Chester Lee "Chet" O'Brien (June 28, 1909 – July 14, 1996) was an American chorus dancer in the 1930s who became a stage manager. He worked on ''

Oh! Calcutta! ''Oh! Calcutta!'' is an avant-garde, risque theatrical revue created by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan. The show, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, debuted Off-Broadway in 1969 and then in the West End in 1970. It ran in Lond ...

'' and on ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...

'', where he also performed as "Mr. Macintosh".

Biography

As a young man, Chet O'Brien and his twin brother, Mortimer "Snooks" O'Brien, performed together in a vaudeville dance act. He was an ensemble performer in ''Jonica'' in 1930, a performer in ''Fine and Dandy'' (1930-1931) and a performer in ''Who's Who'' (1938). On September 1, 1934, he married the actress

Marilyn Miller Marilyn Miller (born Mary Ellen Reynolds; September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. She was an accomplished tap dancer, singer and actress, and the combination of these ...

, her fourth and final marriage. The marriage does not seem to have been happy. Miller died on April 7, 1936, from complications after nasal surgery. Chet O'Brien was stage manager on '' Keep Off the Grass'' (1940). In the early 1950s O'Brien worked for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

as a stage manager on the

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...

shows. In December 1954, it was reported that he was leaving Columbia due to a pay cut. He was stage manager on '' Rumple'' (1957), ''

The Most Happy Fella ''The Most Happy Fella'' is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the 1924 play '' They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard. The show i ...

'' (1959), '' Finian's Rainbow'' (1960) and ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. The song " Almost Like Being in Love", from the musical, has become a standard. It features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, ...

'' (1963). In 1967 he was stage manager on the TV show ''

Mark Twain Tonight! ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' is a one-man play devised by Hal Holbrook, in which he depicted Mark Twain giving a dramatic recitation selected from several of Twain's writings, with an emphasis on the comic ones. Background The recitation's genesis was ...

''. In 1972, he was stage manager on ''Oh! Calcutta!''. Chet O'Brien appeared as "Mr Macintosh", a fruit and vegetable vendor, on ''Sesame Street'' in various episodes between 1975 and 1992. He was also production stage manager on that show for over ten years while his twin brother, Mortimer, was stage manager. Chester O'Brien is listed among the 2010 Permanent Memorials of the

Actors Fund of America The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directly each year. S ...

References

Notes Citations Sources * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Chester Lee 1909 births American male dancers 1996 deaths 20th-century American dancers Dancers from New York (state) Entertainers from New York City Stage managers American twins