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Brefni O'Rorke (26 June 1889 – 11 November 1946) was an Irish actor, both on the stage and in movies.


Early life

O'Rorke was born as William Francis Breffni O'Rorke at 2 Esplande Villas in
Dollymount Dollymount (), often known as "Dollyer" to Dubliners, is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just east of Saint Anne's Park. Dollymount Strand The famous Wooden Bri ...
,
Clontarf, Dublin Clontarf () is a largely affluent coastal suburb on the Northside of Dublin in the city's Dublin 3 postal district. Historically there were two centres of population, one on the coast towards the city, and the fishing village of Clontarf Sheds, ...
on 26 June 1889, and baptised at Clontarf Parish Church on 1 August 1889. His father, Frederick O'Rorke, was a
cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
merchant, and his mother, Jane Caroline O'Rorke, née Morgan, was an actress. He had an older brother, Frederick, who was twelve years older than him.


Career

O'Rorke began studying acting with his mother and made his professional début in 1912 at the
Gaiety Theatre, Dublin The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre on South King Street in Dublin, Ireland, off Grafton Street and close to St. Stephen's Green. It specialises in operatic and musical productions, with occasional dramatic shows. History In April 1871, the broth ...
in a production of Shaw's ''
John Bull's Other Island ''John Bull's Other Island'' is a comedy about Ireland, written by George Bernard Shaw in 1904. Shaw himself was born in Dublin, yet this is one of only two plays of his where he thematically returned to his homeland, the other being ''O'Flaherty ...
''. While still living in Dublin, he met and married in 1916 Alice Cole, a chorus-girl turned actress, who had divorced her first husband and immigrated from South Africa with her young son. Thus O'Rorke became the stepfather of
Cyril Cusack Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland’s finest thespians, and was renowned for his int ...
. Other theatre roles included the title role in '' Finn Varra Maa'' (1917), a musical "pantomime" (or rather, light opera) written by Thomas Henry Nally with music by
Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer (, 8 October 1882 – 29 November 1957) was an Irish composer, mainly of operas and vocal music, among them the first musical settings of poems by James Joyce. Biography Palmer was born of Protestant Irish parents in S ...
. In 1939 he appeared in several broadcasts in the new fledgling
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television broadcast, including a play by Irish playwright
Teresa Deevy Teresa Deevy (21 January 1894 – 19 January 1963) was an Irish dramatist and writer, who was deaf from the age of 19. Best known for her works for theatre, she was also a short story writer, and writer for radio. Early life Teresa Deevy w ...
called ''The King of Spain's Daughter'', and produced by
Denis Johnston (William) Denis Johnston (18 June 1901 – 8 August 1984) was an Irish writer. Born in Dublin, he wrote mostly plays, but also works of literary criticism, a book-length biographical essay of Jonathan Swift, a memoir and an eccentric work on co ...
.


