Donald O'Connor
Encyclopedia
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
. He is best known today for his role as Gene Kelly
's friend and colleague in Singin' in the Rain
(1952).
to be his home town, O’Connor was born in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Irish American vaudeville
entertainers. When O'Connor was only a few years old, he and his sister Arlene were in a car crash outside a theater in Hartford, Connecticut
; O'Connor survived, but his sister was killed. Several weeks later, his father died of a heart attack while dancing on stage in Brockton, Massachusetts
. O'Connor at the time was being held in the arms of the theater manager Mr. Maurice Sims.
in Sing, You Sinners at age 12. Paramount Pictures
used him in both A and B films, including Tom Sawyer, Detective
and Beau Geste
. In 1940, when he had outgrown child roles, he returned to vaudeville.
In 1942 O'Connor joined Universal Pictures
. He played roles in four of the Gloria Jean
musicals, and achieved stardom with Mister Big
(1943).
In 1944, O'Connor was drafted into the Army
. Before he reported for induction, Universal Pictures rushed him through three feature films, done simultaneously and released when he was overseas. After his discharge, Universal (now reorganized as Universal-International) cast him in lightweight musicals and comedies.
In 1949, he played the lead role in Francis
, the story of a soldier befriended by a talking mule. The film was a huge success. However, his musical career was constantly interrupted by his making one Francis film a year until 1955. It was because of Francis that O'Connor missed out on playing Bing Crosby's companion in White Christmas
. O'Connor was unavailable because he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule, and was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye
. O'Connor's role as Cosmo the piano player in Singin' in the Rain
earned him a Golden Globe Award
for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical.
Donald O'Connor was a regular host of NBC
's Colgate Comedy Hour. He hosted a color television special on NBC in 1957, one of the earliest color programs to be preserved on a color kinescope
; an excerpt of the telecast was included in NBC's 50th anniversary special in 1976. He also had a television series in the late 1960s.
After overcoming alcoholism
in the 1970s, he had a career boost when he hosted the Academy Awards
, which earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations. 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 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. O’Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003.
in 2003 at age 78. He is reported to have expressed tongue-in-cheek thanks to the Academy Award
for Lifetime Achievement that he expected to receive at a "future date". 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.
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean is an American singer and actress who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films between 1939 and 1959. She also made radio, television, stage, and nightclub appearances.-Career:...
, Peggy Ryan
Peggy Ryan
Margaret O'Rene "Peggy" Ryan was an American dancer, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean....
, and Francis the Talking Mule
Francis the Talking Mule
Francis the Talking Mule was a mule celebrity, featured in seven movie comedies in the 1950s. The character originated in a novel by writer David Stern, and Universal Studios bought the rights for a film series, with Stern adapting his own script for the first entry, simply titled...
. He is best known today for his role as Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
's friend and colleague in Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
(1952).
Early years
Though he considered Danville, IllinoisDanville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
to be his home town, O’Connor was born in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Irish American vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
entertainers. When O'Connor was only a few years old, he and his sister Arlene were in a car crash outside a theater in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
; O'Connor survived, but his sister was killed. Several weeks later, his father died of a heart attack while dancing on stage in Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
. O'Connor at the time was being held in the arms of the theater manager Mr. Maurice Sims.
Career
O'Connor began performing in movies in 1937. He appeared opposite Bing CrosbyBing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
in Sing, You Sinners at age 12. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
used him in both A and B films, including Tom Sawyer, Detective
Tom Sawyer, Detective
Tom Sawyer, Detective is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain. It is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , and Tom Sawyer Abroad . Tom Sawyer attempts to solve a mysterious murder in this burlesque of the immensely popular detective novels of the time...
and Beau Geste
Beau Geste (1939 film)
Beau Geste is a 1939 film produced by Paramount Pictures based on the novel of the same name by P. C. Wren. It was directed and produced by William A. Wellman from a screenplay by Robert Carson...
. In 1940, when he had outgrown child roles, he returned to vaudeville.
In 1942 O'Connor joined Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
. He played roles in four of the Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean is an American singer and actress who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films between 1939 and 1959. She also made radio, television, stage, and nightclub appearances.-Career:...
musicals, and achieved stardom with Mister Big
Mister Big (1943 film)
Mister Big is a 1943 musical directed by Charles Lamont, starring Donald O'Connor, Gloria Jean and Peggy Ryan. The film features the song "Rude, Crude, and Unattractive".- Synopsis :...
(1943).
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Before he reported for induction, Universal Pictures rushed him through three feature films, done simultaneously and released when he was overseas. After his discharge, Universal (now reorganized as Universal-International) cast him in lightweight musicals and comedies.
