The Quiet Man (1952)

Memorable Quotes

[first lines]
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: Well, then. Now. I'll begin at the beginnin'. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off. He didn't have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin' rod.

[last lines]
Michaleen Flynn: No patty-fingers, if you please. The proprieties at all times. Hold on to your hats.

"Red Will" Danaher: He'll regret it till his dying day, if ever he lives that long.

"Red Will" Danaher: Si' down, si' down. That's what chairs are for.

"Red Will" Danaher: Mind you, I'm fresh as a daisy!
Thornton: You look more like a black-eyed Susan to me.

Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: Ah, yes... I knew your people, Sean. Your grandfather; he died in Australia, in a penal colony. And your father, he was a good man too.

Mary Kate Danaher: Could you use a little water in your whiskey?
Michaleen Flynn: When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey; and when I drink water, I drink water.

Hugh Forbes: Then, a toast: May their days be long and full of happiness; may their children be many and full of health; and may they live in peace... and freedom.

Thornton: There'll be no locks or bolts between us, Mary Kate... except those in your own mercenary little heart!

Mary Kate Danaher: What manner of man is it that I have married?
Hugh Forbes: A better one, I think, than you know, Mary Kate.

Mary Kate Danaher: It's a bold one you are! Who gave you leave to be kissin' me?
Thornton: So you can talk!
Mary Kate Danaher: Yes I can, I will and I do! And it's more than talk you'll be gettin' if you step a step closer to me!
Thornton: Don't worry - you've got a wallop!
Mary Kate Danaher: You'll get over it, I'm thinkin'.
Thornton: Well, some things a man doesn't get over so easy.
Mary Kate Danaher: Like what, supposin'?
Thornton: Like the sight of a girl coming through the fields with the sun on her hair... kneeling in church with a face like a saint...
Mary Kate Danaher: Saint indeed!
Thornton: ...and now coming to a man's house to clean it for him.
Mary Kate Danaher: But... that was just my way of bein' a good Christian act.
Thornton: I know it was, Mary Kate Danaher. And it was nice of you.
Mary Kate Danaher: Not at all.

"Red Will" Danaher: So the I.R.A. is in this too, is it?
Hugh Forbes: If it were, Red Will Danaher, not a scorched stone of your fine house would still be standing.
Michaleen Flynn: A beautiful sentiment!

Michaleen Flynn: He's a nice, quiet, peace-loving man, come home to Ireland to forget his troubles. Sure, yes, yes, he's a millionare, you know, like all the Yanks. But he's eccentric - ooh, he is eccentric! Wait 'til I show ya... his bag to sleep in - a sleeping bag, he calls it! Here, let me show you how it operates.

"Red Will" Danaher: I'll count three, and if you're not out of the house by then, I'll loose the dogs on you.
Thornton: If you say "three," mister, you'll never hear the man count "ten.

Thornton: I don't get this. Why do we have to get you along? Back in the States, I'd drive up, honk the horn, the gal'd come runnin'...
Mary Kate Danaher: Come a-runnin'? I'm no woman to be honked at and come a-runnin'!
Michaleen Flynn: America - ha! Prohibition! You see that over there? That's the ancestral home of ancient Flynns. It was taken from us by... by... by the Druids!
[stops the cart]
Michaleen Flynn: Quietest couple I ever heard. We'll get nowhere at this rate. Off with ya!
[Sean tries to help Mary Kate down]
Michaleen Flynn: She's a fine healthy girl - no patty-fingers if ya please!

Mary Kate Danaher: I have a fearful temper. You might as well know about it now instead of findin' out about it later. We Danahers are a fightin' people.
Thornton: I can think of a lot of things I'd rather do to one of the Danahers - Miss Danaher.
Mary Kate Danaher: Shhh, Mr. Thornton! What will Mr. Flynn be thinkin'?

Thornton: If anybody had told me six months ago that today I'd be in a graveyard in Innisfree with a girl like you that I'm just about to kiss, I'd have told 'em...
Mary Kate Danaher: Oh, but the kisses are a long way off yet!
Thornton: Huh?
Mary Kate Danaher: Well, we just started a-courtin', and next month, we, we start the walkin' out, and the month after that there'll be the threshin' parties, and the month after that...
Thornton: Nope.
Mary Kate Danaher: Well, maybe we won't have to wait that month...
Thornton: Yup.
Mary Kate Danaher: ...or for the threshin' parties...
Thornton: Nope.
Mary Kate Danaher: ...or for the walkin' out together...
Thornton: No.
Mary Kate Danaher: ...and so much the worse for you, Sean Thornton, for I feel the same way about it myself!
[They kiss. Thunder rolls]

Thornton: [drunk] Woman-of-the-house! I have brought the brother home to supper!
[Throws hat]
Mary Kate Danaher: He is kindly welcome.
"Red Will" Danaher: [also drunk] God bless all in this house...
Mary Kate Danaher: Wipe your feet!
"Red Will" Danaher: Thank you mum!

