The Quiet Man (1952)

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  • Well, it's a few days later, but we finally got over to that web site and cast our vote as well. Although Darby O'Gill and the Little People was a close second :D .


    Robbie, you have a very distinct style - I would have pegged you as Roger even if Hondo hadn't said something :rolleyes: .


    I agree with you, Davros definitely has a problem.


    Chester :newyear:

  • Quote

    Originally posted by chester7777@Jun 14 2005, 11:16 PM
    Well, it's a few days later, but we finally got over to that web site and cast our vote as well. Although Darby O'Gill and the Little People was a close second :D .


    Actually, I was just rattlin' his chain, Chet. "Quiet Man" is also my favorite, followed by "Darby".

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • Darby is a good Disney movie. I haven't heard from Robbie, but what is the general attitude of your country's people of John Wayne?


    Cheers B)



    Quote

    "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it"

    - John Wayne quote

  • Hi all


    I have been away for a couple of days so my apologies for my slow reponse.


    Stumpy if you told me that movie was your favourite I would have to start a new topic asking for the removal of Stumpys membership. :D


    Mike


    That is a good question which you asked and the answer is not a nice as it should be. Obviously many of you will be aware that in NI there is a divide between Protestants and Catholics. The Quiet man would be regarded as a Catholic movie but there are many protestants in NI who love it. The problem many protestants would have is a genuine a significant amount of the money made from the sales of the movies went straight to the IRA which John Ford sympathised. I think this turned a lot of people off the movie and generally made them hate it.


    There are of course SOME people who may have taken offence to the beer swilling Irishmen and that messageboard provided via the link would be very Politically correct so that is why there are some negative responses.


    Mike everybody without exception whom I have ever spoken to know of John Wayne and about 75% of those people would greatly enjoy his movies so I don't think there is a problem with John Wayne in NI, I would even go so far as to say he may be the most popular actor among people in NI.


    Chester I am interested to know what my familiar style is, I noticed on the board there were a few people called Roger so by calling myself Roger on this thread would have blended me in better.


    I hope this post helps you all understand TQM from an NI perspective.
    :agent:

    Regards
    Robbie

  • Hi all.


    I deliberately held back to allow Robbie the opportunity to voice his opinions on THE QUIET MAN, and John Wayne in Ireland. I had hoped he would have given you an insight into the way that, many, many people on this island feel about the one man, who above all others, has shown that Ireland and it's people enjoy life, friends, and family. ( even if they do owe you money ). To say Duke is a icon, is to underestimate the man's influence upon not only one, but at least three generations of the Irish.


    The man has given the tourist industry a life of it's own. People from all over the world travel to Ireland, North and South, ( although they see Ireland as a whole ) They come to enjoy the music, the craic, (fun) not the drugs, have a black beer or ten. Get themselves a Arran sweater. ( White heavy knitted ) They also enjoy the way the Irish have of welcoming visitors.


    Were do you think most of these people get their first look at Ireland?


    Come on you all know the answer.


    THE QUIET MAN.


    All of this is not lost on the Irish. over the intervening years,we have taken Duke to our hearts. All of his movies command whole sections in the video stores. Every time a (new) one goes on release, it flies of the shelf.


    As for THE QUIET MAN being a Catholic movie.
    I'm lost on that one.


    Who in the movie is the one person who knows Sean Thornton's secret? :huh:
    The Reverend Mister Playfair, who just happens to be protestant. :o
    Wasn't the Catholic Priest and the Protestant Minister involved in getting Sean and Mary-Kate together? ;)
    Didn't they both attend the wedding? :P
    When the Bishop was leaving town, didn't All the people cheer like Protestants? :lol:


    As for John Ford giving money to the IRA
    ( I have never heard that one before )
    Didn't he have enough trouble getting the money that Herbert Yates owed to he and Merian C Cooper's company, Argosy Productions. Never mind giving to a organisation, that in the early 50's was a spend force.


    As in America, where some people dislike Duke, so it is on the whole island of Ireland.
    But as the man says
    "Sure as long as we like him, so what."


    Emmanuel. :jump:

    Emmanuel.


    I'll try one of those black beers....THE QUIET MAN.

  • Thanks for that insight Robbie and emmanuel.


    I guess as an American the only thing in our history to compare to the North Ireland divide would be the US Civil war. And even that was small in comparison to the ongoing conflict there. It also would probably be much easier for outsiders to understand the whole thing if we actually lived there. Again thanks to both of you for sharing your thoughts.

    Life is hard, its even harder when your stupid!!
    -John Wayne

  • Hi


    The question of Ireland v Catholic v Protestant Ireland v England is a deep seated one and goes back to the days of Elizabeth I, Henry VIII and William 1 who all had their problems with Ireland. The expression Beyond the Pale refers to an area of land around Dublin known as The Pale beyond which in the early days it was not safe to travel.


    The film Captain Boycott refers to the troubled times in the nineteenth century and gives the expression to Boycott something.


    John Ford visited Ireland in the 1920s when 'The Troubles' were just beginning he had a bad time of it from the Black and Tans and was virtually deported from Ireland. With this experience behind him and his handy to have Irish heritage it is not surprising that he developed a deep distrust and dislike of the English.


    In my job during the 60s and 70s if I had expressed a wish to visit Ireland, I would have had to visit security and be told what I could or could not do while there and be debriefed on return. Even as late as two years ago on a visit to Belfast I had to be in and out in two days.


    When it came however to making The Quiet Man Ford took no chances, his actors were all from The Abbey Theatre Dublin, his main actress was Irish with John Wayne, Francis Ford, Mildred Natwick, Ken Curtis and Ward Bond the only non Irish principles.
    But back stage Ford took no chances he wanted a mighty film and to do so he used British film crews, although he couldn't resist taking the mike when they complained that the Irish brouge was awkward to record, Ford looked at his shoes and said these are brogues.


