NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Donald O'Connor

Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. Perhaps his most famous performance was as Gene Kelly's sidekick in the musical Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 606. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Calabasas in California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1991-04-05[2] Government - Mayor James Bozajian[1] Area - City 13. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... â€œMoving pictureâ€ redirects here. ... Gloria Jean Schoonover (born April 14, 1926 in Buffalo, New York) is an American singer and actress who used the professional name Gloria Jean. Her family moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she sang on radio with Paul Whitemans band. ... Peggy Ryan (born Margaret ORene Ryan on 28 August 1924 in Long Beach, California - 30 October 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American dancer who starred in a series of movie musicals at Universal Studios tapping with Donald OConnor. ... Francis the Talking Mule was a mule celebrity, featured in seven movie comedies in the 1950s. ... Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 â€“ February 2, 1996), better known as Gene Kelly, was an American dancer, actor, singer, director, producer, and choreographer. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... Singin in the Rain is a 1952 comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald OConnor, and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also handling the choreography. ...

Early life

O’Connor was born in Chicago, Illinois, into an Irish immigrant family of vaudeville entertainers. Tragedy struck his family when, as a toddler, he and his sister were involved in a road accident, which resulted in her death. His father died of a heart attack only a few weeks later. Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 606. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Career

O'Connor broke into films in 1937, usually playing impetuous kids. He scored a huge personal success opposite Bing Crosby in Sing, You Sinners, and even at age 12 displayed excellent comedy timing. Paramount Pictures kept him busy in both A and B pictures, including Tom Sawyer, Detective and Beau Geste, until 1940, when the now-adolescent O'Connor had outgrown kid roles. He returned to vaudeville for more than a year. Harry Lillis Bing Crosby (May 3, 1903 â€“ October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death in 1977. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Tom Sawyer, Detective is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain. ... Beau Geste is one of the most re-made stories of all time, with three movie versions released in 1926, 1939, and 1966, as well as a television mini-series in 1982 and a 1977 parody, the aptly named The Last Remake of Beau Geste starring Marty Feldman and Michael...

In 1942 O'Connor joined Universal Pictures' troupe of talented teenagers. He received gradually larger roles in four of the studio's Gloria Jean musicals, and achieved stardom at 17 with Mister Big (1943), co-starring Gloria Jean and comic dancer Peggy Ryan. O'Connor and Ryan's energetic routines invited comparisons with M-G-M's pairing of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... Gloria Jean Schoonover (born April 14, 1926 in Buffalo, New York) is an American singer and actress who used the professional name Gloria Jean. Her family moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she sang on radio with Paul Whitemans band. ... Peggy Ryan (born Margaret ORene Ryan on 28 August 1924 in Long Beach, California - 30 October 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American dancer who starred in a series of movie musicals at Universal Studios tapping with Donald OConnor. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Actor Mickey Rooney speaks at the Pentagon in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the USO. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. ... Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 â€“ June 22, 1969) was an Oscar-nominated American film actress and singer, best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). ...

O'Connor was drafted into the armed forces in 1944. Before he reported for duty, Universal rushed him through the production of three feature films, produced simultaneously and released while the actor was overseas. Upon his return, Universal (now reorganized as Universal-International) cast him in lightweight musicals and comedies. In 1949, he was given the leading role in Francis, the whimsical story of a sad-sack soldier befriended by a talking mule. The film was a huge success, and a mixed blessing for O'Connor: the momentum of his musical career was constantly interrupted because the studio insisted on his making one "Francis" picture a year until 1955. It was because of Francis that O'Connor missed out on a plum role: Bing Crosby's sidekick in White Christmas. O'Connor was forced to bow out when he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule. He was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye. Francis is a 1950 black-and-white comedy film that launched the Francis the Talking Mule series. ... White Christmas is a 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye that featured the songs of Irving Berlin, including the titular White Christmas. ... Kaye entertaining U.S. troops at Sasebo, Japan, 25 Oct 1945 David Daniel Kaminsky, known as Danny Kaye (January 18, 1913 â€“ March 3, 1987) was an American actor, singer and comedian. ...

Donald O'Connor was a TV favorite in the 1950s, and was one of the regular hosts of NBC's popular Colgate Comedy Hour. He hosted a color television special on NBC in 1957, which was among the first color programs to be videotaped; an excerpt of the telecast was included in NBC's 50th anniversary special in 1976. He also had a short-lived television series during the late 1960s. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The Colgate Comedy Hour was an American musical variety television show that ran on the NBC network from November 1950 to December 1955. ...

After overcoming a drinking problem in the 1970s, he appeared as a gaslight-era entertainer in the 1981 film Ragtime, notable for similar encore performances by James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. O'Connor also appeared in the short-lived Bring Back Birdie on Broadway in 1981, and continued to make film and television appearances into the 1990s. Donald O'Connor's last feature film was the Jack Lemmon-Walter Matthau comedy Out to Sea, in which he played a dance host on a cruise ship. Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... James Francis Cagney, Jr. ... Pat OBrien is the name of: Pat OBrien (actor) (1899â€“1983), who appeared in Some Like It Hot and other films Pat OBrien (New Orleans bartender), who is credited with the invention of the Hurricane (cocktail), which he invented in 1940 Pat OBrien (Irish politician) (c. ... Bring Back Birdie is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. ... John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 â€“ June 27, 2001), better known as Jack Lemmon, was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor and comedian. ... Walter Matthau (October 1, 1920 â€“ July 1, 2000) was an Academy Award-winning American comedy actor best-known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with fellow Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon. ... Out to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon & Brent Spiner. ...

