Review of The Quiet Man (1952) by John - ????? — 11 Mar 2009

The Quiet Man was simply a GREAT film. Those who didn't like John Wayne's acting style or his persona, or the fact that he was a very conservative person politically just seem to dismiss John Wayne's films without giving them a chance because of his politics. HE was once approached to run for the office of President of The United States. The Duke said that he didn't think Americans could accept an actor as President. (Odd, but true.) In a 2001 Gallup Poll, Americans selected Wayne as their favorite movie star of all time. In a vote in Congress that was unanimous (unheard of!) The Duke was Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, by President Jimmy Carter in 1980. John Wayne was Ranked #16 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. (October 1997).

The Shootist pretty much made the toughest men I know cry like babies He seemed to me to have been sending his fans the message that he would die with dignity. He refused to die without his dignity in his on screen role as J.B. Books. After seeing Wayne's performance in Red River (1948), directed by rival director Howard Hawks, John Ford is quoted as saying, "I never knew the big son of a bitch could act." I wonder if the naysayers here have actually watched the entire film. I cannot believe that an alert reasonably intelligent American could possibly dislike one of the best films ever. The Quiet Man is pretty much universally loved when it came out and when it was remastered to DVD and I bought my fourth copy of the film, it was both much better showing lots more dynamic range on screen than the VHS or Beta copies I had viewed. So please reconsider finding a copy of the remastered film on VHS and see what you have missed. I have to admit to a bias, I am Irish and Marion Morrison (John Wayne's birth name) Hell, the day he died, I was in shock because guys like The Duke don't die, or at least they are not supposed to being larger than life. I'll never forget him in The War Wagon with Kirk Douglas. He and Douglas were politically diametrically opposite. Yet Douglas was later quoted that Wayne was a fine actor and could work with ANYONE. I am figuring they both earned the others respect.

And DON'T event think about getting me started about Maureen O'Hara. Gorgeous, lovely, and very attractive on screen in The Quiet Man, she gave a classic performance. She is the only credited cast member of Miracle on 34th Street (1947) who is still alive.

This film even was given an homage by the film E.T. Extraterrestrial.Where a scene in The Quiet Man is playing on a TV, and the Henry Thomas character mimcs the scene while the children in the ET film are letting all the lab frogs loose when they realize thay are being made to kill the frogs. It flashed back to the cottage (before it was restored) and then flashes back to Henry THomas kissing a young lady in h is class. IT is one of the finest tributes to Teh Quiet Man that is has been called by some sources as the most often used film to be playing during a scene in a movie. Rent ET and check it out.

Wake up people, the man was a GREAT!