Donald O'Connor, dead at 78

Sept. 27, 2003

[DaughterofEve]

Fit as a fiddle...Moses supposes....what a masterpiece of film!

[Overtaxed]

am I the only one who thought the Francis the Mule movies were funny as hell?

Hehehe....I like Francis Goes to West Point.

[Arthur McGowan]

It boggles my mind how people can expect to find Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holliday, Janis Joplin, etc., in heaven.

[Senator Goldwater]

Good guy. Very talented.

[RightWhale]

When is this going to end?

It should stop about 100 years after we stop reproducing ourselves.

[herkbird]

Maybe Susan will have a bad stroke and keep ole timmy boy to busy to cry and whine about the inhumanity
of the republican party. Of course I would never wish the consequences of even the worst stroke on any of my enemies. My own suffering with Trigeminal Neuralgia for the past thirty years, one of the most painful medical conditions known to mankind, has taught me that death must be better than extreme suffering. So I agree with you on the sudden death heart attack where Susan and Tim are dead before they hit the floor.

[vigilo]

Haven't you heard? God has absolutely no standards whatsoever. No one can have standards, it's not fair.

[nicksaunt]

This is so sad, what an incredible talent.

Rest in Peace, Mr. O'Connor

[PGalt]

When is this going to end?

When you stop living. Enjoy it. Life is short.

[Palladin]

Now here's a guy I'll really miss. What a showman! And a fine husband and father.

You kids who don't know of him, look hi up on the IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base).

He was a song and dance man, and a marvelous comic.

I hope AMC or TNT does a whole week of his movies soon. I'd like to see them all again.

[Mercat]

"I guess you never saw the special where they showed how it was trick photography..." I believe that you're thinking of another scene, with a different dancer.. maybe Astaire. I do remember O'Connor running up a wall and doing flips.

[apackof2]

Oh very sad, he was a great entertainer

[skr]

You've probably seen the other replies about the trick photography. I can add to the nays on that, as he described how he had to use a safety belt to learn that part and didn't do his back or ankles any favors. The belt was not used for the filmed number. I've also seen him run up the wall when the host of a live show asked him to. He obliged, without equipment or trick photography, of course.

He was very humble about his dancing, as he wasn't "professionally" trained. He would have to be shown the most basic of steps and then would rehearse, rehearse, rehears long after everyone else was gone. And yet he made it look natural, or as natural as tap-dancing can look!

Make 'Em Laugh is one of my favorites and so is he.

[skr]

Absolutely!

[Morgan's Raider]

I can hear Francis (Chill Wills) now- "Welcome home, Pete!"

[Exit148]

He didn't have the same charisma as Gene Kelly, but when he danced, he was like air on his feet. Nimble and graceful. Lots of talents. One of the good guys.

[Hildy]

Another one I could have sworn was already dead.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Over a dozen celebrities have died since President Bush declared victory in Iraq. Where's the outrage?

Satire aside, this has been a year in which an unusually high number of entertainers have passed away.

End-of-the-year tributes will be interesting...

[kitkat]

***I guess you never saw the special where they showed how it was trick photography...***

Are you sure? I thought that was Fred Astaire when he danced up the side of the wall and on the ceiling.

I think O'Connor just backflipped off the wall.

Whatever, Donald O'Connor was brilliantly funny in "Make 'Em Laugh."

[Choose Ye This Day]

I didn't think it was trick photography...but one never knows.

I'm not surprised he put in such long, hard hours of practice. That's the only way to excel at any craft--and O'Connor obviously was a master of dance, even if not classically trained.

Gonna have to go rent SitR this week!