Born into a vaudeville family, O'Connor was the youthful figure cutting a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. His best-known musical work is probably
Singin' in the Rain, in which he did an impressive dance that culminated in a series of backflips off the wall. O'Connor was also effective in comedic lead roles, particularly as the companion to Francis the Talking Mule in that film series.See full bio »
–
Episode #1.1
(1963)
(performer: "Sunny Side Up" - uncredited, "Sing, You Sinners" - uncredited, "Be My Guest" - uncredited, "Inka Dinka Do" - uncredited, "My Mammy" - uncredited, "Indian Love Call" - uncredited, "Rose Marie" - uncredited, "Stout Hearted Men" - uncredited, "The World Is Your Balloon" - uncredited, "Harrigan" - uncredited, "In Those Good Old Days of Vaudeville" - uncredited, "Nagasaki" - uncredited, "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula Hawaiian Love Song" - uncredited, "I Can Always Find a Little Sunshine in the Y.M.C.A." - uncredited, "At the Moving Picture Ball" - uncredited, "The Old Soft Shoe" - uncredited)
1962Arthur Freed's Hollywood Melody
(TV movie)
(performer: "Forty-Second Street" - uncredited, "You Are My Lucky Star" - uncredited, "Singin' in the Rain" - uncredited)
1956Anything Goes
(performer: "Ya Gotta Give The People Hoke", "You're The Top", "It's De-lovely", "You Can Bounce Right Back", "A Second Hand Turban And A Crystal Ball", "Blow Gabriel Blow")
1954There's No Business Like Show Business
(performer: "Lazy" - uncredited, "A Man Chases a Girl Until She Catches Him" - uncredited, "When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam'" - uncredited, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" - uncredited)
1953Call Me Madam
(performer: "It's a Lovely Day Today", "You're Just In Love", "What Chance Have I With Love?", "Something To Dance About", "You're Just in Love" reprise, "Finale: You're Just In Love/Something to Dance About")
1953I Love Melvin
(performer: "We Have Never Met, As Yet", "Life Has Its Funny Little Ups and Downs", "Where Did You Learn To Dance")
1952Singin' in the Rain
(performer: "Singin' in the Rain" 1929 - uncredited, "Fit as a Fiddle" 1932 - uncredited, "Make 'em Laugh" 1948 - uncredited, "Moses" 1952 - uncredited, "Good Morning" 1939 - uncredited, "Singin in the Rain in A-Flat" 1929 - uncredited)
1944The Merry Monahans
(performer: "Beautiful To Look At" - uncredited, "We're Having a Wonderful Time" - uncredited, "Stop Foolin'" - uncredited, "I Hate to Lose You" - uncredited, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody" - uncredited, "Missouri Waltz" - uncredited, "Impersonations" - uncredited, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" - uncredited, "In My Merry Oldsmobile" - uncredited, "What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" - uncredited, "The Old Folks at Home" - uncredited, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" - uncredited, "I Love You, California" - uncredited, "Rose Room" - uncredited)
1944This Is the Life
(performer: "It's the Girl" - uncredited, "Yippee-I-Voot" - uncredited, "You're a Lollapalooza" - uncredited)
1944Follow the Boys
(performer: "Kittens With Their Mittens Laced" - uncredited)
1943Mister Big
(performer: "All the Things I Want To Say", "Rude, Crude and Unattractive", "We're Not Obvious", "Thee and Me", "Come Along My Mandy", "Hi, Character", "The Spirit Is In Me", "Kitten With My Mittens Laced")
Revivals are so popular now. But doing one would mean being out in cold, cold New York for a year, a year and a half," he said. "I'd rather do something where I go in and work a week, maybe three days. Get it done and come back home.
See more »
Trivia:
Hospitalized with pneumonia [31 January 1999]
See more »
Trademark:
His ability to do somersault against walls during a musical number in films
See more »
Show all
Hide all
,4,136,14,196,arialbd,7,255,255,255,1_.jpg "Ellery Queen: Season 1: Episode 4 -- Ellery Queen finds himself among the suspects in the murder of a comic book publisher.")
company.