You could do that with any kid, only I got paid for it. In 1971, after suffering a heart attack, O'Connor devoted considerably energy to composing music for the concert hall. a list of 22 titles. It was his first feature film role in 16 years. The fact that Reynolds could keep pace with her co-stars at all is remarkable. I do my concert work and I do night clubs and that kind of stuff. Here he is unfolding the secrets of theclog step with the greatBuddy Ebsen. Not that Kelly minded. But the closest Donald ever came to losing his cool was a day when he threw his hat on the floor, composed himself, then whispered to Mitzi Gaynor, I think she needs a little more rehearsal. Meanwhile, OConnor lent his usual classy solo touchto the production, performing Irving Berlins A Man Chases a Girl to perfection. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. O'Connor 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. His ownballet training was perfectly complemented by OConnors raw hoofing talent. "Make 'Em Laugh" is a song first featured in the 1952 MGM musical film Singin' in the Rain, performed by Donald O'Connor as the character Cosmo Brown. I'm still singing and dancing. He instantly picks it up and embraces her with a kiss. Thank you sir. The Guardian 29 Sep 2003: 1.21. All throughout, the then 27-year-old actor can be seen leaping, tumbling, falling, flying, and frolicking across the set in an elaborate dance routine that demanded some serious fluidity and precision. Donald O'Connor Scheduled for Another 'Francis' Film O'Connor later said the films "were fun to make. US Movies From 1981 I Like. The routine is often cited as a tour de force in physical comedy. "[37], In 1998, he received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars. After the success of Singin' in the Rain, MGM fashioned a starring vehicle for O'Connor in I Love Melvin (1953), in which he danced on roller skates. His best-known musical work is probably Singin' in the Rain (1952), in which he did an impressive dance that culminated in a series of backflips off the wall. To reward your effort, heres a short film I made that assembles some lost footage and other clips to a musical setting of Festes song, which seems as it were written for OConnor. "The Donald O'Connor Show" (NBC, 1954-55) gave the performer a chance to topline his own vehicle, but it left the air after only a few months. Mark Steyn has described it as the essence of entertainment, adding Its only purpose is to delight. But I had never had any formal training. Donald OConnor died in 2003, with his family surrounding him. Chicago Tribune 20 Dec 1985: n_a50. It was just a fact. [2][3] In the song, Cosmo explains that he loves making people laugh, and quotes back to the inspiring words of a man named Samuel J. Snodgrass (as he was about to be led to the guillotine), his dad and his grandpa (though it's made unclear whether Cosmo refers to Snodgrass's or his own relatives). He did Francis Goes to the Races (1951), another big hit. Movie bred, he has the versatility of a Jimmy Durante and the effervescence of youth. amerikai sznsz s tncos. The man who performed the most sensational solo number in the history of musical comedy is dead. Country Living editors select each product featured. Im the same as everyone else Im subject to fever and headaches and bad temper just like anybody else. Yet show business was all he knew. "I said, 'Sure, any time.' (OConnor: They dont write songs like that anymore! Garland: I think they passed a law against it.) But you can sense that OConnor is slightly on edge throughout. 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. Dancing in the Rain: The Donald O'Connor Story (Part I of III), Dancing In the Rain: The Donald OConnor Story (Part II of III). Like an old show-horse breaking out of his stall to get back to work, he couldnt stop performing. O'Connor's performance for "Make 'Em Laugh" is noted for its extreme physical difficulty, featuring dozens of jumps, pratfalls, and two backflips. Donald O'Connor, Miss Main Set Comedy. But Donald contracted a rare fever from Francis the mule just as production began, and he was still too weak to take the job even after they had postponed the shoot for months. Q Fever Hits Star, Melbourne Argus 15 Aug 1953, p. 4. He was billed fifth in Sing You Sinners (1938) playing Bing Crosby's and MacMurray's younger brother.[10]. My body just had to absorb this tremendous shock. Perhaps the flip side of being so responsible was the sheer . [13], "I wasn't really a dancer, a good dancer, until I got older," he said later. The Buster Keaton Story was quietly swept under the rug and forgotten, and yet it remains my personal favorite Donald OConnor performance. "[5], When O'Connor was only two years old, he and his seven-year-old sister, Arlene, were hit by a car while crossing the street outside a theater in Hartford, Connecticut; Donald survived, but his sister died. OConnor would later have to be content withsupporting Crosbyinthe ill-conceived Broadway adaptationAnything Goesinstead. No, we had a great time togetherI was never offended by Gene, I love the guy too much., Of course, Make Em Laugh is the number that everyone remembers from OConnors work in the picture. Though Reynolds was accomplishedher song "Aba Daba Honeymoon" from the 1950 movie Two Weeks With Love was a No.3 hitshe had no training in dance. Whatever's in at the time, I can fit into. In retrospect, the film might have been more fittingly titled The Donald OConnor Story, as it eerily foreshadowedthe actors own future. OConnors terse retort: Many people who love me protected me. Gene Kelly Fred Astaire and Donald OConnor. The Washington Post 14 Mar 1993: AA16. O'Connor claimed to have overcome his depression after being hospitalized for three months after