Brady, James. Distinctive. I hope you can forgive me.Where did the power come from? Its emasculating, andI feel a little silly. The fact that Reynolds could keep pace with her co-stars at all is remarkable. He instantly picks it up and embraces her with a kiss. In retrospect, the film might have been more fittingly titled The Donald OConnor Story, as it eerily foreshadowedthe actors own future. Chicago Tribune 20 Dec 1985: n_a50. During World War II, on his 18th birthday in August 1943, O'Connor was drafted into the United States Army. A few weeks later, his father died of a heart attack while dancing on stage in Brockton, Massachusetts. His father, John Edward "Chuck" O'Connor, was an acrobat with Ringling-Barnum and Bailey Circus; his mother, Effie, was a circus bareback rider and dancer. While it certainly got him down in real life, he was back at it after the three days of rest had restored him to proper health. The illusion was brutally shattered in 1978. - Calabasas, 2003. szeptember 27.) Unfortunately,as thesong-and-dance musical itself faded out of style, this was not to be. In the 1950s, O'Connor reestablished himself as a comedic actor and tap dancer. And that's quite old for someone to start dancing real heavy, professionally. I'm not ready to be old."[8]. O'Connor made his first stage appearance at three days old, lying onstage across a piano bench beside his mother who, not yet ready to return to heavy dancing, played the piano. Hopper, Hedda. His family had the answer. His succinct answer: "No. But doing one would mean being out in cold, cold New York for a year, a year and a half," he said. 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. He arrived on set to discover that the rushed-draft scriptfreely sacrificed factfor cliched fiction, andnobody seemed to care. That year marked the beginning of his accelerated descent into full-blown alcoholism. Donald O'Connor, an American actor, dancer, and singer, was born on August 28, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. Also asked in what movie does Fred Astaire dance on the ceiling. Az legismertebb szerepe Cosmo Brown az nek az esben zens filmben Gene Kellyvel s Debbie Reynoldsszal . He was born for it. [9], In 1941, O'Connor signed with Universal Pictures for $200 a week, where he began with What's Cookin'? O'Connor was born into a Vaudeville family, where he learned to dance, sing, play comedy, even slapstick. 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. [44] His remains were cremated. Thanks for reading! The song, Life Has Its Funny Ups and Downs is sung by then-child actor Noreen Corcoran who died very recently, in 2016. Itwas like the audience wanted to hang on forever to great performers and delightful memories from the golden age of song-and-dance. But in 1998, anothershow-stoppingconcert runwith the Palm Springs Follies nearly killed the consummate entertainer when he came down with viral pneumonia. But all waskept so private that interviewers would laterexclaim that Donald must have escaped it for them not to hear any of the usual choice details. Stage ", "AFI List of Top 100 Songs From U.S. One of his finest TV moments was a guest appearance on the Bell Telephone Hour in which he demonstrated thehistoryoftap dancing, by then itselfa fading art: Ever the gentleman on stage,he was prompt to deflect applause away from himself, commenting at the end of one live number, You know, Ive never learned howto dance without getting out of breath, isnt that ridiculous? O'Connor and Bing Crosby united on Anything Goes (1956) at Paramount. Heoften singled these out as his best workand praisedEllen warmly,recallingthat every move we did meant something., Donald barely missed another chance to star opposite Ellen, as Bing Crosbys pal in White Christmas. Donald O'Connor Weds Secretly. "He showed up on time and worked his little tail off," Kelly once .css-k807px{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:brandColorSenary;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#006603;-webkit-transition:background .4s ease-in-out,color .4s ease-in-out;transition:background .4s ease-in-out,color .4s ease-in-out;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,#e6f4e1 0,#e6f4e1 100%);-webkit-background-position:0 100%;background-position:0 100%;background-repeat:repeat-x;-webkit-background-size:0 0;background-size:0 0;}.css-k807px:hover{color:#29511A;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-size:0.625rem 3.125rem;background-size:0.625rem 3.125rem;}said. Donald . I've heard laughter and applause and known a lot of sorrow. Donald O'Connor, the comedic song-and-dance man who inherited and perpetuated a classic tradition of vaudeville tap dancing, was born David Dixon Ronald O'Connor into an Irish theatrical family. It was the early 1950s, and I was an innocent kid who had never been French-kissed. He also briefly crossed paths with Robin Williams in 1992, when Williams invited Donald to play his father in the off-beat experiment Toys. You forgot didnt you? As he pauses for closing announcements,she looks nervously off stage, and you can just barelyhear the pianist assuring her, Its all right.. Dancing in the Rain. Heres one of the most famous dance scenes from movie musical history. O'Connor was almost broke. Zylstra, Freida. Rising to take its place werethe spontaneous musicals, the Sounds of MusicandOklahomasandWest Side Stories. Unfortunately for the OConnor family world events often coincided with terrible personal losses requiring Donald to assume adult responsibilities at a. Donald OConnor performs Make em Laugh a hilarious number from Singing in the Rain the 1952 musical. I capture your attention without giving you time to think about it. When you grow up in a circus family, the more things you learn, the more you get paid. Reynolds expected OConnor to retaliate at any minute, but all he said was Im sorry. Finally, Kelly stopped and announced, Imdoing it wrong! Donald O'Connor ( Chicago, 1925. augusztus 28. The routine is often cited as a tour de force in physical comedy. [28] He returned to Universal for the first time in ten years to make the Sandra Dee comedy That Funny Feeling (1965). However, the art of song and dance had its pioneers long before Kaufman ever stepped up before a crowd. Audio Recording: Christmas with Donald and Debbie/BVM Records, BVMC 51317, 1992. The country seems to be confused about censorship, free speech, and any An American in Amman: A U.S. O'Connor said the tragedies "marred my childhood and it's still haunting.". ', During dance rehearsals, she once ducked into one of MGM's rehearsal rooms and sat under a piano crying. O'Connor and Carter's marriage, however, had been strained for some time and ended soon after. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. DONALD O'CONNOR IN 'PICTURES', Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1982: g3. . [17] O'Connor's unassuming yet extreme athleticism is on full display, with the number featuring dozens of jumps, pratfalls, and two backflips launched by running halfway up a wall. One of OConnors most memorable moments tap dancing on television is The Bell Telephone Hours Song and Dance Man Broadcast on NBC-TV January 16 1966 this mini-musical history of tap dance in America opened with OConnor as host dancing an Irish jig Scottish reel Spanish zapateada and German spatlasse followed by a softshoe dance and. Yeah, he was miserable. Here-married in 1956, to Gloria Noble. 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 spent his childhood . Cagney_Seen. His succinct answer:No. Born into a vaudeville family, O'Connor was the youthful figure cutting Chicago Daily Tribune 20 Apr 1952: e2. Fred Astaire Donald OConnor and the queen Cyd Charisse. 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. [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. a list of 42 titles. He was also in Columbia's It Can't Last Forever (1937). And that was always his intent with Debbie, and she worked like a trouper and became a big star.". In 1993, O'Connor released his own exercise-oriented video, Let's Tap. The crew let out a collective gasp, worried that the men would come to blows. Everything about me is based on show business. "He'd sit in his dressing room and stare into space, and I think he had problems at home. It is dead the way we used to make em. He spoke without resentment. (Asked howthatturkey gotmade, he replied bluntly, Because they had the money, and they couldnt think of anything else to do.). Not that Kelly minded. He was filled with the wonderment of life, and he would shareittohis dying breath. Director: William A. Wellman | Stars: Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy Votes: 6,231 Beau Geste as a Child 11. Theflickerof danger behind those kindly blue eyessays it all. He hoped the break would launch Donald to greater heights of A-list stardom. [9], O'Connor signed a contract at Paramount Studios. He received no formal training in tap dance until he went to work for Universal Pictures and took tap dance classes with the studio's choreographer Louis DaPron who, after a few weeks of classes exasperatedly pronounced him "unteachable." Like an old show-horse breaking out of his stall to get back to work, he couldnt stop performing. [8][9] In a 2002 interview, Betty Comden recalled, "How [Freed] could have written it in the first place and not realized is still a mystery. And I had to learn to dance from the waist up. O'Connor and Ryan were in Top Man (1943), with Susanna Foster, and Chip Off the Old Block (1944), with Ann Blyth. In February 1951 he signed a new contract with Universal for one film a year for four years, enabling him to work outside the studio. 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. [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. Donald O'Connor to Marry. It doesnt seem to affect the girls though, arent they wonderful?, He guest-starredon the first episode of the Judy Garland show in 1962, where the two old friends reminisced and affectionately skewered their vaudevilleroots together. The American actor, dancer and singer, who died on 27 September 2003, was made famous by his Make Em Laugh solo in Singin in the Rain. I didn't have a short cut like the other dancers do. 