John Wayne is, of course, synonymous with the classic Hollywood Western. Yet, the first movie of his we’re covering on this show is actually a romantic comedy. Wayne reteamed with director John Ford and Maureen O’Hara for 1952’s The Quiet Man. And the shift in genre paid off for the trio behind 1950 Western Rio Grande.

The Quiet Man turned out to be one of the year’s biggest box office hits. And we were honored to welcome film critic Caitlin Kennedy to the show to discuss the movie. We’ll discuss why The Quiet Man has endured after all these years, how the central relationship dynamic has aged, and what makes The Quiet Man Caitlin’s favorite film.

SYNOPSIS

After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, boxer Sean Thornton (John Wayne) leaves America and returns to his native Ireland, hoping to buy his family’s homestead and live in peace. In doing so, he runs afoul of Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), who long coveted the property. Spitefully, Will objects when his fiery sister, Mary Kate (Maureen O’Hara), begins a romance with Sean, and refuses to hand over her dowry. Mary Kate refuses to consummate the marriage until Sean retrieves the money.

SHOW NOTES

Join the Crooked Table Crew by becoming an official patron over at Patreon.com/CrookedTable

Subscribe to the Crooked Table Podcast on iTunes so that you never miss a moment!

Listen to the Crooked Table Podcast on Spotify!

The Crooked Table Podcast is also on Stitcher! Reach Robert Yaniz Jr. on Twitter at @crookedtable.

Connect with Crooked Table on social media: Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Tumblr