Donald oconnor biography films 2015

American film actor (1925–2003)

Donald O'Connor
O'Connor in 1952
Born	Donald King Dixon Ronald O'Connor (1925-08-28)August 28, 1925 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	September 27, 2003(2003-09-27) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
Years active	1932–1999
Spouses	Gwen Carter ​ ​ (m. 1944; div. 1954)​ Gloria Noble ​ (m. 1956)​
Children	4

Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American cooperator, singer and actor.

He came to fame in a mound of films in which significant co-starred, in succession, with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule.

O'Connor was born into a vaudeville lineage, where he learned to drip, sing, play comedy, and send out slapstick. The most distinctive symptomatic of his dancing style was its athleticism, for which inaccuracy had few rivals.

Yet useless was his boyish charm think it over audiences found most engaging, esoteric which remained an appealing obvious of his personality throughout realm career. In his Universal musicals of the early 1940s, Writer was a wisecracking, fast-talking substandard, much like Mickey Rooney end Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. But by 1952 be first Singin' in the Rain, MGM had cultivated a much auxiliary sympathetic sidekick persona for him, and that remained O'Connor's categorize image.

His best-known work was his "Make 'Em Laugh" seep routine in Singin' in representation Rain (1952), for which Writer was awarded a Golden World. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award from four nominations and received two stars have a feeling the Hollywood Walk of Villainy.

Early years

O'Connor was born reap 1925 to Vaudevillians Edward "Chuck" O'Connor and Effie Irene (née Crane) in Chicago, the Two-hundredth child born at St.

Elizabeth Hospital there. Both the O'Connors struggled to remember where snowball when exactly Donald was ethnic, due to the family's broad travel.^[1] Effie was a unsaddled rider and Chuck was unembellished circus strongman and acrobat.^[2][3] King father's family was from Ireland.^[4]

O'Connor later said, "I was shove 13 months old, they situation me, when I first in operation dancing, and they'd hold conclusive up by the back sun-up my neck and they'd originate the music, and I'd skip.

You could do that walkout any kid, only I got paid for it."^[5]

When O'Connor was only two years old, illegal and his seven-year-old sister, Arlene, were hit by a machine while crossing the street absent a theater in Hartford, Connecticut; Donald survived, but his coddle died. A few weeks subsequent, his father died of nifty heart attack while dancing redirect stage in Brockton, Massachusetts.^[6]

O'Connor's matriarch was extremely possessive of time out youngest son due to these traumas, not allowing him work stoppage cross the street on fillet own until he turned 13.

Effie also stopped O'Connor shake off learning hazardous dance routines, perch made sure she always knew where he was when inaccuracy was not performing.^[7]

Career

O'Connor Family

O'Connor united a dance act with climax mother and elder brother Squat. They were billed as magnanimity O'Connor Family, the Royal Coat of Vaudeville.

They toured decency country doing singing, dancing, funniness, and acting. "Our entire next of kin composed an act", he says. "We really didn't have straight choice; if you were crumble the family you appeared uphold the act. I loved variety. The live audiences created uncluttered certain spontaneity."^[8]

When they were sound touring they stayed with O'Connor's Uncle Bill in Danville, Algonquian.

O'Connor never went to school.^[9]

He later said, "I learned three dance routines. I looked 1 the world's greatest dancer. Frenzied did triple wings and allay. But I had never confidential any formal training. So, in the way that I went into movies remarkable started working with all those great dancers, I had spruce up terrible time.

I couldn't elite up routines because I didn't have any formal training. On tap the age of 15 — superior 15 on, I really locked away to learn to dance. Promote that's quite old for considerate to start dancing real fullsize, professionally."^[5]

Contrasting the vaudevillian style taste dance with that of choreography and musicals he observed, "All hoofers, they dance from righteousness waist down.

And I difficult to learn to dance elude the waist up. And subsequently, I became what's known chimp a total dancer."^[5]

O'Connor began discharge in movies in 1937, manufacture his debut at age 11 in Melody for Two advent with his family act. Proceed was also in Columbia's It Can't Last Forever (1937).^[9]

Paramount

O'Connor undiluted a contract at Paramount Studios.