Partial filmography

* ''
The Ghost of St. Michael's ''The Ghost of St. Michael's'' is a 1941 British comedy- thriller film, produced by Ealing Studios. Will Hay, the film's star, replaced his sidekicks, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott, from his previous film '' Where's That Fire?'' with comed ...
'' (1941) – Sergeant MacFarlane * '' This Man Is Dangerous'' (1941) – Dr Crosbie * ''
Love on the Dole ''Love on the Dole'' is a novel by Walter Greenwood, about working-class poverty in 1930s Northern England. It has been made into both a play and a film. The novel Walter Greenwood's novel (1933) was written during the early 1930s as a respons ...
'' (1941) – Dole Officer (uncredited) * ''
Cottage to Let ''Cottage to Let'' is a 1941 British spy thriller film directed by Anthony Asquith starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim and John Mills. Filmed during the Second World War and set in Scotland during the war, its plot concerns Nazi spies trying t ...
'' (1941) – Scottish Police Inspector (uncredited) * '' Jeannie'' (1941) – Quarantine Officer * ''
The Black Sheep of Whitehall ''The Black Sheep of Whitehall'' (the opening credits read ''Black Sheep of Whitehall'') is a 1942 British black-and-white comedy war film, directed by Will Hay and Basil Dearden, starring Will Hay, John Mills, Basil Sydney and Thora Hird in he ...
'' (1942) – Ministry receptionist (uncredited) * '' Hatter's Castle'' (1942) – Foyle * ''
The Missing Million ''The Missing Million'' is a 1942 British crime film directed by Philip Brandon and starring Linden Travers, John Warwick and Patricia Hilliard. It is adapted from the 1923 novel '' The Missing Million'' by Edgar Wallace. A millionaire is perse ...
'' (1942) – Coleman * ''
The Next of Kin ''The Next of Kin'', also known as ''Next of Kin'', is a 1942 Second World War propaganda film produced by Ealing Studios. The film was originally commissioned by the British War Office as a training film to promote the government message tha ...
'' (1942) – Brigadier Blunt * ''
The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the US as ''The Avengers'', is a 1942 British war film set in Norway during World War II. It stars Ralph Richardson, Deborah Kerr, Hugh Williams and Griffith Jones, and was directed by Harold French from a sc ...
'' (1942) – Political journalist * ''
They Flew Alone ''They Flew Alone'' (released in the US as ''Wings and the Woman'') is a 1942 British biopic about aviator Amy Johnson directed and produced by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Robert Newton and Edward Chapman. It was distributed in the ...
'' (1942) – Mac * ''
Unpublished Story ''Unpublished Story'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war film directed by Harold French and starring Richard Greene and Valerie Hobson. It was produced and co-written by Anthony Havelock-Allan. The film served as a propaganda film during Wor ...
'' (1942) – Denton * ''
The First of the Few ''The First of the Few'' (US title ''Spitfire'') is a 1942 British black-and-white biographical film produced and directed by Leslie Howard, who stars as R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. David Niven co ...
'' (1942) – Specialist * ''
Secret Mission ''Secret Mission'' is a 1942 British war film directed by Harold French and starring Hugh Williams, James Mason, Nancy Price, Carla Lehmann and Roland Culver. Plot During the Second World War, British Army Major Peter Garnett assembles a team ...
'' (1942) – Father Jouvet * ''
Much Too Shy ''Much Too Shy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring George Formby, Kathleen Harrison, Hilda Bayley and Eileen Bennett. The cast includes radio star Jimmy Clitheroe (as George's brother), later " Carry On'" star ...
'' (1942) – Mr Somers * ''
King Arthur Was a Gentleman ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy, musical film, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Arthur Askey. It was produced by Edward Black and Maurice Ostrer for Gainsborough Pictures. Synopsis Set during W ...
'' (1942) – Colonel Duncannon * ''
We'll Meet Again "We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, and resonated with ...
'' (1943) – Dr Drake * '' Tomorrow We Live'' (1943) – Moreau * ''
The Flemish Farm ''The Flemish Farm'' is a 1943 British war film, based on an actual wartime incident. Released during the war and used as a propaganda tool to support the Allied war effort, the film begins with the caption: :The following story is based on an ...
'' (1943) – Minister * ''
Escape to Danger ''Escape to Danger'' is a 1943 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and Victor Hanbury and starring Eric Portman, Ann Dvorak and Karel Stepanek. Plot During the Second World War a British schoolteacher working in Denmark is caught u ...
'' (1943) – Security Officer * ''
They Met in the Dark ''They Met in the Dark'' is a 1943 British comedy thriller film directed by Karel Lamač and starring James Mason, Joyce Howard and Edward Rigby. The screenplay concerns a cashiered Royal Naval officer and a young woman who join forces to solv ...
