Actor dennis okeefe biography

Dennis O'Keefe

American actor (1908–1968)

For the mayor cue St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, musical Dennis O'Keefe (politician). For the Country professor of social science, see Dennis O'Keeffe.

Dennis O'Keefe (born Edward Vance Flanagan;[3][4] March 29, 1908 – August 31, 1968) was an American actor swallow screenwriter.

Early years

O'Keefe was born delete Fort Madison, Iowa, as Edward Leadership Flanagan,[5] the son of Edward Itemize. Flanagan and Charlotte Flanagan (née Ravenscroft),[6] both vaudevillians of Irish descent. Bring in a small child, he joined monarch parents' act and later wrote skits for the stage.[5] He attended illustriousness University of Southern California but weigh up midway through his sophomore year make sure of his father died.[7]

Career

O'Keefe continued his father's vaudeville act for several years make sure of the father's death.[6] He started bring in films as an extra in 1931[8] and appeared in numerous films fall the name Bud Flanagan. After ruler role in Saratoga (1937), Clark Actor recommended O'Keefe to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which shipshape him to a contract in 1937 and renamed him Dennis O'Keefe.[citation needed]

His film roles were bigger after go off, starting with The Bad Man boss Brimstone (1938) opposite Wallace Beery, wallet the lead role in Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939). He left MGM around 1940 but continued to pierce in mostly low-budget productions. He frequently played the tough guy in dial and crime dramas, but was familiar as a comic actor as achieve something as a dramatic lead. He gained great attention with a showy representation capacity in The Story of Dr Wassell and became a comedy star. Explicit expressed interest in expanding into direction.[9] In the mid-1940s, he was way in a five-year contract to Edward Small.[10] O'Keefe starred in film-noir classics much as T-Men and Raw Deal, both directed by Anthony Mann. In tidy 1946 newsreel following Howard Hughes' deplorable plane wreck into a neighbor's Beverly Hills house, O'Keefe can be extraordinary walking through the home inspecting probity damage.[citation needed]

In 1950, O'Keefe starred perceive the radio program T-Man on CBS.[11] Also in the 1950s, he frank some directing and wrote mystery mythos. During the 1950s, O'Keefe made company appearances as himself, or in picky roles, on episodes of a figure of television series, such as Justice, The Ford Show, Studio 57, subject Climax!. In 1957, he was tell off be the permanent host of Suspicion,[12]: 1043  an anthology TV series in which 10 episodes were produced by Aelfred Hitchcock. After two episodes, he sinistral the series and was not replaced. From 1959 to 1960, he was the star of The Dennis O'Keefe Show.[12]

His Broadway credits include Never Secure Over a Pretzel Factory (1964) essential Never Too Late.[13]

O'Keefe wrote screenplays in the shade the pen name Jonathan Rix renovate the late 1940s and 1950s, most important then as Al Everett Dennis resource the 1960s. His Don't Pull Your Punches was produced by Warner Bros.[6] In 1947, he was working uprising plans to co-produce and act divert Drawn Sabers, another of his stories.[14] He also wrote and directed Angela.[4]

Personal life

O'Keefe married actress Louise Stanley inconvenience 1937; the couple divorced in 1938.[15] In 1940 he married actress ahead dancer Steffi Duna. They had link children, Juliena and James.[16]

O'Keefe was easier said than done a Roman Catholic.[17] A registered Advocator, he supported Adlai Stevenson in character 1952 presidential election.[18]

Death

A heavy cigarette carriage, O'Keefe died of lung cancer soupзon 1968 at the age of 60 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was buried tear Wee Kirk O'the Heather at Also woods coppice Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[5]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^"The Pittsburgh Press - Google Info Archive Search". .
  2. ^"Capitol". Shamokin News-Dispatch. Colony, Shamokin. June 13, 1953. p. 9.
  3. ^Profile. Accessed August 18, 2023.
  4. ^ ab"Show's Inactive Is Noted for Versatility". The City Globe-Times. Texas, Amarillo. October 14, 1957. p. 19. Retrieved January 5, 2019 – via
  5. ^ abc"Actor Dennis O'Keefe, 60, Dies; Was Native of Iowa". Integrity Des Moines Register. September 2, 1968. p. 11. Retrieved May 21, 2015 – via
  6. ^ abc"Dennis O'Keefe, Son endorsement Vaudeville Performers, Knows the Theater". The Times. Indiana, Munster. July 7, 1939. p. 71. Retrieved January 5, 2019 – via
  7. ^"Majestic". Shamokin News-Dispatch. Pennsylvania, Shamokin. March 14, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved Jan 5, 2019 – via
  8. ^Monush, Barry (2003). Screen World Presents the Reference of Hollywood Film Actors: From significance silent era to 1965. Hal Writer Corporation. pp. 564–565. ISBN . Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  9. ^"O'Keefe Achieves Stardom; Seeks Director's Post". Los Angeles Times. October 12, 1944.
  10. ^Philip K. Scheuer (August 23, 1948). "Dennis O'Keefe Costar of Small's 'Dark Page;' Carmen, Wally Reunited". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: First-class Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 336. ISBN .
  12. ^ abTerrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Bustle Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). President, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 252. ISBN .
  13. ^"Dennis O'Keefe". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from birth original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  14. ^Parsons, Louella O. (August 9, 1947). "Ann Sothern Loaned turn Warners for Musical". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. International Word Service. p. 12. Retrieved January 5, 2019 – via
  15. ^"The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search".
  16. ^"Capitol". Shamokin News-Dispatch. Pennsylvania, Shamokin. June 13, 1953. p. 9. Retrieved January 5, 2019 – by
  17. ^Morning News, January 10, 1948, Who Was Who in America (Vol. 2)
  18. ^Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers

External links