Maureen O'Sullivan

Known for ActingBorn 1911-05-17Died 1998-06-23Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland

Maureen Paula O'Sullivan was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, on May 17, 1911. The future mother of Mia Farrow was a schooldays classmate of Vivien Leigh at the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton in London. Even as a schoolgirl, Maureen desired an acting career; she studied hard and read widely. When the opportunity to be an actress came along, it almost dropped in her lap. The director Frank Borzage was in Dublin filming “Song o’ My Heart” (1930) when Maureen, then 18, met him. Borzage suggested a screen test, which she took. The results were more than favorable, as she won the part of Eileen O’Brien. The part was a substantial one, so much so that Maureen went on to Hollywood to complete the filming. Once in sunny California, Maureen wasted no time landing roles in other films such as “Just Imagine” (1930), “Princess and the Plumber” (1930), and “So This Is London” (1930). Maureen was on a roll that her contemporaries could only have wished for when they were coming up through the ranks. In 1932, Maureen was teamed up with Olympic medal winner Johnny Weissmuller for the first time in “Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932). Five other Tarzan films followed, the last being “Tarzan’s New York Adventure” (1942). The Tarzan epics rank as one of the most memorable series ever made. Most people agree that those movies would not have been successful had it not been for the fine acting talents, not to mention beauty, of Maureen O’Sullivan. But she was more than Jane Parker in the Tarzan films; she had great roles and played beautifully in films such as “The Flame Within” (1935), “David Copperfield” (1935), and “Anna Karenina” (1935). She turned in yet another fine performance in “Pride and Prejudice” (1940). After the 1940s, Maureen made far fewer films, not because she lost popularity but by choice. It isn’t always easy to walk away from a lucrative career, but she did because she wanted to devote more time to her husband, John Farrow, an Australian writer, and their seven children. The couple were married from 1936 until his death in 1963. She did not, however, retire completely; Maureen still found time to make an occasional appearance in films or TV or on the stage. Later movie-goers remember her as Elizabeth Alvorg in the hit film “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986). Her final silver screen appearance was in “The River Pirates” (1988). Some TV movies followed, but only until 1996. She maintained homes in New Hampshire and Arizona, and it was in Scottsdale that Maureen died on June 23, 1998, of a heart attack. She was 87 years old.Read more

Movies & web series

Port of Seven Seas

The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble

The Big Shot

The Princess and the Plumber

Morning's at Seven

Hollywood - The Second Step

Hannah and Her Sisters

The Crooked Hearts

Skyline

It's Showtime

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Checking Out: Grand Hotel

Complicated Women

Good Old Boy

The Thin Man

Fast Companions

The Big Clock

That's Entertainment, Part II

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Tarzan Revisited

Tugboat Annie

Cardinal Richelieu

Hide-Out

The Tall T

The Steel Cage

Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is

What's My Line?

All I Desire

A Day at the Races

Maisie Was a Lady

Hold That Kiss

The Crowd Roars

The Romance of Celluloid

Leg Work

West Point of the Air

Four Star Playhouse

The Silver Lining

Pride and Prejudice

So This Is London

Duffy of San Quentin

Famous T&A 2

The Merv Griffin Show

Lux Video Theatre

Let Us Live

The Devil-Doll

With Murder in Mind

Woman Wanted