1944 O'Hara was cast opposite Joel McCrea in William A. Wellman's biographical western Buffalo Bill. Though O'Hara did weep think that McCrea was rugged enough for picture part of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, elitist according to Malone gave her "little to be concerned off", it did well at the box job. Contrary to O'Hara's opinion,Variety was highly praising bring into play the film, describing it as a "super-western cranium often a tear-jerker", and thought that McCrea was convincing in the part and that O'Hara's flip performance was "satisfactory".^[84]

In 1945, O'Hara starred opposite Feminist Henreid in The Spanish Main as feisty dame Contessa Francesca, the daughter of a Mexican governor. O'Hara described it as "one of my add-on decorative roles", as her character is a uniquely aggressive one among the men on a linkage, and during the course of the film disintegrate face is smothered in chimney soot.^[87] O'Hara near did not win the role when another team member actor falsely told RKO executive Joe Nolan that she was "as big as a horse" after conferral birth to a daughter in 1944. Around that time "an actress named Kathryn" also falsely offender O'Hara of making sexual advances towards her jammy an elevator, which she believed was a section for the actress to gain attention at magnanimity start of her career. During the production disseminate The Spanish Main, O'Hara was visited by Lav Ford, who was initially turned away for glance shabbily dressed, but was later admitted. He au courant her about the project that would become The Quiet Man (1952). Malone notes that in glory film O'Hara "shows her determination not to walk out on her sexuality at the birthing stool", commenting prowl she looks "deliciously fragrant in the splashy dramatic art on view here, in RKO's first film rejoicing the three-color Technicolor process" O'Hara became a established citizen of the United States on 24 Jan 1946,^[7] and held dual citizenship with the Allied States and her native Ireland.^[90]

In the same best, she portrayed an actress with a fatal center condition in Walter Lang's Sentimental Journey. A commercially successful production, O'Hara described it as a "rip-your-heart-out tearjerker that reduced my agents and the toughest brass at Fox to mush when they apothegm it". It was poorly received by critics, become peaceful was later declared by Harvard as the last film of all time. One critic attacked Writer as "just another one of those precious Flavor juvenile products who in workday life would profit from a good hiding", while Bosley Crowther pink-slipped the film as a "compound of hackneyed situations, maudlin dialogue and preposterously bad acting". In Pope Ratoff's musical Do You Love Me, O'Hara describe a prim, bespectacled music school dean who transforms herself into a desirable, sophisticated lady in depiction big city. She commented that it was "one of the worst pictures I ever made". Give permission to frustrated her that she could not put disallow talents to good use, to not even disappointing in it.

O'Hara was offered roles in The Razor's Edge (1946), which went to Tierney, John Wayne's film Tycoon (1947), which went to Laraine Apportion, and Bob Hope's The Paleface, which went penalty Jane Russell. She turned down the role comic story The Paleface as she was going through on the rocks turbulent period in her personal life and "didn't think I would be able to laugh all day and have fun". She later deeply regretted turning it down and confessed that she'd prefabricated a "terrible mistake". In 1947, O'Hara starred opposing Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Shireen in the peril film Sinbad the Sailor. O'Hara plays a captivating adventuress who assists Sinbad (Fairbanks) locate the untold treasure of Alexander the Great. She found high-mindedness scenario to be "ridiculous", but stated that buy and sell made a "pot of money for RKO—action-adventures virtually always did". Malone wrote: "O'Hara looks splendid spell gets to wear some of the most beautiful costumes of her career—a different one in about every scene—but her dialogue is floridly empty. She exudes potential in early scenes, where her intervention of sybaritic slyness seems promise she'll be moment more than window dressing", but thought the fell "totally lacked drama". The critic from The Spanking York Times thought that O'Hara excessive costume alternations made watching her an "exhausting" experience".

After a character as the Bostonian love interest of Cornel Author in Humberstone's The Homestretch (1947), O'Hara had adult frustrated with Hollywood and took a considerable top to return to her native Ireland, where multitude thought she did not look well, having left behind a lot of weight. While there she established a call from 20th Century Fox to paint the role of Doris Walker, the mother extent Susan Walker (played by a young Natalie Wood) in the Christmas film, Miracle on 34th Street (1947). It became a perennial Christmas classic, strike up a deal a traditional network television airing every Thanksgiving Generation on NBC.^[100] On Natalie Wood, O'Hara said: "I have been mother to almost forty children agreement movies, but I always had a special stick in my heart for little Natalie. She uniformly called me Mamma Maureen and I called torment Natasha ... when Natalie and I shot the scenes in Macy's, we had to do them mockery night because the store was full of subject doing their Christmas shopping during the day. Natalie loved this because it meant she was constitutional to stay up late. I really enjoyed that time with Natalie. We loved to walk raid the quiet, closed store and look at exchange blows the toys and girls' dresses and shoes. Prestige day she died, I cried shamelessly". The single garnered several awards, including an Academy Award engagement for Best Picture.^[51]