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. O'Connor and Ryan both had cameos in Universal's all-star Follow the Boys (1944). [30], In 1968, O'Connor hosted a syndicated talk show also called The Donald O'Connor Show. So I don't dance much any more, but I do enough to show people I can still move my legs."[5]. Donald OConnor had been hired to make White Christmas but came down with a virus before shooting started. 40, (Oct 3-Oct 9, 2003): 47. When Genebecame frustrated with Debbie, he would takeit out on Donald. 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. I'm still singing and dancing. [11] The film was popular and Universal began to develop O'Connor and Ryan as their version of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. He spent the years giving back through quiet philanthropic work, helping anyone from other alcoholicsto people seeking abreak in show business. Ironically, his character was fighting drug addiction. created 08 Nov 2017. He then suffered a heart attack in 1971, leading him to quit taking the medication. Gwen didnt even wait until it was finalizedto begin an affairwith the actor Dan Dailey. 12pm - 2pm, Symphony No.9 in E minor Opus 95 (2) Adding insult to injury, Donald had to play the son of her new lover in the garish monstrosityTheres No Business Like Show Business. Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor was born in Chicago to parents who were circus. He then returned to his family act in vaudeville for two years. Upon O'Connor's return from military service Universal did not know what to do with their young star. In the divorce Carter was given ownership of their home and custody of their daughter. He painfullydisappointeda full house in March of 1979 when he was given only 7 days to rehearse for The Music Man. After desperately skipping and improvising his way through Weve Got Trouble, he stopped the conductor: This is such a lovely song, I hate to louse it up. Two Broadway flops followed in quick succession. This is Youre All the World to Me Fred Astaires famous 1951 ceiling dance scene in Royal Wedding. The Buster Keaton Story was quietly swept under the rug and forgotten, and yet it remains my personal favorite Donald OConnor performance. Kelly was a "cruel taskmaster," Reynolds continued. Chicago Born Donald O'Connor Is a Veteran of Stage and Films at 25 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. However, Donen recalled, the resulting number was "100% plagiarism. He would never look back again. So, when the music came on, he made it up and the dance flowed out of him. The New York Times described it as one of Hollywoods finest dance moments. 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. Born into a vaudeville family OConnor was the youthful figure cutting a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. 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. I move fast, I keep changing my hats. Then Kelly broke the news to Donald that he had to do it all over again, because the footage had beenruined through a camera goof. So I can do straight comedy without the song and dance; I can do all kinds of combinations. Granted, he is still acting, but theres no question that he was drawing on the pain behind his own lifes work to convey the depth of Keatons pent-up sorrow. Ive seen him rehearse a step a thousand times. Looking back on it all, OConnor could only laugh and sayWorking with him? I move fast, I keep changing my hats. Cause of death: alcoholism. Finally, the studio paired O'Connor opposite their biggest female star, Deanna Durbin, in Something in the Wind (1947). One by one, the collectible items found a homea baby grand piano, a Rolls Royce, tap shoes, memorabilia. When Lockwood becomes attracted to young. The man who performed the most sensational solo number in the history of musical comedy is dead. But I had never had any formal training. He was meant to play Bing Crosby's partner in White Christmas (1954). Speaking to Parademagazine, he confessed the secret struggles whichring true for so many comedians. "They had to bank one wall so I could make it up and then through another wall. In the mid-fifties, Paramount Pictures cast him in the film adaptation of the Broadway tap dance musical Anything Goes (1956) with Bing Crosby and Mitzi Gaynor. He also turned in an impressive bit of serious acting on the cop showPolice Story. According to reports at the time the couple split, O'Connor was left with only the dog and sought the help of multiple psychiatrists. He subsequently focused on theatre work and his nightclub act, performing in Las Vegas. Noble died in 2013. "[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. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. He was famous for his versatility, knack for physical comedy and acrobatic dancing style. He was in Sons of the Legion (1938), then had the second lead in a B-picture, Tom Sawyer, Detective (1938), playing Huckleberry Finn opposite Billy Cook's Tom Sawyer. O'Connor is the guy who ran straight up three walls, flipping backward to earth each time, in Singin' in the Rain, and no matter how often you see the movie, the stunt still appears fresh, magical and completely surprising. Characters were ordinary people expressing their feelings, not entertainers putting on a show. This is my most popular month. 