Classic 50s Movie: “The Quiet Man”
May is Classic 50s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Traci Nell Peterson.
Movie Title: The Quiet Man
Year: 1952
Writers: Frank S. Nugent (screenplay), Maurice Walsh (story), John Ford (contributing writer — uncredited)
Lead Actors: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara
Director: John Ford
IMDb Plot Summary: A retired American boxer returns to the village where he was born in Ireland, where he finds love.
Nominated for 8 Academy Awards (including best picture) and won 2; for Best Director and Best Cinematography
Why I Think This is a Classic 50’s Movie: If you gravitate to this film for the wow factors of John Ford, John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, great! But, I guarantee you’ll be delightedly blown away by the supporting actors: Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond. They are perfection personified, all “mature” actors yet at the top of their game. In fact, perfection is found throughout the film: dialogue, theme, pacing, heart(!), a simple story told exceptionally well.
I noticed that IMDb listed this film as: “Comedy, Drama, Romance,” imho, they should’ve added “Action.” For me, that multi-genre list has always been the definition of a great Rom-Com — a work that evokes the whole spectrum of emotion’s and by the end of the film makes you an addict; The Quiet Man achieves addiction status. Actually, with John Wayne as male lead, this should be given it’s own category: “The Man’s Man Rom-Com.”
One of My Favorite Moments In the Movie: Sean Thornton moves into his cottage, carries a massive bed frame inside, while Mary Kate Danaher stares from a far. The look on her face as this massive man carries that giant bed frame! The quip from the character Ignatius Feeney tops the scene off, “Is that a bed, or a parade ground? A man would have to be a sprinter to catch his wife in a bed like that.”
One of My Favorite Dialogues In the Movie:
Mary Kate Danaher: It’s a bold one you are! Who gave you leave to be kissin’ me?
Thornton: So you can talk!
Mary Kate Danaher: Yes I can, I will and I do! And it’s more than talk you’ll be gettin’ if you step a step closer to me!
Thornton: Don’t worry — you’ve got a wallop!
Mary Kate Danaher: You’ll get over it, I’m thinkin’.
Thornton: Well, some things a man doesn’t get over so easy.
Mary Kate Danaher: Like what, supposin’?
Thornton: Like the sight of a girl coming through the fields with the sun on her hair… kneeling in church with a face like a saint…
Mary Kate Danaher: Saint indeed!
Thornton: …and now coming to a man’s house to clean it for him.
Mary Kate Danaher: But… that was just my way of bein’ a good Christian act.
Thornton: I know it was, Mary Kate Danaher. And it was nice of you.
Mary Kate Danaher: Not at all.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie:
The dichotomy of the passionate roughness and passionate tenderness between the sexes. The modern American Ways vs. The traditional Irish Ways.
A few running gags: sleeping bag, the fishing quest and the deaf pub patron.
The brilliant build up of this Quiet Man who evades fighting, money concerns and conflict vs. the reality of his former life.
John Wayne’s acceptance on behalf of John Ford at the 1953 Academy Awards:
A Perfect Opening Scene and use of VO:
Trivia via IMDb: At the film’s conclusion, after the credits, we see Kate and Sean standing in their garden waving good-bye. Maureen O’Hara turns to John Wayne and whispers something in his ear, evoking a priceless reaction from Wayne. What was said was known only to O’Hara, Wayne and director John Ford. In exchange for saying this unscripted bit of text, O’Hara insisted that the exact line never be disclosed by any involved parties. In her memoirs she says that she refused to say the line at first as she “couldn’t possibly say that to Duke”, but Ford insisted, claiming he needed a genuine shock reaction from Wayne. The line remains a mystery to this day.
Thanks, Traci. To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
Twitter: @tracinell.
We already have a set of classic 60s Movies, 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 50s movies.
Here is an updated list of 25 fine folks who have already volunteered [those who I put in bold have already sent me their posts]:
12 Angry Men — Ipsita Barik
A Place in the Sun — Zach Jansen
A Star is Born — Melinda Mahaffey
All About Eve — Ricardo Bravo
American in Paris — stefani1601
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof — uncgym44
File on Thelma Jordon, The — David Joyner
Harvey — Felicity Flesher
High Noon — Jeff Messerman
Invasion of the Body Snatchers — Rick Dyke
Kiss Me Deadly — John Henderson
Marty — jetwillie69
Night of the Demon — David Hutchison
Night of the Hunter — Mark Twain
On the Waterfront — Bilbo Poynter
Pickpocket — Zach Jansen
Quiet Man, The — Traci Nell Peterson
Rear Window — Roy Gordon
Searchers, The — mkm28
Seven Samurai, The — Paul Graunke
Some Like It Hot — Will King
Stalag 17 — James Schramm
Sunset Blvd. — Rick Dyke
Tokyo Story — Jeff Messerman
Vertigo — Jason Pates
I’m looking for 31 guest posts, one for each day of May. Why not pitch in to help add to this online resource to inspire writers to learn about and — most importantly — watch great movies.
If you have a classic 50s movies on which you’d like to do a writeup, please either post in comments or email me.
Thanks in advance!
For the original post explaining the series, go here.
For all of the 50s movies featured in the series, go here.