Returning
to the Ireland of his birth, director John Ford fashions a irresistable
valentine to the "Auld Sod" in The
Quiet Man. Irish-American boxer John Wayne, recovering from
the trauma of having accidentally killed a man in the ring, arrives
in the Irish village where he was born. Hoping to bury his past and
settle down to a life of tranquility, Wayne has purchased the home of
his birth from wealthy local widow Mildred Natwick, a transaction that
has incurred the wrath of pugnacious squire Victor McLaglen, who coveted
the property for himself. By and by, Wayne falls in love with McLaglen's
beautiful, high-spirited sister Maureen O'Hara. Her insistence that
Wayne conduct his courtship in a proper Irish manner-with puckish matchmaker
Barry Fitzgerald along for the ride as "chaperone"--is but one obstacle
to their future happiness: the other is McLaglen, who spitefully refuses
to give his consent to his sister's marriage, or to honor the tradition
of paying a dowry to Wayne. Wayne could care less about dowries, but
the tradition-bound Maureen refuses to consummate her marriage until
McLaglen pays up. Under any other circumstances, Wayne would have punched
out the bullying McLaglen long ago, but ever since his tragedy in the
ring he has been reluctant to fight. Local priest Ward Bond, who is
privy to Wayne's secret, conspires with several locals to trick McLaglen
into paying his due. They intimate that widow Natwick, for whom McLaglen
carries a torch, will marry the old brute if he'll give his consent
to the marriage and fork over the dowry. But McLaglen finds he's been
tricked and the situation remains at a standoff, with the frustrated
Wayne locked out of his wife's bedroom. When Maureen accuses him of
being a coward and walks out on him, our hero can stand no more. He
marches Maureen to McLaglen's home, indicating that he plans to whale
the tar out of both brother and sister. As a huge and appreciative crowd
gathers (Natwick even hands Wayne a stick with which to beat his wife!)
the cornered McLaglen truculently tosses the money in Wayne's direction.
Big John hands the bills to Maureen, just as she knew he would, and
she ceremoniously burns the money in a rubbish oven, just as he knew
she would. Having proven their love for each other, there is nothing
left for Wayne and Maureen to do but head home and perform their nuptual
duties. But first there's the matter of giving McLaglen the thrashing
he deserves....and it is this spectacular donnybrook, which covers several
acres of land and at least two "pit stops" so that the combatants can
quench their thirst, which convinces Natwick that the defeated McLaglen
is truly worthy of her love (her logic is on a par with everyone else's
in the film!) Though it tends to perpetuate the myth that all true Irishmen
live only to fight, drink and make love, The
Quiet Man is grand and glorious fun, enacted with gusto by a
largely Hibernian cast and directed with loving care by a master of
his craft. Written by Frank Nugent and graced with a lilting musical
score by Victor Young, the film won Oscars for Archie Stout's Technicolor
photography and for John Ford's direction-a real coup for "poverty row"
Republic Pictures. If you haven't already luxuriated in this wonderful
film, be sure to catch in on the tube next St. Patrick's Day.
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