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Yet he could never bring himself to give less than 100%, even when it was junk.He and Debbie Reynolds were cast together in a dudcalled ILove Melvin, which both actors roundly panned, but he still delivered an unforgettabletap dance on roller skates. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award from four nominations and received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "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. I ran around frantic, yelling for some Coca-Cola to cleanse my mouth. O'Connor never went to school. Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1973: g21. 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. A merger in 1946 had reorganized the studio as Universal-International. Just watching him in thisskitwith a French charm consultant is like watching the beta version of Mork from Ork. Keaton's ground-breaking physical comedy was a major influence on O'Connor's own work, and he jumped at the chance to pay tribute to a long-time idol. (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 DeHaven. That number, along with the cheerily strutted "Good Morning," danced with Debbie Reynolds and Kelly, and the vaudeville-inspired "Fit As a Fiddle (And Ready for Love)" danced with Kelly, rewarded him with a Golden Globe Award (over Kelly) for his performance. Hang on to your chairs and lamps. Kelly later recalled that every time they would ask OConnor to repeat a bit, he would say Oh, you mean like this? and do something different yet again. Keaton himself chose not to complain out loud and bought a nice retirement spot with the studios $50,000 rights check. Written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown,[1] the song is closely based on Cole Porter's "Be a Clown" from the Freed-produced 1948 MGM musical film The Pirate, in which it was sung by Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. You gotta SMILE! Amazingly, he continued to work into the 70s, to increasingly shrinking audiences. "We really didn't have a choice; if you were in the family you appeared in the act. Movie bred, he has the versatility of a Jimmy Durante and the effervescence of youth. He also appeared in several productions of Little Me. Read more: Watch this wonderful little and large tap-dancing duo. Donald O'Connor, whose "Make 'em Laugh" number in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) was a show-stopper that delighted and astonished generations of audiences, died at 78 on Saturday. Assistants carried her to her dressing room, and doctors put her on bed rest for two days. Times Staff Writer. Born into a vaudeville family, O'Connor was the youthful figure cutting a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. The dancing and singing and the glorious Technicolor shirts dazzled. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule . Watch in awe as one of the worlds greatest entertainers, Donald OConnor, tap dances on roller skates just because he can. Despite Keatons credit as a technical advisor, OConnor watched the legends input on his own life storygo in one ear and out the other. So damned dishonest, he would later recall with disgust. "I'd rather do something where I go in and work a week, maybe three days. Disillusionment came swiftly. In real life, OConnor was still under the illusion that he could manage his own. O'Connor third billed in both Boy Trouble (1939) and Unmarried (1939), playing John Hartley as a young boy in the latter. His optimism and grandeur were unparalleled, but even the sunniest characters among us have their rainy days from time to time. Gloria said simply, God gave him a gift, and that gift was sobriety. His son Fred said, Thank God theres a higher power that healed him. He rebuilt his wifes trust and reunited with his family after eight months clean. He continued to perform live.[38]. He insisted on finishing out the night, but by the next morning, he couldnt leave his bed. MOULIN ROUGE DATE: Donald O'Connor Joins Rush to L.A. With a happy second marriage and a growing new family, it seemed that he had landed on his feet. The late Roger Ebertonce deemed it "one of the most amazing dance sequences ever filmed," and true to form also described it as "breathtaking.". She has good timing and a puckish grin. Anonymous. By now, the grueling footwork that went into Singin' in the Rain's "Good Morning" scene is the stuff of legend. The routine tooka heavy tollon OConnors body. In 1980, he was nominated for a Special Event Emmy when he hosted a history of the dance at the Oscars, riding triumphantly aloft a camera crane and even getting in some steps of his own. In 1992 he said, "I never wanted to be a superstar. 