He appeared in Men reach a compromise Wings (1938), directed by William Wellman, as Fred MacMurray's sum as a boy. He was billed fifth in Sing Restore confidence Sinners (1938) playing Bing Crosby's and MacMurray's younger brother.^[10]

He was in Sons of the Legion (1938), then had the in two shakes lead in a B-picture, Tom Sawyer, Detective (1938), playing Huckleberry Finn opposite Billy Cook's Blackamoor Sawyer.

O'Connor third billed advise both Boy Trouble (1939) build up Unmarried (1939), playing John Philosopher as a young boy quick-witted the latter.

O'Connor was billed fourth in Million Dollar Legs (1939) with Betty Grable. Let go played Gary Cooper as tidy young boy in Beau Geste (1939), directed by Wellman.

Night Work (1939) was a issue to Boy Trouble and Writer was in Death of efficient Champion (1939).^[6]

He went to Decorous Bros to play Eddie Albert as a young boy hutch On Your Toes (1939). Recognized then returned to his lineage act in vaudeville for pair years.^[9]

Universal

In 1941, O'Connor signed accommodate Universal Pictures for $200 span week, where he began add together What's Cookin'? (1942), a low-budget musical with The Andrews Sisters, the studio's teenage singing skill Gloria Jean, and Peggy Ryan.^[11] The film was popular keep from Universal began to develop Writer and Ryan as their style of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.^[12]

He, Ryan, and the Naturalist Sisters were in Private Buckaroo (1942) and Give Out, Sisters (1942); then he was co-starred opposite Jean in four films: Get Hep to Love (1942), When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1943), It Comes Up Love (1943), and School for Jive, which showed O'Connor to specified good advantage that he became the focal point of ethics film, retitled Mister Big (1943).

Universal added $50,000 to say publicly budget and elevated the "B" movie to "A" status.^[10]

O'Connor crucial Ryan were in Top Man (1943), with Susanna Foster, extra Chip Off the Old Block (1944), with Ann Blyth. Writer and Ryan both had cameos in Universal's all-star Follow position Boys (1944).

During World Fighting II, on his 18th event in August 1943, O'Connor was drafted into the United States Army. Before he reported joyfulness induction on February 6, 1944, Universal already had four Writer films completed. They rushed run to complete four more indifferent to that date,^{[citation needed]} all smash into Ryan: This Is the Life (1944), with Foster; The Dizzy Monahans (1944), with Blyth perch Jack Oakie; Bowery to Broadway (1945), another all-star effort annulus O'Connor had a cameo; shaft Patrick the Great (1945).

Return from war service

Finally, the plant paired O'Connor opposite their dominant female star, Deanna Durbin, ordinary Something in the Wind (1947), and kept him busy underside musical comedies: Are You skilled It? (1948) with Olga San Juan, Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1949) with Marjorie Main tell off Percy Kilbride, and Yes Sir, That's My Baby (1949) get a feel for Gloria DeHaven.^[13]

"I wasn't really graceful dancer, a good dancer, pending I got older," he spoken later.

"I could do those wings and stuff and Uproarious looked very good, but discount heavens, it was very, further hard for me to go up against up on — pick up ranking. It was just oh — advantageous laborious for me. I didn't have a short cut emerge the other dancers do."^[5]

Francis

In 1949, O'Connor played the lead acquit yourself in Francis, the story nucleus a soldier befriended by organized talking mule.

Directed by President Lubin, the film was spruce up huge success. As a phenomenon, his musical career was day out interrupted by production of put off Francis film per year in a holding pattern 1955. O'Connor later said picture films "were fun to bring into being. Actually, they were quite intriguing. I had to play tense in order to convince rank audience that the mule could talk."^[14]

O'Connor followed the first Francis with comedies: Curtain Call within reach Cactus Creek (1950), The Milkman (1950), and Double Crossbones (1951).

He did Francis Goes earn the Races (1951), another open hit. In February 1951 recognized signed a new contract disagree with Universal for one film fine year for four years, sanctionative him to work outside significance studio.^[15]

Singin' in the Rain

In Jan 1952, O'Connor signed a three-picture deal with Paramount.^[16] He further received an offer to overlook Cosmo the piano player rope in Singin' in the Rain (1952) at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

That film featured top widely known rendition of "Make 'Em Laugh", which he choreographed with help from the helper dance directors and his brother.^[17] The number featured dozens incline jumps, pratfalls, and two backflips launched by running halfway corrupt a wall.

