Donald O'Connor
by Fred T. Beeman

A Minor Consideration notes the passing of legendary actor/singer/dancer/acrobat, Donald O'Connor, who died Saturday, September 27th, at age 78 of heart failure, in a Calabasas, California retirement home, according to his family. He was born Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor in Chicago.

Everyone else will mention "Singing in the Rain" (1952) and the six "Francis the Talking Mule" pictures (which he quit making, "because the mule was getting more fan mail"), but few will comment on the fact that Mr. O'Connor was in at least 19 movies, before he celebrated his 18th birthday. In fact, he once told interviewers that of all the characters he portrayed on the silver screen, his personal favorite was in the role of "Mike Beebe," the kid brother to Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray, in "Sing You Sinners" (1938), a picture he made at age 12. His credits as a child actor also include "Tom Sawyer - Detective" (1938), where he was cast in the role of Huckleberry Finn.

Although not the youngest actor to ever appear before the paying public, he was on the vaudeville stage with his performing family, just three days after his birth, on August 31, 1925. (He was born on August 28th and was the youngest of seven children, three of whom had previously died in infancy.) His "very protective" mother wanted him where she could keep an eye on him at all times, so he was placed in a makeshift cradle on a piano bench where his mother was seated. He never cried during any of the performances, which shows you what a "trouper" he was, back then! At age 13 months, he became eligible for a weekly paycheck (as part of the family vaudeville act) and was earning the incredible sum (for the times, and his age) of $25/week.

At just 13 months of age, his sister Arlene (age 6) and he were hit by a car. Donald survived and recovered fully, but his sister was killed. Thirteen weeks after that, his father succumbed to heart failure at age 47.

A very lengthy and detailed biography on Mr. O'Connor can be read online at: http://www.eviltwinltd.com/muppetlabs/oconnor/donald.htm. Much of the information for these few paragraphs was culled from that page.

Our deepest sympathies go out to his widow, Gloria, as well as his children (Donna, Alicia, Donald Frederick, and Kevin) and their families, who wanted it known that Mr. O'Connor left us with the following last words: "I'd like to thank The Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get."

We second that sentiment.