William Joseph Patrick “Pat” O’Brien was born on 11 November 1899, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA, inTO a Roman Catholic family with Irish ancestry. He was an actor most recognized for movies such as ‘’Some Like it Hot’’ and ‘’Angels With Dirty Faces’’.
So, just how rich was Pat O’Brien? Authoritative sources estimate that O’Brien’s net worth was as high as $1.5 million, accumulated from his six decades long acting career in Hollywood, as well as on the silver screen. He also wrote a couple of books.
Pat O’Brien Net Worth $1.5 million
Pat grew up near 13th and Clybourn streets in Milwaukee. He attended Marquette Academy and went on to join the US Navy in World War I. Having returned from war, O’Brien decided to continue his education and enrolled into Marquette University shortly after. During his college days, O’Brien found an acting job, and went on to appear in several Broadway plays and spent a decade there. Pat made his silver screen debut in Paramount’s film ‘’Honor Among Lovers’’ which was well received by the critics. He continuously played significant roles during the early ‘30s, appearing in several MGM musicals. In the upcoming years, he played in a variety of Warner Bros movies which resulted in a long term contract, making a name for himself and gaining attention and reputation. His appearances, either supporting or lead roles, were often critically acclaimed. During this era of his career, he played lead parts in ‘’I Married a Doctor’’ and ‘’Public Enemy’s Wife’’ among many others. However, the highlight of this period was his role in ‘’Angels with Dirty Faces’’ in which he played a Catholic priest with a problematic past, Fr. Jerry Connolly. The movie was nominated for several awards and earned a total of $1.7 million at the box office, considerable in those days. O’Brien’s performance is said to have added significantly to the movie.
Pat eventually left Warner Bros and signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, but never appeared in any of their movies, and went on to sign a contract with RKO, eventually appearing in several of their movies usually playing a certain type of military or authority characters. In the mid ‘40s, he established his own production company with his manager, and signed a contract with Columbia to make several movies together. One of the most noted appearances he made during this period was his role of Father Peter J. Dunne, in ‘’Fighting Father Dunne’’, a 1948 biographical film. The number of roles Pat would get was slowly decreasing in the 1950s and his friend Spencer Tracy persuaded MGM studio to give O’Brien parts in a couple of their films, and in the following year, he had several big roles, the highlight being the role of Detective Mulligan in ‘’Some like it Hot’’, a 1959 comedy in which he played alongside Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis.
He continued to appear in movies, but eventually returned to theatre, and remained a theatre actor throughout the ‘60s until the ‘80s. During his long career, he appeared in over 80 movies and had plenty of television appearances.
In his personal life, Pat married Eloise in 1931 and they had four kids together – three of them adopted. O’Brien is said to have been passionate about storytelling and jokes, and a regular guest at many Hollywood parties. He died on 15 October 1983 from a heart attack – even President Ronald Regan expressed his sadness at Pat’s death.
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor In A Daytime Drama Special
Music Groups
Cannibal Corpse, Nevermore, Monstrosity, Chastain, Evisceration Plague, Kill Or Become, Priests of Sodom
Movies
Angels with Dirty Faces, Some Like It Hot, Knute Rockne, All American, The Fighting 69th, Ragtime, The People Against O'Hara, The Front Page, Torrid Zone, The Boy with Green Hair, The Last Hurrah, Ceiling Zero, Flirtation Walk, Here Comes the Navy, American Madness, Having Wonderful Crime, The Fireb...
TV Shows
Harrigan and Son
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Quote
1
John Ford, the old master, is the orderly type. Working for him is like being part of a ballet. He hardly ever moves the camera, but composes his shots like a master painter, a Rembrandt or Degas. The actor becomes part of the scene. Ford lets the action swirl past his lens. But the reality of his seamen, miners, dust-bowlers, horse soldiers, or Wesrern heroes, when he is at his best, is a literature that the screen rarely gets. Working for him one feels a special pride. Lewis Milestone is a bouncing camera mover. For him the seeing eye is all. He stands the camera on its head, rolls it, rushes it, brings it in on the run. The actors are part of the scenery, and they must fight to survive, come alive while he catches them on the run. Neither men are static directors. They don't care for too much talk in their script, or stage business over meaningless chatter.
