Stories in Sound

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Radio Ulster brings together radio documentaries from UK and Irish broadcasters.

Radio Ulster brings together some of the best radio documentaries from UK and Irish broadcasters.

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Stories in Sound: The Queen of Technicolor

The Queen of Technicolor

BBC Radio Ulster - Stories in Sound, The Queen of Technicolor

The story of Irish actress Maureen O'Hara, star of The Quiet Man. 

One hundred years after the actress's birth, Marie-Louise Muir traces Maureen O'Hara's journey from the Dublin suburbs to becoming a star of Hollywood's Golden Age. 

As a child, Marie-Louise Muir was enthralled by Maureen O'Hara, the fiery, flame haired star of The Quiet Man (1952), famed for her frequent collaborations with close friend John Wayne and temperamental director John Ford.

Now, 100 years after O'Hara's birth, Marie-Louise heads to Los Angeles to meet family and friends who knew her best. Actors Saoirse Ronan and Stephanie Powers share their memories of meeting and working with Maureen, and her biographer and friend Johnny Nicholetti explains why Maureen came to resent being typecast for her looks. 

In Boise, Idaho, O'Hara's grandson Conor Beau Fitzsimons shows Marie-Louise his vast collection of Maureen's movie memorabilia and shares personal stories about his grandmother - who fought against the men who tried to control her life, and spoke out publicly against the casting couch culture decades before the 'me too' movement. 

Star of Technicolor, swashbuckler classics like 'Sinbad The Sailor' (1942) 'The Black Swan' (1947) and of course 'The Quiet Man' (1952) - 100 years after her birth, Marie Louise asks - what is Maureen O'Hara's true legacy?

Presented by Marie Louise Muir and produced by Conor McKay. 

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