J. Pat O'Malley

J. Pat O'Malley
J. Pat O'Malley and Susan Gordon in "The Fugitive", a 1962 episode of The Twilight Zone
Born
James Rudolph O'Malley

(1904-03-15)15 March 1904
Died27 February 1985(1985-02-27) (aged 80)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1925–1982
Spouse
Fay M. O'Malley
(m. 1936)
[1]
Children2[2]

James Rudolph O'Malley (15 March 1904 – 27 February 1985) was an English actor and singer who appeared in many American films and television programmes from the 1940s to 1982, using the stage name J. Pat O'Malley. He also appeared on the Broadway stage in Ten Little Indians (1944) and Dial M for Murder (1954).[2]

The New York Times drama critic Theodore Goldsmith praised O'Malley's performance in Ten Little Indians, calling him "a rara avis, a comedian who does not gauge the success of his efforts by the number of laughs he induces at each performance".[3]

Career

Early years

Born into an Anglo-Irish family in Burnley, Lancashire,[4] O'Malley sang with Jack Hylton and his orchestra in the United Kingdom from 1930 to 1935. Known at that time as Pat O'Malley, in 1930 he sang "Amy, Wonderful Amy", a song about aviator Amy Johnson, performed by Hylton's band.[5]

At the end of 1935, Hylton and O'Malley came to the United States to record with a band composed of American musicians, thus emulating Ray Noble and Al Bowlly. The venture was short-lived.[citation needed] O'Malley remained in the US, known professionally as J. Pat O'Malley (to avoid confusion with another film actor named Pat O'Malley); he had a long and varied acting career, including the 1943 film Lassie Come Home as "Hynes".

Television career

O'Malley guest-starred in 1951 as a sheriff on the syndicated western series, The Adventures of Kit Carson. From 1950 to 1955, he appeared in five episodes of The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse. From 1951 to 1957, he was cast in eight episodes of another anthology series, Robert Montgomery Presents. Other television work from this period includes roles in Spin and Marty film (1955) and serial (1955–57) as the always-faithful ranch steward, Perkins.

In 1956, O'Malley guest-starred in "The Guilty", one of the last episodes of the NBC legal drama Justice. In 1958, he was a guest star in Peter Gunn (Season 1, Episode 3, "The Vicious Dog") as Homer Tweed.

O'Malley also appeared in the syndicated City Detective in the episode "Found in a Pawnshop" (1955). In 1960, O'Malley was cast in another syndicated series, Coronado 9. In 1959 and 1960, O'Malley portrayed a judge and a newspaper editor in three episodes of the ABC western series The Rebel about a roaming former Confederate soldier.

On January 6, 1959, O'Malley played a priest in the episode "The Secret of the Mission" on the syndicated adventure series Rescue 8.

The same year, O'Malley guest starred on the TV Western Gunsmoke as the title character "Print Asper" (S4E36).

O'Malley was cast as Walter Morgan in the 1959 episode "The First Gold Brick" of the NBC western series The Californians. In 1959-1960, he made eight appearances as Judge Caleb Marsh in Black Saddle. In 1959 he was cast as Dr Hardy in an early episode of Hennesey. In season 3, Episode 10 of the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive, "The Medicine Man", O'Malley played Doc. He also appeared in the role of a bank president in an episode of The Real McCoys titled "The Bank Loan", which was released January 15, 1959.

In 1959 and 1960, O'Malley appeared in the Disney series The Swamp Fox. In the first episode, he played a British guard at the gates to the fortifications of Charlestown. In subsequent episodes, he was listed as a co-star, playing Sgt. O'Reilly, one of Francis Marion's closest men.

In 1960, O'Malley made guest appearances on The Tab Hunter Show, The Law and Mr. Jones, Johnny Midnight, Johnny Staccato, Harrigan and Son, Adventures in Paradise, The Islanders, Going My Way, The Tall Man, and as Jim Phelan on Lawman episode titled "The Swamper." He made numerous guest appearances on CBS's Perry Mason, including as the defendant in the 1960 episode "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor" and as the murderer in the 1961 episode "The Case of the Roving River". O'Malley also appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "The Chaser".

In 1961, O'Malley appeared in 3 episodes of Tales of Wells Fargo, in different roles. In the episode "The Has-Been" he had the title role, playing a fading entertainer grieving over the loss of his wife. In one scene, O'Malley sang and danced as he performed for an imaginary audience in an abandoned dance hall. Later that year he guest-starred in the television version of Bus Stop and the following year appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone, "The Fugitive" and "Mr. Garrity and the Graves". He also guest-starred twice on The Lloyd Bridges Show in that series' 1962–1963 season. He then co-starred in the 1964 episode "This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There" of The Greatest Show on Earth.