In 1949, he played the lead role in Francis
Francis (1950 film)
Francis is a 1950 black-and-white comedy film that launched the Francis the Talking Mule series. It starred Donald O'Connor as an American soldier who gets into trouble when he insists an Army mule named Francis can speak. The distinctive voice of Francis was provided by Chill Wills...
, the story of a soldier befriended by a talking mule. The film was a huge success. However, his musical career was constantly interrupted by his making one Francis film a year until 1955. It was because of Francis that O'Connor missed out on playing Bing Crosby's companion in White Christmas
White Christmas (film)
White Christmas is a 1954 Technicolor musical film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye that features the songs of Irving Berlin, including the titular "White Christmas"...
. O'Connor was unavailable because he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule, and was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
. O'Connor's role as Cosmo the piano player in Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
earned him a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical.
Donald O'Connor was a regular host of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Colgate Comedy Hour. He hosted a color television special on NBC in 1957, one of the earliest color programs to be preserved on a color kinescope
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
; an excerpt of the telecast was included in NBC's 50th anniversary special in 1976. He also had a television series in the late 1960s.
After overcoming alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
in the 1970s, he had a career boost when he hosted the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, which earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations. He appeared as a gaslight-era entertainer in the 1981 film Ragtime
Ragtime (film)
Ragtime is a 1981 American film based on the historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow. The action takes place in and around New York City, New Rochelle, and Atlantic City in the first decade of the 1900s, and includes fictionalized references to actual people and events of the time. The film was...
, notable for similar encore performances by James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
and Pat O'Brien
Pat O'Brien (actor)
Pat O’Brien was an American film actor with more than one hundred screen credits.-Early life:O’Brien was born William Joseph Patrick O’Brien to an Irish-American Catholic family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as an altar boy at Gesu Church while growing up near 13th and Clybourn streets...
. O'Connor appeared in the short-lived Bring Back Birdie
Bring Back Birdie
Bring Back Birdie is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse.A sequel to Bye Bye Birdie, it focuses on a scheme for rock 'n' roller Conrad Birdie, who disappeared after being discharged from the U. S. Army twenty years ago, to make a comeback on a...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1981, and continued to make film and television appearances into the 1990s. Donald O'Connor's last feature film was the Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
-Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
comedy Out to Sea
Out to Sea
Out to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon and Brent Spiner. The film was directed by Martha Coolidge, with a screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs...
, in which he played a dance host on a cruise ship. O’Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003.
Death
Donald O'Connor died from congestive heart failureCongestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
in 2003 at age 78. He is reported to have expressed tongue-in-cheek thanks to the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Lifetime Achievement that he expected to receive at a "future date". His remains were cremated and buried at the Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in Los Angeles.
O'Connor was survived by his wife, Gloria, and four children.
Film
- It Can't Last ForeverIt Can't Last ForeverIt Can't Last Forever is a 1937 black and white American film. The film stars Ralph Bellamy, Betty Furness, and Robert Armstrong. It is also the debut film for 11 year old Donald O'Connor, who would later go on to be famous for his acrobatic tap dancing....
(1937) - Men with WingsMen with WingsMen With Wings is a 1938 Technicolor American starring Fred MacMurray, Ray Milland, and Louise Campbell. Donald O'Connor also has a small part as the younger version of MacMurray's character. The two would soon star in the film Sing You Sinners together along with Bing Crosby....
(1938) - Sing You SinnersSing You Sinners (1938 film)Sing You Sinners is a 1938 black-and-white American musical comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Fred MacMurray, Donald O'Connor, and Ellen Drew. The movie was written by Claude Binyon and directed by Wesley Ruggles...
(1938) - Sons of the LegionSons of the LegionSons of The Legion is a movie about a group of young men looking to start a squadron in their Legion Post. However, because the boy's father wrongfully received a dishonorable discharge after World War I, his father cannot join the Legion and in turn his son cannot join the squadron....
(1938) - Tom Sawyer, DetectiveTom Sawyer, DetectiveTom Sawyer, Detective is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain. It is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , and Tom Sawyer Abroad . Tom Sawyer attempts to solve a mysterious murder in this burlesque of the immensely popular detective novels of the time...
(1938) - Boy TroubleBoy TroubleBoy Trouble is a 1939 American film starring Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland, Donald O'Connor, and Billy Lee. In the story, Sybil Fitch adopts two orphan boys . Her husband is infuriated. However, when the boys catch scarlett fever, he finds that he really does love them....
