Una O'Connor

Una O'Connor (23 October 1880 – 4 February 1959) was an Irish actress who worked extensively in theatre before becoming a notable character actress in film.

Born Agnes Teresa McGlade to a Catholic nationalist family in Belfast, Ireland, and educated at St. Vincent's National School, she changed her name when she began her acting career with Dublin's Abbey Theatre.

For many years, she worked in Ireland and England as a stage actress, and appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Murder! (1930). Despite her lengthy apprenticeship she had not attracted much attention until she was chosen by Noel Coward to appear in Cavalcade (1933). Her success led her to Hollywood to reprise her role, and with its success, O'Connor decided to remain there.

A favourite of the director James Whale, among O'Connor's most successful and best remembered roles are her performances in Whale's The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

O'Connor also appeared in supporting roles in various theatre productions, and achieved an outstanding success in the role of "Janet McKenzie", the nearly deaf housemaid, in Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution at Henry Miller's Theatre on Broadway from 1954 until 1956.

As one of the witnesses, in what was essentially a serious drama, O'Connor's character was intended to provide comic relief, as so many of her past characterisations had.

O'Connor was highly praised for her work, and also played the role in the Billy Wilder film version of the same name in 1957. The film was a great success, and O'Connor once again received excellent reviews. It was her final film performance. By this time she was in her late seventies, and decided to retire.

She died, never having married or had children, in New York City from heart disease, aged 78.

Partial filmography

Murder! (1930)
Cavalcade (1933)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Stingaree (1934)
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934)
Father Brown, Detective (1935)
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Informer (1935)
Rose-Marie (1936)
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
Suzy (1936)
Lloyd's of London (1936)
The Plough and the Stars (1936)

External links

Una O'Connor at the Internet Movie Database
Early Photo

PersondataNAME O'Connor, Una ALTERNATIVE NAMES SHORT DESCRIPTION ActorDATE OF BIRTH 23 October 1880PLACE OF BIRTH Belfast, IrelandDATE OF DEATH 4 February 1959PLACE OF DEATH New York City