Get a glimpse at the filming of Irish America's beloved film "The Quiet Man."
"The Quiet Man" began filming on June 7, 1951, in Ireland. It was a massive production for the time that involved filming in Cong, Co Mayo, Ougtergard, Co Galway, Ballyglunin train station, and Lettergesh Beach, and featured treasured Irish theatre actors like Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields, and many locals as extras.
John Wayne also brought along four of his children, who had cameos in the movie - Michael (18), Mary Antonia "Toni" (16), Patrick (13), and Melinda (12) all play young people attending the horse races.
The following video shows a collection of behind-the-scenes photos from the filming of "The Quiet Man." They're the moments you would never see just by watching the film.
It's amazing to see the film crew in action, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara's friendship, the stars mingling with extras, locals, and the crew between scenes, and John Ford in the director's chair.
Until "The Quiet Man," John Ford had been famous for Western classics like "Stagecoach," "The Searchers," and "The Grapes of Wrath." "The Quiet Man" was his love letter to Ireland and the homeplace of his family.
And of, course, it was special for stars Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne to be filming in Ireland, too. O'Hara was born and raised in Ireland, and Wayne's grandfather hailed from Co Antrim.
*Originally published August 2019. Updated Sept 2023.
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