One of the 12 jurors—six men and six women who had all trekked over to the balcony of Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood—lay on his back across three seats proving that Maureen O'Hara could not possibly have had sex in that position.
The future star of the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street was born Maureen FitzSimons Aug. 17, 1920, in Ranelagh, Ireland, near Dublin. She was the second of six children to be born to clothing merchant Charles and one-time theatre actress and contralto Margueritte.
The chubby child was often taunted by other children at the Dominion Convent School, who called her 'baby elephant.' At age 10 the confirmed tomboy, who would go on to become one of the movies' most gorgeous women, longed only to become a truck driver. Yet, Maureen had an interest in acting, and at age 12 she studied at the Dublin Dramatic Society, and took ballet lessons. Mr. FitzSimons insisted his daughter also take secretarial and bookkeeping courses. Later, Maureen was most grateful she did so, as these skills helped her immensely throughout her life.
At the age of just 14, Maureen was accepted at the Apprentice School of the famous Abbey Theatre where she appeared in The Merchant of Venice. She was soon winning small roles in British films, which included My Irish Molly (1938), and Kicking the Moon Around (1938). Actor Charles Laughton spotted her, and gave her a part in his London movie Jamaica Inn (1939), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Laughton encouraged her to shorten her name so it would fit better on a marquee.
Next, Laughton asked the now-ravishing, five-foot-eight, 19-year-old redhead to star as the gypsy Esmeralda opposite him in his lavish film production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) to be made in Hollywood at RKO Studios. A few hours before Maureen O'Hara was to sail with her mother, Laughton and his wife Elsa Lanchester to America aboard the Queen Mary, she married a production associate, George Hanley Brown, who remained in England. Her parents had the marriage annulled in Nevada before it could be consummated—a full 14 months later.
On Dec. 29, 1941, Maureen married U.S. Marine Will Price—whom she had begun dating while still married to Brown—in his hometown of Macomb, Miss. Will had been Maureen's dialog coach for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In 1944, they had a daughter, Bronwyn Bridget. But Price moved out of their Hollywood home on their 10th wedding anniversary, and they divorced in 1952.
O'Hara's portrayal of Esmeralda made her a star. She signed a seven-year contract, and made her first of five films with legendary director John Ford, the Academy Award-winning How Green was My Valley (1941). Very athletic and strong, Maureen usually performed her own stunts on film. In 1947, O'Hara signed with Fox Studios and made four more movies with Ford—Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952) opposite good friend John Wayne with whom she co-starred five times, The Long Gray Line (1955), and Wings Of Eagles (1957).
In 1947, Maureen starred as the mother of little Natalie Wood, who, along with John Payne, proved that Santa Claus really did exist in the beloved holiday film Miracle On 34th Street. Later, she became known as 'The Pirate Queen of the Screen,' as she appeared in numerous technicolor swashbucklers including The Black Swan (1947), Sinbad the Sailor (1947), Baghdad (1949), Flame of Araby (1951), and Lady Godiva (1955).
The lurid sensationalist magazine Confidential published a story relating Maureen's sexual exploits in the balcony of the Graumann's Chinese Theatre with an unknown, handsome Latin man, supposedly on the night of Nov. 9, 1953.
Maureen sued, producing ticket stubs and a stamped passport that proved she was out of the country at the time of the alleged incident. The jury nevertheless needed to prove to themselves that it was not possible for the star to have indulged in the exact hijinks as described, and marched themselves off to the theatre. Maureen won her suit for $5 million, and thus began the downfall of the very popular magazine that entertained millions.
In 1959, the National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers put 39-year-old Maureen at the top of its list of 10 women with the most beautiful legs in America. In 1960, she made her Broadway debut in the musical comedy Christine, and recorded an album for RCA called Love Letters.
On March 11, 1968, O'Hara married famous aviator General Charles Blair, and together they owned and operated 'Antillies Airboats,' a commuter seaplane service in the Caribbean. When Charles, who had a substantial record of aeronautic achievements, including being the first person to fly solo over the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole, was killed in an airplane crash in 1978, Maureen carried on, being elected CEO of the company and she became the first woman president of a scheduled airline in the United States.
Some of O'Hara's other films include The Long Gray Line (1955), The Wings of Eagles (1957), The Parent Trap (1961), Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation (1962),Spencer's Mountain (1963), The Rare Breed (1966), Big Jake (1971), and Only The Lonely (1991).
She also appeared in numerous television movies.
The colorful Maureen O'Hara lives in Christansted, St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands.
Sources: The Movie Stars Story edited by Robyn Karney; They Had Faces Then by John Springer and Jack Hamilton; The Illustrated Who's Who of the Cinema, Edited by Ann Lloyd and Graham Fuller; Maureen O'Hara Web sites.
Steve Starr is the author of Picture Perfect: Art Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946, published by Rizzoli International Publications. A designer and an artist, he is the owner of Steve Starr Studios, specializing in original Art Deco photo frames, furnishings and jewelry, and celebrating its 36th anniversary in 2003. Visit the studio at 2779 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago where adorning the walls is Steve Starr's personal collection of more than 950 gorgeous frames filled with photos of Hollywood's most glamorous stars.
Photo of Steve Starr July 25, 2002, by Albert Aguilar.
You may E-mail Steve at SSSchicago@ameritech.net