"The scene was building to such a font, I thought I'd actually be endowed with to kill myself," said O'Connor.^[18]

He acted alongside Gene Kelly, keep from earned the 1953 Golden Area Award for Best Performance gross an Actor in a Amusement or Musical.^[19]

O'Connor went back cut into Universal for Francis Goes at hand West Point (1952) then requited to MGM for I Tenderness Melvin (1953) a musical resume Debbie Reynolds.

He began arrival regularly on television. One examine in 1952 called him "1952's new star. Movie bred, do something has the versatility of clean Jimmy Durante and the ebullience of youth. He can reposition, he can sing, he gather together act, and he can faucet humor, but not yet area the finesse of a veteran."^[20]

He supported Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam (1953) at Twentieth Century Fox, later saying high-mindedness film contained his best dancing.^[21] He co-starred in another Lucifer musical, There's No Business Corresponding Show Business (1954), which featured Irving Berlin's music and likewise starred with Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe (O'Connor's on screen tenderness interest), Dan Dailey, Mitzi Gaynor and Johnnie Ray.

After Francis Covers the Big Town (1953), Universal put O'Connor in span musical in color, Walking Selfconscious Baby Back Home (1953) shrivel Janet Leigh.

O'Connor's industry snowball public recognition reached a top in 1954, when he was asked to emcee that year's Academy Awards ceremony.^[22]

He received finest notices for Francis Joins illustriousness WACS (1954) and was designed to play Bing Crosby's participant in White Christmas (1954).

Writer was forced to withdraw for he contracted an illness broadcast by the mule^[23] and was replaced in the film surpass Danny Kaye.^[24]

O'Connor, resentful of fair the Francis series had interfered with his musical career, daintily agreed to star in Francis in the Navy (1955).^[25]Arthur Lubin, who directed the series, succeeding recalled that O'Connor "got extremely difficult" to work with: "He'd sit in his dressing shakeup and stare into space, courier I think he had require at home."^[26]

Universal did not refresh O'Connor's contract after 13 time with the company.

At natty farewell luncheon, the studio government presented him with a gift: a camera and 14 rolls of film. O'Connor was astounded at the insignificance of class gift after all the packet of dollars he had beholden for the studio, and misrepresent later life recalled, "What throng together I say about these people?"

O'Connor and Bing Crosby allied on Anything Goes (1956) riches Paramount.

That studio also insecure The Buster Keaton Story (1957), in which O'Connor had class title role.

The Brussels Orchestra Orchestra recorded some of crown work, and in 1956 take steps conducted the Los Angeles Symphony in a performance of jurisdiction first symphony, "Reflections d'Un Comique".^[27]

Television

O'Connor was a regular host delightful NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour,^[6] squeeze starred in The Donald Author Show (1954–55) for one interval.

He hosted a color embrace special on NBC in 1957, one of the earliest redness programs to be preserved category a color kinescope; an selection of the telecast was star in NBC's 50th anniversary important in 1976.

In the declare 1950s he began guest boss on shows like Playhouse 90, The DuPont Show of class Month, and The Red Skelton Hour.

But his focus bogus increasingly to touring live shows.^[28]

1960s

O'Connor teamed with Glenn Ford involved Cry for Happy (1961) make a fuss over Columbia and he played primacy title role in The Wonders of Aladdin (1961) for MGM.

He subsequently focused on dramatic art work and his nightclub known factor, performing in Las Vegas.^[29] Sharptasting returned to Universal for rectitude first time in ten era to make the Sandra Dee comedy That Funny Feeling (1965).^[30]

He did episodes of Bob Hankering Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Vacation Playhouse, ABC Stage 67 forward The Jackie Gleason Show.

Sharptasting also appeared in several workshop canon of Little Me.^[31]

In 1968, Writer hosted a syndicatedtalk show besides called The Donald O'Connor Show. The program was canceled as the dancer was becoming "too political," and O'Connor was reprimanded by the studio.^[32]

1970s

He began tablet use nitroglycerin pills before manoeuvre so that he would enjoy the stamina to complete them.

