Maureen's Films Stack Up Like This

Yes, I'm a couple days late with the wrap-up of Maureen O'Hara month, but that was never my intent. I had an article written and all ready to go on the 31st, but then, just after uploading one final photograph and only moments before publishing, my piece vanished.  Oh, I tried to recapture it; in fact, I was near to pounding on the "undo" button.  All to no avail---my article had disappeared for good and needed to be reconstructed from scratch...and today is the first day I've had the time available to do that.  So...three days late, here is the wrap-up of Maureen O'Hara month.

Having the beautiful Maureen O'Hara as my guest in August made for a wonderful month of blogging.  The highlight of the month, of course, was my participation in this lovely lady's birthday celebration, which culminated in having an opportunity to see her in person as well as to catch three of her films on the big screen of Boise's historic Egyptian Theatre.  I've already raved about how incredible it was having a first-time viewing of The Quiet Man in such an environment, and I've already shared how I was deeply and powerfully moved by How Green Was My Valley.  Time precluded me from telling you all about my 3rd big screen experience of the day.  That film---The Black Swan---was one I grew bored with and turned off on my first viewing of it last year.  This time, though, I stuck with it all the way through. (Perhaps that's because I was in a theatre and wasn't just going to get up and walk out, whereas at home, I can turn the movie off and watch something else instead.)  I must say, I did like the film.  No, it's not a favorite, but it is definitely a solid viewing experience---interesting, entertaining, and enjoyable.  Plus, it gave me Tyrone Power on the big screen---in Technicolor.  You can't get much better than that!

The favorite O'Hara film of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To's blog readers is a tie between The Quiet Man and Miracle on 34th Street.  Both films had exactly the same number of votes---10---meaning they each took 1/3 of the vote. The remaining 1/3 of the vote was split between How Green Was My Valley (in 2nd place with 5 votes---16%), McLintock (in 3rd place with 3 votes---10%), and Against All Flags (in 4th place with 2 votes---6%).  In last place---with zero votes---is The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Thanks to all who took part in the poll.  It's always fun to have my readers weigh-in with their own favorites, so I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Here's how my favorites list plays out:

1.  The Quiet Man  (1952---reviewed HERE)  Everything about this movie captivated me---the music, the scenery, the characters, the acting, the storyline.  It's a completely beautiful movie, and I feel so privileged to have had a big screen showing of it.

2.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame  (1939---reviewed HERE)  A masterpiece of a film. The costumes, the makeup, the score, the acting---all are terrific. Charles Laughton's portrayal of Quasimodo, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, is nothing short of brilliant.

3.  The Christmas Box  (1995---reviewed HERE)  Going into the month of August, this heart-tugging story of a workaholic dad who, through a feisty, elderly woman, discovers what is most important in life, was my favorite of  Maureen's films.  It is still very beloved---and will always be part of my family's holiday viewing schedule---but "discovering" The Quiet Man and Hunchback this month meant a bit of a de-throning for The Christmas Box.

4.  The Parent Trap  (1961)  This film has been a part of my life since seeing it at the theatre with my beloved maternal grandmother way back in the late 1960's.  I loved the film then, and I turned my own kids onto it when they were growing up. Despite the fact that I think Dennis Quaid has a beautiful smile, the remake can't hold a candle to the original.

                                                                       image source

5.  Sentimental Journey  (1946---reviewed HERE)  The second of Maureen's pairings with John Payne, Sentimental Journey is a total sobber.  It's the story of a dying woman, a selfish husband, and a precious little orphan girl.

6.  How Green Was My Valley  (1941---reviewed HERE)  Since I couldn't decide whether Sentimental Journey or How Green Was My Valley got 5th position, I included both. This film takes place in a Welsh coal mining village during the latter part of the 19th century. With a coal mining heritage of my own, as well as Welsh and English ancestors, I found this film to be very personal, and for that reason it moved me deeply.

Thanks so much for joining me in celebration of the lovely Miss O'Hara this past month.  I enjoyed sharing all these great films with all of you.

NOTE:  Unless otherwise noted, all photos were obtained from Doctor Macro  (HERE)