I try to watch “The Quiet Man” every year on St. Patrick’s Day, whether I need it or not. If, already a quarter of the way into the 21st century, this confirms that I am hopelessly out of touch, so be it. Someday, someone will pry this twee, politically-incorrect Irish fable from my cold dead hand.
I’m working my way through the recent John Williams biography by Tim Greiving, and although I am having some major issues with it (the book, published by Oxford University Press, reads like a first draft, to put it kindly), it is obviously written with love and chock full of valuable information. I know Williams always speaks fondly of Victor Young, but it was interesting to learn that Young’s music for “The Quiet Man,” which Williams saw in the theater in 1953, was one of the first film scores that really made him sit up and take notice and made him consider the possibility of writing for the movies.
I guess this makes sense, especially with having everything laid out chronologically in a biography. Progressions become clearer, and from the start Williams was always a gifted arranger. I mean, his first Academy Award was for his arrangements for Norman Jewison’s film of “Fiddler on the Roof,” and it was far from his first musical. Even apart from the movies, Williams was arranging for and accompanying Frank Sinatra, Vic Damone, Frankie Laine, and so many others. So he would have had a connoisseur’s appreciation of what Young achieved in his score for “The Quiet Man,” which positively overflows with inspiring arrangements of folk and popular song and sentimental ballads.
On a related note, for a long time, after having run across some clips, probably on YouTube, I’ve wanted to see a film called “Broth of a Boy.” It stars Barry Fitzgerald (who plays the “Quiet Man’s” insatiably thirsty Michaeleen Oge Flynn) as the oldest man in the world. With that premise, how could it miss? Unfortunately, the film is seemingly unavailable in the United States – only intensifying my desire to see it – and the reviews I’ve read ranged from mildly charmed to middling. So I certainly knew not to expect a classic.
Every year, around St. Patrick’s Day, I search for it, and what do you know, last night I found it on YouTube! The transfer is barely adequate, but you know how old movies are from the United Kingdom. Even the Alastair Sim version of “A Christmas Carol” (released in the U.K. as “Scrooge” in 1951 – a year before “The Quiet Man!”) looks like it was made in the 1930s. I don’t blame the technology; I blame post-war austerity.
Anyway, “Broth of a Boy” looks older than its years, as for that matter, does Barry Fitzgerald. His character is supposedly 110. Fitzgerald died in 1961 at the age of 72. But here, in 1959, he looks tired. Or maybe he was just hammered the whole time.
Be that as it may, if you’re a “Quiet Man” fan, I think you will find much to enjoy. The humor and characterizations are of the same cloth, and both films employ actors from Dublin’s Abbey Players – the National Theatre of Ireland – although, as far as I can tell, Fitzgerald is the only common denominator between the two.
Alas, the screenplay isn’t as consistent or sharp, and the scenes are not always the most imaginatively captured. I sure do miss John Ford’s direction and Technicolor. The score, by Stanley Black, will never be mistaken for Victor Young. The film feels longer than its 77 minutes, but if you are a “Quiet Man” die-hard, you might want to give it a shot. Or have a few yourself, if you know what’s good for you.
Raising a Pint to Barry Fitzgerald for St. Patrick’s Day
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17 responses to “Raising a Pint to Barry Fitzgerald for St. Patrick’s Day”
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What? No “Darby O’Gill and the Little People”? Just for the singing prowess of Sean Connery? 😉🍀
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Lesley Siedt Clearly this has nothing to do with Barry Fitzgerald. Although I’d be surprised if Disney didn’t try to get him. There’s a corny promotional short for “Darby O’Gill,” in which Pat O’Brien, who was born in Milwaukee (and is not in the film), speaks with a theatrical Irish brogue.
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Classic Ross Amico I know it has nothing to do with Barry Fitzgerald…I just figured since Sean sings (although not in a thong 😉), you’d be all over it …😁
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Lesley Siedt The Zardoz thong would have confounded King Brian
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Classic Ross Amico Absolutely
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My not being a John Wayne expert hasn’t stopped me from having an opinion about the fellow. I’ve always thought of him as a movie star—his screen magnetism is undeniable—rather than as an actor. With one exception: The Quiet Man. Its not being a western helps, but probably it’s because he’s surrounded by strong, idiosyncratic characters such as fiery Maureen O’Hara, her brusque yet surprisingly multi-layered powder keg of a brother Squire Danaher, Ward Bond the priest who’d rather be fishing, the brilliant Mildred Natwick as the widow, even minor blokes in the pub, each one a firecracker, and especially, of course, that incandescent Barry Fitzgerald—every actor having the time of his or her life—because of all this, John Wayne the star seems to be nothing but charmed throughout, and darned if he doesn’t actually act in this blessed thing. That may be what stuns me the most about The Quiet Man, and now I have to see it again, thanks to you, Classic Ross Amico, if only to hear yet again Michaeleen’s response when Mary Kate Danaher asks him if he’d like some water in his whiskey.
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Kile Smith My mom would watch in every year, and she wasn’t Irish, we only had Irish relatives through marriage.
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Kenneth Hutchins Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!
