Behind The Scenes: Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne & John Ford On The Set Of THE QUIET MAN
Faux Irish blarney or Hollywood masterpiece – opinions on The Quiet Man are mixed (it’s the latter, if you must know). The 1952 John Ford film is a punchy romantic comedy with brilliant turns by John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. They make a fantastic pairing and Wayne would later say O’Hara was his favourite female co-star.
Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond and and the great Victor McLaglen also impress in supporting turns. The Quiet Man is a film filled with great characters and John Ford’s trademark wit and humour – and it clearly shows the director’s love of Ireland.
Shot on location in Cong, County Mayo and in the grounds of Cong’s Ashford Castle (although set in the fictional village of Inisfree), The Quiet Man saw electricity and telephone lines brought into Cong to assist with the production. Until that time the area was fuelled by oil, coal and turf. The shadow of the film still looms large over the village of Cong, which still draws tourists over half a century after the film was release.
The Quiet Man grossed $3.2 million at the US box office following its release in 1952.
