Donald O’Connor was a talented and versatile entertainer who starred in many films, musicals, and television shows. He is best remembered for his comedic and acrobatic performance in the classic movie Singin’ in the Rain (1952), where he sang and danced to the song “Make ‘Em Laugh”. He also appeared in a series of popular comedies with Francis the Talking Mule, and won an Emmy Award for his work on The Colgate Comedy Hour. But how did Donald O’Connor die? What was his cause of death? And what legacy did he leave behind? In this article, we will explore these questions and more.
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Early Life and Career
Donald O’Connor was born on August 28, 1925, in Chicago, Illinois, to a family of circus performers and vaudevillians. He joined his family’s act when he was an infant, and learned to dance, sing, play comedy, and even do slapstick. He made his film debut at age 11 in a dancing scene with two of his brothers in Melody for Two (1937). He then signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, where he played adolescent roles in several films, including Huckleberry Finn in Tom Sawyer – Detective (1938) and Bing Crosby’s kid brother in Sing You Sinners (1938). He later said that Sing You Sinners was one of his favorite roles.
O’Connor’s career was interrupted by World War II, where he served in the Army Air Forces as a glider pilot. After the war, he resumed his film career with Universal Pictures, where he starred in a series of musicals and comedies. He co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule in several films, such as Never a Dull Moment (1943), Mister Big (1943), and Francis Goes to the Races (1951). He also appeared in some serious dramas, such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and A Lion Is in the Streets (1953).
Singin’ in the Rain and Other Musicals
O’Connor’s most famous role came in 1952, when he starred alongside Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singin’ in the Rain, a musical comedy that satirized Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound films. O’Connor played Cosmo Brown, Kelly’s best friend and sidekick, who helped him cope with the challenges of the new era. O’Connor’s performance was praised by critics and audiences alike, especially for his solo number “Make ‘Em Laugh”, where he danced with a prop dummy and performed various stunts and gags. He later said that he improvised most of the routine based on what made the crew laugh. He also said that he smoked four packs of cigarettes a day at the time, which made the physical exertion even harder. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Comedy or Musical for his role.
O’Connor continued to star in musicals throughout the 1950s, such as Call Me Madam (1953), Anything Goes (1956), and There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), where he co-starred with Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, and Mitzi Gaynor. He also reprised his role as Cosmo Brown in a 1955 television special called The Best of Broadway: Singin’ in the Rain. However, he also faced some challenges in his career, such as being typecast as a song-and-dance man and having difficulty finding dramatic parts. He also quit the Francis series in 1955, saying that he was tired of being overshadowed by a mule.
Television and Later Years
O’Connor also had some success on television, where he hosted his own variety show called The Donald O’Connor Texaco Show from 1954 to 1955. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on The Colgate Comedy Hour in 1954. He also appeared as a guest star on many shows, such as The Lucy Show (1966), The Love Boat (1979), The Golden Girls (1988), and Tales from the Crypt (1992). He also lent his voice to animated films and shows, such as The Biscuit Eater (1972), Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977), Alice in Wonderland (1985), and The Chipmunk Adventure (1987).
O’Connor’s last film appearance was in Toys (1992), where he played Robin Williams’ father. He also performed on stage until the late 1990s, appearing in shows such as Sugar Babies (1979), Bring Back Birdie (1981), Little Me (1982), Show Boat (1994), and Out to Sea (1997). He received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for his film work and one for his television work. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Comedy Awards in 1997.
Cause of Death and Legacy
O’Connor died of heart failure on September 27, 2003, at a retirement home in Calabasas, California. He was 78 years old. He had been in declining health for several years, suffering from pneumonia, diabetes, and multiple heart attacks. He was survived by his wife, Gloria Noble, whom he married in 1956, and his four children, Donna, Fred, Alicia, and Kevin. His daughter Alicia said that among his last words was the following joke: “I’d like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get.”
O’Connor’s death was mourned by many of his fans and colleagues, who remembered him as a talented and charming entertainer. Debbie Reynolds said that he was “a wonderful man and a great dancer”. Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, said that he was “one of the true greats of musical cinema”. The American Film Institute ranked Singin’ in the Rain as the 10th greatest American movie of all time, and O’Connor’s “Make ‘Em Laugh” number as the 49th greatest movie song of all time.
O’Connor’s legacy lives on through his films, musicals, and television shows, which continue to entertain and inspire generations of viewers. He is widely regarded as one of the best comedic and acrobatic dancers in Hollywood history, and one of the most versatile and likable performers of his era. He once said: “I always thought I was a singer who could dance a little bit. I never considered myself a dancer.” But he was much more than that. He was a star who could make ’em laugh.
