Image of Cathy O'Donnell

Cathy O'Donnell

Cathy O'Donnell (July 6, 1923 – April 11, 1970) was an American actress, best known for her many roles in film-noir movies. While under contract with Samuel Goldwyn, O'Donnell made her debut in an uncredited role as a nightclub extra in Wonder Man (1945). Her first major role in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), playing Wilma Cameron, the high-school sweetheart of double amputatee Homer Parrish, played by real-life World War II veteran/amputee Harold Russell. She was loaned out to RKO for one of her most memorable films, They Live by Night (1949) starring with Farley Granger, widely considered a classic of the noir genre and on the Guardian's list of the top ten noir films. The film was directed by Nicholas Ray. The two actors later re-teamed for another movie, Side Street (1950). Later O'Donnell starred in The Miniver Story (also 1950), as Judy Miniver and also had a supporting role in Detective Story (1951). She appeared as Barbara Waggoman, the love interest of James Stewart's character in the western The Man from Laramie (1955). Her final film role was the title character's sister Tirzah in William Wyler's 1959 Academy Award winning Best Picture Ben-Hur (1959). In the 1960s, she appeared in TV shows, playing mostly bit parts on shows such as Perry Mason, The Rebel and Man Without a Gun. Her last screen appearance was in 1964, in an episode of Bonanza. Description above from the Wikipedia article Cathy O'Donnell, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Born:
Jul 6, 1923 In Siluria, Alabama, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
26
First Appeared:
In the movie The Best Years of Our Lives 1946-12-25
Latest Project:
Series Tate 1960-06-08
Known For
Poster of Ben-Hur
Poster of Loves of Three Queens
Poster of The Woman's Angle
Poster of Never Trust a Gambler
Filmography
Series Tate Unknown 1960-06-08
Series The Detectives Unknown 1959-10-16
Series The Rebel Unknown 1959-10-04
Movie Ben-Hur Tirzah 1959-11-18
Movie My World Dies Screaming Sheila Wayne Tierney (as Kathy O'Donnell) 1958-08-20
Movie The Deerslayer Judith Hutter 1957-09-10
Series Sugarfoot Unknown 1957-09-17
Movie The Story of Mankind Early Christian Woman 1957-11-08
Series Perry Mason Unknown 1957-09-21
Series Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Unknown 1956-10-05
Movie The Man from Laramie Barbara Waggoman 1955-08-19
Movie Mad at the World Anne Bennett 1955-05-13
Series Matinee Theater Unknown 1955-10-31
Movie Eight O'Clock Walk Jill Manning 1954-03-16
Series Climax! Unknown 1954-10-07
Movie Loves of Three Queens Enone (segment: The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships) 1954-12-24
Movie The Woman's Angle Nina van Rhyne 1952-02-12
Movie Never Trust a Gambler Virginia Merrill 1951-07-13
Movie Detective Story Susan Carmichael 1951-11-01
Movie Side Street Ellen Norson 1950-03-23
Movie The Miniver Story Judy Miniver 1950-10-26
Series Lights Out Unknown 1949-07-19
Movie They Live by Night Catherine "Keechie" Mobley 1949-11-01
Movie The Amazing Mr. X Janet Burke 1948-07-29
Movie Bury Me Dead Rusty 1947-10-18
Movie The Best Years of Our Lives Wilma Cameron 1946-12-25