THE QUIET MAN (1952), 129 minutes

Our series concludes with John Ford’s movie, the first American Studio production shot in Ireland. The titular “Quiet Man,” is played by John Wayne, returning from Pittsburgh to his birthplace in County Mayo. Haunted by his recent past, Wayne only wants to settle down in his ancestral home, but he soon encounters Maureen O’Hara, and in the process of wooing and wedding her, runs afoul of her bully of a brother, Victor McLaglen, who refuses to deliver her dowry. Wayne has no interest in the dowry or a confrontation with McLaglen, but his new wife O’Hara demands that he honor traditional protocols. A tussle ensues, much to the delight of the local citizenry.

What follows is classic John Ford, with some scenes having aged better than others. But the film is clearly a labor of love as the director struck a deal with Republic Pictures to make a western in exchange for his movie in Ireland, where he mixed his own ensemble players Ward Bond and Barry Fitzgerald with venerable actors of the Dublin stage.

BE ADVISED–– This film is rated TV-PG, with smoking, drinking, violent brawling, heinous comments regarding domestic discord and impetuousness of “Homeric” proportions.