Born into a vaudeville family, O'Connor was the youthful figure cutting a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. So the next day I did it again! O'Connor credited the patients he met and thanked God for allowing him to recover. I'm not threatening. O'Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003. See more ideas about donald o'connor, donald, actors. It was his first feature film role in 16 years. So I don't dance much any more, but I do enough to show people I can still move my legs. "Our entire family composed an act", he says. He then returned to his family act in vaudeville for two years. "[23], Francis in the Navy was Donald O'Connor's last film for Universal after 13 years with the company. Bergan, Ronald. Some of it includes work for the United States Army and Red Cross. They toured the country doing singing, dancing, comedy, and acting. O'Connor and Ryan were in Top Man (1943), with Susanna Foster, and Chip Off the Old Block (1944), with Ann Blyth. Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1973: g21. O'Connor later said regarding Effie, "She wanted me to be as great as I possibly could be. Received the 1953 Sylvania Award for his work on television. He began appearing in movies at age 12, debuting in Sing, You Sinners. I hope so. He was the fourth surviving child of Effie and Edward O'Connor, two stars of vaudeville who had first won fame as Ringling Bros. circus performers. New York Times 8 Feb 1944: 12. I did triple wings and everything. The movie actor Donald O’Connor died at the age of 78. Los Angeles Times 17 Aug 1965: C10. His best-known works came in the film Singin' in the Rain (1952), for which O'Connor was awarded a Golden Globe. Donald O'Connor, jaunty, versatile dancer, singer and actor whose acrobatic solo in movie Singin' in the Rain is considered one of Hollywood's finest dance moments, dies at age 78; photo (M) He said, 'Well, we're going to have to do it again tomorrow.' Age: 95 YEARS OLD: Birth Sign: Virgo: Birth Name: Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor: Nick Names: Height: 5' 7" (1.7 m) He was their headliner, dancing and singing his way through eight performances a week. An effervescent Debbie Reynolds. He can dance, he can sing, he can act, and he can spout humor, but not yet with the finesse of a veteran. And then, I became what's known as a total dancer."[4]. Zylstra, Freida. Chicago Born Donald O'Connor Is a Veteran of Stage and Films at 25 We filmed that whole sequence in one day. Actor Donald O'Connor was born on August 28, 1925, in Chicago, Illinois. Universal did not know what to do with their teen star turned young adult for one year. Chicago Tribune 20 Dec 1985: n_a50. Donald O'Connor (1925–2003) Donald O'Connor. The Washington Post 14 Mar 1993: AA16. My body just had to absorb this tremendous shock. Born into a family of circus and vaudeville performers, O’Connor made his first stage appearance at the age of 13 months. "We really didn't have a choice; if you were in the family you appeared in the act. "[35], In 1998, he received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars. He went back to Universal for Francis Goes to West Point (1952) then returned to MGM for I Love Melvin (1953) a musical with Debbie Reynolds. And that's quite old for someone to start dancing real heavy, professionally. The film featured his widely known rendition of "Make 'Em Laugh," which he choreographed with help from the assistant dance directors and his brother. American Actor Donald O'Connor was born Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor on 28th August, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois, USA and passed away on 27th Sep 2003 Woodland Hills, California, USA aged 78. At a farewell luncheon, the studio executives presented him with a gift: a camera and 14 rolls of film. She was a typical stage mother, often striking him. / Died: 27 September 2003: How many years did Donald O'Connor live? O'Connor had undergone quadruple heart bypass surgery in 1990,[41] and he nearly died from pleuralpneumonia in January 1999. I said, 'Sure, any time.' Donald O'Connor Returns to Universal In the late 50s he began guest starring on shows like Playhouse 90, The DuPont Show of the Month, and The Red Skelton Hour. For Singin' in the Rain, however, MGM cultivated a much more sympathetic sidekick persona, and that remained O'Connor's signature image. [7], In 1941, O'Connor signed with Universal Pictures for $200 a week, where he began with What's Cookin'? Chicago Daily Tribune 27 July 1950: c1. IN STEP WITH: Donald O'Connor The live audiences created a certain spontaneity." He continued to perform live.[36]. He subsequently focused on theatre work and his nightclub act, performing in Las Vegas. Donald O'Connor was born on August 28, 1925 in Chicago, IL. A merger in 1946 had reorganized the studio as Universal-International. He appeared in Men with Wings (1938), directed by William Wellman, as Fred MacMurray's character as a boy. 62, Iss. He died from complications of heart failure on September 27, 2003, at age 78 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, in Woodland Hills, California. Severo, Richard. A dancing Gene Kelly. (1948) with Olga San Juan, Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1949) with Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride, and Yes Sir, That's My Baby (1949) with Gloria De Haven. In a 1989 interview he said "There's an element out there that wants to be entertained-and they can't find this kind of thing I do. They had 3 children, son Donald Frederick, daughter Alicia, and son Kevin. 