Cathy O'Donnell
Cathy O'Donnell (actually: Ann Steely ) (born July 6, 1923 in Siluria , Alabama , † April 11, 1970 in Los Angeles ) was an American film actress .
life and career
After attending high school and college in Oklahoma City , O'Donnell, who was still called Ann Steely at the time, worked as a stenographer to help finance the move to Hollywood , where she was signed by film producer Samuel Goldwyn . He recognized the potential of the young woman, made it possible for her to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts , and gave her her Irish- sounding stage name - Cathy O'Donnell. In 1945 - at the age of 22 - O'Donnell made his film debut in the drama The Wonder Man , directed by H. Bruce Humberstone . Her work with Goldwyn came to an abrupt end on April 11, 1946, when, at the age of 23, she married director Robert Wyler , who was 25 years her senior . However, this was a competitor of Goldwyn when it came to getting film projects. Goldwyn terminated O'Donnell's contract.
Most of the films in which O'Donnell starred in the 1950s were now made in collaboration with her husband. Often she played the naive young girl next door; for example the crime film Polizeirevier 21 , produced in 1951 , with Kirk Douglas as a film partner. Her brother-in-law , William Wyler, directed it . She also starred alongside James Stewart in the western The Man from Laramie , directed by Anthony Mann (1955). She had already played under Mann in 1950 in Side Street .
Her last feature film was the monumental film Ben Hur from 1959, also directed by William Wyler. The actress last appeared in an episode of the series Bonanza in 1964 . Cathy O'Donnell died of cancer on April 11, 1970, on her 24th wedding anniversary . Her marriage to Robert Wyler, who was to outlive her by only nine months, remained childless.
Filmography (selection)
- 1945: The Miracle Man ( Wonder Man )
- 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives ( The Best Years of Our Lives )
- 1948: The Amazing Mr. X
- 1948: They live at night ( They Live By Night )
- 1950: Your Secret ( The Miniver Story )
- 1950: Side Street
- 1951: Police Station 21 ( Detective Story )
- 1955: The Man from Laramie ( The Man from Laramie )
- 1957: The Leatherstocking Tales: The Deerslayer ( The Deerslayer )
- 1957: The Story of Mankind
- 1958: My World Dies Screaming
- 1959: Ben Hur
- 1961: Perry Mason (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1964: Bonanza (TV series, 1 episode)
Web links
- Cathy O'Donnell in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Portrait of Cathy O'Donnell in: The New York Times
- Cathy O'Donnell in the German dubbing file
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cathy O'Donnell in: William Wyler , by Wolfgang Jacobsen, Helga Belach, Norbert Grob, Argon, 1996, page 261
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | O'Donnell, Cathy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Steely, Ann |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US-american actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 6, 1923 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Siluria , Alabama , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 11, 1970 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles , California , United States |