Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen Paula O'Sullivan was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, on May 17, 1911. The future mother of Mia Farrow was a schooldays classmate of Vivien Leigh at the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton in London. Even as a schoolgirl, Maureen desired an acting career; she studied hard and read widely. When the opportunity to be an actress came along, it almost dropped in her lap. The director Frank Borzage was in Dublin filming “Song o’ My Heart” (1930) when Maureen, then 18, met him. Borzage suggested a screen test, which she took. The results were more than favorable, as she won the part of Eileen O’Brien. The part was a substantial one, so much so that Maureen went on to Hollywood to complete the filming. Once in sunny California, Maureen wasted no time landing roles in other films such as “Just Imagine” (1930), “Princess and the Plumber” (1930), and “So This Is London” (1930). Maureen was on a roll that her contemporaries could only have wished for when they were coming up through the ranks. In 1932, Maureen was teamed up with Olympic medal winner Johnny Weissmuller for the first time in “Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932). Five other Tarzan films followed, the last being “Tarzan’s New York Adventure” (1942). The Tarzan epics rank as one of the most memorable series ever made. Most people agree that those movies would not have been successful had it not been for the fine acting talents, not to mention beauty, of Maureen O’Sullivan. But she was more than Jane Parker in the Tarzan films; she had great roles and played beautifully in films such as “The Flame Within” (1935), “David Copperfield” (1935), and “Anna Karenina” (1935). She turned in yet another fine performance in “Pride and Prejudice” (1940). After the 1940s, Maureen made far fewer films, not because she lost popularity but by choice. It isn’t always easy to walk away from a lucrative career, but she did because she wanted to devote more time to her husband, John Farrow, an Australian writer, and their seven children. The couple were married from 1936 until his death in 1963. She did not, however, retire completely; Maureen still found time to make an occasional appearance in films or TV or on the stage. Later movie-goers remember her as Elizabeth Alvorg in the hit film “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986). Her final silver screen appearance was in “The River Pirates” (1988). Some TV movies followed, but only until 1996. She maintained homes in New Hampshire and Arizona, and it was in Scottsdale that Maureen died on June 23, 1998, of a heart attack. She was 87 years old.
Fotos
Filmes (92)
Famous T&A 2
2022 · Jane Porter (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tarzan Revisited
2017 · Self (archive footage)
Where Danger Lives: White Rose for Julie
2007
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
2004 · Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
2003 · Self (archive footage)
In Search of Tarzan with Jonathan Ross
1998 · Self
Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
1996 · Self
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is
1994 · Eleanor Biddlecomb
The Habitation of Dragons
1992 · Helen Taylor
With Murder in Mind
1992 · Aunt Mildred
Good Old Boy
1988 · Aunt Sue
Stranded
1987 · Grace Clark
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987 · Self
Peggy Sue Got Married
1986 · Elizabeth Alvorg
Hannah and Her Sisters
1986 · Norma
Too Scared to Scream
1984 · Marian Hardwick
Morning's at Seven
1982 · Esther "Esty" Crampton
Mandy's Grandmother
1978 · Grandmother
The Great Houdinis
1976 · Lady Conan Doyle
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · (archive footage)
It's Showtime
1976 · Self (archive footage)
The Crooked Hearts
1972 · Lillian Stanton
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972 · Self (archive footage)
The Phynx
1970 · Maureen O'Sullivan
Never Too Late
1965 · Edith Lambert
Wild Heritage
1958 · Emma Breslin
The Edge of Innocence
1957 · Julia Williams
The Tall T
1957 · Doretta Mims
The Blessed Midnight
1956 · Sister Mary Benedict
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
1955 · Mother
The Steel Cage
1954 · Gladys Duffy
Duffy of San Quentin
1954 · Gladys Duffy
Mission Over Korea
1953 · Nancy Slocum
All I Desire
1953 · Sara Harper
Bonzo Goes to College
1952 · Marion Gateson Drew
Ellis in Freedomland
1952 · The Dishwasher (voice)
No Resting Place
1951 · Nan Kyle
Where Danger Lives
1950 · Julie
Screen Actors
1950 · Self (uncredited)
The Big Clock
1948 · Georgette Stroud
Tarzan's New York Adventure
1942 · Jane
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
1941 · Jane
Maisie Was a Lady
1941 · Abby Rawlston
Pride and Prejudice
1940 · Jane Bennet
Sporting Blood
1940 · Linda Lockwood
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940 · Self
Tarzan Finds a Son!
1939 · Jane Parker
Let Us Live
1939 · Mary Roberts
Spring Madness
1938 · Alexandra Benson
The Crowd Roars
1938 · Sheila 'Shelia' Carson
Port of Seven Seas
1938 · Madelon
Hold That Kiss
1938 · June Evans
A Yank at Oxford
1938 · Molly Beaumont
My Dear Miss Aldrich
1937 · Martha Aldrich
The Romance of Celluloid
1937 · Self
Between Two Women
1937 · Claire Donahue
The Emperor's Candlesticks
1937 · Maria Orlich
A Day at the Races
1937 · Judy Standish
Tarzan Escapes
1936 · Jane
The Devil-Doll
1936 · Lorraine Lavond
Hollywood - The Second Step
1936 · Herself
The Voice of Bugle Ann
1936 · Camden Terry
The Bishop Misbehaves
1935 · Hester Grantham
Anna Karenina
1935 · Kitty
Woman Wanted
1935 · Ann
The Flame Within
1935 · Linda Belton
Cardinal Richelieu
1935 · Lenore
West Point of the Air
1935 · 'Skip' Carter
David Copperfield
1935 · Dora Spenlow
The Barretts of Wimpole Street
1934 · Henrietta Barrett
Hide-Out
1934 · Pauline Miller
The Thin Man
1934 · Dorothy Wynant
Tarzan and His Mate
1934 · Jane Parker
Screen Snapshots No. 11
1934 · Herself
Stage Mother
1933 · Shirley Lorraine
Tugboat Annie
1933 · Patricia 'Pat' Severn
The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble
1933 · Molly Kelly
Strange Interlude
1932 · Madeline Arnold
Robbers' Roost
1932 · Helen Herrick
Payment Deferred
1932 · Winnie Marble
Okay, America!
1932 · Sheila Barton
Skyscraper Souls
1932 · Lynn Harding
Fast Companions
1932 · Sally
The Silver Lining
1932 · Joyce Moore
Tarzan the Ape Man
1932 · Jane Parker
The Big Shot
1931 · Doris Thompson
Skyline
1931 · Katherine Kearny
A Connecticut Yankee
1931 · Alisande / Woman in Mansion
The Princess and the Plumber
1930 · Princess Louise
Just Imagine
1930 · LN-18
So This Is London
1930 · Elinor Worthing
Song o' My Heart
1930 · Eileen
Séries (13)
Leg Work
1987 · Dorothy Richardson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
The Merv Griffin Show
1962 · Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Ben Casey
1961
Matinee Theater
1955
Climax!
1954 · Lady Dominey, Miriam
The Whistler
1954
Cavalcade of America
1952 · Sister Mary Benedict
Four Star Playhouse
1952 · Minna Baxter
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Lux Video Theatre
1950 · Agnes Fisher, Self - Intermission Guest, Intermission Guest, Mary, Stella
What's My Line?
1950 · Self