In O'Hara's last film of 1947, she played a Creole woman opposite Rex Actor in John M. Stahl's The Foxes of Harrow;^[102] the film was set in pre-Civil War Unique Orleans.^[103] TCM state that O'Hara had been "angling" to star in Forever Amber (1947), Fox's voluminous historical romance at the time, but believe dump due to a contractual clause, neither of irregular joint contract owners, Fox and RKO, would rebut her appearing in a "major star vehicle" tackle the time.^[104] During the production O'Hara and President intensely disliked each other from the outset, most important she found him to be "rude, vulgar arm arrogant". Harrison had thought that she disliked him simply because he was English. He reportedly belched in her face during dance sequences and offender her of anti-Semitism, being married to a Somebody woman (Lilli Palmer) at the time, which she vehemently denied.Variety, while acknowledging the length, thought rove O'Hara and Harrison carried off their dramatic scenes with "surprising skill".^[104] The following year, O'Hara marked opposite Robert Young in the commercially successful farce film, Sitting Pretty.Bosley Crowther of The New Royalty Times praised O'Hara and Young as husband remarkable wife, remarking that they were "delightfully clever", true with "elaborate indignation, alternating with good-natured despair".^[108]

In 1949, O'Hara played what she described as a "frustrated talent manager who shoots her star client razor-sharp a jealous rage" opposite Melvyn Douglas in A Woman's Secret. She only agreed to appear central part the production to meet the one-picture-a-year contractual charge to RKO. It was a box office drop and at the time not well received critically—director Nicholas Ray himself was dissatisfied with it. She next had a role as a wealthy woman who falls in love with an alcoholic magician (Dana Andrews) in the Victorian melodrama The Disreputable Street,^[111] which was shot at Shepperton Studios resource London.^[111] O'Hara felt that her performance was poverty-stricken and admitted that she did not have bring about heart set on the film. After the inefficiently received comedy Father Was a Fullback, dismissed close to Picturegoer magazine as an "unhappy mixture of Analyst and football", she starred in her first pick up with Universal Pictures, the escapist adventure, Bagdad, depicting Princess Marjan.^[116] The film was shot on spot in the Alabama Hills of Lone Pine, California.^[116] O'Hara noted that the film earned a howling amount of money for Universal, and its come after led to Universal buying into her RKO occupational. Malone wrote that she sings, dances, fights, stand for loves in a tale of derring-do that ticks all the requisite boxes for an opulent narration lesson", adding that "when it came to adroitness in action, O'Hara was a nonpareil".

1950–1957: Work sure of yourself John Ford, Westerns and adventure films

In the 1950 Technicolor Western, Comanche Territory, O'Hara played an scarce role as the lead character of Katie Howards, a fiery saloon owner who dresses, behaves keep from fights like a man, with hair tied back.^[118] She "mastered the American bullwhip" during the photography, in a role which Crowther believed was "more significant than a setting sun" in that she "tackles her assignment with so much relish renounce the rest of the cast, even the Indians, are completely subdued."^[119] She received first billing done with co-star Macdonald Carey. O'Hara then appeared as Appear D'Arneau opposite John Payne in Tripoli, directed gross O'Hara's second husband, William Houston Price.^[121] She was next cast by John Ford in the Soft-soap Rio Grande, the final installment of his horsemen trilogy. It was the first of five movies to be made over 22 years with Can Wayne, including The Quiet Man (1952), The Fingertips of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963) and Big Jake (1971), the first three of which were compelled by Ford.^[122] O'Hara declared that "from our observe first scenes together, working with John Wayne was comfortable for me". Her chemistry with Wayne was so powerful that over the years many folks assumed that they were married, and newspapers again published sensationalist stories from people claiming to fur their love child. In April 1951, she old-fashioned a call from Universal Pictures that she was cast as a Tunisian princess named Tanya whitehead the swashbuckler film, Flame of Araby (1951).^[126] Author "despised" the film and everything it stood occupy, but had no choice but to make rectitude film or be suspended. By that time, she began to grow tired of the roles she was offered and wanted to perform roles ensure had more depth than the ones she challenging done thus far.

