Maureen O'Hara on TV: How Her Star Power Went Beyond the Big Screen

Maureen O'Hara, 1950. (imdb.com)

By    |   Monday, 26 October 2015 02:51 PM EDT ET

Although primarily known as a legendary actress on the big screen, earning the moniker, "The Queen of Technicolor," Maureen O'Hara was one of the few stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood who successfully made the transition to TV.

Although her major film career spanned from 1938 until 1971 (except for appearances in 1991's "Only the Lonely" and 1994's "A Century of Cinema"), her television career continued well into the 2000s, according to IMDb.

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Here are a few examples of how O'Hara succeeded on the small screen as well.

Made-for-TV Movies

O'Hara appeared in five made-for-TV movies, and starred with such luminaries as Henry Fonda, Juliet Mills, and Richard Thomas.

Her first foray into television films was in 1960, when she starred in the title role of "Mrs. Miniver." The TV adaptation also featured Mills, and Keir Dullea, among others, and was the story of a married woman's view of the world as World War II looms.

In 1973, she paired with Fonda, Ben Johnson, Jack Elam, and Clint Howard for a small-screen version of "The Red Pony." John Steinbeck's novella of the same name was originally adapted by Hollywood in 1949.

Although O'Hara's performance was lauded, she did not earn any accolades. However, "The Red Pony" film did take home two Prime-Time Emmys for Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing and Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition.

The other made-for-TV movies that O'Hara appeared in were "The Christmas Box" in 1995, "Cab to Canada" in 1998, and "The Last Dance" in 2000.

TV Show Appearances

During her more than 50 years of television work, O'Hara appeared as a guest star several times, sometimes as herself, according to Turner Classic Movies.

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Examples of her dramatic guest appearances included a production of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" on "The DuPont Show of the Month" and a performance of the musical "High Button Shoes" on "The Garry Moore Show." In 1966, the actress portrayed Mother Goose in the television series "Off to See the Wizard."

O'Hara also appeared as herself in several documentaries, such as in 1973's "AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Ford" and 1976's "An All-Star Tribute to John Wayne."

In addition, she was well-traveled on the variety show circuit, appearing such shows in the 1950s and 1960s as "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show," "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Andy Williams Show," and "The Jackie Gleason Show."

She also appeared on several game shows, including "What's My Line?" and "The Hollywood Squares."

O'Hara visited "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" twice, in 1963 and 1991. The actress returned to late night television for the last time in 2004 on "The Late Late Show."

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Although primarily known as a legendary actress on the big screen, earning the moniker, "The Queen of Technicolor," Maureen O'Hara was one of the few stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood who successfully made the transition to TV.
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