The quiet man 1952 - A delightful romantic comedy made with love

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IMDB rating: 8,0

Director: John Ford
Main Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick

"The last of four films for which John Ford would win Best Director, The Quiet Man is a charming romantic comedy from a man best known for his somber Westerns. Many consider it his best-loved film; it was certainly one of Ford's favorites, and he considered it some of his most personal work. The director had trouble funding the production, and the notoriously cheap Republic Pictures eventually financed the film. Even with a relatively small budget, however, Ford was able to shoot on location in Ireland and produce a fabulous-looking color film. John Wayne turns in an amiable performance, exhibiting a diversity often overlooked in considerations of the actor's work. The supporting cast, including Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, is equally good. Quiet Man was the first high-profile film made in Ireland, and some viewers today may consider the portrayal of the Irish stereotypical. In addition to Ford's win, the cinematography by Winton Hoch and Archie J. Stout was recognized with an Academy Award." - www.allmovie.com

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Miracle on 34th Street 1947 - Modern story of Jesus Christ with a happy ending

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IMDB rating: 7,9

Director: George Seaton
Main Cast: Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood

"Miracle on 34th Street has been a favorite holiday movie since its release in 1947, that retells the New Testament's story of the life of Jesus Christ. It was done so subtly - as opposed to, say, Frank Capra's more obvious retelling in Meet John Doe - that it was scarcely noticed by most viewers. The movie was set in New York City in 1947 and utilized a large amount of location shooting (courtesy of Fox's Movietone News Studios, located in Manhattan) to give it a realistic texture; while screenwriter Valentine Davies' original story seems, superficially, to be the height of whimsy, about Santa Claus's appearance in the midst of that realistic setting, it becomes clear on closer examination that Davies borrowed liberally from the New Testament. Edmund Gwenn's Kris Kringle is almost more a substitute for Jesus than a screen-bound Santa. He enters a big city with his message of generosity and foresaking commercialism; he meets some doubters and some interested onlookers, and soon they're listening to him and starting to believe in him. Then he's betrayed and put on trial, not for his life but for his identity: he must prove he is who he says he is, or be imprisoned and labeled a madman and a pretender. However, the film adds a happy ending, reflecting a postwar feeling of confidence and helping to ensure its endurance across the decades. 72-year-old Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his portrayal of the 'jolly old elf' Kringle; the rest of the cast is populated by such never-fail pros as Gene Lockhart (as the beleaguered sanity-hearing judge), William Frawley (as a crafty political boss), and an unbilled Thelma Ritter and Jack Albertson. Based on the novel by Valentine Davies, Miracle on 34th Street was remade twice: once for TV in 1973, and a second time for a 1994 theatrical release, with Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle. " - www.allmovie.com

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How green was my valley 1941 - The classic masterpiece of John Ford

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IMDB rating: 7,9

Director: John Ford
Main Cast: Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp, Roddy McDowall, John Loder, Sarah Allgood, Barry Fitzgerald

"How Green Was My Valley is fondly remembered by fans of director John Ford for its loving recreation of a Welsh coal mining village. Spanning some fifty years in the life of its protagonist, the film presents an often poignant portrait of the good and bad of small town life. At the center of the story is the dehumanization brought by increasing technology; the scenes in which more efficient machinery makes some of the mines' best workers unneeded and unemployed remain relevant to today's audiences and our environment of shifting corporations and uncertain security. Ford scholars differ on where to rank How Green Was My Valley - indeed there is no clear consensus on what film critics and historians consider to be Ford's greatest - but it was a popular choice as the best film of 1941. Based on the novel of the same name by Richard Llewellyn, How Green Was My Valley won five Academy Awards in 1941, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Crisp), Best Art Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture (beating Citizen Kane). The book was later adapted into a 1975 BBC miniseries." - www.allmovie.com

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The hunchback of Notre Dame 1939 - The best film version of Hugo's classic tale

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IMDB rating: 7,9

Director: William Dieterle
Main Cast: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien

"Few will argue with the contention that RKO Radio's 1939 adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the best of the many screen versions of the Hugo classic.
Set in fifteenth century France, The Hunchback of Notre Dame captures the medieval era's tumult, as superstition and prejudice war with progress, both material and intellectual. Church and state unite to attempt to hold back the waves of change sweeping over Europe, as it rides the crest of the Renaissance. Charles Laughton's performance as Quasimodo, the misshapen protagonist, is every bit as moving as Lon Chaney's work in the earlier silent film. Overcoming his physical deformity and status as social outcast, Quasimodo represents all that is most noble and heroic about mankind, while the physically commanding Frollo, a man of immense political and religious power, acts as his morally corrupt and sexually repressed counterpoint. Maureen O'Hara's film debut is also memorable; the passions she inspires in the men around her are wholly believable. The recreation of medieval Paris is an awesome achievement, and the elegance of the production values is indisputable. Director William Dieterle manages a difficult task well, creating a film of both great sweep and remarkable intimacy. The film takes some liberties with the source material, but it captures the essence of Victor Hugo's novel very well. It was nominated for two Academy Awards (music and sound); Laughton's definitive performance was overlooked by the Academy." - www.allmovie.com

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