Maureen O'Hara

Maureen FitzSimons (17 August 1920 - 24 Oct 15th, 2015) was an Irish singer, actress and actor who rose to fame in Hollywood in the 1940s and into the 1960s. She was a natural redhead and was well-known for her role as passionate and sensible heroines. She was often seen in Westerns or adventure films. Charles Laughton, an actor who was afirst to see her talent as a star, took her to Hollywood. In numerous instances she also collaborated with John Ford, longtime friend John Wayne and John Ford. O'Hara was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, in a Catholic family. She was aspired to be an actress from an early age. She trained with the Rathmines Theatre Company from the age of 10 and at the Abbey Theatre beginning at 14 years old. She was given a screen trial that was rejected as unsatisfactory but Charles Laughton saw potential, and offered her the opportunity to co-star with him in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn in 1939. RKO Pictures gave her a contract. Following that, she had a long and successful career. She was often referred to as "the Queen Of Technicolor". In films such as How Green Was My Valley (1941) (her first collaboration with John Ford), The Black Swan with Tyrone Power (1942), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (1947) and the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with John Payne and Natalie Wood as well as Comanche Territory (1950). The first time she was seen was in Rio Grande (1950), alongside John Wayne (the actor with whom she has the most connection). The following films followed: The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963) and Big Jake (1971). Such was her strong chemistry with Wayne that many assumed that they were engaged. In the 1960s, she changed roles to motherly ones as she got older, appearing in films such as The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), and The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara left the industry in 1971. She returned to the business twenty years later, appearing with John Candy (1991).