It is a dark day for the cinephile community today, as one of the most beloved of our screen legends has sadly left us.
I remember being a very young lad and being forced by my father to watch an old movie I had never heard of. That film was The Quiet Man, and I credit that film for being the moment I fell in love with cinema. At the very center of that film was a beautiful redheaded woman named Maureen O’Hara, who was the very definition of a purely natural movie star. She was also one of the last remaining members of the Hollywood Golden Age, and she has left Kirk Douglas as the last man standing in that group.
Maureen died on Saturday in her Idaho home. The sad news was confirmed by her manager, who stated:
She passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family as they celebrated her life listening to music from her favorite movie, The Quiet Man.
O’Hara was last seen on our screens in November when she received an Honorary Academy Award for her contributions to film and her legendary status. Seeing her receive the award was a defining moment in a monumental career and was only proof that she was a bona fide legend of cinema. You can watch her triumphant acceptance speech below.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Maureen’s family, friends and her legions of fans all around the world.
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