Michaleen Flynn: Two women in the house - and one of them a redhead!

Fishwoman with basket at station: Sir!... Sir!... Here's a good stick, to beat the lovely lady.

Michaleen Flynn: Is this a courting or a donnybrook? Have the good manners not to hit the man until he's your husband and entitled to hit you back.

Michaleen Flynn: [on seeing the broken bed] Impetuous! Homeric!

Pat Cohan: Ah, what a day for Inisfree! On a day like this, I can say only one thing - Gentlemen, the drinks are on the house!
[pub patrons suddenly stop their conversations and stare at him in stunned silence]
Pat Cohan: Well, they are!

Father Paul: Father! Father Lonergan!
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: [not wanting to disturb the fish] Ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh.
Father Paul: It's a big fight in the town!
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: Listen, there's a big fight in this fish right here, too.
Father Paul: I'd have put a stop to it, but seeing it's...
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: You do that, lad. It's your duty.
Father Paul: But seeing it was Danaher and Sean Thornton...
[Father Lonergan turns at stares at Father Paul in amazement]
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: WHO?
Father Paul: Danaher and Sean Thornton!
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: WELL WHY THE DEVIL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? Oh, you young...
[Throws down his fishing rod and the two run back into town. They abruptly stop behind a gate]
Father Paul: Father, shouldn't we put a stop to it now?
Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: [relishing the fight from a distance] Ah, we should, lad, yes, we should, it's our duty!

INFORMATION IMDb

I have always told to people that The Quiet Man is the most grateful movies in the World in all that categories. And those memorable quotes you have write showing us that. That film has all that humour and excitement you are needing.

"The Quiet Man" is by far my mother's alltime favorite movie and I was raised on it. My fascination with this cinematic masterpiece has been renewed by recently acquiring the 50th anniversary DVD with Maureen O'Hara's excellent commentary.

Having just watched much of the film the other day, not to mention countless times earlier, I'll put in my 2¢ as to any spanking/beating which occurs: after they're married (and she won't let him in the bedroom) he throws her on the bed and breaks it. In a scene taking place shortly afterwards, he tells her to get ready to go to town. When she turns her back, he whops her good across the butt, with what might be considered quite a hard blow by many women but a "love tap" to a man. She takes it as a "love tap" and smiles. After he returns home following their big (verbal) fight during this trip to town, she hands him a stick to beat her, which he flings into the fire. During the dragging scene, he does, indeed, kick her in the butt (they carefully choreographed this beforehand,) and a lady hands him "a good stout stick to beat the lovely lady," which he looks at, carries for awhile, then throws away. At NO TIME does he EVER strike her with a stick or in any prolonged manner! During the commentary, Maureen O'Hara replied to the line, "Have the good manners not to strike him until he's your husband, and entitled to hit you back," by saying there's no law in Ireland entitling a man to hit his wife. I was very surprised because I was sure there was a law on the books at least as late as the 1970s entitling a man to beat a woman as long as 1) they were married, 2) he strike her with bare hands or a stick no thicker around than his thumb, and 3) that he not draw blood--bruises and broken bones perfectly okay! But perhaps this law was in England, not Ireland? Anyone know?

It was interesting to learn how many people falsely claimed contribution to or involvement with the film. Some research I did on a Ray Bradbury short story has revealed much information on an individual who made an invaluable contribution to the film which has gone entirely uncredited. The facts, including links, can be found here: http://raybradburyboard.com/groupee/forums...01/m/7881075901

This thread contains links to both a picture of the ruins of the original "White O'Morn" and the site of the Quiet Man Cottage Museum, an as near as possible exact replica of that cottage nearby.

To a museum housing "Quiet Man" information, such things should prove of great interest. I sent them this information and very much hope it ends up in the hands of someone compiling information on the film's history.

Someone on the Maureen O'Hara board claims the tune was folk music in the public domain at the time both Richard Farrelly and John Ford used it. If I can induce her to share her findings on the Ray Bradbury board, all the information will be accessible in the thread referenced above. Richard Farrelly does still deserve credit for having written the version of the song which called the tune to John Ford's attention.