collapsing in 1978. Zylstra, Freida. The New York Times, 17 June 1953: 32. In one number,he strives to conceal his frustration with the live bandwhenthe intro isnt gelling, but theres a hint of steel in his mild-mannered rebuke: Wait for me, will you please?, OConnors TV career would fizzle in parallel with his film career. "It's so wonderful if your whole day is rotten, once they start the music, it seems to melt away," the actor once said (per Brainy Quote). I move fast, I keep changing my hats. The dancer was paralyzed from the waist down, but recovered by way of physical therapy. O'Connor and Carter's marriage, however, had been strained for some time and ended soon after. Most entertaining and most revolutionary moments from their movie musicals. Donald OConnor was the last of the song and dance men. " Make 'Em Laugh " is a song first featured in the 1952 MGM musical film Singin' in the Rain, performed by Donald O'Connor as the character Cosmo Brown. He spoke without resentment. O'Connor and some dance assistants strung together a series of O'Connor's funniest pratfalls and schtick. Its a reflection of OConnors relentless professionalism that his loathing for the script never comes through on the screen. 1607 (January 16, 1954): 12. OConnor comes in as the priestand rebukesthe father sternly, but without ever raising his voice. [41][42] During the turbulent nine-year marriage, Carter physically abused O'Connor in frustration over her lack of an acting career. One review in 1952 called him "1952's new star. Universal added $50,000 to the budget and elevated the "B" movie to "A" status.[10]. ", .css-g0owdm{display:block;font-family:Memphis,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.625rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-g0owdm:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 40.625rem){.css-g0owdm{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-g0owdm{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 61.25rem){.css-g0owdm{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}Jennifer Garner Stuns in Low-Cut Jumpsuit, Fans Demand Answers About the 'Today Show', The Weirdest Golden Globes Dresses of All Time, Find Your Next Best Read with These Spring Books, Kelly Clarkson Fans Are Calling Her Out on IG, Here's What Jon Gries Whispered to Aubrey Plaza, Jennifer Nettles Set to Host New Dating Show, See Sam Elliott's Red Carpet Appearance with Wife, Carrie Underwood Has the Cutest Chicken Sweatshirt, 'Last of Us' Star Pedro Pascal Posts Upsetting IG. O'Connor and Ryan were in Top Man (1943), with Susanna Foster, and Chip Off the Old Block (1944), with Ann Blyth. He was sober, and he was happy. I think Ive learned to gratify the audience instead of myself,and its a satisfying thing. [22], O'Connor's industry and public recognition reached a peak in 1954, when he was asked to emcee that year's Academy Awards ceremony. This is Youre All the World to Me Fred Astaires famous 1951 ceiling dance scene in Royal Wedding. - Calabasas, 2003. szeptember 27.) Dancing in the Rain. Because of a camera flaw where the aperture wasn't properly prepared and the device's lens was covered in fog at one point, Donald O'Connor was made to perform "Make 'Em Laugh" again a day after his first flawless execution of it. [23], He starred in The Donald O'Connor Show (195455) for one season. The country seems to be confused about censorship, free speech, and any An American in Amman: A U.S. Donald O'Connor. His electric performance stood out, even alongside the matchless Gene Kelly, and earned him the 1953 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical. ARKATOV, JANICE. [6] He wrote letters to his friends and family explaining that his life had "completely changed". ", Though it's reported that Reynolds eventually took a perspective of gratitude for everything Kelly had put her through, because it made her a better performer, the exacting director later admitted, "I wasn't very nice to Debbie. And the more pleased an audience is, the more energy I get from it and give back to the audience., OConnor savored the 90s like a long, loving goodbye. After leaving the screen to return to what was left of vaudeville, he returned to Hollywood to star in a number of Universal Pictures' budget-minded youth musicals that included What's Cookin' (1942), Get Hep to Love (1942), and Strictly in the Groove (1943), When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1942), It Comes Up Love (1943), Mr. Big (1943), Top Man (1943), The Merry Monahans (1944), and Bowery to Broadway (1944). [9], He later said, "I learned two dance routines. Los Angeles Times 17 Aug 1965: C10. [4], O'Connor later said, "I was about 13 months old, they tell me, when I first started dancing, and they'd hold me up by the back of my neck and they'd start the music, and I'd dance. Andhisacting career seemed to be getting a second wind whenhewas approached for the title role in a biopic of silent screen legend Buster Keaton. They rushed production to complete four more by that date, all with Ryan: This Is the Life (1944), with Foster; The Merry Monahans (1944), with Blyth and Jack Oakie; Bowery to Broadway (1945), another all-star effort where O'Connor had a cameo; and Patrick the Great (1945). It was just right for that moment. Donna recalled that it allculminated at the breakfast table one morning, when Donald asked Gwen, What would you like to do today? She answered,I want a divorce. He swallowed the pain and asked, Are you sure you wouldnt rather go to a movie? No, I want a divorce. She fought for and woncustody of Donna, leaving Donald with the dog. '"[10], Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 04:20, "Aren't the show tunes "Be a Clown" and "Make 'Em Laugh" suspiciously similar? "He'd sit in his dressing room and stare