The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man is a 1952 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen. The screenplay by Frank S. Nugent was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story of the same name by Maurice Walsh, later published as part of a collection titled The Green Rushes. The film is notable for Winton Hoch's lush photography of the Irish countryside and a long, climactic, semi-comic fist fight. It was an official selection of the 1952 Venice Film Festival.

The Quiet Man
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Ford
Produced byJohn Ford
Merian C. Cooper
Screenplay byFrank S. Nugent
Based onThe Quiet Man
1933 story in The Saturday Evening Post
by Maurice Walsh
Starring
Narrated byWard Bond
Music byVictor Young
CinematographyWinton C. Hoch
Edited byJack Murray
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byRepublic Pictures
Release date
  • June 6, 1952
    • (London and Dublin)[1]
  • August 21, 1952
    • (New York)
Running time
129 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Irish
Budget$1.75 million
Box office$3.8 million (rentals)[2]

The Quiet Man won the Academy Award for Best Director for John Ford, his fourth, and for Best Cinematography. In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3][4][5]

Plot

Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara) and Sean (John Wayne)

In the 1920s, Sean "Trooper Thorn" Thornton, an Irish-born retired boxer from Pittsburgh, travels to his birthplace of Inisfree to purchase back the old family farm.[lower-alpha 1] Shortly after arriving, he meets and falls in love with fiery, red-headed Mary Kate Danaher, the sister of the bullying Squire "Red" Will Danaher. Will also wants to buy the Thornton family's old cottage and land, and he is angered when the property's current owner, the wealthy Widow Tillane, accepts Sean's bid instead of his offer. Will then retaliates by refusing consent for his sister to marry.

Some village residents—including Father Peter Lonergan and local matchmaker-cum-bookmaker Michaeleen Óge Flynn—trick Will Danaher into believing that Widow Tillane will marry him if Mary Kate is no longer under his roof. He gleefully allows the marriage, but he refuses to give Mary Kate her dowry when he finds he was deceived.[lower-alpha 2] Sean, unschooled in Irish customs, professes no interest in obtaining the dowry; but to Mary Kate, the dowry represents her personal value to the community and her freedom. She insists that the dowry must be received to validate their marriage, causing an estrangement between her and Sean. The morning after their wedding, villagers arrive at the couple's cottage with Mary Kate's furniture, having persuaded Will to release it, but they could not convince him to pay the dower-money.

Sean's refusal to fight her brother is attributed to cowardice by Mary Kate. However, Sean reveals to the local Protestant Minister, Rev. Cyril Playfair, who also is a former boxer, that he once accidentally killed an opponent in the ring. Sean had sworn to give up fighting out of fear and guilt over the manslaughter, since the other man had a wife and children and was younger than him. Mary Kate also confesses her part in the quarrel to Father Lonergan, who berates her for her selfishness. She and Sean partially reconcile that night, and they share the bedroom for the first time since their marriage.

John Wayne and Victor McLaglen in the movie shake hands, Ward Bond between them in the background.

However, the next morning, Mary Kate quietly leaves their cottage to board a train for Dublin, hoping this will cause Sean to take some action, though she does not actually intend to leave. Sean soon learns from Michaeleen where she is, and he finds her waiting there for him. Followed by a crowd of villagers, he forces her to walk with him the five miles (8 km) back to the Danaher farm. There, Sean confronts Will and demands the dower-money. When Will refuses, Sean throws Mary Kate back at her brother, declaring "no fortune, no marriage" ׂׂ(which is their custom, not his). The ultimatum shocks both Mary Kate and Will, who finally pays the 350 pounds. Sean immediately burns it in the boiler, abetted by Mary Kate, showing that it was not the money but her husband's courage and brother's respect she wanted all along. She leaves for home, but a humiliated Will takes a swing at Sean, only to be knocked down by a defensive counter-punch.

