Today, instead of reviewing a movie or comparing a few movies, I want to celebrate a birthday:Happy Birthday Donald O'Connor!!
He was born on August 28th, 1925. Most people know or remember him for his performance in Singin' in the Rain (1952) as the hilarious Cosmo Brown. I have been fortunate enough to see him other roles but I haven't seen as many of his films as I would like. However, from the ones I have seen - Call Me Madam (1953), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), and That Funny Feeling (1965) - I still like Singin' in the Rain the best. Now, to be fair, Singin' in the Rain is hard to beat (it's an indisputable classic) and I really have not seen many of his movies, much to my shame and disappointment. If you are looking for a little more Donald O'Connor, I can offer my suggestions from my meager experience with his films. Call Me Madam is my favorite of the three films that I have seen (concerning him, that is). I'm not an Ethel Merman fan but the parts with Vera-Ellen and Donald O'Connor are very cute. The plot is cute and the songs are wonderful (they include "It's A Lovely Day Today" and "You're Just In Love" - two of my favorites). With There's No Business Like Show Business, you have to get through Ethel Merman's singing again, but you get some Marilyn Monroe to compensate. Finally, That Funny Feeling is a delightful Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin film but Donald O'Connor, while great, is not the witty and wacky side-kick, or the charming and clever lead, but the luckless, abused best friend (not my favorite role for him).
In any role, Donald O'Connor shines through as a brilliant performer. I highly encourage checking out his other films. And, to encourage a wee bit of dialogue on this blog and to celebrate his birthday, can everyone please comment with
a) your favorite Donald O'Connor movie
b) and/or your favorite Cosmo quote (there are so many good ones!)
To conclude, here is a classic O'Connor number. Enjoy!
I've only seen him in "Singing in the Rain."
ReplyDeleteBut I definitely know my favorite quote,
"Oh, now I'm out of a job. At last I can start suffering and write that symphony."
RF: "No, you're promoted to the music director."
"Gee, thanks, RF! At last I can stop suffering and write that symphony."
Happy Birthday DO'C! I agree with your faves...ridi, Pagliacci, ridi...
ReplyDeleteI love him. The first time I saw him doing the "Moses Supposes" number I had tears in my eyes from laughter. Physical comedy is a true art form, and he pulls it off brilliantly.
ReplyDeleteas a kid i loved singing in the rain! i havent seen the rest, but a happy birthday indeed!
ReplyDeleteAwww I Love him so RIDICULOUSLY much!! ♥♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteyou must see "I Love Melvin"(1953) starring Donnie with Debbie Reynolds...
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BkVp2C4AQ )
that youtube channel has most of his movies and some rare material too... there's a lot of Mister O' fans around Youtube and Tumblr.