- published: 17 Feb 2007
- views: 26717
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 Cosmo Brown in Singin' in the Rain (1952).
Though he considered Danville, Illinois to be his home town, O’Connor was born in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Chicago. His parents, Effie Irene (née Crane) and John Edward "Chuck" O'Connor, were vaudeville entertainers. His father's family was from County Cork, Ireland. 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. Morris Simms.
Actors: Scout Tafoya (producer), Scout Tafoya (editor), Scout Tafoya (director), Scout Tafoya (writer), Morgan Gish (producer), Toby Venable (producer), Lina Pearson (actress), Rachel Thompson (producer), Jack Farrell (actor), Stephie Ulm (actress), Alex Heim (actress), Jill Steelman (producer), Patricia Steelman (producer), Ben Tafoya (producer), Dennis Tafoya (producer),
Plot: After the plague kills everyone they know, seven camp counselors quarantined themselves at the Quaker camp where they've spent every summer of their lives. Three months later, their sanity hangs by a thread. When something happens to upset the balance they've spent months establishing, they question their religious beliefs, their friendships and trust in each other, and whether there's something worse than the plague watching them from the woods.
Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery,Actors: Tirf Alexius (actor), Danny Glenn (actor), Rujanee Mahakanjana (editor), Rujanee Mahakanjana (producer), Rujanee Mahakanjana (writer), Rujanee Mahakanjana (director), Alex Kazhinsky (actor), Petrucia Finkler (actress), Denise Smolarek (actress), Stephanie Dzieglo (editor), Erik Deerly (composer), Fiey Lertsburapa (actor), Chutikorn Meanan (actor), Jennifer Eng (producer),
Plot: Practicing in psychotherapy in Chicago for 8 years, Mit Raitrakul, a psychologist who believes in a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, begins to have an unusual-yet -familiar dreamlike experience of parallel reality. He discovers himself in this other reality as a transvestite bathroom janitor working at an unknown train station, and running into familiar characters.
Genres: Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi,Actors: Bryan Royston (actor), Bryan Royston (actor), Michael Denk (composer), Michael Denk (actor), David M. Warner (actor), David M. Warner (miscellaneous crew), Alejandro C. Contreras (miscellaneous crew), Vance Hetherington (miscellaneous crew), Alejandro C. Contreras (writer), Vance Hetherington (actor), Aaron Williams (actor), Alejandro C. Contreras (producer), Michael Eauslin (actor), Michael Eauslin (actor), Paul Andrew O'Connor (actor),
Plot: A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Francis is now back home with his fiancé, Chloe. He experiences severe psychotic episodes and symptoms of dissociation, and as a result is treated with electroshock therapy. During his treatment, he experiences fragments of his past through the eyes of his alter ego Michael Wolf (Paul O'Connor). In these hallucinations, Michael has a conflict with his father, is reacquainted with his buddies, and must fight for the well-being of his friends and his love, Chloe. As the treatment continues, Francis' fantasy begins to loop, although the situations and characters become progressively darker and grittier. Francis awakens at the end of his electroshock therapy. However, he remains forever lost in the world of his alter-ego Michael Wolf.
Keywords: independent-film, multiple-personality, psychosis, ptsd, war-in-afghanistan, wisconsinActors: Noni Buencamino (actor), Ara Mina (actress), Coco Martin (actor), Joem Bascon (actor), Sid Lucero (actor), Smokey Manaloto (actor), Andoy Ranay (director), Jodi Sta. Maria (actress), Ina Feleo (actress), Arlene Muhlach (actress), Roxanne Guinoo (actress), Erich Gonzales (actress), Chokoleit (actor), Carla Humphries (actress), Marc Abaya (actor),
Genres: Drama,Actors: Austin Nordell (producer), Austin Nordell (editor), Austin Nordell (director), Brenton Covington (actor), Jose Rosete (actor), Austin Nordell (writer), Kimber Leigh (actress), Kimber Leigh (producer), Aaron Burckle (actor), Patrick Adam (actor), Klor Rowland (actor), Eric Zaklukiewicz (actor), Gloria Jean Robertson (actress), Douglas L. Cook (actor), Caitlin Thompson (actress),
