Customer Reviews

'Tis Herself: An Autobiography

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After reading "Tis Herself," I have more respect for Maureen O'Hara than ever before. I realize now why John Wayne held her in the very high regard that he did for over 39 years and how she came to be his very best friend during that period. John Wayne was part Irish and they both had a tremendous work ethic; likewise, during filming - it was strictly business while the cameras were rolling and they always knew their lines.

Throughout the book, I kept waiting; kept expecting to encounter signs of personal ego and pettiness in Maureen O'Hara that a few reviewers have described here. I found their criticisms to be so unjust. Frankly, I'm wondering if they read the book at all or had their own personal agendas! For Maureen O'Hara was anything but petty! The book is an honest and revealing account of many events that went on in Hollywood, but in many instances - she did not "name names." And think of how she could have destroyed some of these careers if she had spoken while they were still alive?! She was generosity in itself. At the height of Hollywood's Golden Age, she was a huge star - and she remained surprisingly down to earth.

I had always presumed that Maureen O'Hara had been this beautiful Irish lass that was discovered by a Hollywood agent, traveling in Ireland, and that she became an overnight star. Actually, she was discovered by Charles Laughton of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame fame;" she came from a theatrical family; and she took music, dance, and drama lessons six days a week from the time she decided that she wanted to be an actress at the age of six. She trained herself to be very disciplined from a very early age.

Likewise, I don't believe many readers can understand what it was like in the late 30's and 40's for a young, inexperienced Irish woman, who had been protected all her life. There weren't any televisions in Ireland at that time to expose her to the sophistications of Hollywood and how some men can often be deceitful before marriage. She spent her youth either taking drama, music or dancing lessons or else was with her family. She was raised in a catholic school (with probably lots of guilt encouraged by the nuns daily) and she was rushed into an unconsummated marriage by an older man when she was about 18.

Maureen O'Hara had the marriage annulled - only to discover that her next husband was an alcoholic. So is it any wonder that in an age where divorce was still somewhat frowned upon, she was expecting a child, and image was everything in Hollywood, that she held off on the second divorce? Plus, I imagine that with the very long hours and back to back movies and promotions that she was required to do, that she didn't have to endure her husband's company that often.

I am glad that she found happiness with Charles Blair. Ironically, we purchased an albatross from her after his death. I never met her, but I probably would have just ended up talking about John Wayne anyhow! LOL We restored the plane and I know that her husband would have loved to see how the plane was outfitted with jet skis. In the book, she mentions that her husband was killed due to certain knowledge that he had from working with the CIA. Given what I personally know about the organization during that period, I wouldn't be surprised one bit.

She endured such maliciousness from John Ford that I was appalled. In our present times, his behavior would have landed him in a lawsuit! And yet, she forgave John Ford in the end as well. He was a creative genius and yet - so often I feel that it isn't good for anyone to have that much power as they begin to push people more and more in an attempt to have boundaries set. And it made me wish that Duke had knocked Mr. Ford on his can just once when he berated Maureen! I'm sure that he would have liked to!

I think if Maureen O'Hara had one fault - it was that she was too trusting. She allowed her financial manager to continue handling her money - even after he handled it so badly when she was married to her second husband. (However John Wayne fell victim to allowing his funds to be mismanaged as well, so I suspect that many actors were prey to this at that time.)

And did you know that it was Maureen O'Hara who first pitched the idea of Mary Poppins to Walt Disney? Again, I would have had everything in writing! (Disney probably made the movie just to get back at her!) Walt Disney was a genius in many ways, but he was noted for disregarding contracts and paying his employees very poorly. If her contract stipulated that she receive top billing in "The Parent Trap," it was only right that Disney do so. Good grief, it had nothing to do with her relationship with Hayley Mills - she liked her, but it had everything to do with business. Do you think that Julia Roberts wouldn't expect the same thing today?

I honestly could not put the book down and read it in about 4 hours. I literally wept when I read about her final days with John Wayne. I remember watching her on television when she petitioned Congress to award him the "John Wayne - American" Congressional Medal of Honor. What wonderful words! She knew that those three words would mean more to the Duke - than any flowery speech. In fact, I would bet that those three words inscribed on it meant as much to him as the medal itself. I was so in love with John Wayne - a little girl as a 6th grader with a huge crush on a man 50 years older, but throughout my life he has remained the image of what a true man represents.

I came away from "Tis Herself" knowing exactly why the Duke considered Maureen O'Hara his best friend. She was beautiful and feisty and down-to-earth....and still a lady. Is it any wonder that Charles Blair, John Wayne, Charles Laughton and so many others have worshipped the ground she walks on?

