Maureen O'Hara On Demand

Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day by listening to a MAUREEN O’HARA TRIBUTE show on Movie Addict Headquarters. This popular episode airs ON DEMAND from March 10 through March 18 on BlogTalkRadio. Listen any time by clicking the link at the end of this post.

Brought to Hollywood from Ireland by Charles Laughton during the late 1930s, O’Hara achieved immediate acclaim for her fiery performances in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Jamaica Inn. She remained a popular box-office draw throughout her long acting career (seven decades!) and played opposite a host of A-list actors, including John Wayne, Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart. O’Hara, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 95, appeared in such classic movies as The Quiet Man, Miracle on 34th Street, How Green Was My Valley, The Spanish Main and McClintock.

Because of her beautiful red hair, O’Hara has been called the Queen of Technicolor, and her work in so many Western movies earned her a Golden Boot Award in 1991. She also received an Honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. O’Hara displayed a talent for acting as a child and was accepted into Ireland’s Abbey Theater at the age of 14. Ironically, her operatic training there seemed wasted in Hollywood. Although she was the number one choice for the lead in The King and I musical, the director didn’t want someone who made “all those pirate movies” playing Anna -- so the role went to Deborah Kerr, whose vocals had to be dubbed. Go figure!

During this encore episode, classic movie experts Diana Saenger and James Colt Harrison discuss their favorite Maureen O’Hara films and performances. Saenger is the founder of Classic Movie Guide and Harrison is a film historian who contributes movie commentary to a variety of outlets including Classic Movie Guide and Review Express.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, movie fans!

HOST:  Betty Jo Tucker
PRODUCER: Nikki Starr  
LINK:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2015/03/17/actress-maureen-ohara-tribute

My Irish Grandmother

Each year as St. Patrick’s Day draws near, memories of my courageous Irish grandmother come flooding back to me. When she was only 14 years old, she stowed away on a boat (all by herself) to come to America from Ireland. Later, as a young mother, she was left with four children to raise when her husband died after being run over by a crane at the CF&I steelworks. 

Grandma used the company’s settlement to establish a number of businesses on Bay State Avenue, a street adjacent to the mill where her husband suffered that fatal accident. Surviving Prohibition and the Great Depression, Josephine Bridget Donahue became known as the “Duchess of Bay State.” No one messed with her. Maybe it was that charming brogue – but, more likely, her brave approach to dealing with the problems at hand that kept enemies at bay and friends so close.      

I’m very happy Grandma never lost that Irish brogue. It was always such a treat listening to her interactions with employees, customers and family members. I have to add that she made the best scones in the history of the world! Wish I had one of those delicious scones right now.

Although Grandma Donahue passed away many, many years ago, I still miss her every day.     

Pluck of the Irish

Because of my Irish roots, I know something about the stubborn bravery of Irish women. When she was only 14 years old, my grandmother stowed away on a boat (all by herself) to come to America from Ireland. Later, as a young mother, she was left with four children to raise when her husband died after being run over by a crane in a steel mill. She used the company's settlement to establish a number of businesses on Bay State Avenue, a street adjacent to the mill. Surviving Prohibition and the Great Depression, Josephine Bridget Donahue became known as the "Duchess of Bay State." No one messed with her. Maybe it was that charming brogue -- but, more likely, her relentless approach to the task at hand kept enemies at bay.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Maureen O'Hara's Voice

On this St. Patrick's Day, I want to congratulate Irish actress Maureen O'Hara for her beautiful singing voice. Although I'm a fan of O'Hara's acting and always looked forward to her movies (wasn't technicolor invented just for her?), I had no idea she's also a trained singer.

After watching and listening to her lovely rendition of "Look to the Rainbow" on a recent PBS presentation, I'm very sorry she never got her wish to star in one of those big MGM musicals. What a treat it would be to hear her sing a variety of numbers on the big screen!

Happy St. Paddy's Day, Maureen.