• Known for its location shooting in Ireland and it shows. It’s absolutely gorgeous exterior photography
  • It’s amongst the best work of all of the 4 leads- Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, Barry Fitzgerald (pretty sure this is his single best role) and Victor McLaglen. Honestly the only other guy I could see pulling off the McLaglen role to have that sort of size and screen presence to battle with Wayne would be Bond himself
  • It’s not a large role but Ward Bond’s voice-over work as narrator is really well done as well and adds to the comedic touch and light air of the film
  • I’m not saying it rivals the technical/artistic impact of in cold blood but there’s a great shot of O’hara crying in the rain in the window
  • Written by Frank Nugent who also wrote the searchers– the comedic elements might work even better here than in the 1956 all-time masterpiece
  • Also rightfully well known for Victor Young’s rolling musical score
  • There’s some fine film form going on here with bad weather in intimate scenes- first, the famous wind scene (homage in et amongst others) and later there’s a thunder storm when they kiss again
  • Amongst the very best of 1952
  • Masterpiece (maybe not a giant one but a masterpiece nonetheless)