American Sean Thorton (Wayne) moves to the small Irish town of Inisfree. He plans to buy the property that used to belong to his family. He purchases the land from the Widow Sarah Tilane (Natwick), causing friction with his new neighbor Squire Will Danaher (McLaglen). He also falls for Danaher's fiery sister Mary Kate (O'Hara).
Thorton hires matchmaker Michaleen Flynn (Fitzgerald) so he can court Mary Kate, who returns his affections. Will is opposed to the match and refuses his consent. To help the pair, Michaleen teams with Catholic priest Father Peter Lonergan (Bond), Protestant Reverend Cyril Playfair (Shields) and his wife Elizabeth Playfair (Crowe). Can the couple find happiness or will Thorton have to knock some sense into Will?
When John Ford and John Wayne teamed up for this film, they were best known for Westerns or action films. It was considered a risky picture, causing the studio to insist that Ford and his stars also make a Western (Rio Grande). The risk paid off, garnering 2 Academy Awards (Best Director and Best Cinematography) out of 7 nominations.
The film was a family affair for Ford and his stars. Ford's brother Francis Ford plays Dan Tobin (the elderly man) and his son-in-law, Ken Curtis, has a small role as the accordion player. Wayne's 4 children (Michael Wayne, Toni Wayne, Patrick Wayne, and Melinda Wayne) all have small roles in the race scene. Maureen O'Hara's younger brothers also had roles in the film: Charles FitzSimons as Hugh Forbes and James Lilburn as Father Paul.
Wayne and O'Hara have excellent chemistry and often collaborated together, normally with Ford as the director. They are supported by an intriguing group of characters, who each get funny moments to shine. The film is best remembered for the epic, comedic battle between Wayne's Sean Thorton and Victor McLaglen's Will Danaher. It is also remembered for Wayne dragging O'Hara from the train station to her brother's home, with the entire town following along. It is beautifully filmed and very funny.
The Quiet Man (1952) 129 minutes
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne as Sean Thorton
Maureen O'Hara as Mary Kate Danaher
Barry Fitzgerald as Michaleen Oge Flynn
Victor McLaglen as Squire "Red" Will Danaher
Ward Bond as Father Peter Lonergan
Mildred Natwick as The Widow Sarah Tillane
Francis Ford as Dan Tobin
Arthur Shields as Reverend Cyril Playfair
Eileen Crowe as Elizabeth Playfair
Charles FitzSimons as Hugh Forbes
James Lilburn as Father Paul
Jack MacGowran as Ignatius Feeney
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