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Donald O'Connor earned stardom in every major entertainment medium. To say that O'Connor was a performer all his life is not an exaggeration. He was 3 days old when he made his first stage appearance, cuddled by his mother as she played the piano for the "The O'Connor Family/Royal Family of Vaudeville." By 13 months, he was officially in the act, and by age 3, he stole the show with his high-pitched soprano finale in Keep Your Sunny Side Up. His Hollywood screen debut at age 12 as the kid brother to Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray in Sing You Sinners, launched a career which led to leading roles on film, television, and the stage -- roles which placed on his mantel the Emmy, Golden Globe, Peabody, Sylvania, and Best TV Performer awards. They share space with numerous humanitarian awards received from such organizations as the City of Hope, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Will Rogers Foundation for Humanitarian Service and Torch of Life. Remember Francis the Talking Mule -- a film series that boosted a sagging tinseltown economy? And don't forget On Your Toes, This Is The Life, Yes, Sir, That's My Baby, Call Me Madam, I Love Melvin, Walkin' My Baby Back Home, Beau Gest, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Anything Goes, and Ragtime-- a tiny sampling of O'Connor's prolific film career. O'Connor made his mark in television too. He was assured a spot in the history books when he hosted the first internationally televised Academy Awards presentation. He received an Emmy as Best Male Star in a Regular Series for his starring role in TV's Colgate Comedy Hour, starring in his own series, Here Comes Donald and continues to appear as a guest on top-rated NBC, ABC, and CBS shows -- most recently on Frasier and The Nanny. In December 2000, he recieved an Honorary Doctorate from Oklahoma City University. He appeared on TV and stage with the likes of Johny Carson, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Lucille Ball, Merv Griffin, Julie Andrews, Dinah Shore, Jackie Gleason, and Carol Burnett -- to name a few. One of the first entertainers to strut the stage in the early days of Las Vegas, he performed there until his final years, with Debbie Reynolds and Mickey Rooney. O'Connor's later works included hosting American Movie Classics, completion of a musical score based upon his lifestory, and, in Hollywood, a wrap on the shooting of Out To Sea with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon. Read about his visit to OCU in December 2000 in the What's New? article. |
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