O’Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003. One of the last known on-camera interviews with Donald O’Connor was arranged by friend David Ruprecht and conducted by Steven F. Zambo. A small portion of this interview can be seen in the 2005 PBS special Pioneers of Primetime. David Martin Ruprecht (born October 14, 1948 in Saint Louis, Missouri) is an American actor/writer best known for his work as host of the Lifetime/PAX game show, Supermarket Sweep. ...

Death

O'Connor died from congestive heart failure on September 27, 2003 at the age of 78. Among his last words, he is reported to have expressed tongue-in-cheek thanks for the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement that he expected to win at some future date. He was cremated at the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Congestive heart failure (CHF), also called congestive cardiac failure (CCF) or just heart failure, is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, California, on the south edge of the San Fernando Valley by Burbank (and on the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains from Hollywood). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ...

Filmography

Tom Sawyer, Detective is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain. ... Beau Geste is a 1939 film made by Paramount Pictures based on the novel by P. C. Wren. ... On Your Toes has two possible meanings. ... Follow the Boys, also known as Three Cheers for the Boys, is a 1944 musical film made by Universal Pictures as an all-star cast morale booster to entertain the troops abroad and the civilians at home. ... Francis is a 1950 black-and-white comedy film that launched the Francis the Talking Mule series. ... Singin in the Rain is a 1952 comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald OConnor, and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also handling the choreography. ... Call Me Madam is one of Irving Berlins last musical comedies. ... Theres No Business Like Show Business is a 20th Century Fox film that was released on December 16, 1954. ... Francis in the Navy is a 1955 comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin and Starring Clint Eastwood. ... This article is about the 1936 and 1956 films. ... This article is about the 1974 MGM documentary film. ... Ragtime is a 1981 motion picture based on the historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow. ... Pandemonium is a 1982 comedy film with an ensemble cast including Eileen Brennan, Phil Hartman, Tab Hunter, Carol Kane, David Lander, Judge Reinhold, Paul Reubens, and Tom Smothers. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Out to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon & Brent Spiner. ...

TV work

One of the most famous examples of early U.S. television broadcasting was Texaco Star Theater, the variety show that made Milton Berle a household name. ... Petticoat Junction was an American situation comedy that was produced by Filmways, Inc. ... The Colgate Comedy Hour was an American musical variety television show that ran on the NBC network from November 1950 to December 1955. ... The Bell Telephone Hour was a musical show which aired on NBC from 1959 to 1968. ... The Bionic Woman was a television series which spun off from The Six Million Dollar Man. ... For the television show, see The Love Boat The Overseas Chinese Youth Language Training and Study Tour to the Republic of China is a three month summer program for about 500 college-age overseas Chinese, which is much more commonly known among its participants as the Love Boat. ... The Nanny was a 1965 British suspense film starring Bette Davis as a psychotic governess suspected of killing one of her charges. ...

External links

Categories: American film actors | American tap dancers | Traditional pop music singers | American actor-singers | Vaudeville performers | Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) | Hollywood Walk of Fame | People from Chicago | Irish-Americans | Deaths by myocardial infarction | Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) | 1925 births | 2003 deaths The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Bob Hope, KBE (May 29, 1903 â€“ July 27, 2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, was an English-Born American entertainer who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, in movies, and in performing tours for U.S. Military personnel, well known for his good natured humor and career longevity. ... Conrad Nagel Conrad Nagel, born March 16, 1897 in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, was a noted screen actor and matinee idol of the silent era and beyond. ... The 25th Academy Awards, the first televised one, honoring the best movies of 1952, was held on March 19, 1953, from the RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, Calif and the NBC International Theatre, New York, N.Y. Best Motion Picture The Greatest Show on Earth Best Actor Gary Cooper, High Noon... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Date: 25 March Host: Donald OConnor; Fredric March (New York City) Location: RKO Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA NBC Century Theatre, New York, USA Notes: The second national telecast draws an estimated 43,000,000 viewers. ... Fredric March (August 31, 1897 â€“ April 14, 1975) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Bob Hope, KBE (May 29, 1903 â€“ July 27, 2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, was an English-Born American entertainer who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, in movies, and in performing tours for U.S. Military personnel, well known for his good natured humor and career longevity. ... á¹œ Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 â€“ February 5, 1969) was a six time Academy Award-nominated American character actress of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. ... Date: 30 March Host: Bob Hope; Thelma Ritter (New York City) Location: RKO Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA NBC Century Theatre, New York, USA The Best Picture winner (of producer Sam Spiegel), director Elia Kazans semi-documentary, expose, and thriller, On The Waterfront (with twelve nominations and eight...

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