Maureen O'Hara

Maureen O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons; 17 August 1920 - 24 October 2015) was an Irish singer and actress who made a name for herself in Hollywood in the 1940s through the '60s. She was a natural redhead and was well-known as sensual and passionate heroines. She was often seen in Westerns or adventure films. Charles Laughton, an actor who was the first to see her star-making potential, brought her to Hollywood. There were numerous times she also worked alongside John Ford, longtime friend John Wayne and John Ford. O'Hara was born in Dublin, Ireland by a Catholic family and wanted to be an actor from the age of 10. She began her training with the Rathmines Theatre Company from the age of 10 and was at the Abbey Theatre beginning at 14 years old. She was offered a screen test that was not deemed satisfactory, but Charles Laughton saw potential, and suggested that she co-star with him in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in 1939. RKO Pictures gave her a contract. She went on to have an impressive, long-running career and was known as "the Queen of Technicolor". Her movies include How Green Was My Valley (1941) the first film with John Ford, The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (47), the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as well as Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara starred in Rio Grande (1950) as O'Hara with John Wayne, her most close friend. The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (57) and McLintock were the next films. (1963) as well as Big Jake (1971). Wayne was so adept in her chemistry with O'Hara that many thought they were in a relationship. In the 1960s, O'Hara more and more took on more motherly roles as she aged, appearing in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (1961) as well as The Rare Breed (1966). She retired from the industry in 1971, only to return 20 years later to appear together with John Candy in Only the Lonely (1991).