Spec O'Donnell

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Spec O'Donnell
Lobby card for The Country Kid (1923) with O'Donnell in back
Born(1911-04-09)April 9, 1911
Fresno, California, United States
DiedOctober 14, 1986(1986-10-14) (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, United States
OccupationActor
Years active1923–1978

Walter D. "Spec" O'Donnell (April 9, 1911 – October 14, 1986) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 190 films between 1923 and 1978.

He worked frequently for producer Hal Roach, often appearing in silent comedies as the bratty son of Max Davidson or Charley Chase. His sound-era roles were mostly uncredited bits, often as bellhops, newsboys, and pages; he was playing adolescent roles well into his twenties. He has the unusual distinction of playing the same role (a newsboy) in both an original film and its remake: Princess O'Hara and It Ain't Hay.

Early life[edit]

O'Donnell was born in Madera, California.[1] His father, John O'Donnell, was a lumber mill labourer originally from Maryland.[2]: 100–101  His mother and older siblings (Jack and Minnie) were born in California.[2]: 101 

Career[edit]

In February 1924, O'Donnell signed with Julius and Abe Stern's Century Film Corporation.[3]

In 1924, O'Donnell starred in Walt Disney's Alice Comedies.[2]: 78  The first of these was Alice's Spooky Adventure, where he features as one of several children playing baseball in a field.[2]: 100  The film also starred Virginia Davis (as Alice) and Leon Holmes, with whom O'Donnell featured alongside in Alice the Peacemaker during the same year.[2]: 100, 110  He also had parts in Alice Gets in Dutch and Alice is Stage Struck, which was released the following year.[2]: 111, 124 

Personal life[edit]

O'Donnell died in 1986 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.

Selected filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1923 Little Johnny Jones Freckle-faced Little Boy
1923 The Barefoot Boy Schoolboy
1923 The Country Kid Joe Applegate [4]
1923 The Darling of New York Willie [5]
1923 Main Street [6]
1924 The Foolish Virgin Little Boy [7]
1924 Don't Fall Spec Short [8]
1924 Speed Boys Spec Short [9]
1924 Paging Money Short [10]
1924 The Racing Kid Short [11]
1924 Delivering the Goods Spec Short [12]
1924 Alice's Spooky Adventure Freckled Boy uncredited; Short [2]: 100 
1924 Alice the Peacemaker Freckle-Faced Newsboy [2]: 110 
1924 Alice Gets in Dutch Short [2]: 111 
1925 Alice Is Stage Struck [2]: 124 
1925 Tomorrow's Love [13]
1925 The Devil's Cargo Jimmy [14]
1925 The Dressmaker from Paris Jim [15]
1925 Little Annie Rooney Abie [16]
1925 The Price of Success Jimmy Moran
1926 Sparrows Ambrose [17]
1926 Private Izzy Murphy The Monahan Kid [18]
1926 Hard Boiled Eddie Blix
1926 Old Ironsides Cabin Boy uncredited
1926 Don Key Office Boy Also known as Don Key (Son of Burro) [19]
1927 Why Girls Say No Maxie Whisselberg [20]
1927 Don't Tell Everything Asher Ginsberg
1927 Casey at the Bat Spec
1927 Special Delivery Office Boy uncredited
1927 Call of the Cuckoo Love's Greatest Mistake
1928 Pass the Gravy Ignatz
1928 A Pair of Tights The Kid
1928 Vamping Venus Western Union Boy / Mercury
1928 Hot News Spec
1928 Danger Street Sammy
1929 In the Headlines Johnny
1929 The Sophomore Joe's Nephew
1930 The Grand Parade Call Boy
1930 Big Money Elevator Boy
1930 Two Plus Fours Spec Short
1932 The Big Broadcast Office Boy uncredited
1934 Broadway Bill Higgins Flunky uncredited
1934 David Harum Tim uncredited [21]
1936 Cain and Mabel Autograph Hound uncredited
1937 Blonde Trouble Fred's Friend
1937 Here's Flash Casey Billy uncredited
1938 Angels with Dirty Faces Pool Room Youth uncredited
1938 Accidents Will Happen 'Specs' Carter [22]
1943 Crazy House Bellhop uncredited
1946 The Kid from Brooklyn Arena Callboy uncredited
1951 Footlight Varieties Contestant uncredited
1952 Pat and Mike Hick's Caddy uncredited
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Club Member (uncredited) Season 5 Episode 12: "Specialty of the House"
1978 Convoy 18 Wheel Eddie [23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Buddy Messinger and Spec O'Donnell Leave Century Studio for Vacation". Universal Weekly. 19 (18): 37. June 14, 1924.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Susanin, Timothy S. (2011). Walt Before Mickey: Disney's Early Years, 1919-1928. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-961-9. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  3. ^ "Century Signs Two". Moving Picture World. 66 (6): 499. February 9, 1924.
  4. ^ ""The Country Kid" Well Under Way". Moving Picture World. 63 (3): 239. July 21, 1923.
  5. ^ ""The Darling of New York"". Moving Picture World. 65 (1): 50. November 3, 1923.
  6. ^ "Three Warner Features Shown Consecutively for Three Weeks". Moving Picture World. 63 (1): 67. July 7, 1923.
  7. ^ ""Foolish Virgin" Here". Moving Picture World. 69 (6): 442. August 9, 1924.
  8. ^ "Century Schedule". Moving Picture World. 72 (2): 155. November 8, 1924.
  9. ^ "Century Comedy Release". Moving Picture World. 72 (2): 164. November 8, 1924.
  10. ^ "Five for July". Moving Picture World. 68 (8): 706. June 21, 1924.
  11. ^ "Centuries for April". Moving Picture World. 67 (6): 465. April 5, 1924.
  12. ^ "Luddy's Second Features Century's Dog-Star, "Pal"". Universal Weekly. April 26, 1924.
  13. ^ "Finishes "Tomorrow's Love"". Moving Picture World. 71 (6): 558. December 6, 1924.
  14. ^ ""The Devil's Cargo"". Moving Picture World. 72 (8): 786. February 21, 1925.
  15. ^ ""The Dressmaker from Paris"". Moving Picture World. 73 (4): 353. March 28, 1925.
  16. ^ ""Little Annie Rooney"". Moving Picture World. 76 (9): 717. October 31, 1925.
  17. ^ "Mary Pickford's Next Picture "Sparrows" Completed". Moving Picture World. 79 (1): 30. March 6, 1926.
  18. ^ "Jack Warner Speeding Project". Motion Picture News. 34 (4): 303. July 24, 1924.
  19. ^ ""Don Key"". Moving Picture World. 80 (4): 327. May 22, 1926.
  20. ^ "Pathe's Feb. 20 Line-Up". Motion Picture News. 35 (7): 581. February 18, 1927.
  21. ^ ""David Harum"". Kinematograph Weekly. January 18, 1934. p. 18.
  22. ^ "Fake Accidents Exposé". Kinematograph Weekly. February 17, 1938. p. 6.
  23. ^ Dukore, Bernard F. (1999). Sam Peckinpah's Feature Films. University of Illinois Press. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-252-06802-7. Retrieved September 4, 2023.

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