Maureen O'Hara

Maureen O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons; 17 August 1920 24 October 2015 -) was an Irish actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood through the 1940s and into the  60s. Her natural redhead nature made her a popular choice for her strong and intelligent characters in Westerns and adventure films. Charles Laughton was the first to recognize her star potential and introduced her to Hollywood. She also worked many times with John Ford and John Wayne as a frequent friend and director. O'Hara was raised in Dublin, Ireland by a Catholic family and wanted to become an actress from an early age. As a young girl, she began her training at the Rathmines Theatre Company and the Abbey Theatre. A screen test was administered to her, but the result did not go as well as expected. Charles Laughton, however was able to see potential and offered her the opportunity to be a part of his production Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn (1939). RKO Pictures gave her a contract. In the years following, she enjoyed many years of success and a lengthy career. She was referred to as "the Queen of Technicolor". Her films include How Green Was My Valley (1941) which was her first collaboration with John Ford, The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (47), the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as well as Comanche Territory (1950). The first time she was seen was in Rio Grande (1950), alongside John Wayne (the actor with whom she has the most connection). The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles(57), McLintock were the subsequent films. (1963), Big Jake (1971). Wayne was so adroit in her chemistry with O'Hara that some believed they were in a relationship. In the 60s, O'Hara gradually became more motherly as she aged, appearing in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), and The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara quit the industry in the year 1971. She returned to the film industry 20 years later, appearing in John Candy (1991).