Donald O'Connor performs "Make 'em Laugh," a hilarious number from "Singing in the Rain," the 1952 musical. Chicago Daily Tribune 20 Apr 1952: e2. Movie bred, he has the versatility of a Jimmy Durante and the effervescence of youth. Rising to take its place werethe spontaneous musicals, the Sounds of MusicandOklahomasandWest Side Stories. Screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green recall that before shooting had started, they had "painfully wedged into the script as a cheering-up song" for Donald O'Connor the Freed/Brown song "The Wedding of the Painted Doll",[6] but during filming, Freed realized that O'Connor needed a better number, but could not find anything suitable for his character within his collection. He said he went on the road "about 32 weeks a year. God bless you. All credits and goes to Warner Bros and the movie Singin in the RainDonald OConnor performing the worlds greatest dance act. I've heard laughter and applause and known a lot of sorrow. He was born for it. Quite simple to do rather spectacular., OConnors work in the film has fallen into Kellys shadow over the years,but the critics favored him at the time, andhe stole theGolden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy right from under Kellys nose. Revivals are so popular now. Kelly particularly liked the "gurning" (making faces) O'Connor could do. However, the art of song and dance had its pioneers long before Kaufman ever stepped up before a crowd. Entdecke 1976 Pressefoto Schauspieler Donald O'Connor auf "Police Story" - mjb25238 in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! It was just a fact. Mark Steyn has described it as the essence of entertainment, adding Its only purpose is to delight. He starred in Are You with It? [37], O'Connor continued to make film and television appearances into the 1990s, including the Robin Williams film Toys (1992) as the president of a toy-making company. Country Living editors select each product featured. "I said, 'Sure, any time.' Be v, Free installation support is included both with User and De, Which of the Following Best Describes the Nitrogen Cycle, An Internet Connection Is Not Necessary for Participating in E-commerce, Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Ending Explained, Principles of Medication Administration and Medication Safety Quizlet. O'Connor was unavailable because he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule[21] and was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye. The dancing and singing and the glorious Technicolor shirts dazzled. Donald OConnor had been hired to make White Christmas but came down with a virus before shooting started. created 26 Mar 2021. Arthur Freed. He trained hard with Keaton and threw himself into the role with perhaps even more dedication than usual, literally risking his life to recreate some of Keatons most daring stunts. O'Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003. Characters were ordinary people expressing their feelings, not entertainers putting on a show. 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. DONALD O'CONNOR IN 'PICTURES', Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1982: g3. He instantly picks it up and embraces her with a kiss. 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). - Calabasas, 2003. szeptember 27.) And that was always his intent with Debbie, and she worked like a trouper and became a big star.". 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. a list of 42 titles. Here-married in 1956, to Gloria Noble. Noble died in 2013. He also performed a number of cameo roles on film, among them as the vaudevillian and dance instructor in the film Ragtime (1981 and the dreamy-eyed toy manufacturer in Robin Williams' film, Toys (1992). He created the Donald O'Connor Alcoholism Counseling Scholarship. [33], He guest-starred on episodes of The Girl with Something Extra, Ellery Queen, The Bionic Woman, Police Story, and Hunter.[34]. Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, "Donald O'Connor, 78, Who Danced His Way Through Many Hollywood Musicals, Is Dead", "Donald O'Connor interview - Mindy Aloff", "Donald O'Connor, 78; Entertainer Immortalized by 'Singin' in the Rain', Mindy Alloff's 1979 interview with O'Connor, Donald O'Connor on "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (1951-54), Donald O'Connor on "Texaco Star Theater" (1954-55), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donald_O%27Connor&oldid=1138222779, Won - 1954 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Male Star of Regular Series (for, Earned - 1960, Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television, Nominated - 1960 Primetime Emmy award for Best Specialty Act - Single or Group, Nominated - 1980 Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Individual Achievement - Special Events (52nd Annual Academy Awards (1980)), This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 16:33. With a happy second marriage and a growing new family, it seemed that he had landed on his feet. Universal added $50,000 to the budget and elevated the "B" movie to "A" status.[10]. Apparently, the scene was so physically distressing for the actor, he retired to a hospital bed for three whole days in order to recover from it (via IMDb). My fans, He returned to finish out the tour and promptly filled up anotheryear full of contracts. [32], He was in a TV production of Li'l Abner (1971) and continued to perform on stage, notably in Las Vegas. The item was OConnors personal Bible. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The New York Times, 17 June 1953: 32. 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. [18] He maintained he was forced to go to the hospital during the film's production due to injuries and exhaustion. Video unavailable Watch on YouTube Watch on The "Broadway Melody Ballet" from Singin' in the Rain (1952). 