Maureen O'Hara

Maureen FitzSimons, born 17 August 1920, and died 24 October 2015), was an Irish actress. She became a star in Hollywood from the 1940s through the 1960s. A natural redhead, she was well-known as passionate and sensible heroines. Her roles were often in Westaerns or in adventure films. Her talent for stardom was first recognized by actor Charles Laughton, who brought her to Hollywood and many times she worked alongside director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne. O'Hara was born in Dublin, Ireland by a Catholic family. She was determined to be an actress at the age of 10. She began her training with the Rathmines Theatre Company from the age of 10 and at the Abbey Theatre from the age of 14. After getting through a screen test she was turned down. But Charles Laughton recognized her potential and offered to have her star in Alfred Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn in 1939. RKO Pictures offered her a contract. She was also transferred to Hollywood in the year 1939 to co-star with him in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She went on to have a lengthy, highly successful career and was nicknamed "the Queen of Technicolor". Her appearances in films include as How Green Was My Valley (1941) (her first collaboration with John Ford), The Black Swan with Tyrone Power (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (1947) and the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with John Payne and Natalie Wood and Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara first appeared in Rio Grande (1950), along with John Wayne (the actor with whom she's most closely associated). The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (57), and McLintock were followed by McLintock. (1963) as well as Big Jake (1971). There was a widespread assumption that Wayne and O'Hara had the same relationship or were married because of their strong relationship. O'Hara became more maternal as she grew older, appearing in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961) and The Parent Trap(61) and The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara left the industry in 1971. The actress returned to the film industry 20 years later, appearing in John Candy (1991).