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Maureen O'Sullivan

Maureen O'Sullivan

Birthday: 1911-05-17 | Place of Birth: Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland

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.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1994
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is

as    Eleanor Biddlecomb

1987
Stranded

as    Grace Clark

1986
Hannah and Her Sisters

as    Norma

1984
Too Scared to Scream

as    Marian Hardwick

1957
The Tall T

as    Doretta Mims

1954
Duffy of San Quentin

as    Gladys Duffy

1950
Where Danger Lives

as    Julie Dorn

1948
The Big Clock

as    Georgette Stroud

1942
1941
Tarzan's Secret Treasure

as    Jane

1940
Pride and Prejudice

as    Jane Bennet

1939
Tarzan Finds a Son!

as    Jane Parker

1939
Let Us Live

as    Mary Roberts

1938
Spring Madness

as    Alexandra Benson

1938
Hold That Kiss

as    June Evans

1938
A Yank at Oxford

as    Molly Beaumont

1937
A Day at the Races

as    Judy Standish

1937
The Emperor's Candlesticks

as    Maria Orlich

1936
Tarzan Escapes

as    Jane

1936
The Devil-Doll

as    Lorraine Lavond

1935
Woman Wanted

as    Ann

1935
Anna Karenina

as    Kitty

1935
Cardinal Richelieu

as    Lenore

1934
The Thin Man

as    Dorothy Wynant

1934
The Barretts of Wimpole Street

as    Henrietta Barrett

1934
Tarzan and His Mate

as    Jane Parker

1934
Hide-Out

as    Pauline Miller