Maureen O'Hara, born Maureen FitzSimons (17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015), was an Irish actress and probably the most famous Fiery Redhead leading lady in movie history.
She was "discovered" (more or less) by Charles Laughton, who in 1939 helped her to land an important part in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn and her first starring role as Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
With her flaming red hair and deep green eyes, O'Hara — at one time dubbed "The Queen of Technicolor" — is ranked as one of the greatest beauties of The Golden Age of Hollywood. She was so popular that many fans around the world began to link her red hair and green eyes with Irish people. She was also one of Hollywood's earliest Action Girls, donning Pirate Girl garb and seizing a sword, or sporting the flimsiest of veils in Hollywood's best "Arabian Nights" Days style, to appear as the strong-willed heroine of quite a few Swashbucklers.
O'Hara was a long time friend and collaborator with the legendary John Wayne. The two appeared in five films together: Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, McLintock! and Big Jake. Like Wayne, she worked extensively with iconic director John Ford, though they later grew to loathe each other.
In 2014, she was slated to win a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award at the Governor's Awards Show function. (She was and still is considered one of the more notable Golden Age actresses never to have even been nominated for a competitive Oscar.) Maureen passed away on October 24, 2015 at the age of 95.
Some notable films Maureen O'Hara appeared in include:
- Kicking the Moon Around, as the Secretary (1938)
- Little Miss Molly, also known as My Irish Molly in Europe, it's notable for being the only film she ever made under her real name, as Eileen O'Shea (1938)
- Jamaica Inn, as Mary, niece of pirate gang leader Joss Merlyn and object of interest for Bad Baronet Sir Humphrey Pengallen (1938)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as Esmeralda (1939)
- A Bill of Divorcement, as Sydney Fairfield (1940) — A remake of Katharine Hepburn's 1932 premiere movie.
- Dance, Girl, Dance, as Judy O'Brien (1940)
- How Green Was My Valley, as Angarad Morgan (1941) — Her first film directed by John Ford
- To the Shores of Tripoli, as Mary Carter (1942)
- Ten Gentlemen from West Point, Carolyn Bainbridge (1942)
- Rafael Sabatini's The Black Swan, as Lady Margaret Denby (1942) — She appears opposite Tyrone Power in her first Swashbuckler, in which she transforms at the end into a Pirate Girl
- Immortal Sergeant, as Valentine Lee (1943) — With Henry Fonda
- This Land Is Mine, as Louise Martin (1943) — A moving drama of Occupied France, in which Charles Laughton is a reluctant saboteur.
- Buffalo Bill, as Louisa Frederici Cody (1944) — Opposite Joel McCrea as the titular William Frederick Cody. Her first Western.
- The Spanish Main, as Contessa Francesca (1945) — Another Swashbuckler film, very similar to The Black Swan, but with Paul Henreid as the raffish (though in this case rather elderly) Pirate. Walter Slezak steals the show.
- Sinbad the Sailor, as Shireen (1947) — Her first "Arabian Nights" Days Swashbuckler, opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr., as Sinbad. Walter Slezak doesn't quite steal the show.
- Miracle on 34th Street, as Doris Walker (1947)
- Sitting Pretty, as Tacey King (1948) — The film that introduced Clifton Webb as Mr. Belvedere.
- Bagdad, as Princess Marjan (1949) — Another "Arabian Nights" Days Swashbuckler, with Paul Christian as Prince Hassan and Vincent Price as the Evil Vizier lusting after the princess.
- Comanche Territory, as Katie Howard (1950) — Another Western, opposite Macdonald Carey of Soap Opera fame.
- Tripoli, as the Comtesse D'Arneau (1950) — A War Movie, Pirate movie, and "Arabian Nights" Days movie, featuring the U.S. Marines fighting Barbary Pirates and Maureen in the inevitable yashmak.
- Rio Grande, as Kathleen Yorke (1950) — Maureen's first picture with John Wayne and the last of Ford's great "Cavalry Trilogy".
- Flame of Araby, as Princess Tanya (1951) — "Arabian Nights" Days again, this time opposite Jeff Chandler.
- At Sword's Point, as Claire, the Daughter of Athos (1952) — Another Swashbuckler, in which the children of The Three Musketeers unite to oppose the evil Duc de Lavalle. Maureen is a full-blown sword-swinging Action Girl in this one, opposite Cornell Wilde as the Son of D'Artagnan.
- The Quiet Man, as Mary Kate Danaher (1952) — Her second with Ford and Wayne, Maureen is cast entirely against type as a Fiery Redhead from Oireland.
- Against All Flags, as Prudence "Spitfire" Stephens (1952) — Her last, and possibly best, Pirate Swashbuckler, fittingly opposite Errol Flynn.
- The Long Gray Line, as Mary O'Donnell (1955) — Her third with John Ford, this time opposite Tyrone Power.
- Lady Godiva of Coventry, as Lady Godiva (1955) — Maureen does indeed play the first nude tax-protestor, though her Godiva Hair ensures that she does not shock the sensibilities even of the nun who leads her horse.
- Lisbon, as Sylvia Merrill (1956) — Chiefly interesting for having been directed by her co-star, Ray Milland.
- The Wings of Eagles, as Min Wead (1957) — Her third with John Wayne and fourth with John Ford. A military Romantic Comedy.
- The Deadly Companions, as Kit Tilden (1961)—Another film she did with Brian Keith and a western.
- The Parent Trap, as Maggie McKendrick (1961) — The Disney comedy, with Maureen as the mother of Hayley Mills — and Hayley Mills — and estranged wife of Mitch Evers.
- Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, as Peggy Hobbs (1962) — Opposite Jimmy Stewart.
- Spencer's Mountain, as Olivia Spencer (1963) — Opposite Henry Fonda. The film that inspired The Waltons.
- McLintock!, as Katherine Gilhooley McLintock (1963) — Her fourth with John Wayne, but no John Ford this time around.
- The Rare Breed, as Martha Price (1966) — A Western opposite Jimmy Stewart.
- Big Jake, as Martha McCandles (1971) — Her fifth and last film with John Wayne. note
- The Red Pony, as Ruth Tiflin (1973) — Opposite Henry Fonda.
- Only the Lonely, as Rose Muldoon (1991) — As John Candy's domineering mother. Her last cinematic film.
