Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Donald O'Connor Dies
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 28, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 28, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The past week has had many notable deaths (Edward Said, Robert Palmer, George Plimpton) but Gothamist was most saddened about yesterday's passing of entertainer Donald O'Connor, whose most memorable work is the show-stopping song, "Make 'Em Laugh," in Singin' in the Rain. O'Connor appeared in loads of films, like Anything Goes with Bing Crosby and the Francis the Talking Mule pictures, but his role as Cosmo Brown in Singin' made you wonder why there isn't a movie about him, versus Gene Kelly's Don Lockwood who could be at times, let's face it, really boring and full of himself. There are two show-stopping moments, one being Kelly's song-and-dance in the rain of the title song, which is a dreamy, beautiful interlude. But it's "Make 'Em Laugh" with O'Connor defying gravity, talking pratfalls to a new level, fisticuffs with a literal dummy, and throwing out one amazing move after another that gives the audience a chance to laugh and cry aloud.
Roger Ebert, in his obituary of O'Connor, calls "Make 'Em Laugh," "the most sensational solo number in the history of musical comedy."
The Times obituary reminds us of Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff's observation of O'Connor in 1997: "To call Donald O'Connor a song-and-dance man is like calling Shakespeare a strolling player."
Tagged
Bing Crosby
celebrities
comedy
dance
Gene Kelly
George Plimpton
gothamist
history
obituary
pictures
rain
Robert Palmer
roger ebert
shakespeare
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .