| Sunday, September 28, 2003 |
Genius...with an 'I'*
My Earliest Memories My first memories of Donald O'Connor are of watching him in the Francis movies. I'd spend Sunday mornings with my grandpa watching those or a Blondie movie (with Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake) or even Ma & Pa Kettle (Marjorie Main). They were always playing on a UHF channel in Cleveland back then--before cable came to the area. Those are sweet, simple memories from childhood. Especially now that my grandmother has passed away and my grandpa is so much older now. Great Enjoyment  Despite the silliness and predictable plotlines of these serial films, I always have enjoyed the Francis movies, and other movies that featured O'Connor's song and dance stylings while showing off his genius for comedy. They always made me smile, laugh and dream of dancing and singing. I never miss an opportunity to watch There's No Business Like Show Business, wherein he shows some of his range...or The Milkman. I remember loving O'Connor's guest appearance on Alice when Vera was trying to break the Guinness World Record for tap dancing, and he did a routine with her.
Make 'em Laugh Though he had vaudevillian roots, O'Connor started his career as a straight actor, but there's no doubt that laughter paired perfectly with this song and dance man. Even up to the end, he was making us laugh and smile with a quip, reported already by many news sources, as his parting words for this world: "I'd like to thank the Academy for my lifetime achievement award that I will eventually get." My Regret I'm not a big writer of fan mail, but sometimes I think about writing a letter or card to a person who has done something or whose body of work I admire. I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet in person some of the performers I respect and see their humanity and laughter--how they connect with others because at the bottom of the Hollywood-hype they are still just people. They enjoy being liked and appreciated for the work they do the same way we all do. Anyway, back in February, I bought the special edition of Singin' in the Rain, a film that features the talents of some truly superior actor-singer-dancers. When I saw O'Connor interviewed in the DVD's special feature section -- knowing that he was still alive and had outlived Gene Kelly -- I thought, "I should write to him; he should know how much happiness his art has brought me--to people of all generations." But I procrastinated. I thought of it from time to time when I watched the movie again or listened to the soundtrack but didn't end up making the effort. Does it make any difference in the grand scheme of things? Would my one letter have mattered to him? Maybe not, but I still wish I'd written it before he left... *Alluding to a line often repeated in O'Connor's mule pictures: "Its Francis...with an 'I'." Photo Source: "Donald O'Connor: The Man, The Myth, The Legend" (original source/copyright-holder unknown). [ ] |
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