(1939) - UnmarriedUnmarried (film)Unmarried is a 1939 American film starring Helen Twelvetrees, Buck Jones, and Donald O'Connor....
(1939) - Million Dollar LegsMillion Dollar Legs (1939 film)Million Dollar Legs is a 1939 American comedy film starring Betty Grable, John Hartley, Donald O'Connor, and Jackie Coogan.-Cast:* Betty Grable as Carol Parker* John Hartley as Greg Melton Jr.* Donald O'Connor as Sticky Boone...
(1939) - Beau GesteBeau Geste (1939 film)Beau Geste is a 1939 film produced by Paramount Pictures based on the novel of the same name by P. C. Wren. It was directed and produced by William A. Wellman from a screenplay by Robert Carson...
(1939) - Night WorkNight Work (film)Night Work is a 1939 American film starring Mary Boland, Charles Ruggles, Billy Lee, and Donald O'Connor. The film was a bit of a sequel to the earlier film of the year Boy Trouble, considering it had the same characters and actors. But Boy Trouble was a very serious drama, while Night Work was a...
(1939) - Death of a ChampionDeath of a ChampionDeath of a Champion is a 1939 American film starring Lynne Overman, Virginia Dale, Joseph Allen, and Donald O'Connor. Its plot concerns an effort by detectives to discover who killed a famous show dog. The film also stars Robert Paige, who went on to be in three more film with O'Connor....
(1939) - On Your ToesOn Your ToesOn Your Toes is a musical with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. It was adapted into a film in 1939....
(1939) - What's Cookin'?What's Cookin'?What's Cookin'? is a 1942 American musical film starring The Andrews Sisters, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Gloria Jean. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline and is based on the story Wake Up and Dream written by Edgar Allan Woolf.-Plot:...
(1942) - Private BuckarooPrivate BuckarooPrivate Buckaroo is a 1942 American Musical film directed by Edward F. Cline and starring The Andrews Sisters, Dick Foran, Harry James, Shemp Howard, Joe E...
(1942) - Give Out, SistersGive Out, SistersGive Out, Sisters is a 1942 black and white American film starring The Andrews Sisters. The film co-stars Dan Dailey, and the teenage couple of the time, Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan. Dailey and O'Connor went on to be in the 1954 film There's No Business Like Show Business....
(1942) - Get Hep to LoveGet Hep to LoveGet Hep to Love is a 1942 musical film starring Gloria Jean, Donald O'Connor, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Peggy Ryan. The film was directed by Charles Lamont.-Plot:...
(1942) - When Johnny Comes Marching HomeWhen Johnny Comes Marching Home (film)When Johnny Comes Marching Home is a 1942 musical film starring Allan Jones and Jane Frazee. The film was directed by Charles Lamont and is loosely based on the song with the same title.-Plot:...
(1942) - It Comes Up LoveIt Comes Up LoveIt Comes Up Love is a 1943 American, black and white, musical comedy starring Gloria Jean, Ian Hunter, and Donald O'Connor. It is the only film starring Jean and O'Connor that doesn't also star Peggy Ryan, another one of the talented teenagers at Universal Studios....
(1943) - Mister BigMister Big (1943 film)Mister Big is a 1943 musical directed by Charles Lamont, starring Donald O'Connor, Gloria Jean and Peggy Ryan. The film features the song "Rude, Crude, and Unattractive".- Synopsis :...
(1943) - Top ManTop Man (film)Top Man is a 1943 American black-and-white film starring Donald O'Connor, Susanna Foster, Lillian Gish, Richard Dix, and Peggy Ryan. This was O'Connor and Ryan's first film away from the third of their trio, Gloria Jean....
(1943) - Chip Off the Old BlockChip Off the Old BlockChip Off the Old Block is 1944 American film starring Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Ann Blyth. In the story, the son of a strict man from the Navy falls in love with a girl from a performing family . In the end, the families learn to except their differences and they are allowed to be in love...
(1944) - Follow the BoysFollow the BoysFollow the Boys , also known as Three Cheers for the Boys, is a musical film made by Universal Pictures as an all-star cast morale booster to entertain the troops abroad and the civilians at home. The film was directed by A. Edward "Eddie" Sutherland and produced by Charles K. Feldman...
(1944) - This Is the LifeThis Is the Life (1944 film)This is the Life is a 1944 American film starring Donald O'Connor, Susanna Foster, and Peggy Ryan. This is one of the several films that Universal Studios rushed O'Connor and Ryan through before O'Connor was drafted into the Army to serve in World War II....
