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Henry O'Neill

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For other uses, see Henry O'Neill (disambiguation).
Henry O'Neill
O'Neill in 1936
Born(1891-08-10)August 10, 1891
Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 1961(1961-05-18) (aged 69)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place
San Fernando Mission Cemetery
OccupationActor
Years active1930–1957
Spouse
Anna Barry
​
​
(m. 1924)​
Children1

Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961)[1] was an American actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles on film during the 1930s and 1940s.

Early life

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Henry O'Neill was born in Orange, New Jersey on August 10, 1891[2] where he grew up before moving to Los Angeles, California.[citation needed] His grandparents came from Ireland to the United States.[3] His education went through one year of college, after which he joined a stock theater troupe that went through his community.[4]

Career

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O'Neill began his acting career on the stage, after dropping out of college to join a traveling theater company.[5] He served in the Navy as a chief petty officer in World War I,[4] after which he worked at several jobs, including being an usher in a funeral home.[6] Eventually, he returned to the stage, joining a road show to tour the United States in 1919.[4] His Broadway debut came in The Spring (1921), and his final Broadway appearance was in Shooting Star (1933).[1] He also acted with the Provincetown Players and the Celtic Players.[6]

In the early 1930s he began appearing in films, including The Big Shakedown (1934), the Western Santa Fe Trail (1940), the musical Anchors Aweigh (1945),[5] The Green Years (1946), and The Reckless Moment (1949). His last film was The Wings of Eagles (1957), starring John Wayne.

An article in The New York Times said of O'Neill:

Whether he is playing a banker. lawyer or doctor, the quiet dignity of his characters, combined with forcefulness and a kind of directness, makes him akin to vast numbers of his wide audience. Even his appearance, as a slender, straight, conservatively dressed man with graying hair and aristocratic features, is true to the conservative, conventional type of American business man.[3]

Personal life

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O'Neill was not related to Eugene O'Neill, but his first major Broadway role was Paddy in the latter's The Hairy Ape. The two men became good friends thereafter, and the actor performed in a number of the writer's plays.[4]

He was on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[2]

In 1924, O'Neill married Anna Barry. They had one child and remained wed until his death.[5]

On May 18, 1961,[4] O'Neill died in Hollywood, California, at the age of 69. His remains are interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in North Hollywood.[7]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Henry O'Neill". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Hollywood Star Walk: Henry O'Neill". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 1961.
  3. ^ a b "That Other Mr. O'Neill". The New York Times. August 24, 1941. p. 143. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Henry O'Neill, 69, Character Actor: Performer in 150 Films Dies — Appeared on Broadway". The New York Times. May 22, 1961. p. 31. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c Gordon, Dr Roger L. (2018). Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures. Dorrance Publishing. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9781480944992. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Stokes, Jon (February 26, 1939). "An Actor". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. p. 60. Retrieved September 29, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson
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