During the 1963–1964 season O'Malley appeared in eight episodes of My Favorite Martian and returned to The Twilight Zone, playing a bit part in the episode "The Self-Improvement of Salvatore Ross". In the 1964–1965 season, he was cast in Wendy and Me. O'Malley appeared in the Hogan's Heroes episode "How to Cook a German Goose by Radar" in 1966, and the 1967 episode "D-Day at Stalag 13". In 1966, he also appeared as Ed Breck in the episode "Win Place and Die" of the sitcom Run, Buddy, Run. He appeared occasionally as Vince in The Rounders. In the 1966 episode "The Four Dollar Law Suit" of the syndicated western series Death Valley Days, O'Malley played a lawyer. In the January 19 and January 25, 1967, episodes of Batman, he played an eccentric inventor, Pat Pending, who is robbed by Catwoman.

In 1969, O'Malley portrayed Carol Brady's father in the first episode of ABC's The Brady Bunch. Also, in 1969 he played a hobo in the episode of Petticoat Junction entitled "Make Room for Baby". Season 7 episode 1. The name Fleming was used in O'Malley's first two appearances on The Fugitive (Season 1, "See Hollywood and Die"; Season 3, "Crack in a Crystal Ball"). In 1973, O'Malley co-starred in the comedy A Touch of Grace. He made several appearances on Maude between 1973 and 1975; and he performed on other series such as It Takes a Thief, One Day at a Time, Emergency!, Adam-12, The Practice, Three's Company, and Taxi. O'Malley also appeared on the ABC television series Family in 1979.

O'Malley appeared three times on the ABC television series Barney Miller. In the 1975 episode "You Dirty Rat" O'Malley played Mr. Holliman, the likeable homeless man who fell asleep and spent the weekend in Siegel's department store. In the 1981 "Rainmaker" episode, O'Malley played Walter Dooley, a traveling rainmaker hired by the NYC water department to end a drought but was arrested for setting a ritual fire in the park.

Voice work

O'Malley contributed a number of accented voice roles to The Walt Disney Company such as the Cockney costermonger in the "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" sequence in Mary Poppins (1964); Cyril Proudbottom in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949); and the role of Colonel Hathi and the vulture Buzzie in The Jungle Book (1967). His voice can be heard in Alice in Wonderland (1951), in which he performs all the character voices in "The Walrus and the Carpenter" segment (excepting Alice), including Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Walrus, the Carpenter, and Mother Oyster. Actor Dick Van Dyke has said that O'Malley was his dialect coach on Mary Poppins, attributing his widely criticized Cockney accent in that film to O'Malley.[6]

Personal life

O'Malley and his wife Fay, married in 1936, they remained married until his death in 1985.[1][2] They had two children.[1][2]

Death

O'Malley died of cardiovascular disease at his home in San Juan Capistrano on 27 February 1985, aged 80.[7]

Selected TV and filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1940 Captain Caution Fish Peddler
1941 Private Nurse Henry's Friend Uncredited
Paris Calling Sergeant Bruce McAvoy
1942 Over My Dead Body Petie Stuyvesant
1943 Thumbs Up Sam Keats
Lassie Come Home Hynes
1944 The White Cliffs of Dover Martin Uncredited
1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Cyril Proudbottom Voice
1951 Alice in Wonderland Tweedledum and Tweedledee / Walrus and Carpenter / Mother Oyster
1956 The Fastest Gun Alive Cross Creek Townsman Uncredited
1957 Four Boys and a Gun Fight Manager
Courage of Black Beauty Mike Green
Witness for the Prosecution The Shorts Salesman Uncredited
1958 The Long, Hot Summer Ratliff
Pubkeeper
1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians Jasper Badun / Colonel / Mr. Simpkins / Mechanic Voice
Blueprint for Robbery Pop Kane
1962 The Cabinet of Caligari Martin
1963 Shotgun Wedding Buford Anchors
1964 Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! Snively Voice
A House Is Not a Home Muldoon
Mary Poppins Bloodhound / Master of Hounds / Hunting Horse #2 / Pearly Drummer / Pearly Tambourinist / Penguin Waiter / Photographer / Reporter #2 Voice, Uncredited
Apache Rifles Captain Thatcher
1967 Gunn Tinker
The Jungle Book Colonel Hathi, the Elephant / Buzzie, the Vulture Voices
1968 Star! Dan
1969 Hello, Dolly! Park Policeman
1970 The Cheyenne Social Club Dr. Foy
1971 Willard Jonathan Farley
Skin Game William
1973 Robin Hood Otto the Blacksmith, a dog Voice (uncredited)
1976 The Gumball Rally Barney Donahue
1981 Cheaper to Keep Her Landlord
Freedom Papa J.

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1950 Stage 13 Episode: "Midsummer's Eve"
1950-1952 Lights Out Various 5 episodes
1950-1953 The Philco Television Playhouse
1950-1957 Studio One 3 episodes
1951 Danger Episode: "The Corpse and Tighe O'Kane"
The Nash Airflyte Theater Episode: "The Professor's Punch"
The Adventures of Kit Carson Sheriff Episode: "The Outlaws of Manzatania"
1951-1957 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Various 3 episodes
Robert Montgomery Presents 9 episodes
Lux Video Theatre 6 episodes
1951-1958 Kraft Theatre 13 episodes
1952 Hallmark Hall of Fame Warden Episode: "The King's Author"
1953 Armstrong Circle Theatre Episode: "The Marmalade Scandal"
Martin Kane, Private Eye Lieutenant Gaines Episode: "Trip to Bermuda"
The Web Episode: "A Design for Execution"
1953-1955 Goodyear Playhouse Various 3 episodes
1954 Suspense Episode: "The Iron Cop"
1955 The Elgin Hour Miller Episode: "The Bridge"
City Detective Abel Episode: "Found in a Pawnshop"
Spin and Marty Perkins
1955-1957 The United States Steel Hour Cookie/Curley 2 episodes
1956 Justice Episode: "The Guilty"
Appointment with Adventure Leo Episode: "Night Shadow"
I Spy Episode: "The Watchmaker of Scapa Flow"
TV Reader's Digest Ship's Captain/Bailiff 2 episodes
Playwrights '56 Doc Phelps/MacLeod
The Alcoa Hour Augustus Dunstable Episode: "The Confidence Men"
The Adventures of Hiram Holliday Jennings Episode: "Wrong Rembrant"
1957-1960 Captain David Grief Walker/Joe King 2 episodes
1958 Matinee Theater Episode: "Found Money"
Playhouse 90 Mr. Frobisher Episode: "Bomber's Moon"
1958-1959 Maverick Ambrose Callahan/Dr. Fred Dillon 2 episodes
1958-1960 Zane Grey Theater Various 3 episodes
1958-1961 Peter Gunn
1958-1973 Gunsmoke 5 episodes
1959 The Californians Walter Morgan Episode: "The First Gold Brick"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Colonel Binns Episode: "The Dusty Drawer"
Rescue 8 Father Flynn Episode: "The Secret of the Mission"
The Danny Thomas Show Ed Kelly 2 episodes
Union Pacific Episode: "Ten to a Rail"
Yancy Derringer Captain Billy Episode: "The Quick Firecracker"
Whirlybirds Dr. Barrows Episode: "Obsession"
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Hugo Episode: "Bride and Doom"
Mr. Lucky Professor Olander Episode: "The Money Game"
Johnny Staccato Sgt. Lou Bacus 2 episodes
1959-1960 Lawman Owen Muldoon/Jim Phelan
Black Saddle Judge Marsh 7 episodes
Law of the Plainsman Doc Leonard/Jonas 2 episodes
The Rebel Various 3 episodes
Have Gun – Will Travel Marcus Goodbaby/Logan 2 episodes
1959-1963 The Real McCoys Various 4 episodes
Rawhide
1960 The Islanders James J. Lacey Episode: "The Generous Politician"
Markham Walter Trevor Episode: "A Coffin for Cinderella"
The Dennis O'Keefe Show Charley Burke Episode: "Author, Author"
The Untouchables Warden Carroll Episode: "Portrait of a Thief"
Hotel de Paree Matt Hollis Episode: "Vengeance for Sundance"
The Detectives Barney Melson Episode: "The Bodyguards"
1960-1961 Perry Mason Jefferson Pike/Seth Tyson 2 episodes
1960 Wanted Dead or Alive Doc Farnsworth Episode: "The Medicine Man"
Johnny Midnight Harry Hughes Episode: "Somebody Loves You"
1960-1964 The Twilight Zone Various 4 episodes
1961-1971 Bonanza Various 3 episodes
1964-1968 Green Acres Various 4 episodes
1966-1969 Petticoat Junction Murdock Sneed/The Hobo 2 episodes
1968-1969 I Dream of Jeannie Paw/Judge Elroy Miller 2 episodes
1969 The Beverly Hillbillies Judge Vinegar Joe Johnson Episode: "Drysdale and Friend"
The Brady Bunch Henry Tyler Episode: "The Honeymoon"
1970-1971 Adam-12 Various 3 episodes
1971 Alias Smith and Jones H.T. McDuff Episode: "Wrong Train to Brimstone"
1975-1981 Barney Miller Various 3 episodes
1979 Lou Grant Patrick Terhune Episode: "Scam"
Young Maverick Uncle Malachi Episode: "A Fistul of Oats"
Three's Company Leo Moran Episode: "Old Folks at Home"
1980 The Dukes of Hazzard Henstep Episode: "Return of the Ridge Raiders"
1981-1982 Fantasy Island Reverend/Barkeep 2 episodes
1982 Taxi Tom Episode: "The Road Not Taken: Part 1"

References

  1. ^ a b c "Social Security Death Index: Fay M. O'Malley". Rootsweb Ancestry. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d "J. Pat O'Malley". The New York Times. 2 March 1985. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  3. ^ Theodore Goldsmith (30 July 1944). "One of the 'Ten Little Indians'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  4. ^ "J. Pat O'Malley". www.originalmmc.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  5. ^ "AMY - Lyrics - International Lyrics Playground". lyricsplayground.com.
  6. ^ "Dick Van Dyke apologizes to Brits for his 'atrocious' Cockney accent in 'Mary Poppins'". New York Daily News. 21 July 2017.
  7. ^ no byline (1 March 1985). "Veteran Film-TV Actor J. Pat O'Malley Dies". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2020.