Ernest O'Donnell (1878–1939) was an American actor of stage and screen. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he began his acting career in the early 1900s, performing in a variety of traveling theater companies. He eventually made his way to Broadway, where he became a well-known presence in light comedy and farce.
O’Donnell made his Broadway debut in 1907 in the play “The Man in Possession.” Over the following decade, he appeared in numerous productions, including “Kitty” (1910), “The Fortune Hunter” (1912), and “The Little Brother” (1914). He was most renowned for his performances in farces, such as “The Mummy and the Hummingbird” (1909), “The Talk of the Town” (1911), and “Three Cheers” (1913).
In 1915, O’Donnell made his first foray into the world of film. He appeared in the silent short film “The Clue,” and went on to appear in over a dozen other films, including “The Lost City” (1917), “The Call of the Wild” (1918), and “The Red Lantern” (1919). Though he was primarily known as a stage actor, he gained some fame as a film actor, and he continued to appear in feature films until the late 1920s.
In the 1930s, O’Donnell returned to the stage, appearing in several plays including “Stage Door” (1931), “The Front Page” (1932), and “The Women” (1934). He also appeared in a handful of films, including “The Gay Divorcee” (1934) and “The Bride Comes Home” (1935).
O’Donnell’s career was cut short when he died in 1939 at the age of 61. At the time of his death, he was appearing in the Broadway production of “The Women.” His last film appearance was in the 1937 comedy “The Awful Truth.”
Ernest O’Donnell was a talented and versatile actor who left behind a legacy of great performances on both stage and screen. He is remembered as a master of light comedy and farce, and his work is