A long fistfight ensues between the two men, a brawl that attracts more and more spectators as it continues for miles across countryside and village. The fighters finally pause for a drink inside Cohan's Bar, where they begrudgingly admit a mutual respect for one another. After arguing over who is to pay for the drinks, Sean ends the fight by hitting Will so hard that he falls back, crashes through the bar's front door, and ends up lying unconscious in the street. Later, the brothers-in-law drink to intoxication, reconcile, and stagger arm-in-arm back to Sean and Mary Kate's home for supper, much to Mary Kate's amusement and delight.

The next day, a humbled Will and the Widow Tillane begin their own courtship, and they ride out of the village side by side in a jaunting car driven by Michaeleen. Sean, Mary Kate, and the villagers wave to them as they pass, before Sean and Mary Kate playfully chase each other across the fields back to the cottage.

Cast

  • John Wayne as Sean Thornton
  • Maureen O'Hara as Mary Kate Danaher
  • Barry Fitzgerald as Michaeleen "Óge" Flynn
  • Victor McLaglen as Squire "Red" Will Danaher
  • Ward Bond as Father Peter Lonergan
  • Mildred Natwick as the Widow Sarah Tillane
  • Francis Ford as Dan Tobin
  • Arthur Shields as Rev. Cyril Playfair
  • Eileen Crowe as Elizabeth Playfair
  • Charles FitzSimons as Hugh Forbes
  • James Fitzsimons (as James Lilburn) as Father Paul
  • Sean McClory as Owen Glynn
  • Emily Eby as Mave Campbell
  • Jack MacGowran as Ignatius Feeney
  • Philip Stainton as Anglican Bishop
  • May Craig as Fishwoman with Basket at Station
  • Paddy O'Donnell as Railway porter
  • Eric Gorman as Costello – Engine driver
  • Kevin Lawless as Engine fireman
  • Joseph O'Dea as Molouney – Train guard
  • Tony Canzoneri as Boxing Second (uncredited)
  • Frank Baker as Man in Bar (uncredited)
  • Ruth Clifford as Mother (uncredited)
  • Maureen Coyne as Dan Tobin's Daughter Ireland (uncredited)
  • Mimi Doyle as Dan Tobin's Daughter USA (uncredited)
  • Ken Curtis as Dermot Fahy (uncredited)
  • Douglas Evans as Ring Physician (uncredited)
  • Charles Ferguson as Danaher Brother (uncredited)
  • Robert Foy as Driver of Cart Across River (uncredited)
  • Sam Harris as the deaf General (uncredited)
  • D.R.O. Hatswell as Guppy (uncredited)
  • John Horan as Man at Railway Station (uncredited)
  • David Hughes as Police Constable (uncredited)
  • Billy Jones as Bugler (uncredited)
  • Tiny Jones as Nell (Maid) (uncredited)
  • Colin Kenny as Pub Extra (uncredited)
  • Patrick Wayne as Boy on Wagon at Horse Race (uncredited)
  • Michael Wayne as Teenage Boy at Races (uncredited)
  • Toni Wayne as Teenage Girl at Races (uncredited)
  • Melinda Wayne as Girl on Wagon at Horse Race (uncredited)
  • Mae Marsh as Father Paul's Mother (uncredited)
  • Jim Morrin as Roof Thatcher (uncredited)
  • Jim McVeigh as Man Following Cart Across River (uncredited)
  • Harry Tenbrook as Police Sergeant Hanan (uncredited)
  • Harry Tyler as Pat Cohan (Publican) (uncredited)
  • Al Murphy as Boxing Referee (uncredited)
  • Hank Worden as Boxing Trainer (uncredited)
  • Michael O'Brian as Musha Musha Man (uncredited)
  • Pat O'Malley as Man in Bar (uncredited)
  • Frank O'Connor as Ringside Photographer (uncredited)
  • Web Overlander as Hugh Bailey (Stationmaster) (uncredited)
  • Bob Perry as Trooper Thorn's Ringside Trainer (uncredited)
  • Darla Ridgeway as Girl (uncredited)
  • Freddy Ridgeway as Boy (uncredited)
  • Philip Stainton as Anglican Bishop (uncredited)
  • Jack Roper as Tony Gardello (Boxer) (uncredited)
  • Brick Sullivan as Townsman (uncredited)