More quotes from the movie:

"Red Will" Danaher: You know this is a fight I'd come a long way to see

Sean Thornton: I hope you can stick around for the finish.

"Red Will" Danaher: DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT THAT!

"Red Will" Danaher: Ya know Yank, I've taken quite a liking to ya.

Sean Thornton: I'm getting real fond of you, too.

"Red Will" Danaher: Yer widow, me sister, coulda done alot of worse, poor woman.

Sean Thornton: Thanks (sort of sarcastically)

The Quiet Man is indeed in our top three JW films, which continually rotate , and is truly one great film!

Many people on our board have had the good fortune to visit Cong and the surrounding area. I know that many people around here are hoping to go to Monument Valley next year, for the Duke's 100th birthday, but Ermal Williamson and many of his friends and associates are planning a trip to Ireland to commemorate the event. The last time I talked to him, a couple of months ago, it sounded like that was still their plan. While I'd like to go to both places, I suspect Monument Valley will be the most realistic option.

Chester

Um...is that the place where they supposedly all got cancer? Is the cause all gone now? Better watch yourselves.

Quote

Originally posted by CoriSCapnSkip@Feb 4 2006, 05:48 AM
Um...is that the place where they supposedly all got cancer? Is the cause all gone now? Better watch yourselves.

[snapback]26506[/snapback]

No, the "place where they supposedly all got cancer" was St. George, Utah during the filming of The Conqueror (1956).

Oh, okay, good. -_-

After John Wayne's wife wrote that the four people who actually died of cancer after being at that location--John Wayne, Agnes Moorehead, and two others whose names I forget--were all heavy smokers, some of them with a three or four pack a day habit, I just accepted that as the cause. In the DVD commentary on "The Quiet Man," though, Maureen O'Hara said "a number of us who worked there got cancer" including herself, and her website says she NEVER smoked cigarettes. Advertised the product, but never used it. And, despite her reference to the Utah location, she did cite smoking as the cause of Duke's death.

What are the other two movie favorites of his in the top three?

In 1999 could I read in a Newspaper that three American Favorite movies was: Gone With The Wind, Casablanca and The Quiet Man. And it was in that order.

Wow, I was asking just about the three top John Wayne movies. I did not realize it ranked in the three favorite American movies of all time.

Still waiting to learn the top three John Wayne movies!

There is one funny anecdote concerning my online search regarding "The Quiet Man." No matter how many times we saw the film, there was one line my mom and I could never make out. When Michaleen Oge Flynn runs out of the pub on hearing of the fight, he says, "One if by land, two if by sea, and if it's ta Danaher's I'll fire the lot," then I could make out, "horse, foot, and" (my mom was lost by that point) then something neither of us could understand.

Thanks to the internet, I was able to learn the name of the institution which keeps John Ford's papers and asked them to look in the script. They returned that the line is, "One if by land, two if by sea, and if it's ta Danaher's I'll fire the lot, horse, foot, and artillery." I kind of expected Maureen O'Hara might mention it in the DVD commentary, as other lines that no one can understand, such as "The Flintstones"'s "through the courtesy of Fred's two feet" and "All in the Family"'s "Gee, our old LaSalle ran great" were legendary (so much so that "All in the Family" re-recorded the theme song) but she didn't. I wonder if we were the only ones bothered by not understanding this line? Maybe it's a common expression and everyone else was able to guess it.

When I brought up the garbled line on the Maureen O'Hara board it was mentioned that Barry Fitzgerald had run into some problems concerning his accent, having to do retakes, no doubt so "the Yanks" could understand.

The moderator at Maureen O'Hara's site ran the dialogue question by her and called the expression "Typical IRA talk." She mentions having a shooting script which doesn't even have that line in it.

The question about "The Quiet Man" dialogue which comes up the most frequently concerns the Gaelic lyrics at the end of Maureen's song as she sits at the piano--"I'll rest awhile beside you grad mo croide" (grah ma cree)--which means "Love of my heart." Maureen O'Hara did cover this and some of the other Irish dialogue in the DVD commentary.

I hesitate to say the Ray Bradbury Mystery aspect of this is completely "solved," but it's been considerably "enlightened" by a close and vital source!

A phone conversation between this individual and Ray Bradbury reveals "this was just a compilation of fictions.

