Michael O'Shea
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Michael O'Shea
Biography
Pressured by his father to become a policemen like all five of his brothers, American actor Michael O'Shea defied his dad by dropping out of school at age 12, then entered vaudeville in an act with his idol, boxer Jack Johnson. Working the Prohibition years as a comic and emcee in speakeasies, O'Shea organized his own dance band, Michael O'Shea and His Stationary Gypsies. Adopting the professional name Eddie O'Shea, the actor spent the '30s in stock companies and in radio, until accruing good reviews for his 1942 Broadway appearance in The Eve of St. Mark. Somewhat reluctantly, O'Shea entered movies on the strength of his stage work; the one Michael O'Shea film that seems to get the most circulation today is Lady Of Burlesque (1943) in which he played a red-nosed burleyque comic who was the erstwhile boyfriend of stripper Barbara Stanwyck. Bouncing back and forth between Broadway and movies, O'Shea never quite became a star, though he did manage to marry one: Virginia Mayo, with whom he'd appeared in the 1943 film Jack London. O'Shea's film work in the '50s was acceptable, but he was shown to better advantage in the 1955 TV sitcom, It's A Great Life, which though no hit had a great second life in reruns. According to an interview given in 1972 Michael O'Shea fulfilled his father's "policeman" wishes after a fashion by working as an operative for the FBI in the mid '60s, helping to break up a gambling ring plaguing O'Shea's home turf of Ventura County, California. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviFilmography:
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Michael O'Shea
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Michael O'Shea (actor)
| Michael O'Shea | |
|---|---|
 from the film Lady of Burlesque (1943) |
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| Born | March 17, 1906 Hartford, Connecticut, USA |
| Died | December 4, 1973 (aged 67) Dallas, Texas, USA |
Michael O'Shea (March 17, 1906 - December 4, 1973), was an American character actor whose career spanned from the 1940s-1960s. O'Shea was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Unlike his five brothers who became policemen, he dropped out of school at 12 and began his acting career in vaudeville by touring with boxing idol Jack Johnson's show.
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Career
Much like his character from Lady of Burlesque (1943), Biff Brannigan, O'Shea was a comedian and emcee at speakeasies. He put together his own dance band, "Michael O'Shea and His Stationary Gypsies", and later broke into radio and the "legitimate" stage, where he was billed for a time as "Eddie O'Shea". His performance in the 1942 play The Eve of St. Mark led to a string of film roles in the 40s, which included a memorable performance as Barbara Stanwyck's boyfriend comic in Lady of Burlesque. He also received great reviews in 1944 when he reprised his stage role of Private Thomas Mulveray in the film version of The Eve of St. Mark.
After his career in film waned—he was largely out of films by 1952—he took many roles in television. He acted in TV programs such as Ethel Barrymore Theater, Damon Runyon Theater, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, The Revlon Mirror Theater, and Daktari. He also starred in the NBC sitcom television series It's a Great Life from 1954-1956 as Denny Davis, a former GI trying to find a civilian job. Frances Bavier played his landlady.
Family
He was married twice. His first wife was Grace Watts, by whom he had two children. They divorced in 1947. His second wife was actress Virginia Mayo, whom he married in 1947. He met Mayo during the filming of Jack London in 1943. They subsequently appeared on the stock stage together in such productions as George Washington Slept Here, Tunnel of Love and Fiorello!. They had one child, Mary Catherine O'Shea, who was born in 1953. They remained married until December 4, 1973, when O'Shea died from a heart attack in Dallas, Texas.
Selected filmography
- Lady of Burlesque (1943)
- Jack London (1943)
- Something for the Boys (1944)
- Man from Frisco (1944) – Matt Braddock
- The Eve of St Mark (1944)
- Circumstantial Evidence (1945)
- It's a Pleasure (1945)
- Last of the Redmen (1947)
- Violence (1947)
- Mr. District Attorney (1947)
- Parole, Inc. (1948)
- Smart Woman (1948)
- The Threat (1949)
- The Big Wheel (1949)
- The Underworld Story (1950)
- Captain China (1950)
- The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)
- Fixed Bayonets! (1951)
- Disc Jockey (1951)
- Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952)
- It Should Happen to You (1954)
External links
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Mentioned in
Bass Fishing: The Basics With Chuck Woolery
(2004 Sports & Recreation Film)
Parole, Inc.
(1949 Crime Film)
The Threat
(1949 Crime Film)
It's a Pleasure
(1945 Comedy Drama Film)
The Man from Frisco
(1944 Drama Film)
» More