Production

The film was something of a departure for Wayne and Ford, who were both known mostly for Westerns and other action-oriented films. It was also a departure for Republic Pictures, which backed Ford in what was considered a risky venture at the time. It was the only time the studio, known for low budget B-movies, released a film that would receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

Ford read the story in 1933 and soon purchased the rights to it for $10. The story's author was paid another $2,500 when Republic bought the idea, and he received a final payment of $3,750 when the film was actually made.[6] Republic Pictures agreed to finance the film with O'Hara and Wayne starring and Ford directing, but only if all three agreed to first film a Western with Republic. They did, and after completing Rio Grande, they headed for Ireland to start shooting.

One of the conditions that Republic placed on Ford was that the film run under two hours. However, the finished picture was two hours and nine minutes. When screening the film for Republic executives, Ford stopped the film at approximately two hours in, on the verge of the climactic fistfight. Republic executives relented and allowed the film to run its full length.[7] It was one of the few films that Republic filmed in Technicolor; most of the studio's other color films were made in a more economical process known as Trucolor.

The film employed many actors from the Irish theatre, including Barry Fitzgerald's brother, Arthur Shields, as well as extras from the Irish countryside, and it is one of the few Hollywood movies in which the Irish language can be heard. Filming commenced on June 7, 1951. All of the outdoor scenes were shot on location in Ireland in County Mayo and County Galway. The inside scenes were filmed toward the end of July at the Republic Studios in Hollywood. Vawn Corrigan reports that Ford made considerable efforts to get the costumes correct for the period with Ó’Maille – The Original House of Style in Galway tasked with sourcing the costumes.[8]

"The Quiet Man Bridge"

The story is set in the fictional community of Inisfree. This is not the same as the Lake Isle of Innisfree, a place in Lough Gill on the SligoLeitrim border made famous by poet William Butler Yeats, which is a tiny island. Many scenes for the film were actually shot in and around the village of Cong, County Mayo, on the grounds of Cong's Ashford Castle. Cong is now a wealthy small town and the castle a 5-star luxury hotel. The connections with the film have led to the area becoming a tourist attraction. In 2008, a pub opened in the building used as the pub in the film (it had actually been a shop at the time when the movie was shot); the pub hosts daily re-runs of the film on DVD.[9] The Quiet Man Fan Club holds its annual general meeting in Ashford Castle. Other locations in the film include Thoor Ballylee, Co. Galway, home of poet W.B. Yeats for a period, Ballyglunin railway station near Tuam Co. Galway, which was filmed as Castletown station, and various places in Connemara Co. Galway and Co. Mayo. Among those are Lettergesh beach, where the horse race scene was filmed,[10] "The Quiet Man Bridge", signposted off the N59 road between Maam Cross and Oughterard[11] and the "White O'Morn" cottage. The latter is located on R336 south of Maam, but long ago fell into ruin.[12]

The film also presents Ford's depiction of an idealized Irish society, with only implied social divisions based on class and differences in political or religious affiliations. The Catholic priest, Father Lonergan, and the Protestant minister, Reverend Playfair, maintain a strong friendly relationship throughout the film, which represented the norm in what was then the Irish Free State, where religious tensions occurred in the 1930s but were the norm only in Northern Ireland. One of the allusions to Anglo-Irish animosity occurs after the happy couple is married and a congratulatory toast offered by Hugh Forbes expresses the wish that they live in "national freedom" (the term national has been censored from most editions)[10] and before the final donnybrook when Thornton demands his wife's dowry from Danaher. Danaher asks Hugh Forbes, who had been commander of the local Irish Republican Army unit during the fight to expel the British, "So the IRA is in this too, ah", to which Forbes replies, "If it were, not a scorched stone of your fine house would be standing."

