Edmond O'Brien Overview:

Legendary actor, Edmond O'Brien, was born Redmond O'Brien on Sep 10, 1915 in New York City, NY. O'Brien died at the age of 69 on May 9, 1985 in Inglewood, CA and was laid to rest in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, Los Angeles County, CA.

MINI BIO:

Heavy-cheeked, burly, careworn-looking American actor, in leading parts almost from the beginning of his career, who gave everything, and sometimes a little more, to his roles. His career ran in phases: comedy and drama until war service; thrillers from 1946 to 1950; westerns from 1950 to 1953, then more thrillers and a natural sidestep into leading character parts when weight tipped him from the top of the cast. Oscar for The Barefoot Contessa (Best Supporting Actor). Also a nomination for Seven Days in May. Married to Nancy Kelly from 1941 to 1942 and musical star Olga San Juan from 1948; they later divorced after many years. Died from Alzheimer's Disease.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Film Stars).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Edmond O'Brien was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for Best Supporting Actor for The Barefoot Contessa (as Oscar Muldoon) in 1954.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1954Best Supporting ActorThe Barefoot Contessa (1954)Oscar MuldoonWon
1964Best Supporting ActorSeven Days in May (1964)Senator Raymond ClarkNominated
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He was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the categories of Motion Pictures and Television.

BlogHub Articles:

DVD Review: Hits the Range In Cow Country (1953)

By KC on Sep 14, 2017 From Classic Movies

Cow Country is an essentially unremarkable, but pleasing western. It was made as one among many simple programmers, but star is a reassuring presence and Peggy Castle steals the show with a bracingly memorable scene. The film is now available on DVD from Warner Archive. Those who ar... Read full article


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Edmond O'Brien Quotes:

Frank Bigelow: Do you realise what you're saying, you're telling me that I'm dead!


Chad Morgan: Don't you want a drink?
Joe Jagger: Water? What am I, a trout?


Dutton Peabody: [to Liberty Valance and his gang who have been waiting for him in the newspaper office] Liberty Valance... and his myrmidons!


read more quotes from Edmond O'Brien...



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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1954






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Edmond O'Brien on the
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Edmond O'Brien Facts
In an interview, director Don Siegel recalled that during the production of China Venture (1953), he noticed that O'Brien was spending more and more time in his trailer before a scene, and was beginning to arrive late for shooting, which he had never done before. Suspecting that O'Brien might be secretly drinking before he went on camera--an experience Siegel had undergone with several well-known actors he had worked with--the director peeked through the windows of O'Brien's trailer one day and was surprised to see a young man reading O'Brien's lines to him. It turned out that O'Brien's eyesight and memory were beginning to fail him, he didn't want the studio to find out and fire him, so he had his assistant read him his lines and stage directions immediately before he was to shoot a scene so he wouldn't forget them on-camera.

Was original choice to play newspaper reporter Jackson Bentley in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), but health problems forced him to turn down the role, which eventually went to Arthur Kennedy.

Was cast in Black Christmas (1974) as Lt. Kenneth Fuller, but the part was recast with John Saxon because of O'Brien's poor health. He was rumored to be suffering from Alzheimers.

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