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Classic Ross Amico When I worked at IBM I usually wore an orange tie.
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Kile Smith So well said, as always, Kile. It’s such a charmed film — as well, of course, as being absolutely charming. (Lucky charms?) For a long time, it was the only John Wayne movie I liked. But then I grew up and grasped the power of the western. Wayne gave some good performances, but of course he was always a star, first and foremost. And my appreciation has nothing to do with politics or his personal life, merely what he left us on film. (I know, a double-standard in this day of Chalamet schadenfreude.)
Watching “The Quiet Man” again last night I was reminded that, while there are so many heightened characterizations, every supporting player has at least one humanizing scene. Or at least enough that you get a sense that they have more of a life beyond whatever they get up to lend color to the story. I mean, the walk-ons are mostly stereotypes and comic caricatures, but if you were named in the credits, chances are, you wound up with a pretty good part in the film. And the Irish actors were all from the esteemed Abbey Players. (It always amazes me that Mildred Natwick was born in Baltimore!)
The film was a dream project of John Ford. He already had a working relationship with a lot of the actors from some of his other movies. (The guy who plays the old bearded gent is actually his older brother, Francis Ford, who was one of the filmmakers who basically settled Hollywood.) The easy familiarity of the company likely contributed to Wayne’s relaxed performance.
A number of the other actors were also related. Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields (Rev. Playfair) were brothers. One of the IRA boys (to whom Michaeleen introduces to Sean Thorton’s sleeping bag) and Father Paul were Maureen O’Hara’s brothers. Wayne’s children are both in it.
Victor McGlaglen (Danaher) gave his Oscar-winning performance in “The Informer” under Ford’s direction in 1935 and basically became part of his stock company. Ward Bond was also a regular.
Jack MacGowran, Danaher’s lickspittle, was closely associated with Beckett and Sean O’Casey, while also appearing in Polanski’s “Fearless Vampire Killers” and “The Exorcist.”
And the music! I longed for a recording of Victor Young’s score from the first time I heard it. Finally, it was recorded in 1995, and the recording is not bad; however, the studio was too small or the microphones were too close or something. I would have preferred had the acoustic been a little more spacious. I am thankful to have it, though. I also own Young’s own recording of a suite, but it was made in mono.
Funny that you should mention Michaeleen’s response to Mary Kate. I’m about to borrow it for a reply to one of the other comments on this post!
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Classic Ross Amico your comment is filled with intelligence I never knew. I love that lickspittle guy! And the pub dialogue which goes something like, “Write ‘Sean Thornton’ down in your book.” “Aye, yes, Squire!” “Now, strike a line through it!” “Ha! Right you are, Squire!”
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As you sort of know Ross I love the way some movies just plain look old. I get what you mean about the Simms Christmas Carol( my fave adaptation). It looks very old for its actual celluloid birth date. I miss the days of watching movies like that and seeing a hair on the film go by or scratches in the film. Somehow gives it a warm cozy feel to me. Still would prefer that over the antiseptic feel of4KHDBLURAYDIGITALIZATION. I really don’t need to see every black head pimple on Robert Redfords face. Ahhhh but alas I’m in the minority with this Jurassic period thinking these days. I should maybe sit and view The Quiet Man this weekend. On VHS…..of course.
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Jon Haag I totally get this. I have a strange nostalgia for the days of listening to Haydn symphonies on the radio in the middle of the night, and in my silent room in the quieter passages being able to hear the surface noise as the grooves glided beneath the stylus. And I’ve said it before: when I was kid, old black-and-white movies were like dreams to me, the older and the murkier the better. That’s a big part of the reason the Universal monster pictures of the 1930s got under my skin. And “Nosferatu” was a revelation. Whenever I could, in those pre-cable days, I would crash on the couch and watch through drooping eyelids, desiring to nap in my comfortable cocoon before them, but at the same time always fighting sleep, because actually seeing these things on television was a privilege to be savored. I didn’t want to miss any of it. Basking in front of them, as I did, I wished they would go on forever.
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For a truly accurate and profoundly moving experience of today’s Ireland find “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” with one of Liam Neeson’s finest performances. The film explores the darker aspects of a divided Ireland, including the terrorism and barbarism of all the factions. It ends with a redemptive spirituality quite independent of partisanship, but thoroughly Irish.
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Brian M Davis To quote Barry Fitzgerald’s Michaeleen: “When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey; and when I drink water, I drink water.” I thank you for your recommendation, and I will make it a point to seek it out. But terrorism, barbarism, and accuracy? Clearly on St. Patrick’s Day I prefer to watch “The Quiet Man!”
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A most memorable film and a St. Patrick’s Day tradition in our household. Another is listening to Robert White’s enchanting recording of traditional Irish songs. His was my favorite “Danny Boy” arrangement until Romeo’s setting of the song.
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Dolores Cascarino I forgot all about poor Robert White yesterday. When I had a regular air shift, I always programmed his renditions of Beethoven’s Irish folk song settings for St. Patrick’s Day. Yesterday, I contented myself with John McCormack. I do miss sharing music with an audience on holidays.
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