Music

Ford chose his friend, Hollywood composer Victor Young, to compose the score for the film. Young sprinkled the soundtrack with many Irish airs such as the "Rakes of Mallow" and "The Wild Colonial Boy". One piece of music, chosen by Ford himself, is most prominent: the melody the "Isle of Innisfree", written not by Young, but by the Irish policeman/songwriter Richard Farrelly. The melody of the "Isle of Innisfree", which is first heard over the opening credit sequence with Ashford Castle in the background, becomes the principal musical theme of The Quiet Man. The melody is reprised at least eleven times throughout the film.

The upbeat melody comically hummed by Michaeleen Oge Flynn and later played on the accordion is the "Rakes of Mallow".

A portion of the Irish version of "The Wild Colonial Boy" is played throughout the film.

When Maureen O'Hara died in October 2015, her family stated she listened to music from The Quiet Man during her final hours.[13] Filmmaker George A. Romero was also said to have died listening to the score.[14]

Reception

In 1952 A. H. Weiler of The New York Times viewed the film "as darlin' a picture as we've seen this year," with "dialogue that is as tuneful as a lark's song."[15] In another contemporary review, the entertainment trade paper Variety called the picture "beautifully filmed" and wrote that "Wayne works well under Ford's direction," but found the 129-minute running time "unnecessary."[16] Harrison's Reports described the film as "a delightful and rollicking comedy melodrama of Irish life, directed with skill and acted with gusto by a fine cast."[17] Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post declared it "a complete jim-dandy ... The photography is glorious and Victor Young's score, inspired by folk airs, is a complete joy for an exuberant, vigorous picture."[18] Philip Hamburger of The New Yorker was not so taken with the film, writing, "If am to believe what I saw in John Ford's sentimental new film, 'The Quiet Man,' practically everybody in Ireland is just as cute as a button," adding, "Mr. Ford's scenes of the Irish countryside are often breathtaking ... but the master who made 'The Informer' appears to have fallen into a vat of treacle."[19]

On the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Quiet Man in 2019 has a 90% approval rating based on reviews from 41 critics. Critical consensus on the website states, "Director John Ford and star John Wayne depart the Western for the Irish countryside, and the result is a beautifully photographed, often comedic romance."[20]

The film was also a financial success, grossing $3.8 million in its first year of release. This was among the top ten grosses of the year.[21] It was also the seventh most popular film for British audiences in 1952.[22]

Awards and nominations

Award Category Recipient(s) Result
Academy Awards[23] Best Actor in a Supporting Role Victor McLaglen Nominated
Best Art Decoration - Set Direction, Color Frank Hotaling, John McCarthy Jr., Charles S. Thompson Nominated
Best Cinematography - Color Winton C. Hoch, Archie Stout Won
Best Director John Ford Won
Best Picture John Ford, Merian C. Cooper Nominated
Best Sound, Recording Daniel J. Bloomberg Nominated
Best Writing, Screenplay Frank S. Nugent Nominated
Golden Globes[24] Best Director John Ford Nominated
Best Original Score Victor Young Nominated
Directors Guild of America[25] Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures John Ford, Wingate Smith Won


Home video

It was first released on DVD December 14, 1998 by Artisan Home Entertainment. It was also released 4 years later on a Collector's edition DVD on October 22, 2002 by Artisan. The Special features on this edition include "The Making of the Quiet Man" Documentary with Leonard Maltin, and "The Joy of Ireland" Documentary with Maureen O'Hara and Andrew V. McLaglen, and "Remembering The Quiet Man Montage".

On January 22, 2013 Olive Films released The Quiet Man on DVD and for the first time on Blu-ray, as a 60th Anniversary Special edition. It included the documentary "The Making of the Quiet Man" with Leonard Maltin.

In 2010 there was a documentary called Dreaming The Quiet Man made about the journey and making of The Quiet Man. It was narrated by Gabriel Byrne, and had interviews with Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, Charles F. Fitzsimons, and Maureen O'Hara. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time on March 24, 2015.

