Maureen O'Hara

Maureen FitzSimons (17 August 1920 until 24 October 2015) was an Irish actor, singer and actor who gained fame in Hollywood from 1940s until the 1960s. Her redhead-like nature led her to be a sought-after choice for strong but smart heroines in Westerns and adventure movies. Charles Laughton, an actor who first saw her talent as a star, took her to Hollywood. There were numerous times she also collaborated with John Ford, longtime friend John Wayne and John Ford. O'Hara was born and was raised in Dublin, Ireland, in an Irish Catholic family, and aspired to be an actress from an early age. O'Hara started her training at the Abbey Theatre and Rathmines Theatre Company when she was 10. After the screen test, she was not accepted. However, Charles Laughton recognized her potential and offered to have her perform in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in 1939. She relocated to Hollywood the same year to be a part of his in the production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and was given the opportunity to sign a contract with RKO Pictures. Then, she had an extensive and lucrative career. She was often referred to as "the Queen Of Technicolor". In films like How Green Was My Valley (1941) and her first collaboration The Black Swan with Tyrone Power (1942), The Spanish Main with Sinbad the Sailor (1947) as well as the classic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street (1947) along with John Payne (and Natalie Wood) and Comanche Territory (1950), she was in. O'Hara appeared 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), Big Jake (1971). It was evident how well she bonded with Wayne that many assumed that they were engaged. O'Hara was more motherly as she got older, appearing in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961) and The Parent Trap(61) and The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara retired from the industry in 1971. The actress returned to the business twenty years later, appearing with John Candy (1991).