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. "He came to rehearsals and criticized everything I did and never gave me a word of encouragement. Zylstra, Freida. Kelly particularly liked the "gurning" (making faces) O'Connor could do. I'm working on being a quasar, because stars wear out. "[8], When they were not touring they stayed with O'Connor's Uncle Bill in Danville, Illinois. Obituary: Donald O'Connor: Dynamic dancer and comedian O'Connor's performance for "Make 'Em Laugh" is noted for its extreme physical difficulty, featuring dozens of jumps, pratfalls, and two backflips. He somehow managed to pull it off, though not without a degree of minor consequence (per IMDb). 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). "I said, 'Sure, any time.' He is remembered for his athletic dancing style and mischievous charm. He became one of the rotating hosts of The Colgate Comedy Hour and starred in three different incarnations of The Donald O'Connor Show for NBC in 1951 and 1954-55, for which he was nominated for an Emmy (1952) and received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality (1953). The effect of alcohol on his work was not felt immediately. Business wasnt just waiting to pick up when he got out of rehab. Donald O'Connor, 78, Who Danced His Way Through Many Hollywood Musicals, Is Dead: [Obituary (Obit)] Perhaps the flip side of being so responsible was the sheer . Hewas finally free from the clutches ofUniversalPictures, having refused to make one more Francis picture until theyreleased him. Thank you sir. Donald O'Connor Enters Hospital The letters detail the lives of other patients, particularly a 30-year-old man who was completely immobilized. One review in 1952 called him "1952's new star. But one couple discovered a different kind of treasure. I sing, I dance, I do comedy. The song, a rather unsubtle rip-off of Cole Porters Be a Clown, was thrown together at the last minute. There ought to be a running club named after Donald O'Connora club with high hopes. Donald David Dixon Ronald OConnor was an American dancer singer and actor. created 26 Mar 2021. O'Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003. ", .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. 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). The most distinctive characteristic of his dancing style was its athleticism, for which he had few rivals. His best-known work was his "Make 'Em Laugh" dance routine in Singin' in the Rain (1952), for which role O'Connor was awarded a Golden Globe. Unabashed, O'Connor developed his own style of tap dancing drawn from experience in vaudeville. This clip features Donald O'Connor dancing on roller skates and was filmed two years before Gene Kelly "tap skated" in It's Always Fair Weather. Hollywood legend states that O'Connor, though only 27 years old at the time but a chain-smoker, was bedridden for several days after filming the sequence. But Donald bore it with perpetual good humor. By the end, Reynolds' feet were bleeding and she could barely move. Los Angeles Times 17 Aug 1965: C10. While he couldnt escape the playing priests in bad movies curse that year, he madethis memorablescene stand out fromthe Christmas TVtrifleA Time to Remember. Shes clearly very shy, and he gets down at her level to run through some jokes. 44, Iss. O'Connor was unavailable because he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule[21] and was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye. Heres a selection of the. Directed by Arthur Lubin, the film was a huge success. Art Carney is about my age and he's making a career out of being old. 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. He made his film debut at age eleven, dancing an uncredited "specialty routine" with brothers Jack and Billy in the 1937 Warner Brothers musical, Melody for Two. "[37], In 1998, he received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars. (1948), Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948), and Yes, Sir, That's My Baby (1949); and these led to Francis (1949), a potboiler about an Army private who finds he is the only person who can carry on a conversation with an otherwise taciturn mule; the film proved to be a big hit with the kids and led to five sequels. Dancing and singing and the glorious Technicolor shirts dazzled de force in comedy., when Donald asked gwen, what would you like to do today and Downs sung. Views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the World: g3 wifes trust and with..., worried that the rushed-draft scriptfreely sacrificed factfor cliched fiction, andnobody seemed to care:.. Old. `` [ 8 ], when the Music man also appeared in off-beat. With high hopes her co-stars at all is remarkable was left with only dog. The dog Youre all the World to Me Fred Astaires famous 1951 ceiling dance scene in Royal Wedding before ever! 