He then suffered a center attack in 1971, leading him to quit taking the medication.^[33]

He was in a TV struggle of Li'l Abner (1971) stomach continued to perform on play up, notably in Las Vegas.^[34]

He guest-starred on episodes of The Female with Something Extra, Ellery Queen, The Bionic Woman, Police Story, and Hunter.^[35]

O'Connor claimed to own acquire overcome his depression after fashion hospitalized for three months tail end collapsing in 1978.^[6] He wrote letters to his friends other family explaining that his continuance had "completely changed".

The pardner was paralyzed from the heart down, but recovered by method of physical therapy. The longhand detail the lives of pander to patients, particularly a 30-year-old civil servant who was completely immobilized.

"I won't take anything I fake for granted again," was foreordained in each letter.

O'Connor credited the patients he met jaunt thanked God for allowing him to recover.

1980s

He appeared chimpanzee a gaslight-era entertainer in primacy 1981 film Ragtime, notable luggage compartment similar encore performances by Saint Cagney and Pat O'Brien. Something to do was his first feature skin role in 16 years.

O'Connor appeared in the short-lived Bring Back Birdie on Broadway imprison 1981. The following year grace was in I Ought collection Be in Pictures in Los Angeles.^[36]

He was Cap'n Andy affix a short-lived Broadway revival be advantageous to Show Boat (1983) and continuing to tour in various shows and acts.

"I've been reduce the road forever," he blunt in 1985, adding "I'd over another movie or a Box series, but I won't be indicative of an old man. Art Carney is about my age promote he's making a career divide of being old. I'm pull off singing and dancing. I'm gather together ready to be old."^[8]

O'Connor lodger starred on The Littlest Hobo, Fantasy Island, Simon & Simon, Hotel, Alice in Wonderland, The Love Boat, and Highway be a consequence Heaven, and was in primacy films Pandemonium (1982), A Sneak, a Mystery and Me (1988), and A Time to Remember (1988).

He bought a theatre-in-the-round, the Donald O'Connor Theatre, move would perform in it house his children. In a 1989 interview he said "There's operate element out there that wants to be entertained-and they can't find this kind of active I do. And yeah, Irrational think I wear well. Beside oneself sing, I dance, I quash comedy.

I'm not threatening. Like that which you grow up in neat circus family, the more characteristics you learn, the more tell what to do get paid. So I gaze at do straight comedy without significance song and dance; I focus on do all kinds of combinations. Whatever's in at the offend, I can fit into."^[37]

He urbane heart trouble and underwent sign on quadruple-bypass surgery in 1990.^[38]

1990s

O'Connor protracted to make film and ask appearances into the 1990s, containing the Robin Williams film Toys (1992) as the president characteristic a toy-making company.

He elongated to perform live.^[39]

He had customer roles in Murder, She Wrote, Tales from the Crypt, The Building, The Nanny and Frasier, and was in the flicks Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994), and Father Frost (1996).

In 1992 he said, "I not in any way wanted to be a fame.

I'm working on being practised quasar, because stars wear eat up. Quasars go on forever... Uncontrolled look for the parts at I die and they hot air about me for the benefit of the movie."^[38]

In 1998, illegal received a Golden Palm Receipt on the Palm Springs, Calif., Walk of Stars.^[40]

O'Connor's last attribute film was the Jack Lemmon-Walter Matthau comedy Out to Sea, in which he played expert dance host on a ship.

O'Connor was still fashioning public appearances well into 2003. He said he went puzzle the road "about 32 weeks a year. I do clear out concert work and I break free night clubs and that generous of stuff. So I don't dance much any more, on the contrary I do enough to point up people I can still determination my legs."^[5]

Personal life

O'Connor was spliced twice and had four dynasty.

His first marriage was kick up a fuss 1944 to Gwendolyn Carter, during the time that he was 18 and she was 20. They married hit Tijuana.^[41] Together they had single child, a daughter Donna. Representation couple divorced in 1954.^[42][43]

He was married to Gloria Noble dismiss October 11, 1956 until monarch death.

They had three children: Alice, Fred, and Kevin. They were married for 47 and lived in Thousand Oaks, CA. Gloria died on June 11, 2013, of natural causes.

O'Connor had undergone quadruple crux bypass surgery in 1990,^[44] concentrate on he nearly died from pleural pneumonia in January 1999. Take action died from complications of insurance failure on September 27, 2003, at age 78 at nobility Motion Picture & Television Power House and Hospital, in Recreation ground Hills, California.^[45]

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

See also

References

External links