| Maureen O'Hara | |
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| Born | Maureen FitzSimons August 17, 1920 Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Years active | 1938 – 2000 |
| Spouse(s) | George H. Brown (1939-1941) Will Price (1941-1953) Charles F. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Ranelagh ( Irish Raghnallach) is a residential area and urban village on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. County Dublin (Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath or more correctly today the Dublin Region ( Réigiúin Átha Cliath) is the area that contains the city of Dublin Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The year 1938 in film involved some significant events Events January &mdash MGM announces that Judy Garland The year 2000 in film involved some significant events Events Top grossing films Please note that following the tradition of the Blair (1968-1978) |
Maureen O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons on August 17, 1920 in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish film actress and singer. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Ranelagh ( Irish Raghnallach) is a residential area and urban village on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. County Dublin (Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath or more correctly today the Dublin Region ( Réigiúin Átha Cliath) is the area that contains the city of Dublin The Irish Republic ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann or Saorstát Éireann) was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works
Born to Charles Stewart Parnell FitzSimons (a Catholic) and Marguerita Lilburn (a Protestant) in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland not long before partition, the famously red-headed beauty is noted for playing fiercely passionate heroines with a highly sensible attitude. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Ranelagh ( Irish Raghnallach) is a residential area and urban village on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. County Dublin (Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath or more correctly today the Dublin Region ( Réigiúin Átha Cliath) is the area that contains the city of Dublin This article is about people with red hair also sometimes called redheads She often worked with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American
Her father was part owner of Irish football club Shamrock Rovers. Shamrock Rovers Football Club (Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige are a football club from Dublin, Ireland.
She is fluent in Irish and used this in her films The Long Gray Line, The Quiet Man, and Only the Lonely. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. The Long Gray Line is a 1955 Drama film directed by John Ford. The Quiet Man is a American film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed Only the Lonely is a 1991 romantic Comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Columbus.
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Biography
Beginnings
Maureen FitzSimons came from a theatrical family. She auditioned and was accepted into the prestigious Abbey Theatre in Dublin at the age of 14. The Abbey Theatre (Amharclann na Mainistreach also known as the National Theatre of Ireland (Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann is a Theatre located in Dublin Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Her dream then was to become an opera singer. Maureen's mother was an accomplished operatic contralto and later became a successful woman's clothier.
Maureen also attended the Ena Mary Burke School of Elocution in Dublin and at age 14 auditioned and was accepted into the famed performing arts school at the Abbey Theater. She was offered a screen test in London. The test proved to be a huge disappointment for Maureen. The studio adorned her in a gold lamé gown and heavy make-up with an ornate hair style. Her thoughts were, "If this is the movies, I want nothing to do with them!" In short, the screen test was awful. Famed actor Charles Laughton later saw the test, and despite the overdone makeup and costume, he was haunted by her beautiful eyes. Charles Laughton ( 1 July, 1899 &ndash 15 December, 1962) was an English Academy Award -winning stage and
Laughton believed the young woman had "something special" and subsequently told his business partner Erich Pommer. Erich Pommer ( July 20, 1889 &ndash May 8, 1966) was one of the most influential producers of the Silent film era having been one Pommer saw the film, and he agreed wholeheartedly with Laughton. As a result, O'Hara was offered an initial seven-year contract with their new company Mayflower Pictures. Her first major film was Jamaica Inn (1939), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Jamaica Inn is a 1939 Film made by Alfred Hitchcock adapted from Daphne du Maurier 's novel of the same name, the first The year 1939 in film involved some significant events Events Movie historians and film buffs often look back on the year 1939 as "the Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13
Laughton was so pleased with her performance in Jamaica Inn, that he cast O'Hara in the role of Esmeralda opposite him in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was to be filmed at RKO Studios in Hollywood that same year. This article deals with a character from the novel For the character in the 1996 Disney adaptation, see Esmeralda (Disney. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1939 American Monochrome Motion picture. Just hours before boarding the Queen Mary to sail to America, a young man from the studio, George Brown, convinced her to marry him. Naming and construction With Germany launching their and into service the British did not want to be left out in this ship building race O'Hara's mother and Laughton found out about it, and she was whisked away from the altar to the boat. The marriage was never consummated and later annulled.
After successful completion of Hunchback, World War II began, and Laughton, realizing their studio could no longer film in London, sold her contract to RKO. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including That studio cast her in low-budget films until she was rescued by famed director John Ford, who cast her as Angharad in How Green Was My Valley. How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 American Drama film directed by John Ford.
In 1946, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Maureen O'Hara had a beautiful soprano voice and her first love was always singing. Unfortunately, the studio heads never capitalized on her musical talent because she was already big box office in other genres of film. However, she was able to channel her love of singing to TV. In the late '50s and early '60s she was a guest on musical variety shows with Perry Como, Andy Williams, Betty Grable and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como ( May 18 1912 &ndash May 12 2001) was an Italian-American singer and television personality Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams (born December 3 1927 in Wall Lake Iowa) is an American pop singer Betty Grable ( December 18, 1916 &ndash July 2, 1973) was an American Dancer Singer, and actress Ernest Jennings Ford ( February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991) better known by the Stage name Tennessee Ernie Ford, was In 1960, she starred on Broadway in the musical Christine and later released two successful recordings, Love Letters from Maureen O'Hara and Maureen O'Hara Sings her Favorite Irish Songs.
