The Quiet Man



""Well, then. Now. I'll begin at the beginning. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and Himself got off. He didn't have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin' rod!""

- Father Peter Lonergan, (Ward Bond) -- The Opening Narration

The Quiet Man is a 1952 American-made film from Republic Pictures, directed by John Ford, and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond, and Barry Fitzgerald. It is based on a 1933 short story by Maurice Walsh.

A polite, soft-spoken fellow by the name of Sean Thornton, played by John Wayne, makes his way to the small Irish village of Innisfree. He's come back to his ancestral home to purchase his father's house "White O' Morning," but in doing so, he rouses the ire of local squire "Red" Will Danaher (McLaglen), who wanted the property himself. Complicating matters is that on the journey to town, Thornton caught a glimpse of beautiful redhead Mary Kate Danaher (Will's sister), and the two fall in Love At First Sight. Unfortunately, even to say to Mary Kate, "Hi, how are you? Wanna marry me and live happily ever after?" Thornton has to get Will's permission first. And Will will join the Church of Ireland before THAT ever happens. Hilarity Ensues.

No, seriously, it does.

The Quiet Man was well received on its release and has remained one of the more popular romantic comedies in Hollywood history. The film was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture, winning two for Best Director and Best Color Cinematography.


 * The Alcoholic: Michaleen Og.
 * Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: On the wedding night, when Mary Kate and Sean Thorton argue over her dowry, it gets to looking like Sean, uh John Wayne, will force himself on Mary Kate.
 * Author Appeal: Director John Ford was a rock-solid American-Irishman and it showed in almost every movie he made. This movie is practically his love letter to Ireland.
 * Boisterous Bruiser: Red Will Danaher; with a jaw of granite and a wicked right punch, and loudly proclaiming himself the "Best Man in Innisfree." Subverted with Thornton... excuse me Wayne, who is a Bruiser but prefers to be a quiet man.
 * Casualty in the Ring:
 * Confessional: Played with in the movie. Mary Kate goes to see Father Lonergan not in the confessional booth but in a nearby river where the priest enjoys his fishing. Sean T... John Wayne at the same time pays a visit on the Protestant minister Playfair, to confess to him about the troubles in his marriage and what he should do.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: This is how the final fight plays out in the short story, as opposed to the long, drawn-out affair in the movie. The drama is in Shawn (sic) making up his mind to fight Will. Once he does, Will doesn't stand a chance against a professional boxer.
 * Dark and Troubled Past: He gets over it.
 * Defeat Means Friendship: Sean Thornton (I know, I know, JOHN WAYNE) wins over his brother-in-law, Will Danaher, by means of their fight. The fight also.
 * Distinguished Gentleman's Pipe: A lot of people smoke pipes in this movie, but the leaders of the town - Michaleen Flynn, Father Lonergan and Rev. Playfair - stand out.
 * Fiery Redhead: Mentioned in-movie: "Oh, that red hair of hers is no lie!" Actress Maureen O'Hara was famous for that red hair.
 * Fighting Irish: Thornton and Danaher's fight is both inevitable and highly anticipated by the rest of the town, who all want to join in once it starts.
 * Good Old Fisticuffs.
 * Leprechaun: Michaleen Og Flynn. Not really, it's just part of the fun.
 * Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: when Danaher and Wayne start their epic donnybrook, a slew of others join in, prompting Og Flynn to fire off warning shots and lay down the ground rules to the fight. They quickly settle on fighting by the Marquis of Queensbury rules
 * The Matchmaker: Michaleen Og Flynn. "No patty fingers if you please."
 * My God, What Have I Done?: John Wayne's expression during his flashback.
 * Mid-Battle Tea Break: During the fight Thornton and Danaher end up in a bar where they stop to have a shot of whiskey and each politely offers to pick up the tab. This soon turns into an argument and they end up fighting again.
 * Narrator: Father Lonergan.
 * Oireland: Every Irish stereotype you can think of is in this film. The love of drinking. The love of fighting. Members of the IRA sitting in the pub plotting their next mischief . Belief in both the Church and tales of druids and the Fair Folk. Matchmaking and marriage customs that Americans can't make heads or tails of. Yup, every stereotype an American can think of is in this film: and it is awesome.
 * If not the first Hollywood film to shoot on location in Ireland, it's certainly the first to take advantage of color cinematography to capture on film incredibly vivid landscapes of the Irish countryside. See Scenery Porn, below.
 * The confessional scene between Mary Kate and Father Lonergan was partially done in the Gaelic language, one of the few Hollywood movies to use the native Irish dialect.
 * The Red Sonja: Mary Kate refuses to consummate her marriage to Sean until he literally drags her off a train and makes her walk five miles home.
 * Scenery Porn: cinematographers Winton Hoch and Archie Stout won the Best Color Cinematography Academy Award for this film. The on-location shots were so beautifully done that when one views certain scenes which were clearly filmed on soundstages, the switch is jarring.
 * Screw the Money, I Have Rules: Much of the problems between Kate and Sean stem from him not wanting to fight her brother to get her rightful dowry. He doesn't understand why she's obsessing about the money, and she doesn't understand why he won't fight for her legacy. In the end, Sean does demand the money,
 * Seeing it was more about Mary Kate's husband standing up to her and her honor than having money.
 * Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Possibly the Trope Codifier.
 * Slap Slap Kiss: More like Kiss Slap Kiss. When Thornton (I mean Wayne) spends his first night in his family cottage he discovers Mary Kate there trying to tidy up the place. He grabs her while she tries to flee and kisses her passionately. She resists a bit, but warms to the embrace, but when they part, she ups and tries to slap him across the face, chewing him out for being too bold. After a brief discussion about what each other might want in a relationship, Mary Kate slips halfway out the door before turning back and giving Wayne a kiss to show she didn't mind their first one.
 * Stop Helping Me!: During the big fight between Sean and Danaher when ever one of them was knocked down a guy would throw a bucket of water in his face, then the crowd would pick him up and throw him back into the fight.
 * Teeth Flying: Will Danaher does this.
 * The Troubles: Hand-waved. There are a pair of IRA activists in Innisfree, but they mostly hang out at the pub discussing what to drink next. Subverted at the end when the mostly Catholic community of Innisfree pretend to be Protestant so that the Playfairs can stay.
 * The Troubles: Hand-waved. There are a pair of IRA activists in Innisfree, but they mostly hang out at the pub discussing what to drink next. Subverted at the end when the mostly Catholic community of Innisfree pretend to be Protestant so that the Playfairs can stay.