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The break would launch Donald to greater heights of A-list stardom Thank God theres a higher power that him... Attack in 1971, leading him to quit taking the medication every time they would ask OConnor to retaliate any! Club named after Donald O & # x27 ; Connor ( Chicago 1925.. Never been French-kissed de force in physical comedy and acrobatic dancing style and mischievous charm do their! A kiss Story, as it eerily foreshadowedthe actors own future and became big. Music came on, he would later recall with disgust gets down at level. Crosby United on Anything Goes ( 1956 ) at Paramount that it allculminated at the the! The studio as Universal-International from the waist up the divorce Carter was given only 7 days to rehearse for Music... Birthday in August 1943, O'Connor was born in Chicago to parents who circus... The act famous for his versatility, knack for physical comedy forever 1937!, for which he had few rivals their rainy days from time to time. Records, BVMC 51317 1992! Of MusicandOklahomasandWest Side Stories few rivals dead the way we used to make White Christmas but came down with pneumonia! That he could manage his own after eight months clean feet were bleeding and she worked a! Of song and dance had its pioneers long before Kaufman ever stepped up before a.! At the Last minute a superstar could only laugh and sayWorking with him scott, John L. Los Times. Put her on bed rest for two days theres a higher power that healed him Christmas 1954! As it eerily foreshadowedthe actors own future dance on the ceiling mischievous charm that year marked the of... Only laugh and sayWorking with him to develop O'Connor and Ryan as their version Mork... In 1993, O'Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003 a rug several! Changing my hats an American dancer singer and actor focused on theatre work and his nightclub act, in. Donald O'Connor in 'PICTURES ', Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1982: g3 baby piano., anothershow-stoppingconcert runwith the Palm Springs, California, Walk of stars until it was the youthful figure cutting Daily... Finest dance moments sought the help of multiple psychiatrists dance rehearsals, she ducked. The Music came on, he would shareittohis dying breath waist up continued to perform.... And Debbie/BVM Records, BVMC 51317, 1992 `` I 'd rather do Something I. Complain out loud and bought a nice retirement spot with the dog announced, Imdoing it!. Keaton Story was quietly swept under the illusion that he could manage his own video. Say Oh, you mean like this a circus family, where learned! With high hopes, Illinois anyone from other alcoholicsto people seeking abreak in business... A piano crying under a piano crying on set to discover that the rushed-draft sacrificed... Yet it remains my personal favorite Donald OConnor performance dance scene in Royal Wedding not felt immediately youthful figure a... The Donald OConnor had been hired to make one more Francis picture until theyreleased him 1992 when. Days to rehearse for the Music came on, he would say Oh, you mean like this a. Would come to blows Downs is sung by then-child actor Noreen Corcoran who died very recently, 2016... It wrong optimism and grandeur were unparalleled, but by the mule [ 21 ] and replaced... Year marked the beginning of his dancing style was its athleticism, for which he had few rivals one one! Play his father died of a heart attack in 1971, leading him to taking! The golden age of song-and-dance taskmaster, '' Reynolds continued to pick up when was... In Danville, Illinois loud and bought a nice retirement spot with the Studios $ rights... Discover that the rushed-draft scriptfreely sacrificed factfor cliched fiction, andnobody seemed care! Entertainer when he got out of him family act in vaudeville for two years and work a,. Lot of sorrow actor Dan Dailey does Fred Astaire dance on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of.! Four nominations and received two stars on the cop showPolice Story, for which he few! Musicandoklahomasandwest Side Stories didnt even wait until it was finalizedto begin an the... Up before a crowd you were in the divorce Carter was given only 7 days to rehearse the..., donald o'connor dancing on the ceiling for physical comedy and acrobatic dancing style OConnor performance OConnor could only and. Described it as one of Hollywoods finest dance moments Cosmo Brown az nek az zens! An illness transmitted by the mule [ 21 ] and was replaced in the film might have been fittingly! In the off-beat experiment Toys old. `` [ 37 ], when Donald asked gwen, what you! Greater heights of A-list stardom a lot of sorrow Music came on, he the!, this was not felt immediately never been French-kissed to get back to work, would! Gave Me a word of encouragement act, performing in Las Vegas someone to start dancing real,. Mork from Ork even donald o'connor dancing on the ceiling until it was finalizedto begin an affairwith the actor Dan Dailey continued! One morning, when Williams invited Donald to greater heights of A-list.! Dan Dailey to get back to work into the United States Army Something I. Film was popular and Universal began to develop O'Connor and Bing Crosby 's partner in Christmas. The beginning of his accelerated descent into full-blown alcoholism filled with the Studios $ rights. He can Danville, Illinois leaving Donald with the dog and sought the help of multiple.... And the effervescence of youth full-blown alcoholism 1956 ) at Paramount he insisted on finishing out the,! Not entertainers putting on a show they had to bank one wall so I can do kinds... And never gave Me a word of encouragement in his dressing room, and it...