The Quiet Man 60th Anniversary Special Edition

If you're like me, once you view "The Quiet Man"", you will want to take it out each year on St. Patrick's Day and laugh, cry, and revel in it's genius! This may be the best movie that John Ford ever directed, as this is truly a masterpiece from start to finish. Filmed on location in Ireland, Ford used the beautiful green countryside to frame his story of a former boxer, Shawn Thornton (John Wayne) who leaves America for Ireland after he accidently kills another fighter in the ring. Hating himself for pummeling his foe to death for the money purse, Shawn vows to never use his fists again. In Ireland, Shawn buys his boyhood home in Innisfree, and simutanelusly incurs the rath of his neighbor, Will Danaher, who wanted the property himself. Shawn quickly falls head over heels for the bewitching beauty of Mary Kate Danaher, Will Danaher's sister (Maureen O'Hara - in perhaps her best role). Unfortunately for Thornton, Will Danaher refuses to give his sister in marriage to the man he despises. Enter official matchmaker Michaleen Oge Flynn, who with the help of the local clergy, hatches a secret plot to get Will Danaher to give up his sister to Thornton. Shawn and Mary Kate are finally married; however, there is one more problem, Mary Kate's brother Will refuses to deliver her 350 dollar dowry after he discovers he's been tricked. Shawn, who hates money due to his boxing history, refuses to press the issue with Danaher, causing Mary Kate to think Shawn is a coward and does not care for her. Mary Kate decides to leave her husband to shame him, and heads for the train station. This is the last straw for Shawn and the end of his "quiet-man" ways. The last 30 minutes of the film is an absolutely delightful, hillarious romp through the contryside, first to retrieve his wife, and second, to fight Mary Kate's brother for the dowry. A marvelous finish it is. Ford's genius is clearly evident in the humorous manner in which he wraps up this film. I laughed until I cried! The movie's score is wonderfullly Irish (of course), and I guarantee you will be humming the various musical themes long after the movie is over. The character casting is excellent and unforgettable. Wayne is superb as the American Yank Shawn Thornton, and O'Hara matches him scene for scene as the fiery and fiesty Mary Kate. Their on-screen chemistry is obvious, and it is apparent both actors truly enjoy each others company and work. The supporting cast is superb as well, with Ford gathering his "family" of actors around him to make "The Quiet Man" a movie you will never forget. Barry Fitzgerald (as Michaleen Flynn), should have won an Oscar for his hilarious portrayal of the boozed-up mathchmaker. Victor McLaglen as Will Danaher is equally gifted. Beautifully filmed, artistically directed, and wonderfully acted, "The Quiet Man" is pure and simple, a true gem of a film, and one you will want to watch again and again. Make sure you purchase the BLU-RAY version - it is crystal clear! kone Read more

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These two mega stars working together in a story filmed in Ireland. Directed by the great John Ford. Nothing else needs to be said! John Wayne in a non western but still Duke fills the screen and commands the action with his personality alone. Wonderful scenery, some very good character actors, and a fight scene at the end that was truly classic. Anyone who is a fan of John Wayne will not be disappointed! Read more

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Have you seen this movie? Have you been to the John Wayne Museum in Winterset, IA? We have 2 dvd's and 1 stream of Quiet Man because this is my go to movie when you just need that kind of peace. Peace, the after fight. Read more

A true classic. Read more

THE QUIET MAN, released in 1952, starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Victor McLaglen, Barry Fitzgerald and Ward Bond and directed by John Ford is a movie I get a kick out of, even though I am not a real John Ford fan. What I like most in THE QUIET MAN, which is set and was filmed mostly in Ireland, are Barry Fitzgerald as Michaleen (Fitzgerald looks like a leprechaun in this movie), Victor MacLaglen, the scene at the beginning when Sean Thornton (John Wayne)--or "Thon Shornton", as Michaleen would call him when drunk--arrives in Castletown and just wants directions to Innisfree but finds that several well-meaning Irishmen who've evidently kissed the Blarney Stone sometime in their lives only take up his time with gab and never get around to answering his questions, and especially the scene later in the film in which we see an old man on his “death bed”, surrounded by loved ones, one of whom is reading to the old man what is probably one of his favorite Bible stories. That scene is my favorite "sense-of-life" moment in a movie. The old man may only think he's dying, and has possibly been on his “death bed” many times before. When he hears a great commotion outside, he knows instantly what it's all about: there's going to be a fight! All the town is placing bets on it, and the old man is suddenly much more interested in this big fight than in lying in bed dying. So, evidently thinking: “Forget this!”, he—miraculously!—jumps out of bed and escapes the house, his family trying unsuccessfully to restrain him. Such a moment in a story sends me the message: "Life is not about suffering and sorrow; life is to be enjoyed, and we are on this earth to be happy." In regard to director John Ford in general, I consider him an expert talent, but I'm not a great lover of his less comedic, more serious films. He tells stories, and tells them well, but they are more saga-like than having plots. I don't see many purposeful characters who are faced with crucial moral conflicts; the agonizing moral questions are already answered. Everything is about concretes versus abstract ideas and there seems to be more concern about groups of people—tribes, races, classes, families, societies or political parties—rather than individuals. THE SEARCHERS is about the search for a white girl kidnapped by Comanches. STAGECOACH involves people riding a stagecoach across perilous territory, and its story seems to present a microcosm of society. THE GRAPES OF WRATH, based on the John Steinbeck novel, is about a tenant farming family in search of a better place to live and work during the Great Depression. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY chronicles life in a Welsh coal-mining town, focusing on a mining family and their struggles with economic and political change. THE INFORMER is a morality tale about a cowardly Irish Republican Army member-turned-informer evading his comrades before they can kill him. These and other of Ford’s films are excellent, but I do not enjoy them like I do THE QUIET MAN. Often times Ford tries to present a view of what a “real man” should be. His positive male characters normally convey courage and heroism, but, with certain exceptions—such as Ethan Edwards (Wayne again) in THE SEARCHERS—they don’t seem to do a great deal on their own, with or without approval from whatever group of men they are a part of. Sometimes I think Ford's philosophy of being a man is: "Be one of the boys." Ford is most known for his Westerns, especially the ones starring John Wayne, and even though I would like to see his other ones someday the two that I’ve mentioned here are not among my favorite Westerns; his apparent insistence on reconciling one’s individuality with the group is the main reason. (As to Ford’s view of women, generally it seems to be that women have their specific “place” in society; so I assume his philosophy would say that a “real woman” should be “one of the girls”.) For those who may not be interested in Ford’s work, at least give THE QUIET MAN a chance sometime. The presence of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara together make it a great date movie. But remember: "NO PATTY-FINGERS!!” —Jim Ashley Read more