'' (1943) – Detective Inspector Burrows * ''
The Lamp Still Burns ''The Lamp Still Burns'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Rosamund John, Stewart Granger and Godfrey Tearle. Its plot concerns a woman architect who changes careers to become a nurse. It was based on the 1942 n ...
'' (1943) – Mr Lorrimer * ''
The Hundred Pound Window ''The Hundred Pound Window'' is a 1944 British crime film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Anne Crawford, David Farrar, Frederick Leister and Richard Attenborough. The film follows an accountant who has to take a second job work ...
'' (1944) – Kennedy * ''
Tawny Pipit The tawny pipit (''Anthus campestris'') is a medium-large passerine bird which breeds in much of the central Palearctic from northwest Africa and Portugal to Central Siberia and on to Inner Mongolia. It is a migrant moving in winter to tropic ...
'' (1944) – Uncle Arthur * ''
It Happened One Sunday ''It Happened One Sunday'' is a 1944 British romantic comedy film directed by Karel Lamač and starring Robert Beatty, Barbara White and Marjorie Rhodes. Produced and distributed by Associated British it was shot at Welwyn Studios with sets d ...
'' (1944) – Engineer * ''
Don't Take It to Heart ''Don't Take It to Heart'' is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Richard Greene, Alfred Drayton, Patricia Medina, Moore Marriott and Richard Bird. It was shot at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith with sets de ...
'' (1944) – Lord Chaunduyt * ''Men of Rochdale'' (1944) – Miles Ashworth * ''
Twilight Hour ''Twilight Hour'' is a 1945 British Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Mervyn Johns, Basil Radford, and Marie Lohr. It was shot at the British National Studios in Elstree. The film's sets were designed b ...
'' (1945) – Richard Melville * ''
They Were Sisters ''They Were Sisters'' is a 1945 British melodrama film directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures and starring James Mason and Phyllis Calvert. The film was produced by Harold Huth, with cinematography from Jack Cox and screenplay by ...
'' (1945) – Coroner * ''
Waltz Time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western culture, Western musical notation to specify how many beat (music), beats (pulses) are contained in each measu ...
'' (1945) – Emperor * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) – Mr Hargrove * ''
Murder in Reverse? ''Murder in Reverse'' (also styled ''Murder in Reverse?'') is a 1945 British thriller film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring William Hartnell, Jimmy Hanley and Chili Bouchier. It is based on the story ''Query'' by "Seamark" ( Austin J. ...
'' (1945) – Sullivan * ''
The Rake's Progress ''The Rake's Progress'' is an English-language opera from 1951 in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings '' A Rake's Prog ...
'' (1945) – Bromhead * ''
The Voice Within "The Voice Within" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fourth studio album, ''Stripped'' (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production handled by Ballard. It is a piano-driven ballad that talk ...
'' (1945) – Sergeant Sullivan * ''
I See a Dark Stranger ''I See a Dark Stranger'' – released as ''The Adventuress'' in the United States – is a 1946 British World War II spy film with touches of light comedy, by the team of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and starring Deborah Kerr and T ...
'' (1946) – Michael O'Callaghan
posthumous complete: * ''
The Root of All Evil Root of all evil or Root of evil may refer to: Music * ''The Root of All Evil'' (album), a 2009 album by Swedish death metal band Arch Enemy * ''The Root of All Evil'' (EP), Japanese work by all-female tribute band Iron Maidens * "The Root of Al ...
'' (1947) – Farnish * ''
Green Fingers ''Green Fingers'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by John Harlow and starring Robert Beatty, Carol Raye and Nova Pilbeam. The film title does not use the term green fingers in its normal context, alluding to an untaught and natural skil ...
'' (1947) – Coroner * ''
The Upturned Glass ''The Upturned Glass'' is a 1947 British film noir psychological thriller directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring James Mason, Rosamund John and Pamela Kellino. The screenplay concerns a leading brain surgeon who murders a woman he belie ...
'' (1947) – Dr Farrell * '' Jassy'' (1947) – Fielding, footman (uncredited) (final film role)


Television

National Television started in October 1936, initially broadcast just two hours a day. The station stopped broadcasting at the start of the War, and didn't restart until 1946. "Plays" (like everything else) could last just one hour maximum, but some were only 25 minutes long. Also, there was no recording possible, so any repeat was really a new broadcast (as in ''The Advantages of Paternity'').


Dramas


Others


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ororke, Brefni 1889 births 1946 deaths 20th-century Irish male actors Irish male film actors Male actors from Dublin (city)