Francis Theodore O'Donnell (5 February 1907 – 4 August 1956) was an Australian actor. He performed in amateur theatre before the outbreak of war in 1939 but worked in professional theatre after the war.

Biography

He was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and educated at St Aloysius' College. During the Second World War, he served with the

Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial strength of one ...

. O'Donnell performed in many productions directed by Doris Fitton at Sydney's

Independent Theatre Independent Theatre, formerly known as The Independent Theatre Ltd., was an Australian dramatic society founded in 1930 by Dame Doris Fitton in Sydney, Australia. It is also the name given to the building it occupied from 1939 (then known as t ...

Company. Franck O'Donnell achieved notice for his performance as Mac in ''

Rusty Bugles ''Rusty Bugles'' was a controversial Australian play written by Sumner Locke Elliott in 1948. It toured extensively throughout Australia between 1948–1949 and was threatened with closure by the New South Wales Chief Secretary of New South Wales, ...

'', the controversial 1948 play by

Sumner Locke Elliott Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright. Biography Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsi ...

He was a permanent cast member as the production toured around Australia between 1948 and 1950. Alexander Macdonald wrote in Smith's Weekly about Frank's characterisation of the disgusting Mac, "all completely fantastic, but true as truth itself". Rusty Bugles is considered pivotal in the history of twentieth-century Australian theatre

Julian Merrick in his book ''Australia in 50 Plays'' (Currency Press 2022) wrote that ''Rusty Bugles'', along with ''The One Day of the Year'' and ''Summer of the Seventeenth Doll'' "are the three great pillars of mid-twentieth century Australian drama"(p94). A review in Smith's Weekly in 1950 spoke of Rusty Bugles as the first great Australian play. "Rusty Bugles is the first Australian play in which the characters portrayed really have a national character and way of life. Women who wonder what their husbands and fiances talked about when they were away should definitely see this play. In fact, it gives the best chance they will ever get for hearing for about two-and-a-half hours the genuine converse of man to man when ladies aren't present." Frank O'Donnell's two uncles, Jack O'Donnell (rugby union), Jack O'Donnell and

Iggy O'Donnell Ignatius Charles "Iggy" O'Donnell (27 May 1876 – c. 1946) was a rugby union player who represented Australia. Biography Iggy O'Donnell, a fly-half (rugby union), fly-half, was born in Hillston, New South Wales and claimed a total of 2 inte ...

, were influential Australian rugby players who earned the distinction of being the first two brothers to represent Australia

Frank's nephew, Peter O'Donnell (sailor), Peter O'Donnell, was a prominent sailor and winner of an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. His son John D'Arcy O'Donnell was also educated at St Aloysius' College and later at Sydney University where he graduated as medical practitioner in 1970. John is best known for his work in the media where he goes by the screen name of Dr John D'Arcy; he worked first as a presenter on ''Beyond 2000'

Towards 2000 and later as the first medical practitioner appointed to an Australian newsroom and continues as ‘medical editor’ for The Seven Network's Sunrise progra

. Frank O'Donnell died in Sydney in 1956, age 49.Francis Theodore O'Donnell in the ''New South Wales, Australia, Index to Deceased Estate Files, 1859-1958''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odonnell, Frank 1907 births 1956 deaths Australian male stage actors Male actors from Sydney 20th-century Australian male actors Australian Army personnel of World War II People educated at St Aloysius' College (Sydney)