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. With a backlog of seven features, deferred openings kept O'Connor's screen presence uninterrupted during the two years he was overseas with Special Services in the U.S. Army Air Forces. I'm working on being a quasar, because stars wear out. While he was hesitant to select a favorite film, he was quick to single out his favorite performance: ", In the space of two years, he appeared in two different, unrelated adaptations of. O'Connor was unavailable because he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule [19] and was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye. Donald O’Connor Net Worth Donald O’Connor Net Worth 2021, Age, Height, Relationships, Married, Dating, Family, Wiki Biography And I had to learn to dance from the waist up. O'Connor was a regular host of NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour. Chicago Daily Tribune 19 Feb 1954: a8. Los Angeles Times 3 July 1976: b4. [35], O'Connor continued to make film and television appearances into the 1990s, including the Robin Williams film Toys (1992) as the president of a toy-making company. New York Times 29 Sep 2003: B.6. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007. See how old Donald O'Connor is and compare to other celebs like Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. His three other siblings died during childbirth. [20], He starred in The Donald O'Connor Show (1954–55) for one season. They married in Tijuana. As per our current Database, Donald O'Connor has been died on Sep 27, 2003 (age 78). In a brief statement, the family said that among O'Connor's last words was the following quip: "I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get.". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 403-405. ARKATOV, JANICE. Donald O'Connor Named to Emcee Oscar Awards Things were building to such a crescendo that I thought I'd have to commit suicide for the ending. O’Connor married his second wife, actress Gloria Noble, in 1956, remaining together until his death in 2003. [29], He began to use nitroglycerin pills before performances so that he would have the stamina to complete them. "He'd sit in his dressing room and stare into space, and I think he had problems at home. I loved vaudeville. [27], He did episodes of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Vacation Playhouse, ABC Stage 67 and The Jackie Gleason Show. [6]. He was meant to play Bing Crosby's partner in White Christmas (1954). He had guest roles in Murder, She Wrote, Tales from the Crypt, The Building, The Nanny and Frasier, and was in the films Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994), and Father Frost (1996). Art Carney is about my age and he's making a career out of being old. Unfortunately for the O’Connor family, world events often coincided with terrible personal losses, requiring Donald to assume adult responsibilities at a very young age. Carter remarried in 1955 to actor Dan Dailey. | O'Connor quit the Francis series in 1955, saying, "When you've made six pictures and the mule still gets more fan mail than you do...". He starred in Are You with It? Publicity Listings I've heard laughter and applause and known a lot of sorrow. But his focus moved increasingly to touring live shows.[25]. [10], He, Ryan, and the Andrews Sisters were in Private Buckaroo (1942) and Give Out, Sisters (1942); then he was co-starred opposite Universal's teenage singing star Gloria 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 such good advantage that he became the focal point of the film, retitled Mister Big (1943). [4], When O'Connor was only two years old, he and his sister Arlene, who was seven at the time, were in a car crash outside a theater in Hartford, Connecticut; O'Connor survived, but his sister did not. [11], "I wasn't really a dancer, a good dancer, until I got older," he said later. O'Connor had undergone quadruple heart bypass surgery in 1990, and he nearly died from double pneumonia in January 1998. Before he reported for induction on February 6, 1944, Universal already had four O'Connor films completed. A dream ballet about movie stardom. O'Connor's mother was extremely possessive of her youngest son, not allowing him to cross the street on his own until he turned 13. [13], O'Connor received an offer to play Cosmo the piano player in Singin' in the Rain (1952) at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His best-known musical work is probably Singin' in the Rain (1952), in which he did an impressive dance that … They toured the country doing singing, dancing, comedy, and acting. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award from four nominations and received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame throughout his career. During World War II, on his 18th birthday in August 1943, O'Connor was drafted into the United States Army. 44, Iss. PARAMOUNT SIGNS DONALD O'CONNOR: Actor Will Make 3 Pictures for Studio -- Betty Hutton's Film May Be One of Them By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to. Chicago Daily Tribune 20 Apr 1952: e2. She did her best. He did Francis Goes to the Races (1951), another big hit. DONALD O'CONNOR They had to bank one wall so I could make it up and then through another wall. Universal added $50,000 to the budget and elevated the "B" movie to "A" status.[8]. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. His mother kept the family going with extended family members despite many deaths (including her husband) until 1941. Donald O'Connor in Drama Role With Vince Edwards He then suffered a heart attack in 1971, leading him to quit taking the medication. That studio also released The Buster Keaton Story (1957), in which O'Connor had the title role. (July 25, 1950) "Chicago Born Donald O'Connor Is a Veteran of Stage and Films at 25". Gene (Kelly) applauded, told me what a great number it was. I'm still singing and dancing. Ray Hamel, Other Works b. Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor, 30 August 1925, Chicago, Illinois, USA, d. 27 September 2003, Calabasas, California, USA. Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American film, stage and television actor. He was also in Columbia's It Can't Last Forever (1937). [22] Arthur Lubin, who directed the series, later recalled that O'Connor "got very difficult" to work with after a while. Hopper, Hedda. Then Gene said, 'Do you think you could do that number again?' A few weeks later, his father died of a heart attack while dancing on stage in Brockton, Massachusetts. A goofy Donald O’Connor. Born into a vaudeville family, O'Connor was the youthful figure cutting a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. He was a talented left-handed batsman, who played interstate cricket from 1981 until 1990. "We really didn't have a choice; if you were in the family you appeared in the act. He is mainly famous for his acting in many musical films like Singing in the Rain(1952), Call Me Madam (1953), I Love Melvin (1953) etc. His remains were cremated and buried at the Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.O'Connor was survived by his wife, Gloria, and four children. Fun-loving movie star and dancer who gained fame for his role as Gene Kelly's friend Cosmo Brown in the classic 1952 film Singin' in the Rain. Here is all you want to know, and more! Donald was honored with a retrospective at New York's Lincoln Center and an honorary degree from Boston University. The couple divorced in 1954. (May 25, 1997). "[6], When they did not tour they stayed with O'Connor's Uncle Bill in Danville, Illinois. He was Cap'n Andy in a short-lived Broadway revival of Show Boat (1983) and continued to tour in various shows and acts. Movie Actor Donald O'Connor passed away at age 78, respectable. He was billed fifth in Sing You Sinners (1938) playing Bing Crosby's and MacMurray's younger brother.[8]. One of the most likeable and nimble of all Hollywood’s song-and-dance-men, who retained his youthful looks and casual charm throughout a career spanning well over 50 years. [In 1955] I was born and raised to entertain other people. Donald O'Connor was born in Chicago, IL on August 28, 1925.Fun-loving movie star and dancer who gained fame for his role as Gene Kelly‘s friend Cosmo Brown in the classic 1952 film Singin’ in the Rain.He starred with Sandra Dee in the 1965 romantic comedy That Funny Feeling. Though he considered Danville, Illinois to be his hometown, O’Connor was born in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Chicago. [9] The film was popular and Universal began to develop O'Connor and Ryan as their version of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. O'Connor said he was forced to go to the hospital during the production of Singin' in the Rain due to injuries and exhaustion. It was a bittersweet departure as Donald had been with Universal for most of his acting career. "I won't take anything I have for granted again," written in each letter. And yeah, I think I wear well. You could do that with any kid, only I got paid for it." Donald O'Connor Divorced Donald O'Connor Billed at Sahara When O'Connor was only two years old, he and his sister Arlene, who was seven at the time, were in a car crash outside a theater in Hartford, Connecticut; O'Connor survived, but his sister did not. [37], 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. [26] He returned to Universal for the first time in ten years to make the Sandra Dee comedy That Funny Feeling (1965). In the divorce Carter was given ownership of their home and custody of their daughter. When you grow up in a circus family, the more things you learn, the more you get paid. O'Connor third billed in both Boy Trouble (1939) and Unmarried (1939), playing John Hartley as a young boy in the latter. Donald O'Connor Stars in 'Little Me' He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 1680 Vine Street; and for Television at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. I loved vaudeville. The dancer was paralyzed from the waist down but recovered by way of physical therapy. It was a hit at the time and recorded by a number of artists, notably Cliff Edwards, who also performed the number in the early musical sound film The Hollywood Revue of 1929. Secretly New York Times 10 Oct 1956: 46 '' written in each.! 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