'Tis Herself is just that...Maureen O'Hara wrote what she wanted her readers to know...I liked reading the book and I found it amazing in parts...yes, she had a difficult life and we must remember the time she is writing about ....men were very much in control of almost everything...we should not put our values on what she did or did not do...we do not like people doing that to us. I always liked her roles and her chemistry with her leading men...especially John Wayne. I was a bit surprised that she wrote so much about her "problems" with John Ford. The photos she included were great and the sections on John Wayne were the best...her last meeting with him a few months before his death had me in tears. Her chemistry with "the Duke" was perfect I could watch their films together daily. Her book is worth reading. It will be re-read by me many times...I placed in my bookcase with my John Wayne books.

I've had to good fortune to meet with Maureen O'Hara on several occasions and knew a great deal about her before this book was published. That being said, the book sheds a whole new light on her, what she has gone through and what she has accomplished. It is fascinating, revealing and provides a whole new perspective, sometimes shocking, on O'Hara, the film industry, and many of the icons of the movie world, as well as the political rat race of that "glamorous" industry.
Maureen O'Hara is one of the most talented, beautiful, and genuinely nicest, friendly people whom I've ever met. I'm delighted that she finally decided to write this book and set the record straight about a number of actors, actresses, events and her marriages.
I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it.

It was interesting to read about the humble beginnings and rise to fame of Maureen O'Hara, but I was surprised at how someone who considers herself to be strong and independent could be so naive when it came to real life. Perhaps she made good choices with her career, but her personal life was one dumb decision after another. While I felt sorry for the predicaments she got into, I also thought she did a huge disservice to herself and her daughter by becoming a bystander in her life. If the old hollywood interests you this will be a great book, but be ready to want to shake O'Hara a few times.

The content of the book is not unusual. The same things happened to many female movie stars. They married husbands who were drunks, who physically beat them, psychologically tortured them, stole all their money, whored around, and refused to work. Movie queens were preyed upon by a certain type of man. You can read the same stories over and over again in the lives of Lana Turner (whose abusive lover was stabbed to death by her teenage daughter in her bedroom), Judy Garland whose husband used to slap her across the face in restaurants, Hedy Lamarr whose husband wanted to tie her up and burn her with cigarettes, Lucille Ball whose husband was an alcoholic addicted to sex with other women, Bette Davis who was beaten "many many times" by 4 husbands. Many of these actresses stayed for considerable amounts of time with these abusive husbands, putting up with it, and hoping for change, just as millions of women do who are not actresses.

What happened to Maureen is nothing compared to what Doris Day reveals in her autobiography.

From the way Maureen has written this book I take it that she used this autobiography to release all the resentment and anger at people who she feels betreayed her or abused her over her lifetime. Near the begining of the book, she writes "Allow me just a smidgeon of lattitude here. I've waited seventy years for this!" And then POW! A lifetime of rage comes pouring out. It's powerful stuff, and not easy to read.

Repeatedly Maureen writes that what she was doing, and what was being done to her, was confusing. Her life was full of contradictions, some of which she has no answer or explaination for. The book is certainly thought provoking.

Born into a fairly affluent family of six children in Dublin, Ireland, Maureen FitzSimmons's stage-acting career was launched at an early age. Her film last name, O'Hara was given to her by Charles Laughton because her nee would not fit the movie billboard. Ms. O'Hara gained fame in a Alfred Hitchcock directed film, "Jamaica Inn", co-starring the great Charles Laughton. It is the aforesaid movie that Ms. O'Hara is accorded with: "...entered the premiere as an actress and left as a 'star'," and dubbed as "the girl with the black-cherry eyes."

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was also a triumph for Ms. O'Hara, again co-starring Charles Laughton (remembered for his role in "Mutiny On The Bounty", extraordinaire classic). The reader cannot help but chuckle about an 'event' that occurred on the set of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" -- heavily-accented director Dieterle had asked for 200 priests/monks to be available for the set; what he got was 200 monkeys!

Among many film credits are Ms. O'Hara's performances in "How Green Was My Valley"; "Miracle on 34th Street" with child actress Natalie Wood; "The Quiet Man", filmed in Ireland, co-starring John Wayne (the 'Duke'). O'Hara candidly speaks of her long-time friendship with John Wayne, and her tormenting, tragic loss of her husband, record-breaking, famed-pilot, Charlie Blair.

Just as there was no safety from the power of studio politicos 'trading' the star to another studio -- to her credit, and perhaps to the surprise of some readers, Ms. O'Hara performed her OWN STUNTS without the aid of harnesses and other safety devices. The latter performance strength of Ms. O'Hara shines in the swashbuckling, fencing movie scenes where she skillfully showed her fencing training and knowledge (again including her own stunt-work). Also of note is Ms. O'Hara's stamina to stand up to the politics in the industry, including her successful lawsuit against a tabloid, putting them out of business.

What baffles this reader is learning of Ms. O'Hara's 'weakness' in some not-thought-through life decisions and relationships, specifically the continuation of her marriage to Will Price, a rough, alcoholic, abusive, philandering spouse. And, by her own admission, making the quick choice to wed (more than once) to men she was not in love with. More baffling is why she stayed in the situation(s) for so long, considering husband Price was spending her earned money by living lavishly, purchasing mansions without her knowledge until the 'deed was done', via simply using her name.

From Ms. O'Hara's book, 'TIS HERSELF, the reader picks up hints of bias here and there; her "chip-on-the-shoulder" brazenness, bragging, pomposity and naivete, albeit at times with added wittiness. Readers might forgive and indulge Ms. O'Hara's aforesaid eccentricities, allowing that the book includes earlier film years and the effect World War II had on all film studios and staff. Ms. O'Hara's memoirs are rich with stage and film including recorded singing and dancing talents on TV specials (such as the Dinah Shore Show and Perry Como Show); along with movie studio and film history, and many personages who are part of film history -- be it singers and dancers, actors, producers, writers and directors. And, worthy are the descriptive words used to carry the reader through incidents, actions and events, which transpired during filming, and history of stage, film and TV.

Overall 'TIS HERSELF is a good read of historical information, but the reader can't feel bad for some of Ms. O'Hara's predicaments she got herself into, and being ever - so - slow in getting out of them. Why? The reader may wonder...?!

Other Recommended Reading: GIRL SINGER by Rosemary Clooney

As a reader of tons of bios- let me insert this bit of observation...The truth is kaleidescopic- the past can be looked at in a myriad of ways at different times and a whole different picture appears everytime.Ms. O'Hara should be thanked for leaving in the tawdry ,ugly and dysfunctional stories that she experienced.Considering her prim and parochial
outlook- I am surprised that she spilled the beans on what she recalls as truth. I for one am glad that she waited until she was in her later years to write this book- I am thinking of other movie icons that write earlier in life and gloss over "secrets" and then later recant and rewrite.Considering the uber-Irishness that she defends and revels in, the whole story makes perfect sense- her life choices reflect the energetics of her family(country and religion)of origin.Her life was marked blatantly by the spectre of alcoholism in her choice of lifemates and companions-the hallmarks of the disease are clearly seen in the erratic inconsistent behavoir that she turns a blind eye to every time.Oh well- there was alot of larger than life-ism and plenty of drama- but not too much soul searching. Who cares?

The Queen of Technicolor doesn't come off nearly as pretty in black & white print--and in her own words, no less.

Fiery, fiesty and strong-willed? Definitely? Difficult, self-sabotaging and possibly paranoid? Well, judge for yourself. According to O'Hara, Walt Disney cursed her on his deathbed, John Ford somehow squelched her Oscar nomination (even though the votes were already in--and she was to be nominated for a Ford picture!), a cinematographer deliberately photographed her badly because he didn't like the sports team she was rooting for(!!)--and on and on.

A bad marriage, a Broadway flop, a failed movie comeback--everything's always someone else's fault. Such a delightful presence onscreen, it's too bad her messy personal life was mostly one battle after another.

I found Maureen O'Hara's autobiography to be quite insightful and informative about her life as the Hollywood movie star and how it affected her life. From reading this book, you come to understand O'Hara's strong and powerful personality. Her informative accounts of many of her famous movies proves to be a joy to read and many of her accounts of her fellow actors like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart or Tyrone Power proves to be interesting. You also get a better understanding of how Hollywood worked back then from a woman's point of view. Her struggles against that Confidential magazine and Walt Disney proves to be interesting.

The main focus of her Hollywood life seem to be evolved around her portrayal of famous director and fellow Irish, John Ford. Although her writing seem to sugar coated their relationship, there seem to be a real love/hate relationship between them and no matter how much Maureen O'Hara tried to be nice about, John Ford that come out of her pages appears to be a near psychopathical monster who just happened to be a superb film director. Was John Ford a homosexual and was he in love with Maureen O'Hara?? Such interesting twist of fate.

Maureen O'Hara appears to be an pretty smart woman who probably made bad personal choices regarding her love life. In this case, she seem to ruled with her heart and not with her brain, an act that caused her much heartache in her second marriage. For a tough Irish lass, she proves to be very wanting when it came to personal choices. She came out ahead with her third marriage which tragically ended too short for her. But she seem to write them down in her book with some honesty and with a sense that even she was bit astonished how stupid or lucky she was back then.

Overall, I enjoyed her book. Its well written, I liked the approach she takes in her book, as if she seem to be talking to reader directly with certain amount of candor and hindsight. Her tribute to John Wayne only increased my admiration for her. One of the previous reviewers stated that the book was full of contradictions. He is right, life is full of contradictions.

Maureen O'Hara is right up there with Kate Hepburn in my esteem. These two ladies took on a Hollywood totally owned and operated by men in a time that the studies controlled almost every aspect of an actor's life (if one wanted to work on a regular basis). They opened up alot of doors for today's actresses. I found this book to be honest, interesting, clever, funny, tearful and very true to Herself. I can't help but wonder about the stories that Ms. O'Hara chose not to tell - I bet they are barn-burners.
A fine book indeed!