Trivia of Maureen O' Hara

Trivia of Maureen O' Hara

*She began acting as a child, and, after a series of victories in amateur acting contests, she was hired to perform plays on the Irish national radio station. In 1934 she was accepted to the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

*Brought to Hollywood by legendary actor, director, producer Charles Laughton, who originally signed her to a personal services performing contract, meaning she was signed to Laughton, instead of to a studio, as was common at that time.

*She became an American citizen on January 25, 1946 but has retained her Irish citizenship. It was the first time in history that the United States government recognized an Irish citizen as Irish. This led to a change in process for all Irish immigrants.

*Maureen was unafraid to perform her own stunts on the set of numerous action films.She used a sword in both her movies Against All Flags and RKO Radio Pictures’ At Sword’s Point. She also did a lot of stunt work in McLintock!(1963), in which she starred alongside John Wayne.

*Was John Wayne's favorite actress and he considered her a real friend, the only woman he thought of in that way. When he lay dying in his hospital bed, he watched on television as Maureen petitioned Congress to give him a Congressional Gold Medal, which they did by a unanimous vote.Had starred with John Wayne in five films: Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963) and Big Jake (1971). In all five, Wayne and O'Hara played husband and wife and, in all five, they were estranged at least briefly.

*Her favorite movie was Miracle on 34th Street.In her autobiography, Maureen O'Hara nicely summed up what the film had come to mean to her over the years. "Everyone felt the magic on the set and we all knew we were creating something special. I am very proud to have been part of a film that has been continually shown and loved all over the world for nearly sixty years. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) has endured all this time because of the special relationship of the cast and crew, the uplifting story, and its message of hope and love, which steals hearts all over the world every year.

Especially the bond between Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood who play as her daughter.Time with Natalie Wood was something she always treasured. "I have been the mother to almost forty children in movies, but I have always had a special place in my heart for little Natalie," she said. "She always called me Mamma Maureen and I called her Natasha, the name her parents had given her."

*Had a second career after retiring, as a successful magazine publisher; one of the reasons was to help keep her from becoming bored after retirement.