(1944) - The Merry MonahansThe Merry MonahansThe Merry Monahans is a 1944, American, black-and-white film starring Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Jack Oakie. The story is of a vaudeville family trying to make money through hard times. The film features the great song and dance duet with O'Connor and Ryan, "I Hate To Lose You"....
(1944) - Bowery to BroadwayBowery to BroadwayBowery to Broadway is a 1944 American film starring Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, and Susanna Foster. Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan also had a small specialty act, and it was the only film they were in together where they didn't have a name or character....
(1944) - Patrick the GreatPatrick the GreatPatrick the Great is a 1945 American film starring Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Frances Dee. This was the last ever film for O'Connor and Ryan together, who had been a teenage team for the past several years. This was also O'Connor last film before he went to serve in World War II....
(1945) - Something in the WindSomething in the WindSomething in the Wind is an American feature film directed by Irving Pichel, released by Universal Studios, and starring Donald O'Connor and Deanna Durbin....
(1947) - Are You With It?Are You With It?Are You With It? is a 1948 American film about a young mathematician who quits his job to join a traveling carnival. The film is based on the novel Slightly Perfect by George Malcolm-Smith and uses a screenplay by Oscar Brodney...
(1948) - Feudin', Fussin', and A-Fightin' (1948)
- Screen Snapshots: Motion Picture Mothers, Inc.Screen Snapshots: Motion Picture Mothers, Inc.Screen Snapshots: Motion Picture Mothers Inc. was a program for the 10th anniversary of Motion Picture Mothers Inc. held in 1949. It was a squaredance, featuring some of the most famous stars at the time as themseles. Pat O'Brien was the master of ceremonies. Also featured were Bud Abbott, Tom...
(1949) (short subject) - Yes Sir That's My BabyYes Sir That's My BabyYes Sir That's My Baby is a 1949 American film starring Donald O'Connor and Gloria DeHaven. The film is famous for O'Connor's dance "They Haven't Figured Out a Woman" that he does at the laundro-mat. O'Connor and DeHaven had been friends as children and this was the first of two films they were in...
(1949) - FrancisFrancis (1950 film)Francis is a 1950 black-and-white comedy film that launched the Francis the Talking Mule series. It starred Donald O'Connor as an American soldier who gets into trouble when he insists an Army mule named Francis can speak. The distinctive voice of Francis was provided by Chill Wills...
(1950) - Curtain Call at Cactus CreekCurtain Call at Cactus CreekCurtain Call at Cactus Creek is a 1950 American film starring Donald O'Connor and Gale Storm. In the story, a traveling entertainer gets mixed up with bank robbers....
(1950) - The MilkmanThe MilkmanThe Milkman is a 1950 American black-and-white film starring Donald O'Connor, Jimmy Durante, and Piper Laurie.-Plot:Roger Bradley is the son the owner of a milk company. He wants to get a job as a milkman at his father's company, but his father denies it because of Roger's after-war trauma: when...
(1950) - Double CrossbonesDouble CrossbonesDouble Crossbones is a 1951, American, Technicolor film starring Donald O'Connor, Helena Carter, and Will Geer.-Plot:After being accused falsely of dishonesty, Davey Crandall decides to become a pirate.-Cast:...
(1951) - Francis Goes to the RacesFrancis Goes to the RacesFrancis Goes to the Races is a 1951 comedy film about a talking mule and his human sidekick at the racetrack. It is a sequel of Francis and stars Donald O'Connor, Piper Laurie, and Cecil Kellaway.-Cast:*Donald O'Connor as Peter Stirling...
(1951) - Singin' in the RainSingin' in the RainSingin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
(1952) - Francis Goes to West PointFrancis Goes to West PointFrancis Goes to West Point is a 1952 comedy film starring Donald O'Connor, Lori Nelson, Alice Kelley, and Gregg Palmer. The third movie in a series, it deals with a young man enrolling at West Point, where he needs to be tutored by his friend, Francis the Talking Mule.-Cast:*Donald O'Connor as...
(1952) - I Love MelvinI Love MelvinI Love Melvin is a 1953 comedy film directed by Don Weis and starring Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.-Plot:Small-time actress Judy Schneider dreams of becoming a Hollywood star even as she struggles along playing a human football in a kitschy Broadway musical. One day in Central Park she bumps...
(1953) - Call Me MadamCall Me Madam (film)Call Me Madam is a 1953 musical film directed by Walter Lang, with songs by Irving Berlin, based on the stage musical of the same name.The film, with a screenplay by Arthur Sheekman, starred Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, Billy DeWolfe, George Sanders, and Walter Slezak...