2
I am not a loner, not a solitary. I liked people, crowds, activities, so I didn't stay in dark corners. I made friends
3
Women''s pictures (so-called) are talky pictures. Their use of the cigarette and the telephone break the talk, talk, talk of soap-opera storytelling.
4
[interviewed in 1982]: I despise the Method, as do Helen Hayes, Laurence Olivier, and as Jack Barrymore surely would have. I think the Method has ruined an awful lot of potentially fine actors. Look, the theatre is nothing but a mystique. It's nebulous. You get the part, you study your lines, you see what you can do with it and, finally, you evolve yourself into the part. But the Method - be a window, be a door... what's that got to do with anything?
5
[on Knute Rockne] He was not only a great coach but also an extraordinary human being, and I felt privileged, humble, trying to convey the glory and the humanness that was 'Rock'. And there were frightening moments when I briefly felt as if I were Knute Rockne.
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Fact
1
Met his wife Eloise while appearing at the Selwyn Theatre in Chicago in 1927.
2
Attended Marquette Academy and Marquette University in Milwaukee.
3
He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 1531 Vine Street; and for Television at 6240 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
O'Brien first met his lifelong friend Spencer Tracy when Tracy enrolled at Milwaukee's Marquette Academy in 1917.
7
O'Brien formed his own production company in 1944 which made only one motion picture, Secret Command (1944).
8
Pat was a great personal friend of fellow Irish-American actor James Cagney, from the early days of their career right up to Pat's death in 1983. They also starred in seven films together, Pat often playing the role of a Catholic priest.
9
He wore a toupee.
10
Patrick O'Brien passed away on October 15, 1983, one month away from what would have been his 84th birthday on November 11.
11
His final acting role was as a guest star in an episode of Happy Days (1974). The series was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was O'Brien's hometown.
12
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 607-608. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
13
Had been playing Walter Burns in "The Front Page" on Broadway before being tapped to appear in the 1931 film (The Front Page (1931)). The studio, confusing Burns with the other lead role, Hildy Johnson, offered O'Brien the latter role, assuming it was the one he had played onstage. He took the job, not informing them of their mistake.
14
Politically, he was extremely right-wing, so much so that he was termed "a near-fascist", mainly because of his strong support of Generalissimo Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
Following his death, he was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Happy Days
1980-1982
TV Series
Uncle Joe
WKRP in Cincinnati
1981
TV Series
Col. Buchanan
Ragtime
1981
Delphin
Scout's Honor
1980
TV Movie
Mr. Caboose
The End
1978
Ben Lawson
Billy Jack Goes to Washington
1977
Vice President
Kiss Me, Kill Me
1976
TV Movie
Jimmy, morgue attendant
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1975
TV Series
Abner Therman
The Sky's the Limit
1975
Abner Therman
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
1973
TV Series
Dr. Miller
McCloud
1973
TV Series
Mac Ferguson
Tenafly
1973
TV Series
Avery
Amanda Fallon
1973
TV Movie
Emory
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
1973
TV Series
Emory
Banyon
1972
TV Series
Big Jim Rawlins
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
1972
TV Series
Attorney
Adventures of Nick Carter
1972
TV Movie
Hallelujah Harry
Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol
1972
TV Movie
Sgt. McGll
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
TV Series
Hayfoot Stockton
The Phynx
1970
Pat O'Brien
The Over-the-Hill Gang
1969
TV Movie
Capt. Oren Hayes
My Friend Tony
1969
TV Series
The Virginian
1964-1967
TV Series
Doc Bigelow / J. Jimerson Jones
Hazel
1966
TV Series
Uncle Jerome Van Meter
Branded
1965
TV Series
Phineas T. Barnum
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1964-1965
TV Series
District Attorney Hightower / Otto Mead
Town Tamer
1965
Judge Murcott
Slattery's People
1965
TV Series
Assemblyman Raymond J. O'Riordan
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1964
TV Series
Inspector Dan Zarilla / Lt. John Curwood
Going My Way
1963
TV Series
Frank McCaffey
The Dick Powell Theatre
1963
TV Series
Clerk
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
Chinese Restaurateur (uncredited)
Harrigan and Son
1960-1961
TV Series
James Harrigan Sr.
Joyful Hour
1960
TV Movie
Host
The Best of the Post
1960
TV Series
Mike
Some Like It Hot
1959
Detective Mulligan
The Last Hurrah
1958
John Gorman
Target
1958
TV Series
Daniels
Kraft Theatre
1958
TV Series
Studio One in Hollywood
1958
TV Series
Mike Waterson
Studio 57
1956-1957
TV Series
Capt. Frank Brodie / Al Richards / Jay Breen
The Ford Television Theatre
1953-1957
TV Series
Lt. V. Keever / Richard Brown / Spud Malone
The Red Skelton Hour
1957
TV Series
the Sheriff
Kill Me Tomorrow
1957
Bart Crosbie
Crossroads
1956-1957
TV Series
Father Patrick O'Neil / Father Edward Sullivan / Father Jim / ...
Playhouse 90
1957
TV Series
Sheriff Kyle Bickford
Lux Video Theatre
1951-1957
TV Series
Captain Barnaby / Eddie Gorman / Charley Hackett / ...
Sneak Preview
1956
TV Series
The United States Steel Hour
1956
TV Series
Jim
Climax!
1955-1956
TV Series
Ed Talbot / Police Lieutenant / Police Lieutenant Moore
Inside Detroit
1956
Gus Linden
Science Fiction Theatre
1955
TV Series
Dr. Walter Arnold
The Christophers
1955
TV Series
Celebrity Playhouse
1955
TV Series
Front Row Center
1955
TV Series
Dan Packard
The Star and the Story
1955
TV Series
Larry Johnson
Stage 7
1955
TV Series
Dan Jennings
Ring of Fear
1954
Frank Wallace
Jubilee Trail
1954
Ernest 'Texas' Conway
Schlitz Playhouse
1952-1953
TV Series
General Electric Theater
1953
TV Series
Okinawa
1952
Lt. Cmdr. Hale
The People Against O'Hara
1951
Det. Vincent Ricks
Criminal Lawyer
1951
James Edward Reagan
The Fireball
1950
Father O'Hara
Johnny One-Eye
1950
Martin Martin
A Dangerous Profession
1949
Joe Farley
The Boy with Green Hair
1948
Gramp
Fighting Father Dunne
1948
Father Peter J. Dunne
Riff-Raff
1947
Dan
Crack-Up
1946
George Steele
Perilous Holiday
1946
Patrick Nevil
Man Alive
1945
Michael O'Flaherty 'Speed' McBride
Having Wonderful Crime
1945
Michael J. Malone
Secret Command
1944
Sam Gallagher
Marine Raiders
1944
Maj. Steve Lockhart
His Butler's Sister
1943
Martin Murphy
The Iron Major
1943
Francis William 'Frank' / 'Cav' Cavanaugh
Bombardier
1943
Maj. Chick Davis
The Navy Comes Through
1942
Chief Michael 'Mike' Mallory
Flight Lieutenant
1942
Samuel J. 'Sam' Doyle
Broadway
1942
Dan McCorn
Two Yanks in Trinidad
1942
Tim Reardon
Knute Rockne All American
1940
Knute Rockne
Flowing Gold
1940
Ian 'Hap' O'Connor
Escape to Glory
1940
Mike Farrough
Torrid Zone
1940
Steve Case
'Til We Meet Again
1940
Steve Burke
Castle on the Hudson
1940
Warden Long
The Fighting 69th
1940
Father Duffy
Slightly Honorable
1939
John Webb
The Night of Nights
1939
Dan O'Farrell
Indianapolis Speedway
1939
Joe Greer
The Kid from Kokomo
1939
William Jennings 'Billy / 'Square Shooting Murph' Murphy
Off the Record
1939
Thomas 'Breezy' Elliott
Swingtime in the Movies
1938
Short
Pat O'Brien (uncredited)
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938
Jerry Connolly
Garden of the Moon
1938
John Quinn
Boy Meets Girl
1938
J.C. Benson
Cowboy from Brooklyn
1938
Roy Chadwick
Out Where the Stars Begin
1938
Short
Pat O'Brien (uncredited)
Women Are Like That
1938
Bill Landin
Submarine D-1
1937
'Butch' Rogers
Back in Circulation
1937
Bill Morgan
Slim
1937
Red Blayd
San Quentin
1937
Capt. Stephen Jameson
