1. The Quiet Man

Day one of summer of the stars features John Wayne, an actor who I am usually not too impressed by. I'm definitely more of an anti-Western fan, and I'd take Clint Eastwood over John Wayne any day. But in order to fully experience thirty-one movies this month, I decided to give John Wayne a try.

And I ended up with the least stereotypical John Wayne movie ever -- The Quiet Man. Wayne plays Sean Thorne, an Irish-born American boxer who moves back to his birthplace in Ireland. He meets Mary Kate (played by Maureen O'Hara) and immediately begins courting her, despite the fact that her bachelor older brother does not want to lose her as his cook and housekeeper.

The movie would be a great one to see on the big screen -- it's got such great Technicolor scenery! The Quiet Man is also very typically Irish -- lush green scenery, lovely accents, horse racing, and excellent music.

The story proceeds with some of the villagers -- including the matchmaker -- conning Mary Kate's brother into giving her a dowry (she calls it a fortune) so the two of them can start the courtship. They also hint that if he gets rid of his sister, the brother will be able to convince the local widow that he's been courting for ten years to marry him.

While courting Mary Kate, Sean manages to get away from the matchmaker and chases her into a graveyard. They have their first kiss there, not only in the graveyard but also during a rainstorm. How romantic! But apparently the kissing came a little to early in their courtship, because in the next scene Sean and Mary Kate are getting married -- perhaps he compromised her so thoroughly that the marriage had to be immediate.

After the wedding, the brother announces his imminent marriages -- but it turns out that he hasn't asked the widow yet! She turns him down, as any woman should, and the brother realizes that he's been duped. And he's not happy about being duped, and takes back his sister's dowry and manages to punch Sean. Sean flashes back to the ring, where he has just knocked out an opponent -- a fatal knockout (just like Killer McCoy!).

Mary Kate lives up to her feisty Irish reputation, and refuses to be a real wife to Sean until she gets her things and fortune back. They have a total Gone With the Wind moment, as Mary Kate locks herself in their bedroom. Sean breaks down the door and says, "There'll be no locks or bolts between us, Mary Kate...except those in your own mercenary little heart!" He then gives her a passionate kiss and throws her down on the bed.

Mary Kate gets her things back in the morning -- the villagers were going to bring them back in the previous evening, but they thought the couple would be busy (making little Sean and Mary Kates).

I got distracted by the end of the movie, but it ends up with the brother challenging Sean to a fight. He, of course, does not want to fight after killing a man and he ends up speaking to the vicar about it. Mary Kate feels embarassed by her husband and ends up speaking to the priest about it. I don't really understand why she ends up leaving, but Mary Kate gets on a train headed to Dublin to avoid the problems with her husband and brother. Sean rides his horse to her rescue and drags her back to the town and confronts her brother. He gives Sean the dowry money, and they burn it afterwards. A big fight starts and eventually the movie ends happily, with the brother courting the widow and Sean and Mary Kate happy together again.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Quiet Man. I don't really understand where the title comes from, other than the fact that Sean wanted to keep his previous life as a boxer quiet. I found John Wayne to be fairly attractive, and less John Wayne-ish than usual. His voice is so soothing and just very familar and comfortable. There aren't any actors like him any more.