Friday, August 8, 2008

Irish Red #2: Maureen O'Hara (This time it's for real)


Born Maureen Fitzsimons in Ranelagh County Dublin Ireland.
Date of Birth: August 17 1920 (now 88)
A true Irish Red!

This lady is and was magnificent, of course she had the good taste to work with John Ford and John Wayne frequently so that cemented my attraction. She was very talented, her acting career started when she was 14. Her film list is very long and with many impressive titles, I will list a few of my favorites but her career is well documented elsewhere.

My Favorites of her films in no particular order are:
  • Miracle on 34th Street
  • Sinbad the Sailor
  • Big Jake
  • McClintoc
  • Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
  • Sons of the Musketeers
  • The Parent Trap

Maureen was sultry and beautiful and almost always played the part of a fierce and passionate and even strong willed woman, which really mirrored her own real life personality. Maureen is well known for her long list of films but her writing and singing were worthy career potentials in their own right. Among her surprising or is it not so surprising works was an Irish cookbook. What is it with Irish Reds that move them to write about delicious foods? Maureen was an iconic symbol in Hollywood's "Golden Age" and was considered by many to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, and who can argue?


Always classy and full of energy, Maureen could serve as a role model for many of today's young aspiring actresses. I wonder when leading ladies slipped away from the role of "Lady" and into the role of public displays of bad behavior? I will have to give some thought as to when the last time I saw a new Hollywood starlet that had this kind of class.

Maureen stayed active into 2004 with her writing and public causes, and I hope that she enjoys a long and comfortable retirement.

2 comments:

Home on the Range said...

She was a beautiful woman in every sense, smart, savvy, brave, spirited and always keeping enough of a sense of privacy and morality of self that she was a woman one would be proud to have as a Mom, a Wife or a Mother.

So far removed from today's "actresses" that it's unmeasurable.

Yabusame said...

Maureen O'Hara has always been a favourite of mine. Strong-willed but feminine. Thats not an easy thing to get right.