Maureen O'Hara

Maureen O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons; 17 August 1920 - - 24 October 2015) was an Irish actress and singer, who was a star in Hollywood through the 1940s and into the  in the 1960s. A natural redhead, she was well-known as a shrewd and empathetic heroine. Her roles were often in Westerns or in adventure films. Her potential for stardom was initially acknowledged by actor Charles Laughton, who brought her to Hollywood and, on numerous occasions she collaborated with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne. O'Hara was born and was raised in Dublin, Ireland, in an Irish Catholic family, and aspired to become an actor from a very young age. O'Hara began her studies at the Abbey Theatre and Rathmines Theatre Company when she was just 10 years old. A screen test was administered to her, but it did not go as well as expected. Charles Laughton, however recognized her potential and set up arrangements to appear alongside him in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn (1939). RKO Pictures gave her a contract. From then, she proceeded to enjoy a lengthy and extremely successful career and earned the name "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) The Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with John Payne and Natalie Wood as well as Comanche Territory (1950). O'Hara made her debut film with John Wayne, the actor who she is closely involved in Rio Grande (1950). The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (57), and McLintock were followed by McLintock. (1963) as well as Big Jake (2001). Such was her strong chemistry with Wayne that many assumed they were either married or engaged. O'Hara began taking on more mommy roles in the 1960s as she grew older. She appeared in films like The Deadly Companions (1961), The Parent Trap (611) and The Rare Breed (1966). O'Hara quit the industry in the year 1971. She returned to the business twenty years later and appeared in John Candy (1991).