Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor

 Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003)

O'Connor came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. He is best known today for his role as Gene Kelly's friend and colleague Cosmo Brown in Singin' in the Rain (1952). O'Connor began performing in movies in 1937. He appeared opposite Bing Crosby in Sing You Sinners at age 12. In 1940, when he had outgrown child roles, he returned to vaudeville. In 1949, he played the lead role in Francis, the story of a soldier befriended by a talking mule. The film was a huge success. As a consequence, his musical career was constantly interrupted by production of one Francis film per year until 1955. It was because of the Francis series that O'Connor missed playing Bing Crosby's partner in White Christmas. O'Connor was unavailable because he contracted an illness transmitted by the mule, and was replaced in the film by Danny Kaye. O'Connor's role as Cosmo the piano player in Singin' in the Rain earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical. The film featured his memorable rendition of Make 'Em Laugh. O'Connor said he smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day during filming. In 1954, he starred in his own television series, The Donald O'Connor Show on NBC.

In 1968, O'Connor hosted a syndicated talk show also called The Donald O'Connor Show. O'Connor overcame alcoholism after being hospitalized for three months after collapsing in 1978. His career had a boost when he hosted the Academy Awards, which earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations. He appeared as a gaslight-era entertainer in the 1981 film Ragtime, notable for similar encore performances by James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. It was his first feature film role in 16 years. Donald O'Connor died at age 78 of heart disease, and had undergone quadruple bypass surgery a decade earlier.