By Michael Lyons
“No one would dispute that The Quiet Man has earned the right to be called a classic. But it's gone further than that. It's a film that people love, which is only fitting because so much love went into it.”
-Leonard Maltin, The Making of The Quiet Man (1992)
And all of that love is up there on the screen in director John Ford's magnificent film. From a pitch-perfect script to a cast that allows every character to shine through the screen and a setting that could increase tourism to Ireland.
The Quiet Man is a wonderful film.
It finds itself connected to and shown around St. Patrick's Day, thanks to its rich immersion into the country and culture in Ireland. And, it is perfect for this time of year, but it's also an excellent film.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of The Quiet Man, so if the time of year isn't the perfect time to watch or revisit this fantastic film, this milestone certainly is.
Directed by John Ford, the legendary director responsible for most of Hollywood's classic Westerns, The Quiet Man was a change of pace for him and a very personal one at that. Ford wanted to celebrate his Irish heritage, so he bought the story rights to The Quiet Man in 1933.
The film is a leisurely-paced story that is never dull but filled with many relatable moments and messages. Ford's frequent collaborator John Wayne plays Sean Thornton, an Irish-born American who returns to Innisfree, the small town of his birth in Ireland. While there, he falls for the fiery read head Mary Kate Danaher (the radiant and feisty Maureen O’Hara) and causes quite a commotion in the community, upsetting Mary Kate’s brother Will (Victor McLaglen, perfect as a blustering, but lovable lout), a bullying farmer and landowner, which results in a final fight between the two of them that goes on for almost ten minutes!
Throughout it all, The Quiet Man is loaded with colorful characters that we come to know as close friends and neighbors by the film’s end.
This is thanks to one of the finest supporting casts ever assembled. The amazingly impish Barry Fitzergald gives new meaning to scene-stealing as Michaeleen “Oge” Flynn, the village matchmaker and bookmaker; stalwart actor Ward Bond is quietly understated (and very funny) the knowing village priest and Mildred Natwick perfectly proper as the spinster widow Tilane.
Ford won an Oscar for “The Quiet Man,” which was released on June 6, 1952 in London and Dublin and August 21, 1952 in the U.S. The movie influenced an entire generation of filmmakers, most notably Steven Spielberg, who featured a scene from the film as part of a pivotal moment in “E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial.”
With its rich celebration of Ireland, it's no wonder that The Quiet Man is so closely entwined with St. Patrick's Day. For many years, this author grew up watching the film on WPIX in New York on March 17th. This year, Fathom Events brought The Quiet Man back to theaters for St. Patrick's Day and the film's 70th anniversary.
The Quiet Man is a tale of family, tradition, and life’s real treasures. And like all wonderful films, appreciation for this classic grows with each passing year and every St. Patrick's Day.
As a reminder, my new book, "Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance" is now available at Amazon: Drawn to Greatness
And visit my web site: Words From Lyons
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