Maureen O'Hara

Maureen FitzSimons, born 17 August 1920 and died 24 October 2015) was an Irish actress. She was a popular actress in Hollywood during the 1940s until the 1960s. Her redhead-like nature made her a popular choice for her strong and intelligent heroines in Westerns and adventure films. Charles Laughton was the first to see her potential as a star and brought her to Hollywood. She was also a frequent collaborator alongside John Ford and John Wayne an old friend and director. O'Hara was born and was raised in Dublin, Ireland, in an Irish Catholic family. She wanted to become an actress at an early age. From the age 10 she studied at the Rathmines Theatre Company and the Abbey Theatre. After passing a screen test, she was turned down. However, Charles Laughton recognized her potential and offered her as a star in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in 1939. She moved to Hollywood the same year to appear with him in the production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame which was then awarded a contract by RKO Pictures. From there, she went on to have a lengthy and extremely successful career and was given the title "the Queen of Technicolor". She appeared in films such 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 as well as Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara appeared in Rio Grande (1950) as O'Hara along with John Wayne, her most close friend. The Quiet Man (1952) The Wings of Eagles(57), McLintock were the next films. (1963), and Big Jake (1971). It was evident how well she bonded with Wayne that many believed they were engaged. In the 1960s, O'Hara more and more took on more motherly roles as she grew older. She appeared in films like The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (1961) as well as The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara left the industry in the year 1971. The actress returned to the industry twenty years later and appeared in John Candy (1991).