Everyone is welcome to a belated St. Patrick’s Day treat, the screening of John Ford’s 1953 masterpiece, “The Quiet Man,” on Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Easton Public Library.
Born in Maine, the son of Irish immigrants, John Ford strongly identified with his Irish heritage. By the 1930s, he was established as a top American film director. After reading Maurice Walsh’s short story “The Quiet Man” about an Irish-American prize fighter returning to live a peaceful life back in Ireland, Ford bought the rights and planned to film it as part of a trilogy of Irish-themed movies.
The first movie in the series, “The Informer,” (1935) was picked up by RKO and was successful both commercially and critically. It received six Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Director for Ford.
The second Irish film, “The Plough and the Stars,” (1937) however, turned into a nightmare for Ford. This time the RKO executives interfered to such an extent that Ford finally walked off the set and quit. His dream project was released, credited to him, but re-worked by the studio into a version he hated.
Getting the third Irish film, ‘The Quiet Man,” produced became nearly an impossible challenge, taking 15 years to come to fruition. Despite Ford having won three best director academy awards, no major studio was willing to finance “The Quiet Man,” a movie thought to lack commercial appeal. In desperation, Ford turned to Republic Pictures, known for “B” movies, cowboy flicks, and Saturday matinee serials, where he was given the green light, after first agreeing to direct an “A” western for the studio, “Rio Bravo,” (1950).
At last able to make the film in 1951, Ford traveled to Ireland with his stock company of favorite actors: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond and Ford’s own brother, Francis. Ford worked with writer Frank Nugent to adapt the story for the screen.
“The Quiet Man” is imbued with John Ford’s love and appreciation of his rich Irish heritage. The church and Irish customs come to play in the passionate, at times comical love story that unfolds, not without complications, when the American boxer comes home to Ireland.
The film’s stunning technicolor photography won an Oscar for Best Cinematography, and with its bold and hearty cast, Ford’s poetic direction earned him his fourth and final Best Director Academy Award. “The Quiet Man” is a St. Paddy’s Day treat for sure. Join us!
