This rip-roaring comedy-drama concerning about Sean Thorton (John Wayne) , an ex-boxer who returns from Pittsburg to the Irish village of his childhood and attempts to take a red-haired lass called Mary Kate (Mauren O'Hara who did her own singing) as his spouse , in spite of the objections of her corpulent brother Red Will (Victor McLagen) . Thornton's helped by an alcoholic old man (Barry Fitzgerard who plays the character of the Roman Catholic Michaleen Oge Flynn) , the Protestant vicar Cyril 'Snuffy' Playfair (Arthur Shields) , and the parish priest (War Bond) , among others .
This hight-spirited tale is one of Ford's finest movies and his first love story with a marvelous fresh-air feeling . It's a special adaptation of 'Taming the shrewd' by William Shakespeare set on the west Ireland , dealing with an enjoyable romance , adding strong knuckles as well as punches for spectacular fight between Wayne -Ford's favourite leading man- against brawling Victor McLagen . Ford returns to Irishness in an evocative and idealized portrait , paintstakingly constructed , about life at a hamlet named ¨Innesfree¨ . Maurice Walsh wrote the story in the 'Saturday Evening Post (1933)' , then Ford asked the majors the film-making but they refused and the Republic Pictures took the production in low budget . Although made in 1951 , it was Republic's first production to be shot outside the United States . The story won the International prize of Venice (1952) and Oscar for the best movie and photography to Winton C Hoch and Archie Stout with glamorous and colorful landscapes . This was the fourth Academy Award for John Ford , though somewhat less deserved Oscar , previously was prized for 'The informer (35)', 'Grapes of wrath (1940)' ,'How green was my valley (41)'.
The picture has family characters , as John Wayne's sons appear in a sequence surrounding to Mauren O'Hara ; the Irish Mauren O'Hara played along with her brother Charles Fitzsimmons as Forbes ; Irishmen Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields were brothers in real life , they were both Protestants born in Dublín , Ireland , Shields was the family name and they also appeared together in director John Ford's Long Voyage Home (1940) . Besides , Francis Ford , Ford's elder brother , despite longtime with no speaking , he played numerous films for John Ford ; Andrew McLagen , Victor McLagen's son , was director assistant , before becoming filmmaker ; John Wayne and Pat Ford , John's brother , directed partially the horse races but John Ford fell ill ; Ken Curtis married to Barbara , Ford's daughter , was edition assistant . Rating : Above average , well worth watching.
This hight-spirited tale is one of Ford's finest movies and his first love story with a marvelous fresh-air feeling . It's a special adaptation of 'Taming the shrewd' by William Shakespeare set on the west Ireland , dealing with an enjoyable romance , adding strong knuckles as well as punches for spectacular fight between Wayne -Ford's favourite leading man- against brawling Victor McLagen . Ford returns to Irishness in an evocative and idealized portrait , paintstakingly constructed , about life at a hamlet named ¨Innesfree¨ . Maurice Walsh wrote the story in the 'Saturday Evening Post (1933)' , then Ford asked the majors the film-making but they refused and the Republic Pictures took the production in low budget . Although made in 1951 , it was Republic's first production to be shot outside the United States . The story won the International prize of Venice (1952) and Oscar for the best movie and photography to Winton C Hoch and Archie Stout with glamorous and colorful landscapes . This was the fourth Academy Award for John Ford , though somewhat less deserved Oscar , previously was prized for 'The informer (35)', 'Grapes of wrath (1940)' ,'How green was my valley (41)'.
The picture has family characters , as John Wayne's sons appear in a sequence surrounding to Mauren O'Hara ; the Irish Mauren O'Hara played along with her brother Charles Fitzsimmons as Forbes ; Irishmen Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields were brothers in real life , they were both Protestants born in Dublín , Ireland , Shields was the family name and they also appeared together in director John Ford's Long Voyage Home (1940) . Besides , Francis Ford , Ford's elder brother , despite longtime with no speaking , he played numerous films for John Ford ; Andrew McLagen , Victor McLagen's son , was director assistant , before becoming filmmaker ; John Wayne and Pat Ford , John's brother , directed partially the horse races but John Ford fell ill ; Ken Curtis married to Barbara , Ford's daughter , was edition assistant . Rating : Above average , well worth watching.