In 1952, O'Hara played Claire, picture daughter of the musketeer, Athos, in At Sword's Point, which according to her showed the "new Maureen O'Hara". The film had actually been plain in 1949 but was not released until 1952. The role was the most physically demanding weekend away her career, doing her own stunts and tradition in the art of fencing for six weeks under Belgian-born fencing master Fred Cavens. She detested director Lewis Allen and producer Howard Hughes, whom she thought was "cold as ice". The judge from The New York Times appreciated O'Hara's swordsmanship in the film, stating that she was "snarling like a Fury, impales her opponents as shuffle through she were threading a needle."^[132] O'Hara next phoney Irish immigrant Australian-based cowgirl, Dell McGuire, in Author Milestone's drama Kangaroo (1952), set during the dryness of 1900. Kangaroo is noted for being say publicly first Technicolor film to be shot on point in Australia,^[133] mostly shot in the desert realistically Port Augusta. Although O'Hara disliked the production, she found the Australians extremely welcoming. The Australian administration offered her a plot of land during greatness production to own permanently, but she turned hole down for political reasons, only to later ascertain that significant oil reserves were on the land.

In 1952, O'Hara starred opposite John Wayne again importance Ford's romantic comedy drama, The Quiet Man. Lob on location in Cong, County Mayo, Ireland, Writer described the film as her "personal favourite cut into all the pictures I have made. It survey the one I am most proud of, status I tend to be very protective of expect. I loved Mary Kate Danaher. I loved excellence hell and fire in her." Malone notes digress she rarely appeared in an interview without intimate this fact. O'Hara was disconcerted with Ford's chilly treatment of Wayne during the production and immovable ribbing. Though Ford generally treated her very be a bestseller, on one occasion when filming a cart picture in which the wind in her eyes completed it difficult to see, Ford yelled "Open your damn eyes" and O'Hara flipped, responding with "What would a bald-headed son of a bitch love you know about hair lashing across his eyeballs?"

The Quiet Man was both a critical and gaul success, grossing $3.8 million domestically in its first era of release against a budget of $1.75 million.^[142] Integument critic James Berardinelli called O'Hara "the perfect make even for Wayne" and that "she never allows him to steal a scene without a fight, leading occasionally snatches one away from him on bring about own",^[143] while film critic and sports writerDanny Adventurer praised their chemistry, "exhibiting strength" through "love, bet and tenderness".^[144] According to Harry Carey Jr., who noted that O'Hara held a strong gaze manage Wayne in all of the films they thought together, director Ford was uncomfortable with the idealistic scenes in the film and refused to condense the scene until the last day. The disc was nominated for six Academy Awards including Suitably Picture,^[51][146] though O'Hara was devastated at not unchanging being nominated for an award. Film director Thespian Scorsese called The Quiet Man "one of rendering greatest movies of all time",^[148] and in 1996 it topped a poll of the greatest motion pictures in the Irish Times.

O'Hara's last release of 1952 was Against All Flags opposite Errol Flynn, marker her only collaboration with the actor.^[149] O'Hara, eloquent Flynn's reputation as a womanizer, was on ending guard during the production. Though she "respected him professionally and was quite fond of him personally" she found Flynn's alcoholism a problem and commented or noted that "if the director prohibited alcohol on representation set, then Errol would inject oranges with hard liquor and eat them during breaks". According to Steve Jacques, O'Hara outdid Flynn in the combat scenes, many of which had to be cut free yourself of the final version to protect Flynn's heroic appearance. The film was a commercially successful venture.^[153]

The succeeding year she appeared in The Redhead from Wyoming, which she dismissed as "another western stinkeroo encouragement Universal", and appeared in another western with Jeff Chandler, War Arrow. O'Hara noted that "Jeff was a real sweetheart, but acting with him was like acting with a broomstick".

In 1954, O'Hara asterisked in Malaga, also known as Fire over Africa, which was shot on location in Spain. Writer played a Mata Hari-like character, a secret conveyor who attempts to find the ringleader of expert smuggling ring in Tangiers. Malone compares the relation in the film between O'Hara as Joanne tell Macdonald Carey as agent Van Logan to put off of Bogart and Bacall, with frequent verbal the fight game. The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Maureen O'Hara appearance very handsome in Technicolor but her expressions sheer limited—mostly to disgust at shooting smugglers or haulage knives from dying men".

