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Edmond O'Brien 1915 - 1985

Edmond O'Brien was born on September 10, 1915 in Kings County, New York United States. He was married to Olga San Juan, and died at age 69 years old on May 9, 1985 in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, CA. Edmond O'Brien was buried at Holy Cross Mortuary 5835 W. Slauson Ave, in Culver City. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Edmond O'Brien.

Edmond O'Brien

September 10, 1915

Kings County, New York, United States

May 9, 1985

Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California, United States

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Edmond O'Brien Edmond O'Brien (1915 - 1985)

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Edmond O'Brien's History: 1915 - 1985

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Introduction

Edmond O'Brien Born September 10, 1915 in New York City, New York, USA Died May 9, 1985 in Inglewood, California, USA (Alzheimer's disease) Birth Name Eamon Joseph O'Brien Nickname Eddy Height 5' 9" (1.75 m) Mini Bio (1) Oscar-winner Edmond O'Brien was one of the most-respected character actors in American cinema, from his heyday of the mid-1940s through the late 1960s. Born on September 10, 1915, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, O'Brien learned the craft of performance as a magician, reportedly tutored by neighbor Harry Houdini. He took part in student theatrics in high school and majored in drama at Fordham University, dropping out after six months. He made his Broadway debut at the age of 21 in 1936 and, later that year, played "The Gravedigger" in the great Shakespearean actor John Gielgud's legendary production of "Hamlet". Four years later, he would play 'Mercutio' to the 'Romeo' of another legendary Shakespearean, Laurence Olivier, in Olivier's 1940 Brodway production of "Romeo & Juliet". O'Brien worked with another magician, Orson Welles, in the Mercury Theater's production of "Julius Caesar", appearing as 'Mark Antony'. He would later play 'Casca' in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film of the play, Julius Caesar (1953). Although it has been stated that he made his debut as an uncredited extra in the 1938 film, Prison Break (1938), the truth is that his stage work impressed RKO boss Pandro S. Berman, who brought him to Hollywood to appear in the plum supporting part of 'Gringoire' in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), which starred Charles Laughton in the title role. After returning from his wartime service with the Army Air Force, O'Brien built up a distinguished career as a supporting actor in A-list films, and as an occasional character lead, such as in D.O.A. (1949). O'Brien won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and also received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as a drunken senator who ferrets out an attempted coup d'etat in Seven Days in May (1964). He also appeared as crusty old-timer 'Freddy Sykes', who antagonizes Ben Johnson's character 'Tector Gorch' in director Sam Peckinpah's classic Western, The Wild Bunch (1969). Increasingly, O'Brien appeared on television in the 1960s and '70s, but managed a turn in his old boss Welles' unfinished film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018). He married and divorced actresses Nancy Kelly and Olga San Juan, the latter being the mother of his three children, including actors Maria O'Brien and Brendan O'Brien. He died in May of 1985 in Inglewood, California, of Alzheimer's Disease and was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Spouse (2) Olga San Juan (26 September 1948 - 1976) ( divorced) ( 3 children) Nancy Kelly (19 February 1941 - 2 February 1942) ( divorced) Trade Mark (2) Deep, rich voice Inquisitive demeanor, was often cast as writers and/or reporters Father, with Olga San Juan, of actress Maria O'Brien, TV producer Bridget O'Brien Adelman and Brendan O'Brien. His production company, Tiger Productions, came from his childhood nickname, 'Tiger'. At the age of 10 he learned conjuring tricks from his neighbor, Harry Houdini. Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, CA. Specific Interment Location: F, T54, 50. Younger brother of Liam O'Brien. Recited works of William Shakespeare with Keith Moon at Sam Peckinpah's surprise birthday party. A German Shepherd aficionado. Father-in-law of Ingrid K. Behrens (wife of son Brendan O'Brien). Was cast in Black Christmas (1974) as Lt. Kenneth Fuller, but the part was recast with John Saxon because of O'Brien's poor health. He was rumored to be suffering from Alzheimers. O'Brien was originally cast as the photo-journalist Jackson Bentley (based on Lowell Thomas) in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). After O'Brien filmed several scenes, he suffered a heart attack and had to drop out of the picture. He was replaced by Arthur Kennedy. In an interview, director Don Siegel recalled that during the production of China Venture (1953), he noticed that O'Brien was spending more and more time in his trailer before a scene, and was beginning to arrive late for shooting, which he had never done before. Suspecting that O'Brien might be secretly drinking before he went on camera--an experience Siegel had undergone with several well-known actors he had worked with--the director peeked through the windows of O'Brien's trailer one day and was surprised to see a young man reading O'Brien's lines to him. It turned out that O'Brien's eyesight and memory were beginning to fail him, he didn't want the studio to find out and fire him, so he had his assistant read him his lines and stage directions immediately before he was to shoot a scene so he wouldn't forget them on-camera. Ex-father-in-law of Michael Anderson Jr.. Appeared older than his actual age, often being cast as "old coots" when he was only in his 40s. Often played characters with drinking problems and may have been an alcoholic in real life. Served with the US Army Air Force in World War II. He appeared in two films that depicted the Normandy landings on 6/6/44: D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) and The Longest Day (1962). D-Day veteran Richard Todd also appeared in both films. Appeared in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Julius Caesar (1953) and The Longest Day (1962). Only the first of these won.
09/10

