TV Times

TV Times

‘The Quiet Man’ John Wayne comes alive at the American Centre
John Ford's epic romantic comedy 'The Quiet Man' (1952) will be screened at the American centre on May 2 at 6.30 pm. Awarded two Oscar for Best Director for John Ford and Best Cinematography, Colour for Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout the film was nominated for five including Best picture, Best Writing, Screenplay and Best Art Direction.

John Ford's direction is a loving, sentimental, nostalgic tribute to his Irish ancestry and homeland. A rich, beautifully-textured technicolor presentation deserving its Colour Cinematography award, it was filmed mostly on location in Ireland, although some backdrops and background studio shots were obviously intermixed.

Its screenplay was based on Frank Nugent's adaptation of Maurice Walsh's Saturday Evening Post 1933 short story Green Rushes. Ford considered the rollicking, comedy love story one of his favourite films.

The memorable plot, about the collision course between an anti-materialistic, Irish-American boxer nicknamed 'Trooper Thornton' (Wayne) in the town of Innisfree in the land of his Irish birthplace and a local, mean bully (McLaglen) - is further entangled when he falls in love with the man's fiesty, red-haired, materialistic sister (O'Hara) who refuses to consummate her marriage without her dowry (350 Irish pounds in gold), was inspired by a Celtic myth about a monumental battle between two sacred kings who annually fought for the affections of a queen.

Sean Thornton is an American who swears off boxing after accidentally killing an opponent. Returning to the Irish town of his birth, he finds happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate. Though he is sorely tempted to pick up the gloves against her brother, the town bully, Sean is determined not to use his fists. Mary Kate and Sean wed but her brother refuses to pay the dowry. Sean would rather walk away than accept this challenge.

Even when his new wife accuses him of cowardice, Sean stands firm. But when she boards a train to leave, he is finally ready to take matters into his own hands. The resulting fist-fight erupts into the longest brawl ever filmed, followed by one of the most memorable reconciliation in motion picture history.
The film stars John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, Francis Ford, Eileen Crowe, May Craig and Arthur Shields

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