Don O'Kelly ( Donald Patrick Kelly; March 17, 1924 – October 2, 1966) was an American actor prominent in the 1950s and 1960s mostly on television. Though credited as "Don Kelly" in earlier performances, his billing was changed to "Don O'Kelly" in 1960.

Background

Donald Patrick Kelly was born in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

to Robert Kelly, an

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

father (Robert J. Kelly) and

Norwegian-American Norwegian Americans () are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 milli ...

mother (Rachel Marie Knudsen). Kelly enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

on June 17, 1941 just prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and saw active duty aboard the and . He saw convoy duty at

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...

, Iceland, England, Scotland, North Africa, and Italy. He served four years, three months, and 17 days of active duty. Kelly received an honorable discharge after the war and upon separation joined his cousin's ice skating show. O'Kelly used his

GI Bill of Rights The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, but the te ...

to study acting with the Strasberg company in

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

Career

Don O'Kelly began his career starring in ''

Tank Battalion is a multi-directional shooter arcade video game that was released by Namco in 1980. The only direct home conversion is for the MSX, although it was followed up by two sequels: '' Battle City'' for the Famicom in 1985 and '' Tank Force'' for arc ...

'' with Marjorie Hellen (later

Leslie Parrish Leslie Parrish (born Marjorie Hellen; March 13, 1935) is an American actress, activist, environmentalist, writer, and producer. She worked under her birth name for six years before changing it in 1959. Early life As a child, Parrish lived in Mas ...

). O'Kelly was a familiar face to series television fans during the 1950s and 1960s. His last starring role was in '' The Hostage'', made in 1966 and released in 1967, for which he received very favorable reviews.

TV and film credits

* '' The Hostage'' (1967) ... Bull * '' Shoot Out at Big Sag'' (1962) ... Fargo * ''

Frontier Uprising ''Frontier Uprising'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Jim Davis, Nancy Hadley and Ken Mayer. It is a remake of '' Kit Carson'' (1940).Tank Battalion is a multi-directional shooter arcade video game that was released by Namco in 1980. The only direct home conversion is for the MSX, although it was followed up by two sequels: '' Battle City'' for the Famicom in 1985 and '' Tank Force'' for arc ...

'' (1958) ... Sgt Brad Dunne aka ''Korean Attack'' * ''The Notorious Mr. Monks'' (1958) ... Dan Flynn * '' Bombers B-52'' (1957) ... Master Sergeant Darren McKind aka ''No Sleep Till Dawn'' (UK) * '' The Crooked Circle'' (1957) ... Joe Kelly * ''

The Big Land ''The Big Land'' is a 1957 American Western film in Warnercolor directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Alan Ladd, Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien. Plot Back home in Texas following the Civil War, former Confederate officer Chad Morgan (Alan ...

'' (1957)... Billy Tyler aka ''Stampeded'' (UK) * ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western (genre), Western, spy film, spy, and science fiction on television, science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 19 ...

'' (1965) episode ''The Night of a Thousand Eyes'' ... Peavey * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' (1965) episode ''Eliab's Aim'' ... Dealer * ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member ...

'' (1964) episode ''One Nation Indivisible'' ... George Zybsko * ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'' (1964) episode ''The Lila Conrad Story'' * '' The Virginian'' (1963) episode ''The Evil That Men Do'' ... Deke * ''The Dakotas'' (1963) episode ''Fargo'' ... Paul Young * ''The Gallant Men'' (1963)episode ''The Leathernecks'' ... Captain Barlow * ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American private detective crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each epis ...

'' (1963) episode ''Crashout'' ... Arnie Martin * ''The Gallant Men'' (1962) episode ''One Moderately Peaceful Sunday'' * ''

'' (1962) episode ''Terror in a Small Town'' ... Sheriff Farger * ''The Beachcomber'' (1962) episode ''The Fugitive'' ... Womack * ''Ripcord'' (1961) episode ''High Jeopardy'' ... Johnny Grimes * ''

'' (1961) episode ''The Turning Point'' ... Nate Minton * ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'' (1961) episode ''Meeting at Mimbers'' ... Green River Tom Smith * ''Riverboat'' (1960) episode ''Zigzag'' ... Clyde * ''Bat Masterson'' (1960) episode ''The Elusive Baguette'' as “Reed Morgan” * ''The Deputy'' (1960) episode ''Lady for a Hanging'' ... Hunter * ''

'' (1960) episode ''The Last of the Night Raiders'' ... Jack Doolin * ''Tombstone Territory (1960) episode ''Girl From Philadelphia'' ... as outlaw Ben Quade * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' (1960) episode ''The Mighty Casey'' ... Monk * ''Overland Trail'' (1960) episode ''Fire in the Hole'' ... Red * ''

'' (1960) episode ''Vacation with Pay'' ... Adams * ''Bourbon Street Beat'' (1960) episode ''Neon Nightmare'' ... George Johnson * ''Lawman'' (1960) episode ''The Truce'' * ''M Squad'' (1960) episode ''Race to Death'' ... Joe Calhoun * ''Laramie'' (1960) episode ''Duel at Alta Mesa'' * ''The Alaskans'' (1960) episode ''The Trial of Reno McKee'' ... Carl * ''The Alaskans'' (1960) episode ''Black Sand'' * ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Ri ...

'' (1960) episode ''The Day of the Bad Man'' ... Amos Saint * ''

'' (1960) episode ''El Toro Grande'' * ''The Restless Gun'' (1959) episode ''A Very Special Inspector'' ... Blair Weeks * ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'' (1959) episode ''The Daltons'' ...Bob Dalton * ''Black Saddle'' (1959) episode ''Client: Reynolds'' ... Harry Briggs * ''Lawman'' (1959) episode ''The Souvenir'' ... Virgil Carey * ''Disneyland'' (6 March 1959) episode ''The Slaughter Trail'' ... Jed * ''Texas John Slaughter'' (1959) episode (#1.5) ''The Slaughter Trail'' ... Jed * ''Disneyland'' (20 March 1959) episode ''Man from Bitter Creek'' ... Jed * ''Texas John Slaughter (1959) (#1.6) ''Man from Bitter Creek'' ... Jed * ''Sugarfoot'' (1959) episode ''The Giant Killer'' ... Tracy * ''The Texan'' (1959) episode ''A Quart of Law'' * ''

Maverick Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 M ...

'' (1958) episode ''Holiday at Hollow Rock'' ... Ira Swain * ''

'' (1958) episode ''The Court Martial of Johnny Murdo'' ... Sergeant Bannock * ''Lawman'' (1958) episode ''The Oath'' ... Lou Menke * ''Broken Arrow'' (1958) episode ''War Trail'' ... Captain Baker * ''

'' (1958) episode ''The Teacher'' ... Coley * ''

'' (1958) episode ''Trail West to Fury'' ... Jett * ''Wire Service'' (1957) episode ''Misfire'' * ''Frontier'' (1956) episode ''A Somewhere Voice'' ... Jim * ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'' (1956) episode ''The Sinbuster'' * ''Frontier'' (1956) episode ''The Well'' ... Jim

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Okelly, Don 1924 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male television actors American male film actors Male actors from Brooklyn American people of Irish descent American people of Norwegian descent People from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn Military personnel from New York City Deaths from cancer in California United States Navy personnel of World War II