Cathy O'Donnell
Encyclopedia
Cathy O'Donnell was an American actress, best known for her many roles in film-noir movies.
, Alabama
. She attended Oklahoma City University
and studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
before beginning her career on stage, followed by motion pictures.
, she made her debut in an uncredited role as a nightclub extra in Wonder Man
. The next year she had her first major role in The Best Years of Our Lives
, playing Wilma Cameron, the high-school sweetheart of double amputee Homer Parrish, played by real-life World War II
veteran/amputee Harold Russell
.
She was loaned out to RKO for one of her most memorable films, They Live by Night
starring with Farley Granger
. The two actors later reteamed in 1950, for another movie, Side Street. Later O'Donnell starred in The Miniver Story
, as Judy Miniver and also had a supporting role in Detective Story. She appeared as Barbara Waggoman, the love interest of James Stewart
's character in the western
The Man from Laramie
.
Her final film role was in Ben-Hur
, where she played the title character's sister, Tirzah.
In the 1960s, she appeared in TV shows, playing mostly bit part
s on shows such as Perry Mason
, The Rebel
and Man Without a Gun
.
Her last screen appearance was in 1964, in an episode of Bonanza
.
, older brother of director William Wyler
. Cathy O'Donnell died of a cerebral hemorrhage brought on by cancer
at the age of 46, on her 22nd wedding anniversary.
Early life
She was born Ann Steely in SiluriaSiluria, Alabama
Siluria is a community located in Shelby County, Alabama in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. It was the home of a large cotton mill and company-built mill village which began operations in 1896 and finally closed in 1979. The community has been annexed by the city of Alabaster...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. She attended Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
and studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
before beginning her career on stage, followed by motion pictures.
Career
In 1945 while under contract with Samuel GoldwynSamuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn was an American film producer, and founding contributor executive of several motion picture studios.-Biography:...
, she made her debut in an uncredited role as a nightclub extra in Wonder Man
Wonder Man (film)
Wonder Man is a 1945 film starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. It is based on a short story by Arthur Sheekman, adapted for the screen by a staff of writers led by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone...
. The next year she had her first major role in The Best Years of Our Lives
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell, a United States paratrooper who lost both hands in a military training accident. The film is about three United States...
, playing Wilma Cameron, the high-school sweetheart of double amputee Homer Parrish, played by real-life World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran/amputee Harold Russell
Harold Russell
Harold John Russell was a Canadian-American World War II veteran who became one of only two non-professional actors to win an Academy Award for acting...
.
She was loaned out to RKO for one of her most memorable films, They Live by Night
They Live by Night
They Live by Night is a film noir, based on Edward Anderson's Depression era novel Thieves Like Us. The film was directed by Nicholas Ray and starred Farley Granger as "Bowie" Bowers and Cathy O'Donnell as "Keechie" Mobley...
starring with Farley Granger
Farley Granger
Farley Earle Granger was an American actor. In a career spanning several decades, he was perhaps best known for his two collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Rope in 1948 and Strangers on a Train in 1951.-Early life:...
. The two actors later reteamed in 1950, for another movie, Side Street. Later O'Donnell starred in The Miniver Story
The Miniver Story
The Miniver Story is a 1950 film sequel to the successful 1942 film Mrs. Miniver.Like its predecessor, it was made by MGM and starred Greer Garson in the title role, but it was filmed on location in England. The film was directed by H.C. Potter and produced by Sidney Franklin, from a screenplay by...
, as Judy Miniver and also had a supporting role in Detective Story. She appeared as Barbara Waggoman, the love interest of James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
's character in the western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
The Man from Laramie
The Man from Laramie
The Man from Laramie is an American Technicolor Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in the fifth and final of their Western collaborations, and their seventh collaboration overall. It was adapted from a story of the same title by Thomas T...
.
Her final film role was in Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur (1959 film)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
, where she played the title character's sister, Tirzah.
In the 1960s, she appeared in TV shows, playing mostly bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
s on shows such as Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
, The Rebel
The Rebel (TV series)
The Rebel is an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The program was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions, marking one of their few non-game show ventures...
and Man Without a Gun
Man Without a Gun
Man Without a Gun is a western television series produced by 20th Century Fox television and presented in first-run syndication in the United States from 1957 to 1959...
.
Her last screen appearance was in 1964, in an episode of Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
.
Personal life and death
On April 11, 1948 at 24 years old, she married the 48-year-old Robert WylerRobert Wyler
Robert Wyler was an American film producer and associate producer. He was the older brother of the more illustrious William Wyler and a nephew of Universal Studios head, Carl Laemmle....
, older brother of director William Wyler
William Wyler
William Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
. Cathy O'Donnell died of a cerebral hemorrhage brought on by cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 46, on her 22nd wedding anniversary.
Partial filmography
- Wonder ManWonder Man (film)Wonder Man is a 1945 film starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. It is based on a short story by Arthur Sheekman, adapted for the screen by a staff of writers led by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone...
- The Best Years of Our LivesThe Best Years of Our LivesThe Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell, a United States paratrooper who lost both hands in a military training accident. The film is about three United States...
- They Live by NightThey Live by NightThey Live by Night is a film noir, based on Edward Anderson's Depression era novel Thieves Like Us. The film was directed by Nicholas Ray and starred Farley Granger as "Bowie" Bowers and Cathy O'Donnell as "Keechie" Mobley...
- The Amazing Mr. XThe Amazing Mr. XThe Amazing Mr. X, also known as The Spiritualist is a film noir directed by Bernard Vorhaus with cinematography by John Alton. Like Nightmare Alley , this film tells the story of a phony spiritualist racket...
- The Miniver StoryThe Miniver StoryThe Miniver Story is a 1950 film sequel to the successful 1942 film Mrs. Miniver.Like its predecessor, it was made by MGM and starred Greer Garson in the title role, but it was filmed on location in England. The film was directed by H.C. Potter and produced by Sidney Franklin, from a screenplay by...
- Side Street (1949)
- Never Trust a Gambler (1951)
- Detective Story
- The Man from LaramieThe Man from LaramieThe Man from Laramie is an American Technicolor Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in the fifth and final of their Western collaborations, and their seventh collaboration overall. It was adapted from a story of the same title by Thomas T...
- The Story of MankindThe Story of Mankind (1957 film)The Story of Mankind is a 1957 American fantasy film, based on the nonfiction book The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon, which is notable mostly for its campness, and for featuring an ensemble of notable Hollywood performers in the last years of their careers...
- Ben-HurBen-Hur (1959 film)Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...