Maureen O'Hara O'Hara beat Lauren Bacall to the role as she was busy with other engagements. Though the film was critically acclaimed, Crowther of "The New York Times" felt that the characters of O'Hara and the daughter could have been made "more humorous and spirited than they are". The following year, O'Hara appeared in the CBS television film, "Mrs. Miniver", but despite some critics approving her performance, most thought that the remake was ill-timed and that she could not top Greer Garson's performance in the 1942 Oscar-winning film. In 1961, O'Hara portrayed Kit Tilden in the western "The Deadly Companions", Sam Peckinpah's
Arthur Wimperis during the Battle of the Atlantic, his ship was torpedoed, and he was one of just eight survivors of the 32 people who had been in the same lifeboat. He won an Academy Award for Best Writing for his contribution to the screenplay of "Mrs. Miniver" (1942), in which he also had a small acting part. He was also nominated for another Oscar for his contribution to the screenplay of "Random Harvest" (1942). His later films included "If Winter Comes" (1947), "Julia Misbehaves" (1948), "The Red Danube" (1949), "That Forsyte Woman" (1949), "Calling Bulldog Drummond" (1951), "Young Bess" (1953) and