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A Belated St. Paddy’s Day Post: Taking a Look at “The Quiet Man” (1952)

The-Quiet-Man-john-wayne-21939245-1000-791

Hope everyone had a joyful ♣ St. Patrick’s Day ♣ and a great weekend. Mine was spent catching up on Game of Thrones (just in time for the season 3 premier), going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and getting stuck in post-parade revelry).

Sunday night, however was spent tucking into that blanket known as Turner Classic Movies for at least a bit of their selection of Irish-themed films. You can imagine my (semi) pleasure when I realized I had just caught the beginning of John Ford’s homecoming of sorts, the 1952 Technicolor feature The Quiet Man starring his go-to guy, John Wayne, with Maureen O’Hara, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick and the always entertaining Barry Fitzgerald rounding a solid cast.

SYNOPSIS

Sean Thornton (John Wayne) has returned from America to reclaim his Irish homestead and escape his past. Sean’s eye is caught by Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara), a beautiful but poor maiden, and younger sister of ill-tempered “Red” Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen). The riotous relationship that forms between Sean and Mary Kate, punctuated by Will’s pugnacious attempts to keep them apart, form the main plot, with Sean’s past as the dark undercurrent. (Source: IMDB)

Now I must personally state for the record, that I grew up in a rather anti-Wayne household. Well maybe that may be a bit harsh – my dad was ambivalent at best and my mom could give a care about him. That said, as a classic film buff I (slightly) broke away from the family line and decided to see and judge for myself what I though of Mr. Wayne’s oeuvre.

The result? While I must admit that the ambivalence has translated down the generation, I do give Wayne props for his performance in the western he made with Ford four years after this film, The Searchers.

But I digress. The question of this post is What did I think of The Quiet Man?

Overall, I would say it was an enjoyable watch. The film balanced romance, comedy and drama very effectively and I cannot imagine a more sublime way of capturing the Emerald Isle than in the vibrancy of Technicolor. Honestly that was enough to pass the sniff test for me.

Now on to the acting. As I implied above, I am quite the fan of Barry Fitzgerald and love his screen presence; in this film my response is no different. Maureen O’Hara was solid as the fiery redhead who captures our hero’s heart. As for the main man himself, he does what he needs to make the performance convincing – enough so that it carried me through to the end.

It should also be noted that this film was a departure for Ford and Wayne, who, in case you didn’t know, primarily collaborated on Westerns. The Quiet Man was released by independent studio Republic Pictures, mostly known for it B-movie offerings. Due to the success of the picture, it garnered the studio its only “Best Picture” nomination in its history.

The one thing I did not see coming was the motivation for Sean Thornton’s desire to retire to a quiet, country life – packed quite a punch IMO (Note to self: the clue is in the title).

In end …

  1. Did I like it – yes and more than I anticipated.
  2. Will I be adding The Quiet Man to my video collection any time soon? Very likely not.

 

Have you seen this film? And what did you think of it? Submit in the Comments section below.

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Capra: One (Many) for the Common Man, A Retrospective

Always a fan of Mr. Capra’s work, I took great pleasure in participating in the event hosted by The Lamb. While many may easily dismiss his work as corny or saccharine, I feel, many have missed the point of his work. I find that in fact, it is a balance that falls somewhere in the middle – not overly cynical or schmaltzy. For goodness sake, he seemed acutely aware of the pitfalls and despair that are a part and parcel of the human condition (his films dealt with suicide on more than one occasion – read Meet John Doe and It’s a Wonderful Life), but ultimately, he saw the human spirit as an overwhelming force of good and one that would overcome any obstacle. Remember, in his heyday, the country was in the depths of a Great Depression and struck the right, hopeful tone that I can only imagine the everyday day would appreciate and celebrate. He also had the capacity to be completely madcap and screwball (read: Arsenic and Old Lace and, to a lesser extent, You Can’t Take it With You). The following films are four of my favorite Capra films. Note – I LOVE It’s a Wonderful Life with all my heart, but intentionally left it off this list because I wanted to shine a light on some other noteworthy Capra films.

 

You Can’t Take it With You (1938)

lionel barrymore, james stewart, jean arthur & edward arnold - you can't take it with you 1938

A perfect combination of that sentimental feeling and zany comedy I just mentioned above. Jean Arthur is a member of an eccentric/free-spirited/bohemian family led by Lionel Barrymore. She falls in love with the “boss’ son,” in the form of one Jimmy (not James) Stewart. ILC’s take: ♥♥♥♥♥ (outta 5)

 

Meet John Doe (1941)

For me this film strikes a decidedly dark tone but again from the darkness there is a beacon of light, which has been fashioned by Capra as his vision of the unrivaled American spirit. Barbara Stanwyck stars as a reporter on her way out who finds a lifeline through a story of her own creation – because of the state of the world, a dispirited “everyman” (Gary Cooper) has decided to publicly end his life.

Meet_John_Doe_1941

The overtly jingoistic message may not resonate with contemporary audiences, but stellar performances by a world-weary Cooper and a determined Stanwyck make this one worth the watch. (Available in the public domain) ILC’s take: ♥♥♥♥

 

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

with Boris Karloff and Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

A pure gem and an all-time personal favorite. The perfect Halloween film with so much going on that you may wonder who’s coming and who’s going – but in the end, it is well worth the ride. Cary Grant shows a true mastery of the physical comedy genre with a great supporting cast, including wonderful turns by Raymond Massey and Peter Lorre. ILC’s take: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Hollywood's Greatest Year: The Best Picture Nominees of 1939

Capra’s entry into the “Golden Year of Hollywood,” 1939. An idealistic young politician (Jimmy Stewart) arrives in town and soon realizes that the inner workings of the political system are not as principled and virtuous as he thought. I know, SHOCKER. This makes my list principally became I love political theater ILC’s take: ♥♥♥♥

 

So, that’s my take; let me know what you think in the comments below.

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Revisiting E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

Although all the films that I have watched as part of my ‘celebration’ of the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios, this one really has particular is one that registers quite emotionally for me. Yes yes yes, I, like most sentient beings, cried my eyes out when I first saw E.T.

Unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of seeing it in the theater. For whatever reason (maybe due to my age) my dad took one of my brothers. So for the next few years, my only connection to the movie was in my father recalling how he was moved by the impact the film had on my brother. Of course, I would never fully appreciate just what that experience was until my dad brought home the “special edition” VHS tape years later.

As for the film itself, it always amazes me that such a wonderful fairytale comes from the grown-up mind of Steven Spielberg. Or maybe it shouldn’t surprise me – this is after all a man who created CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, another family favorite, and is obviously, a wonderful companion piece to E.T – the adult who is convinced that there is something out there and decides to explore (CLOSE ENCOUNTERS) and the child who stumbles upon an alien creature through happenstance and is forever transformed by the experience (E.T.).

In the case of E.T., the story of love, loss and everlasting connection is timeless and one that spans the generations.

 

As part of the 100th anniversary, E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL is being released on a remastered BLU-RAY video disk (October 9th) and, in cooperation with Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events, there will be a one night only viewing of the film in cinemas nationwide (Wednesday October 3rd).

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