Jimmy O'Dea
James Augustine (Jimmy) O'Dea (26 April, 1899 – 7 January, 1965) was an Irish actor and comedian.
Life
Jimmy O'Dea was born in Lower Bridge Street, Dublin, where his mother kept a small toy-shop. His father was an iron-monger and had a shop in Capel Street. He was educated at Blackrock College and Belvedere College[1], where one of his classmates, and future friend, was the future Taoiseach of Ireland, Seán Lemass. From a young age he was interested in taking to the stage - he had founded, with Seán Leamas and others, an amateur acting group, the Kilronan Players in 1917 - but his father would not hear of it, and was happy to see him apprenticed[2] to an optician in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he qualified as an optician.
He then returned to Dublin where, still only 21, he set up his own business which he was, eventually, to give to his sister Rita. In his spare time he took part in amateur productions of Ibsen and Chekhov. From 1920 he was in the Irish theatre in Hardwicke Street working with actor-producer John McDonagh. After working in Shaw plays for a few years he rejoined MacDonagh in revues, the first of which, "Dublin To-Night", was produced at the Queen’s Theatre in 1924. In 1927 he took to the stage full-time.[3]
In 1928, this company's first production 'Here We Are" won international acclaim, and in December of the same year, produced its first Christmas Pantomime (Simbad the Sailor).
He formed a partnership with fellow-Dubliner and actor Harry O'Donovan. Together they created O'Dea's most famous character - 'Biddy Mulligan'.[3] The role drew on Jimmy's previous manifestations as 'Dames' in Variety performances and pantomimes, and the character Biddy Mulligan was the representation (charicature, parody and stereotype) of a Dublin street-seller, with all the working-class repartee, wisdom and failings implicit.
Biddy Mulligan is referenced in many Dublin music hall songs such as 'Biddy Mulligan the Pride of the Coombe', 'Daffy the Belle of the Coombe', and 'The Charladies' Ball'.
O'Dea had a successful career in pantomime and he toured Ireland and England many times, and is much asccociated with actress Maureen Potter (d. 2004) with whom he partnered in many a performance. Taoiseach Seán Leamass, who had been best-man at his wedding in 1924, gave a valedictory oration at his funeral.
He owed much of his success in Ireland (at least) to his good relationship with the Elliman Brothers, who had a virtual monopoly on Irish theatre in the mid-Twentieth Century. This loyalty was reciprocated.[4]
. He made a small number of film appearances such as Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) in which he played King Brian of the little people and Johnny Nobody (1961). His songs are still well known to this day, some of them having been sung and recorded by Dublin singer Frank Harte.
Jimmy O'Dea died at Dr Steevens' Hospital, Dublin, at the age of 65.[1]