Pat O'Malley (actor)


Pat O'Malley was an American vaudeville and stage performer prior to starting a prolific film career at the age of sixteen. He later had a career in television.

Career

O'Malley was born as Patrick Henry O'Malley Jr. in Forest City, Pennsylvania. He had circus experience by the time he discovered an interest in motion pictures. His screen career dates from the days of Kalem and Edison Studios. From 1918 to 1927 he appeared in scores of silent films as both a leading man and a character actor i.e.: The Heart of Humanity, My Wild Irish Rose, The Virginian and in the adaptation of bestseller Brothers Under the Skin.
O'Malley saw his career decline with the advent of sound. He was quickly relegated to supporting parts, and appeared in some four-hundred films in bit parts and supporting roles. He guest-starred in the early musical series Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town on CBS. O'Malley remained on call into the early 1960s for such TV shows as The Twilight Zone and such films as Days of Wine and Roses.

Family

In 1915, O'Malley married actress Lillian Wilkes. The couple had three children: Sheila, Eileen, and Kathleen, an actress. O'Malley had a brother, Charles O'Malley, who was an actor and assistant director.

Death

O'Malley died of a heart attack in 1966 at the age of 75; his interment was at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Partial filmography