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. Upon O'Connor's return from military service Universal did not know what to do with their young star. Click to see full answer. Amazingly, he continued to work into the 70s, to increasingly shrinking audiences. [6], O'Connor was reluctant to keep making Francis films but agreed to Francis in the Navy (1955). All the while, O'Connor frantically belts his heart out, delivering a supercharged ditty without missing a single note. Zylstra, Freida. Watch, itll be marvelous. "The scene was building to such a crescendo, I thought I'd actually have to kill myself," said O'Connor. "I could do those wings and stuff and I looked very good, but my heavens it was very, very hard for me to pick up on pick up steps. Songwriter and MGM "Freed unit" producer Arthur Freed used his own library of songs written with Nacio Herb Brown as the basis for the musical film Singin' in the Rain. If you're not sweating, you're not doing it right. "I'm an illusionista trickster who quick chances before your eyes," he admitted in 1992. I ran around frantic, yelling for some Coca-Cola to cleanse my mouth. O'Connor was a regular host of NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour. The following year he was in I Ought to Be in Pictures in Los Angeles.[35]. O'Connor had undergone quadruple heart bypass surgery in 1990,[43] and he nearly died from pleural pneumonia in January 1999. The sequencefeaturesO'Connor as the prime subject with very few auxiliary performers contributing to the spectacle. But Donald bore it with perpetual good humor. By the end, Reynolds' feet were bleeding and she could barely move. The New York Times, 10 Oct 1956: 46. Not only did Kelly disparage Reynolds with harsh remarks, he also subjected her to unwanted sexual advances during their characters' first kiss, according to Unthinkable. Each borrowed motifs from the other to create their iconic synchronized routine Moses Supposes. But working with Kelly had its tense moments. 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. (Candid footage of the reception shows OConnor surreptitiously piling an extra slice of cake on the boys plate.) So, when the music came on, he made it up and the dance flowed out of him. [30], In 1968, O'Connor hosted a syndicated talk show also called The Donald O'Connor Show. The late Roger Ebertonce deemed it "one of the most amazing dance sequences ever filmed," and true to form also described it as "breathtaking.". So I can do straight comedy without the song and dance; I can do all kinds of combinations. Gene took me tightly in his arms . "[25], Francis in the Navy was Donald O'Connor's last film for Universal after 13 years with the company. His ownballet training was perfectly complemented by OConnors raw hoofing talent. But one couple discovered a different kind of treasure. 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. The couple divorced in 1954. He died from complications of heart failure on September 27, 2003, at age 78 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, in Woodland Hills, California. The Washington Post 14 Mar 1993: AA16. Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 15 Aug 1966: c21. Andhisacting career seemed to be getting a second wind whenhewas approached for the title role in a biopic of silent screen legend Buster Keaton. Both the O'Connors struggled to remember where and when exactly Donald was born, due to the family's extensive travel. Dancing in the Rain. His succinct answer:No. (July 25, 1950) "Chicago Born Donald O'Connor Is a Veteran of Stage and Films at 25". 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). Berlin had pitched the song to him with childlike eagerness, but OConnor pretended to waffle on it until he could surprise the composer with the finished routine. Here he is unfolding the secrets of theclog step with the greatBuddy Ebsen. I had to play straight in order to convince the audience that the mule could talk."[14]. Effie also stopped O'Connor from learning hazardous dance routines, and made sure she always knew where he was when he wasn't performing. But OConnor recalled that Williams was very sweet and sent him a small leather-bound copy of the script, with a note sayinghow much he enjoyed having Donald play his father. Donald O'Connor Billed at Sahara Like an old show-horse breaking out of his stall to get back to work, he couldnt stop performing. He was filled with the wonderment of life, and he would shareittohis dying breath. 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. Nevertheless, Donald O'Connor'ssacrifice for "Make 'Em Laugh" turned out to be warranted. "[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. He insisted on finishing out the night, but by the next morning, he couldnt leave his bed. O'Connor appeared in the short-lived Bring Back Birdie on Broadway in 1981. 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. 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. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule . (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. At home, his wife Gloria recalled him asan absolute terror to live with at that time, his personality changing in seconds under the influence. 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. Brady, James. "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. In the divorce Carter was given ownership of their home and custody of their daughter. He maintained his high standards of excellence through the 60s, as evidenced in some rare clips thathave surfaced on Youtube. 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. OConnors terse retort: Many people who love me protected me. I loved Fred and Ginger. ", 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. 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