George O'Brien
Biography
George O'Brien was an American actor who became a leading man in silent films and later in sound westerns. Born in San Francisco, he went to Hollywood hoping to work as a cameraman, assisting Tom Mix and Buck Jones before moving into bit parts and stunt work. John Ford cast him in The Iron Horse (1925), a box-office success that led to nine more Ford films. He starred in F. W. Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), which won three major Academy Awards. Through the 1930s and 1940s he appeared in many westerns, including fourteen under David Howard and ten with Ford. He headlined an RKO western series and was ranked among the top ten cowboy stars. Later Ford films included Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Cheyenne Autumn (1964). He died in 1985.
86years old at death
- Born San Francisco
- Died Tulsa
- Star sign: AriesLast day of the sign, on the Taurus cusp
Movie Career
- Films
- 10
- Career span
- 98 years1925 to 2023
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A change of course
George O'Brien first came to Hollywood hoping to work as a cameraman, and he assisted Tom Mix and Buck Jones before moving in front of the camera in bit parts and stunt work.
Big break
John Ford chose O'Brien to star in The Iron Horse in 1924, and the film's box-office success led to O'Brien making nine more pictures for Ford.
A role that slipped away
O'Brien was headlining an RKO western series when he re-enlisted in the Navy, and the studio replaced him with Tim Holt, who stayed at RKO longer than O'Brien had.
A change of course
O'Brien served in the Naval Reserve and was project officer for a Department of Defense project under President Eisenhower's "People to People" program. The project was a series of orientation films about three Asian countries, and John Ford directed one of them.
George O'Brien movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
John Ford directed five of these films, David Howard two. J. Farrell MacDonald appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
J. Farrell MacDonald's page
John Wayne's page
Ward Bond's page
Noble Johnson's page
Victor McLaglen's page
Chief John Big Tree's page
All films by John Ford
David HowardDirector, 2 films, 1932 to 1940
All films by David Howard
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.