Genres: Comedy, Short,Actors: Jim Turner (actor), Daryl Haney (actor), Mason Adams (actor), Daryl Haney (writer), Daryl Haney (producer), Wings Hauser (actor), Juliet Landau (actress), Barbara Pilavin (actress), Billy Maddox (actor), Harry Bromley Davenport (producer), Harry Bromley Davenport (director), Harry Bromley Davenport (actor), Lionel Mark Smith (actor), Kieran Mulroney (actor), Bette Ford (actress),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Shravan Rathod (composer), Anjan Srivastav (actor), Raveena Tandon (actress), Ajay Devgn (actor), Ramesh Goyal (actor), Deep Dhillon (actor), Babbanlal Yadav (actor), Shafi Inamdar (actor), Satyendra Kapoor (actor), Shakti Kapoor (actor), Alok Nath (actor), Amrish Puri (actor), Dinesh Hingoo (actor), Raju Khan (miscellaneous crew), Nadeem Saifi (composer),
Plot: Prashant Verma works as a reporter with "Navkranti", which is owned and operated by Pandey. Everyday Prashant witnesses the regression within Bombay city, and watches silently and helplessly as gangsters take over the lives of ordinary citizens, with the police force - which is now synonymous with oppression itself, and a protector of the rights of criminals, gangsters who have links to politicians - being nothing but a mere paper tigers. One day he witnesses a murder of a drunk named Monto, which is written off as an accident by the police and the file is closed. He decides that he has had enough of being a by-stander, he approaches Police Commissioner Anand Deshmukh, and informs him of that he knows that Bharat Acharya has killed Monto. Thereafter, Prashant's orderly middle-classed life is turned upside down - he loses his job; his sister, Shalini is abducted, raped, traumatized to such an extent that she becomes numb with shock and subsequently kills herself. And now a shattered and devastated Prashant must decide to avenge this or re-locate to another city and try to put his life together again. But will the forces of oppression, headed by Tau and the police itself permit Prashant to lead a normal life ever again?
Genres: Action,Actors: Odette Khan (actress), Dexter Doria (actress), Suzanne Gonzales (actress), Rosemarie Gil (actress), Liz Alindogan (actress), Augusto Victa (actor), Gloria Diaz (actress), Tommy Abuel (actor), Manjo del Mundo (actor), Ronaldo Valdez (actor), Ramon D'Salva (actor), Ernie Ortega (actor), Eddie Arenas (actor), Johnny Vicar (actor), Maria Isabel Lopez (actress),
Genres: Drama, Romance,Actors: Mireille Darc (actress), Anouk Ferjac (actress), Renée Saint-Cyr (actress), Jacqueline Doyen (actress), Amidou (actor), Henri Garcin (actor), Micheline Luccioni (actress), Maurice Biraud (actor), Marcel Gassouk (actor), André Pousse (actor), Paul Préboist (actor), Jean Luisi (actor), Henri Cogan (actor), Dominique Zardi (actor), Michel Audiard (writer),
Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama,Actors: Carl Laemmle (miscellaneous crew), King Baggot (actor), Edmund Breese (actor), John Harron (actor), Wilbur Mack (actor), John Wray (actor), Betty Compson (actress), Gene Towne (writer), Gene Towne (writer), Heinz Roemheld (composer), William James Craft (director), Claud Allister (actor), Harry W. Lieb (editor),
Genres: Crime, Drama,The truthful soldier Stirling didn't know how to lie about his source of information, the talking army Mule, Francis, so he was treated as a lunatic and led to one after another hilarious situations, where the mule was the only one that appeared in his right mind. In the process of all this, the mule assisted in uncovering a spy, Mareen, who pretended to be lost among the jungles, but was actually... This is a perfect family film, even amusing to the adults. If people all have enough sense as this talking mule does, the world will be a much better place than its present condition.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042477/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl The film dramatizes about a dozen vignettes from the life of St. Francis and his early followers - starting with their return in the rain to Rivotorlo from Rome when the Pope blessed their Rule and ending with their dispersal to preach. The unconnected chapters are like parables, some with a moral. The slight and comic Ginepro returns naked to St. Mary's of the Angels, having given away his tunic, but not his ricotta. The aged Giovanni shouts and holds onto his cape; the beatific St. Clair pays a visit. Humble Francis doubts his leadership, hugs a leper, and sends his brothers spinning, dizzy, and smiling into the world. This brotherhood is infused with whimsy as well as belief.