    I think (even from an English viewpoint) that Ford achieved what he set out to do. I for one, as I have said before would have loved to have seen a directors cut if one existed. The film has been described as an IRA Saturday nights viewing, but I think this is harsh. The film was sanitised from the original short story to show the charm and take the harshness of the times out of the film, the references to treason and the IRA are used in throw away lines or humerous.


    But when it comes down to Ford's Irishness, he was born in America of first or second generation Irish. He used the Irish nationality as flag of convenieance, he couldn't speak a word of the language and if Maureen O'Hara had not been content to play along with the gag, he would have been exposed as the fraud he was.


    If this sounds that I am anti Irish I am not, an acquaintaince visited Cong three years ago. He said it was a brilliant experience, I still treasure the autographed photograph of one of the villagers who had appeared in the picture. I think Ireland is a beautiful country and one day I hope to visit it for a longer stay and yes The Quiet Man is still my favourite John Wayne Picture.


    Regards


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • I guess that answered my question about John Wayne and Ireland. I know that the people who hate Wayne are few and far between, and seem to get the mic when it comes to the voices. But the majority out there are for Duke and his movies are still playing today more than ever.


    Cheers B)



    Quote

    "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it"

    - John Wayne quote


  • I don't quite agree with your post Emmanuel


    In essence the Quiet Man is a catholic movie, its set in the Republic of Ireland, all characters are catholic except the bishop and the Playfairs, it centres around Irish themes and the IRA are in existance and made out to be quite likeable. Some protestants find it a little hard to see that by the end of the movie all protestants have left the village leaving it now exclusively catholic, TQM as a movie is however not anti protestant.


    I have also read via many sources how money made from the Quiet man financed the IRA, I think one source may have been the JW film society based in England.


    :agent:

    Regards
    Robbie

  • Quote

    Originally posted by Robbie@Jul 3 2005, 01:29 PM
    Some protestants find it a little hard to see that by the end of the movie all protestants have left the village leaving it now exclusively catholic . . .

    [snapback]18522[/snapback]



    Robbie,


    Just curious, why do you think that all the protestants have left the village? It seems to me that what was happening was that the visiting Bishop was leaving, with a grand send-off by everyone (albeit many Catholics, pretending to be protestants). That's how I saw it, anyway.


    Mrs. C :angel1:


  • Mr Playfair and his wife left the village along with the Bishop and they were the only visible protestants portrayed in the movie, the cheers were for the Playfairs not the bishop.


    :agent:

    Regards
    Robbie

  • Robbie,


    I'd have to watch it again (and it's too late tonight to do that), but my understanding was that the Bishop was in town to review the minister's performance. He had a small church, so everybody chipped in and pretended to be protestants, to give the impression that his congregation was bigger than it really was. I think the minister and his wife were in the car to take the Bishop back to the train station, not because they were leaving, too.


    Anybody else remember this aspect of the plot?


    Mrs. C :angel1:

  • Hi


    That's how I read the end of the Quiet Man. It was convienient for the Playfairs to be in the car with the Bishop to take their bow.


    Once they had seen him off at the station they would have returned to their home. As they said they had a small parish but they had one nevertheless.


    As Ward Bond covering up his collar said Lets all wave like good Protestants. And in that sentence and by that action I think it was designed to give the bishop the impression that the Playfairs had a large congregation and would remain in the village.


    The film was not that deep to allow religious issues to surface, real or imagined.



    Regards


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • I have just opened my e mail and there is a message from the Dubliner offering free tickets to watch screenings of The field, In the name of the Father and The Quiet Man as part of the 100 best Irish films. Obviously the voting worked.



    Regards


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • hi all


    i too like arthur recieved one of those emails hope that robbie got one he may want to use it if he lives near where they will be showing the movies on the big screen.


    my understanding of the end of tqm was that only the bishop and mr playfair were in the car and mrs playfair was standing with the crowd i could be wrong but it has been quite some time since i saw it. and besides if they were leaving why didnt they have their baggs with them?


    cheers smokey

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"

  • To Some of you people that live in The British Isles, Maureen O'Hara said that the original story was too Political and had a lot to do with the I.R.A. what ever that means. :huh:


    Maybe some of you could tell us that live in the U.S. what all this is about? Is it all about the Christian Religion, Catholics and Protestants, if so thats a Hell of a note! :angry:


    I know, we had plenty of the same problems here in the U.S. in the past. But now we have some people here in the U.S. trying to do away with all Religion!!! :fear2:


    Even tho I like almost all of Duke's Westerns, "The Quiet Man" would be Right at the top of the list of John Wayne Films. :D


    If you would like to see what Maureen O'Hara :wub: had to say about the making of the Film in Ireland you can go to, QUIET MAN and then just Clicking NEXT. :rolleyes:


    Chilibill :cowboy:

  • Quote

    Originally posted by chester7777@Jul 5 2005, 12:15 AM
    I'd have to watch it again (and it's too late tonight to do that), but my understanding was that the Bishop was in town to review the minister's performance. He had a small church, so everybody chipped in and pretended to be protestants, to give the impression that his congregation was bigger than it really was. I think the minister and his wife were in the car to take the Bishop back to the train station, not because they were leaving, too.
    Mrs. C :angel1:

    [snapback]18569[/snapback]



    Hi - I'd have to say that Mrs. C is pretty close to the mark if not right on it. The minister's congregation was a small one. The priest gathered his group to bid farewell to the Bishop under the guise of Protestants, making the group seem much larger than it actually was. I never got the impression that the minister and his wife were leaving, rather that they were escorting the Bishop to the train station.
    Cheers - Jay :D

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"