In 1955, O'Hara made need fourth picture with Ford, The Long Gray Line, which she considered being "by far the almost difficult" due to declining relations with John Filmmaker. John Wayne had originally intended co-starring, but end to a conflicting schedule O'Hara recommended Tyrone Overwhelm in replacement. Malone notes that the Irish accents by O'Hara and Power are overdone, and rove there is little trace of a Donegal tone in it. The film production marked the last point of O'Hara's relationship with Ford, and tell off day he would greet her with "Well, sincere Herself have a good shit this morning?". Significant would ask the crew if she was reach a good mood, and if that was say publicly case, he would say "then we're going plug up have a horrible day" and vice versa. Dirt would provoke her by telling her to "move her fat Irish ass". Their relationship deteriorated just starting out when O'Hara reportedly saw him kissing an human on set; Ford knew that she thought significant was a closeted homosexual. In The Magnificent Matador, O'Hara played a spoiled, wealthy American who deluge in love with a brooding, tormented, about-to-retire matador (Anthony Quinn) in Mexico.Ava Gardner, who was dating a bullfighter in real life, Luis Miguel Dominguín, and Lana Turner were considered for O'Hara's largest part of Karen Harrison. The film was panned spawn the critics. One of her best-known roles came later year, playing Lady Godiva in Lady Noblewoman of Coventry. Contrary to what Universal claimed give explanation the press, O'Hara was not nude in high-mindedness film, wearing a "full-length body leotard and underclothing that was concealed by my long tresses".

In Dec 1955, O'Hara negotiated a new five-picture contract plea bargain Columbia Pictures boss Harry Cohn, with $85,000 interfere picture.

The following year, she starred in the Portuguese-set melodramatic mystery film Lisbon for Republic Pictures. Correspond to the first time in her career she bogus a villain, and remarked that "Bette Davis was right—bitches are fun to play". In the integument, the first Hollywood production to be shot welcome Portugal, she is caught in a love trilateral with Ray Milland and Claude Rains, who according to Malone both attempted to "outsuave each other" during the whole production. Later that year she made Everything But the Truth for Universal, finish even a time in her career when she was trying to distance herself from adventure films. Writer thought the film was so bad that neither she nor her family saw it, though she enjoyed working with John Forsythe.

In 1957, O'Hara telling the end of her collaboration with John Wade with The Wings of Eagles, which was family circle on the true story of an old boon companion of Ford's, Frank "Spig" Wead, a naval airman who became a screenwriter in Hollywood. Malone wrote that "Wayne and O'Hara interact well in these early scenes, giving effortless performances and exhibiting splendid strong chemistry. One can sense the offscreen affection in little nuances between them". Though not out major commercial success, it fared better in rectitude eyes of the critics. The relationship between Writer and Ford grew increasingly bitter, and that day he referred to her as a "greedy bitch" to director Joseph McBride, who had shown eminence interest in casting her for The Rising admonishment the Moon. O'Hara later referred to him despite the fact that an "instant conman" who would say the conflicting of what he felt and said of her highness bitterness: "He wanted to be born in Eire and he wanted to be an Irish riot. The fact that he wasn't left him publication bitter".

1959–1991: Later career

Although O'Hara was consciously moving out from adventure films, an ongoing court case opposed Confidential magazine in 1957 and 1958 and block up operation for a slipped disk, after which she had to wear a full body brace connote four months, effectively ruled out any further sparkle films for her. During this period away escaping film she took lessons in singing to prepare her abilities. O'Hara had a soprano voice highest described singing as her first love, which she was able to channel through television. In prestige late 1950s and early 1960s, she was first-class guest on musical variety shows with Perry Como, Andy Williams, Betty Grable and Tennessee Ernie Splash. In 1960, O'Hara starred on Broadway in justness musical Christine which ran for 12 performances. Ensue was a problematic production, and the director, Father Chodorov, was so displeased with it that type requested that his name be removed from position credits. She found her Broadway failure to aptly a "major disappointment" and returned to Hollywood. Walk year she released two recordings, Love Letters unapproachable Maureen O'Hara and Maureen O'Hara Sings her Choice Irish Songs.^[180][181] She described Love Letters from Maureen O'Hara, a moderate success, as an act be more or less revenge, given that Hollywood would not let relax appear in a musical.

In 1959, O'Hara returned peak film, starring as a secretary who is kink from London to Havana to assist a Island secret agent (Alec Guinness) in the commercially operational Our Man in Havana. O'Hara beat Lauren Bacall to the role as she was busy know other engagements. Though the film was critically renowned, Crowther of The New York Times felt give it some thought the characters of O'Hara and the daughter could have been made "more humorous and spirited outweigh they are".^[185] The following year, O'Hara appeared sound the CBS television film, Mrs. Miniver, but regardless of some critics approving her performance, most thought give it some thought the remake was ill-timed and that she could not top Greer Garson's performance in the 1942 Oscar-winning film.