Francis is a 1950 American black-and-white comedy film from Universal-International that launched the Francis the Talking Mule film series. Francis is produced by Robert Arthur, directed by Arthur Lubin, and stars Donald O'Connor. The distinctive voice of Francis is a voice-over by actor Chill Wills. Six Francis sequels from Universal-International followed this first effort. During World War II, a junior American Army officer, Lt. Peter Stirling, gets sent to the psychiatric ward whenever he insists that an Army mule named Francis speaks to him. Directed by Arthur Lubin Produced by Robert Arthur Written by David Stern III Dorothy Reid uncredited Based on the novel by David Stern Starring: Donald O'Connor, Patricia Medina Cinematography Irving Glassberg Distributed by.Universal-Internatio...
.
.
My review of Roberto Rossellini's staggeringly beautiful and poetic study of Franciscan values, The Flowers of St. Francis.
Captured from 8mm film that was recorded in 1952, 1953, 1954. Located on George Lake This camp is now called Camp House. It was once owned by the Duluth Missabe and Northern Railway Employee Association. Used as a camp for children of railroad employees. This film captures portions of one family and their repeated trips to Camp House during the 1950's. It is now owned and operated by Green Lake Lutheran Ministries. Their web site is gilm.org.
Here is a clip from the original American release prologue to Roberto Rossellini's "Flowers of St Francis" (Francesco, giullare di Dio). This non-Rossellini prologue placed the film in a historical context through frescoes and paintings by Giotto and others. One review of Rossellini's film: “The most beautiful film in the world.” – François Truffaut
The final scene of Roberto Rossellini's reading of the life of St. Francis.
The film dramatizes about a dozen vignettes from the life of St. Francis and his early followers - starting with their return in the rain to Rivotorlo from Rome when the Pope blessed their Rule and ending with their dispersal to preach. The unconnected chapters are like parables, some with a moral. The slight and comic Ginepro returns naked to St. Mary's of the Angels, having given away his tunic, but not his ricotta. The aged Giovanni shouts and holds onto his cape; the beatific St. Clair pays a visit. Humble Francis doubts his leadership, hugs a leper, and sends his brothers spinning, dizzy, and smiling into the world. This brotherhood is infused with whimsy as well as belief.
Gene Kelly & Donald O'Connor do a "sit-down" dance medley on a Gene Kelly TV special from 1959.
In this Gene Kelly TV Special, Donald O'Connor performs a version of his famous "Make 'em Laugh" dance number from 1952's "Singin' in the Rain". The only thing is, it's a different song! (This time called, "Smile, Darn You, Smile"). Also featured is Hal Smith (later "Otis the drunk" from The Andy Griffith Show). First broadcast November 21, 1959.
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American musical comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. It offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to "talkies." The film was only a modest hit when first released, with Donald O'Connor's win at the Golden Globe Awards, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's win for their screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards, and Jean Hagen's nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress being the only major recognitions it received. However, it has been accorded legendary status by contemporary critics, and is frequently regarded as the best movie musical eve...
From a recently surfaced 1080p High-Definition digital transfer of Singin' in the Rain (1952). Let's hope Warner decides to release a restored version of this transfer on Blu-Ray (& DVD) for the film's upcoming 60th anniversary! "Make 'Em Laugh" (1948) Note: The melody of Cole Porter's "Be a Clown" (1948), first heard in Kelly's film, The Pirate, was "borrowed"/sampled without permission for this song. ~~~~~ Music by Nacio Herb Brown Lyrics by Arthur Freed Sung and Danced by Donald O'Connor ~~~~~~~~~~Lyrics~~~~~~~~~~ Though the world is so full of a number things, I know we should all be as happy as But are we? No, definitely no, positively no. Decidedly no. Mm mm. Short people have long faces and Long people have short faces. Big people have little humor And little people have no humo...
Judy and Donald sing a medley of songs they are famous for (except not really), and hilariously make fun of Jeanette Macdonald and Nelson Eddy.
"And I Love You So," sung by Howard Keel. Donald O'Connor sang this number at the end of his live performances in the 1970's, as a sort of love song to his audience.
Legenday Rita Moreno brings down the house when a discussion of SINGIN IN THE RAIN co-star Donald O'Connor takes an unexpected turn. Live at San Francisco's Castro Theatre 3/15/14 Interviewer/producer Marc Huestis• Camera - Greg Cruikshank
What chance have you with love when you fall for an honest-to-goodness princess? Singing, dancing and... cracking the balloons seem to be the best remedy for a broken heart... From Call Me Madam (1953)
Donald O'Connor in a roller-skating routine two years before Gene Kelly attempted a similar one. The song 'Life Has Its Funny Ups and Downs' is sung by Noreen Corcoran
***Please read*** As a biography, this movie is a major disappointment. The script is wildly inaccurate and has several holes. As an example of Donald O'Connor's dramatic acting, however, it's four star. The struggles portrayed by his character mimic Donald's own future struggles (which he overcame), making his performance even more stunning.