1915

Birthday

September 10, 1915

Birthdate

Kings County, New York United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Irish American.
Nationality & Locations

Amarican
Early Life & Education

Fordham University.
Religious Beliefs

Catholic.
Military Service

Served with the US Army Air Force in World War II. He appeared in two films which depicted the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944: D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) and The Longest Day (1962). D-Day veteran Richard Todd also appeared in both films.
Professional Career

Hollywood Star. Actor. Edmond O'Brien Biography Born September 10, 1915 in New York City, New York, USA Died May 9, 1985 in Inglewood, California, USA (Alzheimer's disease) Birth Name Eamon Joseph O'Brien Nickname Eddy Height 5' 9" (1.75 m) Mini Bio (1) Oscar-winner Edmond O'Brien was one of the most-respected character actors in American cinema, from his heyday of the mid-1940s through the late 1960s. Born on September 10, 1915, in Brooklyn, O'Brien learned the craft of performance as a magician, reportedly tutored by neighbor Harry Houdini. He took part in student theatrics in high school and majored in drama at Fordham University, dropping out after six months. He made his Broadway debut at the age of 21 in 1936 and, later that year, played "The Gravedigger" in the great Shakespearean actor John Gielgud's legendary production of "Hamlet". Four years later, he would play "Mercutio" to the "Romeo" of another legendary Shakespearean, Laurence Olivier, in Olivier's 1940 Brodway production of "Romeo & Juliet". O'Brien worked with another magician, Orson Welles, in the Mercury Theater's production of "Julius Caesar", appearing as "Mark Antony". He would later play "Casca" in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film of the play, Julius Caesar (1953). Although it has been stated that he made his debut as an uncredited extra in the 1938 film, Prison Break (1938), the truth is that his stage work impressed RKO boss Pandro S. Berman, who brought him to Hollywood to appear in the plum supporting part of "Gringoire" in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), which starred Charles Laughton in the title role. After returning from his wartime service with the Army Air Force, O'Brien built up a distinguished career as a supporting actor in A-list films, and as an occasional character lead, such as in D.O.A. (1949). O'Brien won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and also received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as a drunken senator who ferrets out an attempted coup d'etat in Seven Days in May (1964). He also appeared as crusty old-timer "Freddy Sykes", who antagonizes Ben Johnson's character "Tector Gorch" in director Sam Peckinpah's classic Western, The Wild Bunch (1969). Increasingly, O'Brien appeared on television in the 1960s and '70s, but managed a turn in his old boss Welles' unfinished film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018). He married and divorced actresses Nancy Kelly and Olga San Juan, the latter being the mother of his three children, including actors Maria O'Brien and Brendan O'Brien. He died in May of 1985 in Inglewood, California, of Alzheimer's Disease and was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C. Hopwood Spouse (2) Olga San Juan (26 September 1948 - 1976) ( divorced) ( 3 children) Nancy Kelly (19 February 1941 - 2 February 1942) ( divorced) Deep, rich voice. Inquisitive demeanor, was often cast as writers and/or reporters. Trivia (17) Father, with Olga San Juan, of actress Maria O'Brien, TV producer Bridget O'Brien Adelman and Brendan O'Brien. His production company, Tiger Productions, came from his childhood nickname, 'Tiger'. At the age of 10 he learned conjuring tricks from his neighbor, Harry Houdini. Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA. Specific Interment Location: F, T54, 50. Younger brother of screenwriter Liam O'Brien. Recited works of William Shakespeare with Keith Moon at Sam Peckinpah's surprise birthday party. A German Shepherd aficionado. Father-in-law of Ingrid K. Behrens (wife of son Brendan O'Brien). Was cast in Black Christmas (1974) as Lt. Kenneth Fuller, but the part was recast with John Saxon because of O'Brien's poor health. He was rumored to be suffering from Alzheimers. O'Brien was originally cast as the photo-journalist Jackson Bentley (based on Lowell Thomas) in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). After O'Brien filmed several scenes, he suffered a heart attack and had to drop out of the picture. He was replaced by Arthur Kennedy. In an interview, director Don Siegel recalled that during the production of China Venture (1953), he noticed that O'Brien was spending more and more time in his trailer before a scene, and was beginning to arrive late for shooting, which he had never done before. Suspecting that O'Brien might be secretly drinking before he went on camera--an experience Siegel had undergone with several well-known actors he had worked with--the director peeked through the windows of O'Brien's trailer one day and was surprised to see a young man reading O'Brien's lines to him. It turned out that O'Brien's eyesight and memory were beginning to fail him, he didn't want the studio to find out and fire him, so he had his assistant read him his lines and stage directions immediately before he was to shoot a scene so he wouldn't forget them on-camera. Ex-father-in-law of Michael Anderson Jr.. Appeared older than his actual age, often being cast as "old coots" when he was only in his 40s. Often played characters with drinking problems and may have been an alcoholic in real life. Served with the US Army Air Force in World War II. He appeared in two films which depicted the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944: D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) and The Longest Day (1962). D-Day veteran Richard Todd also appeared in both films. Appeared in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Julius Caesar (1953) and The Longest Day (1962). Only the first of these won. Personal Quotes (1) Versatility is a dangerous thing. It's very satisfying to portray many types of roles, but often your own identity gets lost. Seldom does a producer say, "This is an Eddie O'Brien part." On the other hand, while the rewards may be great in fame and financially for stars, the work becomes monotonous. No actor who plays himself is a happy person. Salary (1) A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941) $11,500
05/9

