The Quiet Man
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The Quiet Man was a 1952 American film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed by John Ford. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh. The film is notable for its lush photography of the Irish countryside and the long, climactic, semi-comic fist fight between Wayne and McLaglen.
Plot
The story concerns Sean Thornton (Wayne), an expatriate Irishman and professional boxing champion who moves from the United States to Ireland to reclaim his family's farm. He winds up falling in love with and marrying the fiery Mary Kate Danaher (O'Hara), sister of the none-too-pleased local squire (McLaglen). The story bears many resemblances to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The village of Cong in County Mayo was the setting for the film, and many of the houses used during the shooting can still be seen.Production
The film was something of a departure for Wayne and Ford, who were both known mostly for their Westerns. It was also a departure for Republic Pictures, which was given the chance to back Ford in what was considered a risky venture at the time. It was the first time the studio, known for low budget B-movies, put out a film receiving an Oscar nomination.Ford read the story in 1933, and soon purchased the story for $10. It took over 12 years for the film to be financed and made. Small Republic Pictures agreed to finance the film with O'Hara and Wayne with Ford directing, only if all three agreed to film a western with Republic. All three agreed and after filming Rio Grande they all left for Ireland to start shooting.
Awards
The film received a total of seven Academy Awards nominations, including best picture, and won two. John Ford won his fourth and final best director Oscar. Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout won for Best Cinematography. Victor McLaglen was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.Trivia
- The movie is one of the few Hollywood movies in which spoken Irish can be heard.
- The 1961 Broadway musical Donnybrook! was based on The Quiet Man.
- One of the conditions that Republic Pictures placed on John Ford was to ensure that the film came in at under two hours. However, the picture was eventually over that length and, when screening the film to Republic executives, Ford stopped the film at approximately two hours in: on the verge of the famous fight between Wayne and McLaglen. Republic executives eventually relented and allowed the film to run its full length.
- The fictional play "Stones in His Pockets" is about two Irish extras who have worked in an imaginary sequel to "The Quiet Man" shot in the same location and called "The Quiet Valley." It also features "The last surviving extra from "The Quiet Man.""
External links
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