Frank O'Connor (died November 22, 1959) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

and director involved in approximately 300 productions. He was a director of several

films A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of Visual arts, visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are gen ...

; he also penned multiple screenplays.

Career

In 1920, Frank O'Connor arrived in Hollywood, where he joined the Lasky Players. Henry Miller mentored him. Later, O'Connor was a freelance writer and

. After a career as a

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

, he attempted to produce his own and, in the words of the ''

San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and has been published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst and the flagship of the He ...

'', "went broke"; he subsequently worked as an extra.

Personal life

O'Connor was married to a woman named Susan, and they had three children; he died in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

on November 22, 1959, at 78 years old.

Partial filmography

Throughout his career, O'Connor was involved in approximately 300

with various roles, including actor, director, and writer: *''

The Unwritten Code ''The Unwritten Code'' is a 1944 American drama film directed by Herman Rotsten and written by Leslie T. White and Charles Kenyon. The film stars Ann Savage, Tom Neal, Roland Varno, Howard Freeman, Mary Currier and Bobby Larson. The film wa ...

'' (1919), as Thompson *'' Everything for Sale'' (1921), director *'' A Virginia Courtship'' (1921), director *'' A Homespun Vamp'' (1922), director *'' The Lawful Cheater'' (1925), director *'' One of the Bravest'' (1925), director *'' Go Straight'' (1925), director *'' Free to Love'' (1925), director *'' The Block Signal'' (1926), writer and director *'' Exclusive Rights'' (1926), director *'' Hearts and Spangles'' (1926), director *'' Devil's Island'' (1926), director *'' The Silent Power'' (1926), director *'' Spangles'' (1926), director *'' Heroes of the Night'' (1927), director *'' Your Wife and Mine'' (1927), director *'' Colleen'' (1927), director *'' Why Sailors Go Wrong'' (1928), writer *'' The Masked Angel'' (1928), director *'' Call of the Circus'' (1930), director *'' King Kong'' (1933), as Reporter *'' Sailor Be Good'' (1933), writer *'' Men of the Night'' (1934), as Boss painter *'' Air Hawks'' (1935) (uncredited) *'' The Whole Town's Talking'' (1935), as Detective *'' His Fighting Blood'' (1935) (uncredited) *'' The Little Colonel, as Aide *'' To Mary - with Love'' (1936), as Conductor *'' Wives Never Know'' (1936), as Police sergeant *'' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), as Senator Alfred *'' Adventure in Diamonds'' (1940), writer *'' The Grapes of Wrath'' (1940), as Deputy *'' Man Made Monster'' (1941), as Detective *'' Sunset Murder Case'' (1941), as Tom O'Connor *'' Roar of the Press'' (1941) (uncredited) *'' The Gay Falcon'' (1941), as Police officer in hallway *''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'' (1941), as Man at Madison Square Garden * '' The Man Who Lost Himself'' (1941) as cab driver (uncredited) *'' X Marks the Spot'' (1942), as Policeman *'' Cover Girl'' (1944), as Cook *'' Lone Texas Ranger'' (1945), as Horace Carter *'' Mama Loves Papa'' (1945), as Official *'' Days of Buffalo Bill'' (1946), as Sam, cashier *'' It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) (uncredited) *''

Congo Bill Congorilla (originally in human: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan) is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transfor ...

'' (1948) *'' Sands of Iwo Jima'' (1950), as Waiter *'' Angel Face'' (1953), as Bailiff *'' Red River Shore'' (1953) (uncredited) *'' My Sister Eileen'' (1955) (uncredited) *'' Jet Pilot'' (1957) (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Frank 1881 births 1959 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male screenwriters Film directors from New York (state) Male actors from New York City American male silent film actors American silent film directors Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters