Maureen O'Hara was always my dad's favorite actress, so I remember her from a long way back. One of the great beauties of the 20th Century, she was even more impressive for her personality. She somehow pulled off being authentic, straightforward and nobody's fool with being nice and approachable. And a great sense of humor. If you want a woman with a backbone, she was just about perfect. Could sing, too. The Quiet Man was her favorite, and I think she made the right choice. But she was great in a number of other films. As a little kid I remember seeing The Hunchback of Notre Dame on cable, and being scared of Laughton's Quasimodo, and entranced by Maureen at age 18 playing Esmerelda. Sad.
Maureen O'Hara dead at 95 - and who could blame her. An elegant woman who achieved celebrity from her beauty and talent, living out her retirement in her humble Idaho home . . . wakes one day to the news that the fat, ugly Kardashian sister just SOMEHOW thunk up a new angle for the family's television drama that would milk them another couple hundred million. Fair enough reason to quit holding on. Rest in peace, Maureen. And, sorry.