One of her most popular film roles came along in 1961 in The Parent Trap, with young co-star Hayley Mills. Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born April 18, 1946) is an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning English actress
An icon of Hollywood's Golden Age, the actress at the height of her career was considered one of the world's most beautiful women. She is best remembered for her chemistry with legendary John Wayne. They made five films together - Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, McLintock! and Big Jake. Rio Grande is a 1950 western film and the third installment of John Ford 's "cavalry trilogy" following two RKO Pictures The Quiet Man is a American film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed The Wings of Eagles is a 1957 film about Frank "''Spig''" Wead and US Naval Aviation from its inception through World War II McLintock! is a 1963 Comedy Western starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, and loosely based on Shakespeare 's O'Hara's radiant face and thick red hair, blowing in the wind as she waves from a gate in John Ford's Academy Award-winning How Green Was My Valley, remain among the most vivid images preserved on film.
Marriage, retirement and comeback
Maureen married her third husband, Charles F. Blair Jr, in 1968. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Blair was a pioneer of transatlantic aviation, a former Brigadier General of the US Air Force and a former Chief Pilot at Pan Am. A few years after her marriage to Blair, O'Hara for the most part retired from acting. According to O'Hara, one day she was with Blair and John Wayne when she was asked if she didn't think it was time for her to stop working and stay at home. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American Instead of getting into the argument Blair and Wayne were expecting, she agreed that it was time to quit. Blair died in 1978 when the engine of a Grumman Goose he was flying from St. Croix to St. Thomas exploded. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Saint Thomas is an Island in the Caribbean Sea, a County and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI an unincorporated Though completely devastated, Maureen, with memories of ten of the happiest years of her life, soldiered on. She was elected CEO and President of Antilles Airboats with the added distinction of being the first woman president of a scheduled airline in the USA. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Later she sold the airline with the permission of the shareholders.
O'Hara remained retired from acting until 1991, when she starred in the film Only the Lonely. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Only the Lonely is a 1991 romantic Comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Columbus. In this role she played Rose Muldoon, the mother of policeman Danny Muldoon, played by John Candy. John Franklin Candy (October 31 1950 &ndash March 4 1994 was a Canadian Comedian and Actor.
In the DVD of the film The Black Swan, O'Hara's commentary can be heard along with film critic Rudy Behlmer. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is The Black Swan is a 1942 Swashbuckler film by Henry King, starring Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara.
Achievements
She was named Irish America Magazine's "Woman of the Year" in 2005, with festivities held at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
She was given the Heritage Award by the Ireland-American Fund in 1991.
For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Maureen O'Hara has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7004 Hollywood Blvd. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that In 1993, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The Hall of Great Western Performers is a Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, U The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. She was also awarded the Golden Boot Award.
She wrote the foreword for the cookbook "At Home in Ireland. " In March 1999, O'Hara was selected to be Grand Marshal of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade In 2007 she wrote the forward for the Biography of her dear friend, actress Anna Lee. March 1999 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month Grand Marshal is a Ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St
In 2004, the actress released her autobiography 'Tis Herself, published by Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster Inc, a division of CBS Corporation, is a Publisher founded in New York in 1924 by Richard L In the same year she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Film and Television Academy in her native Dublin. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland.
In 2006, Maureen O'Hara Blair attended the Grand Reopening and Expansion of the Flying Boats Museum in Foynes, Limerick, Ireland as a patron of the Museum. A flying boat is a specialised form of Aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water using its Fuselage as a floating hull. Foynes ( Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster A significant portion of the museum is dedicated to her late husband Charles.
O'Hara dedicated her late husband's seaplane (Sikorsky VS-44A) "The Queen of the Skies" into the New England Air Museum. The restoration of the plane took 8 years and time was donated by former pilots and mechanics in honor of Charles Blair.
Now officially retired, she divides her time between homes in Glengarriff, County Cork, Arizona and the Virgin Islands. Glengarriff ( Gleann Garbh in Irish, meaning "Rough glen" is a village of approximately 800 people in the south-west region of County Cork, County Cork (Contae Chorcaí is the most southerly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland.
Siblings
Maureen was one of six children. Her siblings James, Florrie and Charles B. Fitzsimons are deceased. Charles B Fitzsimons ( May 8, 1924 in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland - February 14 2001 in Los Angeles Surviving are Sister Margaret Mary, a nun, and Mrs. Margot Edwards.
Filmography
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Television work
- Mrs Miniver (1960) CBS Television
- The Red Pony (1973)
- The Christmas Box (1995)
- Cab to Canada (1998)
- The Last Dance (2000)
Documentary
- A Century of Cinema (1994)
External links
- Maureen O'Hara at the Internet Movie Database
- Maureen O'Hara at the TCM Movie Database
- Profile @ Turner Classic Movies
- Maureen O'Hara magazine
- Irish America - Queen of Technicolor (subscription required)
- Foynes Airboat Museum Maureen O'Hara tribute
- The Amazing Fitzsimons Family
- Photographs of Maureen O'Hara
- Maureen O'Hara in Lux Radio Theater: Miracle on 34th Street (1948) (Downloadable mp3 and streaming audio)
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | O'Hara, Maureen |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | FitzSimons, Maureen |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1920-08-17 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland,(now Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland) |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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