1985

Death

May 9, 1985

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Holy Cross Mortuary 5835 W. Slauson Ave, in Culver City, Los Angeles County, California 90230, United States
Burial location
Obituary

EDMOND O'BRIEN, ACTOR, DIES AT 69 May 10, 1985 Edmond O'Brien, an Academy Award-winning actor whose 35-year movie career took him from leading roles in the 1940's to weather-beaten character roles in the 1970's, died yesterday in Inglewood, Calif. He was 69 years old. A spokesman for St. Erne's Sanitorium, where Mr. O'Brien died, said the actor had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The six-foot-tall, blue-eyed Mr. O'Brien received his first real recognition from his role in 1949 as the smooth, tough Federal agent who infiltrated James Cagney's gang in ''White Heat.'' It was his performance as the snakelike, sycophantic Hollywood press agent Oscar Muldoon in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's ''Barefoot Contessa'' that won Mr. O'Brien an Academy Award in 1955 as best supporting actor. Mr. O'Brien was born in Brooklyn in 1915. One of his neighbors during childhood was Harry Houdini who, he said, ''taught me a few of the easier tricks in his bag of magic.'' The young Mr. O'Brien took to performing what he had learned, in the guise of ''Neirbo the Great.'' Mr. O'Brien enrolled at Fordham University, but dropped out after a year to accept a scholarship from the Neighborhood Playhouse. He was given a part in John Gielgud's American tour of ''Hamlet,'' and in 1937 joined Orson Welles's Mercury Players, playing Marc Antony in that company's modern-dress version of ''Julius Caesar.'' In 1939 he went to Hollywood to play the poet Pierre Gringoire in the 20th Century-Fox production of ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame,'' in which Charles Laughton starred. 'Romeo' With Olivier and Leigh He returned to New York and stage work in a number of notable plays in the early 1940's, including the production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in which Laurence Oliver and Vivien Leigh starred. When the United States entered World War II, Mr. O'Brien joined the Army and appeared in Moss Hart's 1943 Army Air Force show, ''Winged Victory.'' When the production went to Hollywood, Mr. O'Brien, then a sergeant, repeated his part of an Air Force crewman from New York in the screen version. It was after the war, when Hollywood began to produce movies in the film-noir style, that Mr. O'Brien first became a major star, with his roles in Robert Siodmak's screen adaptation of Hemingway's ''Killers,'' ''D.O.A.,'' George Cukor's ''Double Life'' and Raoul Walsh's Freudian gangster picture, ''White Heat,'' starring Mr. Cagney. Mr. O'Brien was in the cast of Joseph Mankiewicz's all-star ''Julius Caesar'' in 1952 as the conspirator Casca, and then returned to New York for more stage work, including John Van Druten's play ''I've Got Sixpence.'' Brooks Atkinson wrote in The New York Times that Mr. O'Brien gave a ''harsh and honest performance'' as the villain. In 1954 Mr. Mankiewicz cast the actor in ''The Barefoot Contessa,'' with Ava Gardner and Humphrey Bogart. Mr. O'Brien then played Winston Smith in the 1955 film of George Orwell's ''1984.'' Although Bosley Crowther was somewhat disappointed with the picture, he wrote in The New York Times that ''Mr. O'Brien wins genuine sympathy.'' Nominated for 2d Oscar In the late 1950's, Mr. O'Brien began to play more character roles, including the grizzled frontier editor in John Ford's ''Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.'' He was nominated a second time for an Academy Award for his role as an aging, alcoholic senator in ''Seven Days in May,'' but did not win. When he played in Sam Peckinpah's ''Wild Bunch,'' Vincent Canby wrote in The New York Times that ''Mr. O'Brien is a special shock, looking like an evil Gabby Hayes, a foul-mouthed, cackling old man who is the only member of the Wild Bunch to survive.'' He is survived by two daughters, Bridget and Maria, and a son, Brendan, all of Los Angeles.

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