The Great O'Malley
1937
James Aloysius O'Malley
China Clipper
1936
Dave Logan
Public Enemy's Wife
1936
Lee Laird
I Married a Doctor
1936
Dr. William P. Kennicott
Ceiling Zero
1936
Jake L. Lee
Stars Over Broadway
1935
Al McGillevray
Page Miss Glory
1935
Click Wiley
The Irish in Us
1935
Pat O'Hara
Oil for the Lamps of China
1935
Stephen Chase
In Caliente
1935
Larry MacArthur
Devil Dogs of the Air
1935
Lieut. Brannigan
Flirtation Walk
1934
'Scrapper' Thornhhill
I Sell Anything
1934
'Spot Cash' Cutler
Here Comes the Navy
1934
Biff
The Personality Kid
1934
Ritzy McCarty
Twenty Million Sweethearts
1934
Rush Blake
Gambling Lady
1934
Charlie Lang
I've Got Your Number
1934
Terry Riley
College Coach
1933
Coach Gore
Bombshell
1933
Jim Brogan
Bureau of Missing Persons
1933
Butch Saunders
The World Gone Mad
1933
Andy Terrell
Destination Unknown
1933
Matt Brennan
Laughter in Hell
1933
Barney Slaney
Air Mail
1932
Duke Talbot
Virtue
1932
Jimmy
Flaming Gold
1932
Ben Lear
American Madness
1932
Matt
Hollywood Speaks
1932
Jimmy Reed
The Strange Case of Clara Deane
1932
Frank Deane
Scandal for Sale
1932
Waddell
The Final Edition
1932
Sam Bradshaw
Hell's House
1932
Matt Kelly
Flying High
1931
Sport
Consolation Marriage
1931
Steve Porter
Personal Maid
1931
Peter Shea
Crimes Square
1931
Short
Marty
The Front Page
1931
Hildy Johnson
Honor Among Lovers
1931
Conroy
The Nightingale
1931
Short
The Sweetheart
Compliments of the Season
1930
Short
Police Detective (uncredited)
My Mistake
1930
Short
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
1957
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Boy with Green Hair
1948
performer: "Tread on the Tail of Me Coat", "How Many Miles to Dublin Town?" - uncredited
The Iron Major
1943
"Billy Boy Can She Bake a Cherry Pie", uncredited / performer: "As the Backs Go Tearing By Dartmouth Fight Song", "Billy Boy Can She Bake a Cherry Pie", "In the Town of Donegal" - uncredited
Knute Rockne All American
1940
performer: "Happy Land" - uncredited
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938
performer: "In My Merry Oldsmobile" 1905 - uncredited
Garden of the Moon
1938
performer: "I'll String Along With You" 1934 - uncredited
Women Are Like That
1938
performer: "I've Been Working on the Railroad" - uncredited
Oil for the Lamps of China
1935
"Chinatown, My Chinatown" 1910, uncredited / performer: "Don't Send My Boy to Harvard" - uncredited
In Caliente
1935
"To Call You My Own" 1935, uncredited / performer: "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" 1912 - uncredited
The Personality Kid
1934
performer: "The Gold Diggers' Song We're in the Money" 1933 - uncredited
Crimes Square
1931
Short performer: "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy" - uncredited
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Secret Command
1944
executive producer - uncredited
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
All Star Revue
1952
TV Series
Himself - Cameo
Screen Snapshots: Hopalong in Hoppy Land
1951
Documentary short
Himself
The Fred Waring Show
1951
TV Series
Himself
The Hills of Ireland
1951
Documentary
Narrator (voice)
Screen Snapshots: Motion Picture Mothers, Inc.