See also

  • John Wayne filmography
  • Marquess of Queensberry rules of boxing
  • Innisfree, a 1990 Spanish documentary film about the making of The Quiet Man
  • Jaunting car, the horse-drawn vehicle owned by Michaeleen Oge Flynn that is first seen delivering Sean to Innisfree at the beginning of the film. Michaleen is seen using it throughout the film as his main mode of transport and it is in the amusing courting scenes that it plays a greater role.

Notes

  1. The spelling of the fictional village "Inisfree" can vary in spelling in some film reviews and articles, often being cited "Innisfree". In the film, however, the public notices announcing the upcoming horse race are boldly printed "INISFREE RACE MEET".
  2. Michaeleen’s full name includes "Óge", which in Irish translates to "young" in English. Óge is used to distinguish between a father and his son with the same name, much in the manner that the suffixes "Sr." and "Jr." do in English.

References

  1. "The Quiet Man - Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved June 21, 2018 via AFI.com.
  2. "Top 20 Films of 1952 by Domestic Revenue". boxofficereport.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008.
  3. "Library of Congress announces 2013 National Film Registry selections". Washington Post (Press release). December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  4. "Complete National Film Registry Listing". loc.gov. Washington, DC: National Film Preservation Board, Library of Congress. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  5. "Cinema with the Right Stuff Marks 2013 National Film Registry". loc.gov. Washington, DC: National Film Preservation Board, Library of Congress. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  6. Maureen O'Hara with John Nicoletti. 'Tis Herself: An Autobiography, p. 158-159. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks (2005 edition).
  7. Maureen O'Hara with John Nicoletti. 'Tis Herself: An Autobiography, p. 169-170. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks (2005 edition).
  8. Corrigan, Vawn (2020). Irish Tweed: History, Tradition, Fashion. O'Brien Press. ISBN 9781788490214.
  9. "Quiet Man fans can sup a stout in the film’s pub," Belfast Telegraph, August 25, 2008.
  10. "The Quiet Man (1952) Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  11. "The Quiet Man Bridge". Oughterard Tourism. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  12. "Day Two of the Quiet Man Celebration: I fell in love with the cottage at first sight ..I'll bring the dream alive and put back all that movie magic; White O'Morn Owner Vows to Restore It". The Mirror. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  13. "Actress Maureen O'Hara dies at 95". USA Today. Associated Press (October 25, 2015)
  14. "George A. Romero, 'Night of the Living Dead' creator, dies at 77". LA Times (July 16, 2017)
  15. Weiler, A. H. (August 22, 1952). "The Screen In Review". The New York Times: 13.
  16. "The Quiet Man". Variety: 6. May 14, 1952.
  17. "'The Quiet Man' with John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald". Harrison's Reports: 79. May 17, 1952.
  18. Coe, Richard L. (October 3, 1952). "Now Irish Eyes Are Smiling Again". Washington Post: 30.
  19. Hamburger, Philip (August 23, 1952). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker: 56–57.
  20. "The Quiet Man (1952)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  21. Gallagher, Tag (1986). John Ford: The Man and his Films. University of California Press. p. 499.
  22. "Comedian Tops Film Poll". The Sunday Herald. Sydney. December 28, 1952. p. 4. Retrieved August 12, 2017 via National Library of Australia.
  23. "The 25th Academy Awards | 1953". Oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  24. "Winners & Nominees 1953". goldenglobes.com. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  25. "Awards / History / 1952". DGA.org. Retrieved October 22, 2020.

Sources

  • Crosson, Seán and Rod Stoneman (2009). The Quiet Man ... and Beyond: Reflections on a Classic Film, John Ford, and Ireland. Liffey Press. ISBN 9781905785568. Includes chapters examining the film's use of language, style, landscape and Ford's connection more generally with Ireland.
  • MacHale, Des (2004). Picture The Quiet Man. Appletree Press. ISBN 9780862819309. Includes an in-depth chapter on the film's score and the "Isle of Innisfree". No online access.
  • McNee, Gerry (2012). In the Footsteps of the Quiet Man: The Inside Story of the Cult Film. Random House. ISBN 9781780574691. Narrative of the film's production.
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