into space, and I think he had problems at home. ", In a 2012 interview with Newsday, Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, said her husband designed routines to suit his partners, whether they were professional dancers or not. The Donald OConnor Story Part I of III September 1 2014 Esther OReilly Patheos Explore the worlds faith through. DONALD O'CONNOR IN 'PICTURES', Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1982: g3. "Gene always said, 'You choreograph to the woman,' so he choreographed to Debbie's capabilities.You want your partner to look the best he or she can possibly look. "[citation needed], O'Connor joined a dance act with his mother and elder brother Jack. Finally, the studio paired O'Connor opposite their biggest female star, Deanna Durbin, in Something in the Wind (1947). "I had three months to learn what Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor had been doing for years," Reynolds wrote in her 2013 memoir Unsinkable. Los Angeles Times 3 Mar 1989: 28. It was like catchinglightning in a bottle. Co-director Stanley Donen referenced the Cole Porter song "Be a Clown" from the film The Pirate, and further suggested that Freed and Brown compose a song using this as their inspiration. Reynolds expected OConnor to retaliate at any minute, but all he said was Im sorry. Finally, Kelly stopped and announced, Imdoing it wrong! And I had to learn to dance from the waist up. It was the early 1950s, and I was an innocent kid who had never been French-kissed. Had he only been required to do it once, perhaps the actor wouldn't have suffered notable rug burns and severe exhaustion that confined him to a hospital bed for three days (per IMDb). I think is will bring me happiness. The most famous. Known as the youngest old-timer in show business, it was his misfortune to reach the height of his powers precisely when the song-and-dance musical was dying. Chicago Born Donald O'Connor Is a Veteran of Stage and Films at 25 It was one of the most memorable clips of the 80s using the rotating room effect made famous in the 1951 movie Royal Wedding where Fred Astaire danced on the ceiling. But OConnor marched on undaunted. Donald O'Connor, 78, Who Danced His Way Through Many Hollywood Musicals, Is Dead: [Obituary (Obit)] Click to see full answer. Through its pages, they could trace his handwriting, claiming the promises as his own. [6] His brother Billy died a decade later from scarlet fever and his eldest sibling Jack died from alcoholism in 1959. He arrived on set to discover that the rushed-draft scriptfreely sacrificed factfor cliched fiction, andnobody seemed to care. The country seems to be confused about censorship, free speech, and any An American in Amman: A U.S. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean Peggy Ryan and Francis the Talking Mule. He did Francis Joins the WACS (1954) then played Tim Donahue in the 20th Century Fox all-star musical There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), which featured Irving Berlin's music and also starred with Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe (O'Connor's on screen love interest), Dan Dailey, Mitzi Gaynor and Johnnie Ray. The song, Life Has Its Funny Ups and Downs is sung by then-child actor Noreen Corcoran who died very recently, in 2016. "[19], He supported Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam (1953) at 20th Century Fox, later saying the film contained his best dancing.[20]. a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. On tour, he made a beeline for the bar in every new town. One bit at the end of this show is achingly poignant. 40, (Oct 3-Oct 9, 2003): 47. O'Connor followed the first Francis with comedies: Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950), The Milkman (1950), and Double Crossbones (1951). created 26 Mar 2021. Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 1 Mar 1959: f3. Three other siblings died during childbirth. He wrote tohis daughter Alicia, telling her about the other recovering addicts he had met, 13-year-olds in worse shape than he was. He . It would have been fascinating to watch them play off of each other, as they shared certain qualities in common. They finishwith a song, but she forgets her one line. IN STEP WITH: Donald O'Connor Born into a family of circus and vaudeville performers, O'Connor made his first stage appearance at the age of 13 months. Brady, James. Yet it was his boyish charm that audiences found most engaging, and which remained an appealing aspect of his personality throughout his career. Distinctive. And when I learned that Fred Astaire had once danced up the walls and across the ceiling it dazzled me once again. 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. MOULIN ROUGE DATE: Donald O'Connor Joins Rush to L.A. Dale, Steve. But beyond all that, its a complex and potent dramatic role, as Keaton undergoes the painful transition from silent to talkie era while secretly sinking deeper into alcoholism. [30], In 1968, O'Connor hosted a syndicated talk show also called The Donald O'Connor Show. His best-known O'Connor was a regular host of NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour. Broadcast on NBC-TV (January 16, 1966), this mini-musical history of tap dance in America opened with O'Connor as host dancing an Irish jig, Scottish reel, Spanish zapateada, and German spatlasse, followed by a softshoe dance and some sand dancing. Heres a selection of the. I didnt escape it. At age 47, he got his first warningin 1972, suffering a heart attack while entertaining troops in Vietnam. For 90 minutes, the full measure of his comic genius is on display, combining inspired innovation with an uncannily accurate reproduction of Keatons technique and mannerisms. 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