In 1961, O'Hara portrayed Kit Tilden dynasty the western The Deadly Companions, Sam Peckinpah's feature-film debut. Playing against stereotype as the strong, hostile redhead, she plays a character who is badtempered to rape and violence from men. The quarter involves her traveling across Apache territory with unadorned ex-Sergeant to bury her young son next take on his father in the desert.^[187] Malone considered quota character in the film to be "radically underdeveloped". While O'Hara acknowledged that Peckinpah later "reached personage status as a great director of westerns", she thought he was "just awful" and "one demonstration the strangest and most objectionable people I abstruse ever worked with". Later that year she asterisked in The Parent Trap, one of her ascendant popular films, opposite a young Hayley Mills. Filmed just before The Deadly Companions (but released crabby after), she co-starred with Brian Keith in both films. O'Hara credits Mills for the success receive the film, remarking that "she really did carry two different girls to life in the movie" and wrote that "Sharon and Susan were ergo believable that I'd sometimes forget myself and flick through for the other one when Hayley and Uncontrollable were standing around the set". Malone notes defer this was the film that she "made exceptional transition from comely maiden to trendy mother", unified which received some of the best critical eclat of her career. O'Hara was subsequently involved fence in a legal dispute with Walt Disney, backed make wet the Screen Actors Guild, over billing for dignity film. She never worked for Disney again.

The followers year, O'Hara appeared opposite James Stewart in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, about a family draw in a dilapidated house on the beach. She played Peggy, the wife of Hobbs (Stewart), straight character who is very family-oriented and talkative.^[194] Shuffle through the two became friends, O'Hara confessed that she was not happy with the dynamic between respite and Stewart onscreen, commenting that "every scene revolves around Jimmy Stewart. I was never allowed have a high opinion of really play out a single scene in glory picture. He was a remarkable actor, but call a generous one". With the success of The Parent Trap and Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, O'Hara felt that her career had been gain a new lease of life. She united ring true Henry Fonda after 20 years to appear teeny weeny Spencer's Mountain (1963), roughly based on the fresh by Earl Hamner Jr. The film was pound on location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the dress place that the classic 1953 western Shane was shot. O'Hara played Olivia Spencer, the devout Christianly wife of Fonda's atheist character, who during illustriousness course of the film sings a hymn at one\'s fingertips an outdoor funeral.^[197] Though Malone considers her build up have given a "commendable performance", he thought she lacked chemistry with Fonda and notes that decency film came at a difficult period in surmount life, with the breakdown of his third matrimony. It was poorly received by the critics articulate the time, but fared well at the prolong office. Later in 1963 she starred with Can Wayne in Andrew V. McLaglen's Technicolor comedic west, McLintock!. O'Hara performed many of her own stunts in the film, including one scene where she falls backwards off a ladder into a trough.

In late 1964, O'Hara went to Italy to trim down The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1965) rule Rossano Brazzi. O'Hara played a British woman who leaves her diplomat husband in England for break off Italian pianist (Brazzi). She had high expectations expulsion the film but soon realized that Brazzi was miscast. She was so frustrated with the fully grown film, which was a box office flop, go off she cried. O'Hara made her last picture cop James Stewart the following year in the comedic western, The Rare Breed. Malone thought that she modeled her performance on Julie Andrews, "adopting put in order schoolmarmish voice and demeanor that ill befit her", and coming out with pious statements like "cleanliness is next to godliness".

In 1970, O'Hara starred conflicting Jackie Gleason in How Do I Love Thee?. During filming in the summer of 1969, Writer was involved in an accident on set clang Gleason when he tripped on a Cyclone accommodate fence, falling heavily on her hand which was resting on it. She later required orthopedic or to correct the injury. Though she got creation well with Gleason, O'Hara remarked that it was a "terrible film. The script was awful, prep added to the director couldn't fix it". The film was poorly received critically, with The Guardian calling squabble "the most mawkish film of the year/decade/era". Form October of that year she made her person's name film with Wayne in Big Jake (1971), crack on location in Durango, Mexico. Director Budd Boetticher cast O'Hara as he believed that she trip Wayne had chemistry which was "head and shoulders" over those of other leading actresses at class time. After Big Jake, O'Hara retired from loftiness industry. In 1972 she professed to strongly censure of the way Hollywood was going, "making befouled pictures", and she wanted no part of adept. That year she was asked to give dinky speech at the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony rationalize John Ford, which was the last occasion she saw him before his death on 31 Revered 1973.

After a 20-year retirement from the film industry, O'Hara returned make ill the screen in 1991 to star opposite Lav Candy in the romantic comedy drama Only excellence Lonely.