"(Bradbury) was trying to remember what Deanna Durbin movie he might have been thinking of, but hasn’t come up with anything yet. As for the song, he’s aware that Deanna Durbin didn’t sing it, but liked the song and title and incorporated it into the story."

I said if the recording didn't exist, I'd be very interested as to what was used instead when the play "The Anthem Sprinters" was performed. I also asked, since there is one song titled "Isle of Innisfree" by Richard Farrelly, and another, (The) "Lake Isle of Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats, but no "Lovely Isle of Innisfree" that I've been able to find, which one he was thinking of.

The source replies: "(Bradbury) can’t remember what they used in the play and neither can I. As for the song itself, he just said that that title popped into his head, so he used it. I hope all is well."

To which I replied: "Fine; I didn't have a bet riding on it or anything." (Unlike most of the characters in "The Quiet Man.")

It seems I was also less than 100% correct in believing Deanna Durbin to have become an utter recluse. It seems she did some voice work in a film in 1999: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002052/?fr=c2l...fc=1;ft=29;fm=1

Perhaps Bradbury should compose a song titled "The Lovely Isle of Innisfree" and Deanna Durbin should record it!

Hi all!
There is something in the scripts in this side I will give my comment on. The owner to White O’Morn is leaving in Santa Ana Califonia. That was never a spanking scene in TQM. The stick was for that we all could see in the movie, Mary Kate Danaher should go nice and quiet beside of Sean Thornton. The stick had a psychological effect. The Inisfree (You shall spell it so) toke four days to shoot. The whole ensemble was arriving to Ireland June the 5 and left Ireland July the 17. The cast room in Ashford Castle was rent to August the 3 and there was no room problem for the American crew. I think much of that who is written before in this site is coming from IMDb and there are many wrong things for two years ago was they telling about four days in Ireland, so they are on right way.
When I was watching on The Quiet Man in yesterday could I see Duke say “Thanks” and his lips was moving little.
Len.

Hello Bay Area John Wayne fans!

On March 18, the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch, CA (40 miles east of San Francisco) will present The Quiet Man (1952). Shows are at 2pm and 7:30 pm. We will also have a traditional Irish music performance and Irish dancing before the movie. Don't miss this rare chance to view John Ford's epic masterpiece on the big screen, the way it was meant to be seen!

For more information and directions to the theatre: http://www.elcampaniltheatre.com

Esther Park
Director of Film Programming
El Campanil Theatre
602 West Second St.
Antioch, CA 94509
925-757-9500

Hi Esther, I can imagine how wonderful the experience for all the viewers to see The Quiet Man on the big screne is going to be because I have loved the movie ever since I first saw it many years ago on tv. Since then I have painted several canvases in tribute to such a fine movie. In case you might like to see some of them you may at http://www.bryanvarnam.com/bryans_web_site_2_045.htm. Thanks for the heads up, wish I was one of them but it isn't likely since I live clear on the other side here in North Carolina.
Bryan

Hi Esther,

Thanks for your post, and a big
WELCOME

to the JWMB.

It sounds like a wonderful event,
and I am sure that our members who live near enough,
will be very interested, and they will be in touch with you,

Thanks,

Welcome Esther,

Thanks for the info, too bad I live in Minnesota. It sounds like a good time.

Esther,

We don't know how you found us, but we sure are glad you did!

WELCOME to the John Wayne Message Board!

Thank you so much for this information. We are among the lucky ones who live close enough to Antioch to be able to attend this showing (although some of our members have their own airplanes and could fly in for the show)!

Chester and the Mrs.

Hi Esther.

I would like to add my Welcome as well.
It sounds like you are going to have a
great time. I was lucky enough to see
The Quiet Man on the big screen, and as
you say, that's how it should be seen. I
wish I could be there, but I'll have to make
do with watching it on the old box at home.

Best wishes

Emmanuel

Hi Bryan, thanks for sharing your artwork. Your paintings are beautiful!

Esther

Quote

Originally posted by Bryan Varnam@Feb 23 2006, 05:05 PM
Hi Esther, I can imagine how wonderful the experience for all the viewers to see The Quiet Man on the big screne is going to be because I have loved the movie ever since I first saw it many years ago on tv. Since then I have painted several canvases in tribute to such a fine movie. In case you might like to see some of them you may at http://www.bryanvarnam.com/bryans_web_site_2_045.htm. Thanks for the heads up, wish I was one of them but it isn't likely since I live clear on the other side here in North Carolina.
Bryan

[snapback]27844[/snapback]