1949
Short
Himself - Master of Ceremonies
Texaco Star Theatre
1949
TV Series
Himself - Actor
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood's Happy Homes
1949
Documentary short
Himself
Screen Snapshots Series 25, No. 10: Famous Fathers and Sons
1946
Documentary short
Himself
Breakdowns of 1938
1938
Documentary short
Pat O'Brien (Back in Circulation / Women Are Like That / Cowboy from Brooklyn outtakes) (uncredited)
Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 7
1937
Documentary short
Himself
Breakdowns of 1937
1937
Short
Himself
Breakdowns of 1936
1936
Short
Himself
A Dream Comes True
1935
Documentary short
Himself (uncredited)
A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
1935
Short documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Things You Never See on the Screen
1935
Short
Himself
All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds
1984
TV Movie
Himself
James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy
1981
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Parkinson
1981
TV Series
Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
1980
TV Special
Himself
The Mike Douglas Show
1962-1979
TV Series
Himself - Co-Host / Himself - Actor
The Merv Griffin Show
1962-1979
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest
Over Easy
1977
TV Series
Himself
Hollywood Greats
1977
TV Series documentary
Himself
The David Frost Show
1969-1971
TV Series
Himself
The Movie Crazy Years
1971
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Virginia Graham Show
1971
TV Series
Himself
Bracken's World
1970
TV Series
Himself
Della
1969
TV Series
Himself
Allen Ludden's Gallery
1969
TV Series
Himself
The Joey Bishop Show
1967-1969
TV Series
Himself
The Woody Woodbury Show
1968
TV Series
Himself
Gypsy
1967
TV Series
Himself
The Match Game
1964-1965
TV Series
Himself - Team Captain
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1963-1965
TV Series
Himself - Guest / Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1950-1965
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Actor / Himself - Comedian
That Regis Philbin Show
1964
TV Series
Himself
To Tell the Truth
1964
TV Series
Himself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1960-1962
TV Series
Himself
Here's Hollywood
1961
TV Series
Himself
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1959
TV Series
Himself
What's My Line?
1953-1957
TV Series
Himself - Mystery Guest
Screen Snapshots 1856: The Mocambo Party
1957
Short
Himself
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
1957
TV Series
Himself - Actor
Hollywood Mothers and Fathers
1955
Documentary short
Himself
Shower of Stars
1955
TV Series
Himself - Cameo
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Beauty
1955
Documentary short
Himself
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
TV Short
Himself
Place the Face
1954
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1953
TV Series
Himself
The 25th Annual Academy Awards
1953
TV Special
Himself - Audience Member (New York)
I've Got a Secret
1952
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Screen Snapshots: Memorial to Al Jolson
1952
Documentary short
Himself
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood on the Ball
1952
Short
Himself
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1952
TV Series
Himself - Actor
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
My Music: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
2010
TV Movie
Himself
American Masters
2008
TV Series documentary
Himself - Interviewee
Secret Lives
1996
TV Series documentary
Himself - Funeral Guest
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Biography
1992
TV Series documentary
Himself
Fonda on Fonda
1992
TV Movie documentary
Actor in 'Slim' (uncredited)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Cagney
1974
TV Special documentary
Actor 'Angels with Dirty Faces'
Hollywood and the Stars
1963
TV Series
Himself
Telephone Time
1957
TV Series
Breakdowns of 1941
1941
Short
Himself (uncredited)
Studio Highlights
1934
Short
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1974
Daytime Emmy
Daytime Emmy Awards
Best Actor in Daytime Drama - For a Special Program