ACTOR · BORN 1925 · DIED 2003

Donald O'Connor

Born: 28 August 1925, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died: 27 September 2003
Known for: Singin' in the Rain (1952), Toys (1992), Ragtime (1981), Alice in Wonderland (1985)

20 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Donald O'Connor (28 August 1925 – 27 September 2003) was an actor best known for Singin' in the Rain, Toys and Ragtime.

Donald O'Connor over the years

20 Interesting Facts About Donald O'Connor

Interesting Facts (5)

#001
In 1994, Donald O'Connor and his wife, Gloria Noble, came close to death: at around four in the morning, just as he'd finished reading in bed, an earthquake struck and the house began to slide off its foundation, but luckily it caught on a large tree and stopped before rolling into a nearby canyon.
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#002
Within two years, Donald O'Connor played different characters in two adaptations of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland,' the Mock Turtle in 1983 and the Lory Bird in 1985.
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#003
Donald O'Connor was also a composer: the Brussels Symphony Orchestra recorded some of his works, and in 1956 he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in his first symphony, 'Reflections d'un comique.'
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#004
Donald O'Connor danced with Beverly Yissar (née Scherrer) when she was 5 or 6 and he was 10 or 11.
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#005
Donald O'Connor's biography appears in volume 7 (2003-2005) of 'The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives,' on pages 403-405.
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Behind the Scenes (1)

#006
Donald O'Connor reportedly didn't enjoy working with Gene Kelly on 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), seeing him as a tyrant on set, though their on-screen chemistry helped make the film unforgettable.
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Career & Awards (6)

#007
Donald O'Connor's energetic, acrobatic 'Make 'Em Laugh' number in 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952) was so physically demanding that it left him in bed for three days.
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#008
Donald O'Connor was set to co-star with Bing Crosby in 'White Christmas' (1954), but pneumonia forced him to drop out, and Danny Kaye took his place.
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#009
Donald O'Connor has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film at 1680 Vine Street and one for television at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
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#010
Donald O'Connor left Universal Pictures because he was tired of the studio casting him in 'overly polite boy' roles for almost his entire career, despite his many box office hits; it was a bittersweet parting from the studio where he'd spent most of his career, which threw him a small farewell party and gave him a camera and 14 films, but sadly his Hollywood film career ended soon after.
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#011
Donald O'Connor was actress Bonnie Franklin's acting mentor early in her career.
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#012
Donald O'Connor made seven films with Peggy Ryan: 'Private Buckaroo' (1942), 'Get Hep to Love' (1942), 'Top Man' (1943), 'Bowery to Broadway' (1944), 'Chip Off the Old Block' (1944), 'The Merry Monahans' (1944) and 'This Is the Life' (1944), showcases for their dancing and comedy.
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Life & Family (8)

#013
Donald O'Connor found it hard to pick a favorite film, but his favorite performance was in 'Call Me Madam' (1953), especially his dance in a garden with Vera-Ellen to 'It's a Lovely Day Today,' a beautiful, lyrical moment; apart from Peggy Ryan, he said, Vera-Ellen was the best partner he ever danced with.
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#014
In 2003, despite seriously failing health, Donald O'Connor attended Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival and the opening of the Judy Garland Museum, a sign of his devotion to film and his friends.
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#015
In 1998, Donald O'Connor joined The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, a revue for performers over 54, headlining with song and dance in eight shows a week; he fell seriously ill at the end of the season and couldn't perform, but after recovering he came back for the last four shows.
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#016
Donald O'Connor came from a vaudeville family: his father, John Edward 'Chuck' O'Connor, was an acrobat, a 'leaper' with the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus, and his mother, Effie, a bareback rider and dancer in the circus. Three of their seven children died in infancy, and the survivors went into show business; despite many deaths, including her husband's, his mother kept the family going until 1941 with help from relatives.
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#017
Donald O'Connor made his film debut at 12, performing a specialty number in 'Melody for Two' (1937) with his brothers Jack O'Connor and Billy O'Connor, but Billy died of scarlet fever a year or two later, a loss that deeply affected the family.
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#018
Donald O'Connor smoked four packs of cigarettes a day, a habit that damaged his health in later years.
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#019
Donald O'Connor was hospitalized with double pneumonia but recovered and returned to the stage.
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#020
Donald O'Connor had four children, Donna O'Connor, Alicia O'Conner, Donald Frederick O'Connor (born 1960) and Kevin O'Connor (born 1961), and was the uncle of Patsy O'Connor.
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Silver Linings Playbook — Donald O'Connor comes up in the facts on that page

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

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