Maureen O’Hara : John Ford gave both of us the confidence to do our best but he was living out his fantasy of life through Duke and me

Here is a peek behind the scenes of this ultimate movie of Ireland.

Director John Ford apparently had feelings for the film’s star
The film’s director, John Ford (real name, John Martin Feeney), was not known for being a gentle-hearted sort. Blustery and even abusive, Ford could bring the crew and talent he worked with to tears at times because of his roughness and humiliating treatment.

It’s come to light recently that, as much as he berated The Quiet Man‘s leading lady, Maureen O’Hara, who played Mary Kate Danaher, Ford in actuality loved the Ireland-born actress. The director, almost thirty years older than O’Hara, was proud of his Irish heritage and considered her the perfect woman because she was utterly Irish, from her deep brogue to her fiery red hair.

The two worked on five films together and O’Hara knew that The Quiet Man was Ford’s love letter to her.

O’Hara, who died in 2015 at the age of 95, told The New York Times in 2004 of John “Duke” Wayne and Ford, “We look like a real couple, Duke and I, don’t we? John Ford gave both of us the confidence to do our best. But he was living out his fantasy of life through Duke and me. He was Sean [Wayne’s character] and I was his ideal woman.”

The actress published her autobiography, ‘Tis Herself, in 2004 and openly mused about Ford’s feelings for her.

“For years I wondered why John Ford grew to hate me so much. I couldn’t understand what made him say and do so many terrible things to me. I realise now that he didn’t hate me at all. He loved me very much and even thought that he was in love with me.”

‘The Quiet Man’ won two Oscars

While the film did not win in the Best Film category, it did score one Oscar for Best Director for Ford (his fourth Oscar as director, a record unbeaten to this day), and another for its cinematographers, Winton Hoch and Artie Stout, for Best Cinematography.

The latter was understandable, because as much as Wayne and O’Hara filled the movie with star power, the ultimate and true star was the gorgeous Irish landscape.

PROC. BY MOVIES