Maureen O'Sullivan

Acting

Born May 17, 1911

From Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland

Died Jun 23, 1998

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.

Maureen O'Sullivan

Known For

Hannah and Her Sisters

Pride and Prejudice

Tarzan the Ape Man

Peggy Sue Got Married

Tarzan and His Mate

The Great Houdinis

The Tall T

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Tarzan Escapes

The Big Clock

Filmography — Acting

Hannah and Her Sisters

Pride and Prejudice

Tarzan the Ape Man

Peggy Sue Got Married

Tarzan and His Mate

The Great Houdinis

The Tall T

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Tarzan Escapes

The Big Clock

Anna Karenina

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

That's Entertainment, Part II

Tarzan's New York Adventure

The Thin Man

David Copperfield

Tarzan Finds a Son!

Tarzan's Secret Treasure

Where Danger Lives

A Day at the Races

With Murder in Mind

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

Too Scared to Scream

The Barretts of Wimpole Street

The Habitation of Dragons

Hide-Out

Stage Mother

A Yank at Oxford

The Devil-Doll

Let Us Live

Famous T&A 2

The Emperor's Candlesticks

Just Imagine

Skyscraper Souls

Spring Madness

Stranded

Payment Deferred

Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is

The Romance of Celluloid

Skyline

Ellis in Freedomland

Complicated Women

Maisie Was a Lady

Good Old Boy

Duffy of San Quentin

The Phynx

A Connecticut Yankee

Song o' My Heart

Never Too Late

Cardinal Richelieu

Tugboat Annie

Checking Out: Grand Hotel

Wild Heritage

West Point of the Air

Between Two Women

All I Desire

Screen Actors

The Edge of Innocence

Port of Seven Seas

Woman Wanted

The Princess and the Plumber

The Big Shot

Tarzan Revisited

The Voice of Bugle Ann

It's Showtime

The Crowd Roars

The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble