Maureen O'Hara, educated at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin, was a working actress from a young age. By the time she was 19, O'Hara was already considered to be established in the film industry.
The fiery red haired actress, also dubbed "The Queen of Technicolor," can attribute these three roles to defining her career:
1. Mary Kate Danaher, "The Quiet Man" (1952)
O'Hara starred alongside John Wayne (who played Sean Thornton) is this romantic comedy, which actually brought the pair to O'Hara's native Ireland.
In the film, she plays Mary Kate Danaher, a woman who remains true to her village customs and refuses to consummate her nuptials to Thornton until her ignorant brother pays the dowry.
The brother is hell-bent on the marriage not taking place to begin with because he wants property that belongs to Thornton.
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In her autobiography, "'Tis Herself", O'Hara was particularly careful with the legacy of "The Quiet Man."
"I have often said that 'The Quiet Man' is my personal favorite of all the pictures I have made during my career. It is the one I am most proud of, and tend to be very protective of it," O'Hara said.
2. Doris Walker, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947)
O'Hara plays Doris Walker in this holiday film, a store supervisor who is responsible for hiring the Christmas Santa for Macy's Department Store. A young Natalie Wood plays O'Hara's daughter in the film, where the plot circles around the child's disbelief in Santa Claus.
This top-rated Christmas classic continues to be a family favorite today and is arguably the most famous film of her career.
3. Angharad, "How Green Was My Valley" (1941)
O'Hara gave what was considered a haunting performance in this film playing Angharad, the Welsh daughter of a mining family. This was the first collaboration for her with legendary director John Ford.
The film scored big at the Oscars, winning top honors in five categories, including Best Picture and Best Director,
according to IMDb.
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