Donald O'Connor And Gloria De Haven Star In 'Yes Sir Thats My Baby' (1949)
The Joe Franklin Show guest Donald O'Connor
Colgate Comedy Hour" with Donald O'Connor. Original broadcast date: February 23, 1952. An episode of "The Colgate Comedy Hour"with this week's host; Donald O'Connor. Guest include Kay Starr, and Ben Blue
Originally aired Jan 21, 1967. This program features: - Donald O'Connor: "Walking Happy" - Sid Caesar (comedian) - Shari Lewis (singer-ventriloquist) and Lambchop: sings "Fred Astaire" - Don Ho: Pearly Shells" & "Tiny Bubbles" - Ted Lewis (singer): "A Million Wonderful Songs" - Donald O'Connor and Ted Lewis: "Me and My Shadow" - Marilyn Maye (singer): "Cabaret" & "You're Gonna Hear from Me" - Bob Melvin (comedian) - Rudy Cardenas (juggler) - Comedy sketch: On a muddy, rainy day, Sid Caesar finds himself inundated by a horde of visitors wanting to see his new white carpet.
WTXF-DT4 Allentown/Philadelphia (UHF Channel 38) A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production Courtesy: FremantleMedia North America Episode #465 Original Air Date: May 10, 1961 Watch I've Got a Secret on BUZZR! Weekdays at 3:20 PM Weeknights at 3:20 AM and 5:20 AM Saturdays at 12:20 PM and 2:20 PM Visit buzzrplay.com for more information.
In this 2002 interview screen legend Donald O'Connor discusses one of his most famous films, Singin' in the Rain made in 1952.
No Business Like Show Business. Larry King Show 2001
Rare interview clip with Donald O'Connor, recalling Singin' in the Rain and "Moses Supposes."
Debbie & Donnie discuss working with Gene Kelly making SIngin' In The Rain
HD please! In this rare interview clip, Donald O'Connor recalls working with Gene Kelly on the "Fit as a Fiddle" number.
Rare and brilliant clip from the Bell Telephone Hour. The original version was out of synch and uploaded by fellow O'Connorite wasittoyou (PLEASE check out her channel, she was also a tap student of Louis Dapron and has lots of rare material): https://www.youtube.com/user/wasittoyou Enjoy the clip, now with matching video and audio! "Donald, come back here!" "I thought I was finished!"
Hollywood Backstage - Donald O'Connor and Irene Ryan Beverly Hillbillies granny speaks with Donald O'Connor about the old days of vaudeville.
Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor present Lionel Richie the Oscar for Original Song for "Say You, Say Me" from White Nights at the 58th Annual Academy Awards. See more 1986 Oscar highlights: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ8RjvesnvDP4JBpSocqX2Hr2krRXVP1f Become an Oscar Insider: http://www.oscars.org/insider/ Check out our Academy Originals: https://www.youtube.com/user/AcademyOriginals ABOUT THE ACADEMY The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards—in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners¬—the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public program...
Actress Debbie Reynolds talks about her role in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, and the creative forces both behind and in front of the camera. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN ranks #5 on AFI's list of 100 Greatest Films, was directed by Stanley Donen and stars Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Jean Hagen. Connect with us: http://www.facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute http://www.facebook.com/AFIFEST @AmericanFilm @AFIFest http://afi-afifest.tumblr.com/
(Song of gratitude to St. Francis of Assisi)
My patron saint's a man who went
from town to town and paid no rent
The things he owned besides his soul
were shoes a gown and a begging bowl.
What struck me first when I was young
was how he never got bit or stung
though bears and snakes he did befriend
real bears and snakes not just pretend.
I knew this wasn't easy stuff
because I tried it myself enough
but bears and snakes they ran from me
though dogs and cats came willingly.
Deep within the wooded calm
he sang a song a simple psalm
";Make me an instrument of thy peace
Let love be sown and hatred cease";.Now me I live beyond my means
in the city of lost and broken dreams
with too many pairs of shoes
that take me round and round the blues.
And the price of things is never low
or else it isn't worth the go
and taking time turns out to give
the time it takes to really live.
You may not know who you are
until you get hit by a star
like I did and lived to say
it happened on my saint's feast day.
So I'm still here where I belong
and many years have come and gone
since that dance, since that kiss, Francis