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Dennis O'Keefe

 
Actor: Dennis O'Keefe
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Mar 29, 1908 in Fort Madison, Iowa
  • Died: Aug 31, 1968 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California
  • Occupation: Actor, Writer, Director
  • Active: '30s-'50s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
  • Career Highlights: Raw Deal, Brewster's Millions, Topper Returns
  • First Major Screen Credit: The Bad Man of Brimstone (1938)

Biography

Born Edward Flanagan, O'Keefe was a lithe, brash, charming, tall, rugged lead actor. The son of vaudevillians, he began appearing onstage in his parents' act while still a toddler. By age 16 he was writing scripts for "Our Gang" comedy shorts. He attended some college and did more work on vaudeville before entering films in the early '30s, appearing in bit roles in more than 50 films under the name Bud Flanagan. His work in a small role in the film Saratoga (1937) impressed Clark Gable, who recommended that he be cast in leads. MGM agreed, so he changed his name to Dennis O'Keefe and went on to play leads in numerous films, beginning with Bad Man of Brimstone (1938). Besides many light action-oriented films, he also appeared in numerous '40s comedies, and later specialized in tough-guy parts. Later in his career he directed a film or two and also wrote mystery stories. In the late '50s O'Keefe starred in the short-lived TV series "The Dennis O'Keefe Show." He was in only two films in the '60s. He died at 60 of lung cancer. His widow is actress Steffi Duna. ~ All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Dennis O'Keefe
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Dennis O'Keefe can also refer to the Mayor of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, see Dennis O'Keefe (politician)
Dennis O'Keefe

Dennis O'Keefe in The Kid from Texas (1939)
Born Edward Vance Flanagan
March 29, 1908 (1908-03-29) (age 101)
Fort Madison, Iowa, USA
Died August 31, 1968 (aged 60)
Santa Monica, California, USA
Years active 1933–1977
Spouse(s) Steffi Duna (1940-1968) (his death)
Louise Stanley (? - ?) (divorced)

Dennis O'Keefe (29 March 1908 – 31 August 1968) was an American actor. Born Edward Flanagan ("Bud"), he was the son of Irish vaudevillians working in the United States. As a small child he joined his parents' act and later wrote skits for the stage.

O'Keefe started in films as an extra in the early 1930s and appeared in numerous films under the name Bud Flanagan. After a small but impressive role in Saratoga (1937), Clark Gable recommended O'Keefe to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which signed him to a contract in 1937 and re-named him Dennis O'Keefe. His film roles were bigger after that, starting with The Bad Man of Brimstone (1938), and the lead role in Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939).

O'Keefe left MGM around 1940 but continued to work in mostly lower budget productions. He often played the tough guy in action and crime dramas but was also known as a comic actor as well as a dramatic lead.

In the 1950s he did some directing, wrote mystery stories, and had a TV show, The Dennis O'Keefe Show. He died of lung cancer at the age of 60.

Selected filmography

Dennis O'Keefe (right) in 1946 Doll Face.

External links


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Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dennis O'Keefe".  Read more