(1953) - Francis Covers the Big TownFrancis Covers the Big TownFrancis Covers the Big Town is the fourth in a series of films about the misadventures of a young man, played by Donald O'Connor, and his friend, a talking mule, voiced by Chill Wills...
(1953) - Walking My Baby Back HomeWalking My Baby Back Home (film)Walking My Baby Back Home is a 1953 American musical comedy film starring Donald O'Connor, Janet Leigh, and Buddy Hackett. This was Hackett's film debut.-Cast:*Donald O'Connor as Clarence "Jigger" Miller*Janet Leigh as Chris Hall...
(1953) - Francis Joins the WACSFrancis Joins the WACSFrancis Joins the WACS is a 1954 American comedy film starring Donald O'Connor, Julie Adams, Mamie Van Doren and Chill Wills. A young man is brought back into the U.S. Army, but a computer error assigns him to the Women's Army Corps...
(1954) - There's No Business Like Show BusinessThere's No Business Like Show Business (film)There's No Business Like Show Business is a 20th Century Fox musical film that was released on December 16, 1954. The title is borrowed from the famous song in the stage musical Annie Get Your Gun....
(1954) - Francis in the NavyFrancis in the NavyFrancis in the Navy is a 1955 American black-and-white comedy film, the sixth and last in the Francis the Talking Mule series directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Donald O'Connor and Chill Wills . There was one more film without them, which was poorly received. This marked the first credited role...
(1955) - Anything GoesAnything Goes (1956 film)Anything Goes is a 1956 musical film adapted from the Cole Porter, Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse stage production of the same title. The book was drastically rewritten for the second film version, also by Paramount, released in 1956...
(1956) - The Buster Keaton Story (1957)
- Cry for HappyCry for HappyCry for Happy is a 1961 colour movie directed by George Marshall.-Plot:A Navy photographer and his three-man team occupy a Tokyo geisha house during the Korean War. Though off-limits,...
(1961) - The Wonders of AladdinThe Wonders of AladdinThe Wonders of Aladdin is a 1961 Italian film directed by Mario Bava and Henry Levin. The film stars Donald O'Connor as the title character...
(1961) - That Funny FeelingThat Funny FeelingThat Funny Feeling is a 1965 American film starring Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, and Donald O'Connor. This was the second film with O'Connor and Kathleen Freeman together, the first being Singin' in the Rain.-Cast:...
(1965) - Just One More Thyme (1974) (short subject)
- That's Entertainment!That's Entertainment!That's Entertainment! is a 1974 compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was followed by two sequels and a related film called That's Dancing!....
(1974) - RagtimeRagtime (film)Ragtime is a 1981 American film based on the historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow. The action takes place in and around New York City, New Rochelle, and Atlantic City in the first decade of the 1900s, and includes fictionalized references to actual people and events of the time. The film was...
(1981) - PandemoniumPandemonium (film)Pandemonium is a 1982 comedy film spoofing horror movies. It had an ensemble cast including Eileen Brennan, Phil Hartman, Tab Hunter, Carol Kane, David Lander, Eve Arden, Paul Reubens, and Tom Smothers....
(1982) - A Time to Remember (1987)
- Toys (1992)
- Father Frost (1996)
- Out to SeaOut to SeaOut to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon and Brent Spiner. The film was directed by Martha Coolidge, with a screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs...
(1997) (Gabby)
Television
- The Milton Berle Show (producer) – 1948
- Colgate Comedy Hour – 1951-54
- The Donald O'Connor ShowThe Donald O'Connor ShowThe Donald O'Connor Show is an American musical situation comedy television series starring singer/dancer Donald O'Connor...
– 19 episodes on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, 1954–55 - Petticoat JunctionPetticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
(director) – 1964 - Bell Telephone Hour – 1964-66
- The Donald O'Connor Show - 1968
- Ellery QueenEllery Queen (TV series)Ellery Queen is an American television detective mystery series that ran for one season from 1975 to 1976 on NBC. It starred Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, and David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen...
– episode "The Comic Book Crusader" – October 2, 1975 - The Bionic WomanThe Bionic WomanThe Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
– episode "A Thing of the Past" (February 18, 1976) - The Love BoatThe Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
– 1981-84 - AliceAlice (TV series)Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
– "Guinness on Tap", as himself, 1982 - Littest Hobo – episode "The Clown" as Fred (1982)
- Alice in Wonderland (1985 film) as The Lory Bird, 1985
- Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
- 1992 - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
– episode "Crane vs. Crane" as Harlow Safford, 1996 - The NannyThe NannyNanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
– episode "Freida Needa Man" as Fred (1996)