Maureen O' Hara- General Discussion

[ColeThornton]

I would also find it surprising. I've never heard anything negative about Jimmy Stewart - not even one word. I haven't spent a lot of time studying him, but you get ideas about people from seeing them on screen, and when those ideas are largely borne out by what you hear over the years you sort of form a pretty solid opinion of a person. I thought everyone liked him.

Of course, it's hard to tell what you mean by Jimmy Stewart not being inspiring to her. Please clarify, and give us some facts, if you can. :smile:

The only bad things I have heard about Stewart is that he was a racist and that he fell out with Anthony Mann over a western called Night Passage. Does anyone know why Maureen didn't like him?

[DukePilgrim]

Hi Cole

I have never heard that Jimmy Stewart was a racist. I think this might be the old Ford story of how he tricked Stewart into criticising Woody Strode role in Who Shot Liberty Valance by describing it as Uncle Tom.

The references in Maureen's book to Stewart are as follows:-

"I discovered that in a Jimmy Stewart movie that every scenes revolves around Jimmy Stewart. I was never allowed to really play out a single scene in the picture. He is a remarkable actor but not a generous one"

Later when she starred in The Rare Breed with Jimmy Stewart and when she stole a scene from him. Later in the day Stewart suddenly became unwell with a mysterious illness and went home.

"When I showed up for work the next day to finish the scene, new pages of script were handed out. The scene had been completely rewritten overnight and was now impossible for me to steal."

She regarded Rare Breed as a total flop and only praised Brian Keith who also starred in the movie.


The only other fact that I know about Stewart was that he parted company pretty disgracefully with director Anthony Mann after a dispute with how much credit Mann was getting for invigorating Stewart's career with the westerns he made with him in the 1950s. Ironically after the rift neither of them enjoyed the success they had when they worked as a team.


Mike

[falc04]

The only other fact that I know about Stewart was that he parted company pretty disgracefully with director Anthony Mann after a dispute with how much credit Mann was getting for invigorating Stewart's career with the westerns he made with him in the 1950s. Ironically after the rift neither of them enjoyed the success they had when they worked as a team.

I had read that Mann was unhappy with the weak script that was 'Night Passage', and he wanted it reworked before shooting was to start. Also, Stewart insisted on playing the accordian and singing in the film, which Mann felt would stop the film dead in tracks whenever those scenes happened. Mann left the project and this began a riff between the two, that was never mended.

Mann was, in retrospect, correct. Night Passage was certainly the weakest of all Jimmy Stewart's 1950-era westerns. It's one saving grace is the beautiful technicolor photography, especially one long tracking scene, done from a train cutting thru the side of a mountain.

[chester7777]

I think we've had quite a few new members since this thread last saw the light of day, so I thought I'd it back to the front.

I also see that we never commented on the topic the first time around . . . must have missed it . . . .

Here's another O'Hara vehicle where it might have been interesting to see Duke, as the interested, amorous neighbor in Only the Lonely.

Chester

[The Ringo Kid]

I would have liked to have seen her in: The Alamo-but not as Captain Dickenson's wife. Maybe the girl dancing on the table :-D

[Jay J. Foraker]

I would have liked to have seen her in: The Alamo-but not as Captain Dickenson's wife. Maybe the girl dancing on the table :-D

That is a vision of exciting possibilities with her flaming red hair swirling and bouncing as she makes her moves.:teeth_smile:
(I missed this the first time around, apparently!!)
Cheers - Jay

[The Ringo Kid]

Heh heh, that's why I picked her-she sure had/s some nice curves.

[etphoto]

Independence Day. Yeah! John Wayne as the president and O'Hara as the first lady. Picture JW making the Independence Day speech right before the humans kicked alien butt. :)

ET

[chester7777]

Independence Day. Yeah! John Wayne as the president and O'Hara as the first lady. Picture JW making the Independence Day speech right before the humans kicked alien butt.

John Wayne as president - I LOVE it!

Chester

[Dukesfan]

I have seen 4 movies with Maureen O´Hara and John Wayne. Unfortunately I never could see "The Wings of Eagles". It is not available as DVD in Europe, only the American version and this one requires a RC-1 DVD player and a NTSC-TV set.

[rooster250]

I like "The quiet man" Maureen O'Hara is an all time classic hottie

[Tbone]

I don't know if any of you caught it but on Turner Classics this weekend they had an interview of Maureen talking about her first experiences with JW and Ford. She really had a funny story to tell about the Duke.

Seems she was over at Fords house for dinner one night and JW was there. He had had a bit too much and Ford told Maureen to take him home and her wanted it done right then.

She didn't argue. They got Duke in the car and she got headed down the road but then realized she didn't know where he lived.

She did know of the golf clud he was a member of and started driving that direction when all of a sudden Duke yelled to pull over. They went to the front door of this house and Duke rang the bell. When the owner answered Duke walked in and said he wanted a drink and they poured him one. Maureen was horrified as she wasn't sure what the people would think.

Well Duke finished the drink they got back in the car and headed down the road.

How's that for a story?

[CowgirlAlane]

I would have to say Capucine's part in North to Alaska
and Lauren Bacall's part in The Shootist. I also think
she would have been good in The Stagecoach.

[rooster250]

Hey Cowgirl, I agree with you on the shootist but I have to disagree on north to alaska because that role needed a dark haired girl who didnt speak perfect english and that was Capucine mabey even Sophia Loren

[Duke's Duchess]

i have to say that Maureen in Liberty Valance--Duke losin her to Jimmy would have been perfect in the funniest way!
i cant even imagine...