George O'Brien
Biography
George O'Brien was an American actor born in San Francisco, California on April 18, 1899, and he passed away on September 4, 1985 at the age of 86. He gained popularity as an actor during the silent film era and into the talkie era of the 1930s. He is best known today for his role as the lead actor in F. W. Murnau's 1927 film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. His acting credits also include John Ford's The Iron Horse from 1924, The Johnstown Floor from 1926, and East Side, West Side from 1927. Throughout his career, he accumulated 91 known acting credits on the platform.
Career overview
George O'Brien was an American actor born in San Francisco, California. He was popular during the silent film era and into the talkie era of the 1930s. Over the course of his career, he accumulated ninety-one known acting credits. He is best known today as the lead actor in F. W. Murnau's 1927 film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. His other notable film work includes starring in East Side, West Side in 1927, The Johnstown Floor in 1926, and John Ford's The Iron Horse in 1924.
Outside of his acting career, his early life was marked by historical events, including surviving the Great Earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco just a day before his seventh birthday, an event that left him and his family nearly dead and homeless for months. He also served in both World War I and World War II. He passed away on September 4, 1985, at the age of eighty-six.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
91 titles- The Only Girl in the Orchestra (2023) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (1976) as (archive footage)
- Cheyenne Autumn (1964) as Major Braden
- The 10 from Texas (1961) as (archive footage)
- Korea (1959) as Narrator
- Studio 57 (1954)
- This Is Your Life (1952) as Self
- Gold Raiders (1951) as George O'Brien
- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) as Maj. Mac Allshard
- Fort Apache (1948) as Capt. Sam Collingwood
- My Wild Irish Rose (1947) as 'Duke' Muldoon
- December 7th (1943) as Single Voice of the Dead Servicemen (voice)
- Legion of the Lawless (1940) as Jeff Toland
- Triple Justice (1940) as Brad Henderson
- Stage to Chino (1940) as Dan Clark
- Bullet Code (1940) as Steve Holden
- Prairie Law (1940) as Brill Austin
- Racketeers of the Range (1939) as Barney O'Dell
- Trouble in Sundown (1939) as Clint Bradford
- The Fighting Gringo (1939) as Wade Barton
- Arizona Legion (1939) as Boone Yeager
- The Marshal Of Mesa City (1939) as Cliff Mason
- Timber Stampede (1939) as Scott Baylor
- The Renegade Ranger (1938) as Captain Jack Steele
- Border G-Man (1938) as Jim Galloway
- Painted Desert (1938) as Bob McVey
- Lawless Valley (1938) as Larry Rhodes
- Gun Law (1938) as Tom O'Malley
- Park Avenue Logger (1937) as Grant Curran
- Windjammer (1937) as Bruce Lane
- Hollywood Cowboy (1937) as Jeffery Carson
- Daniel Boone (1936) as Daniel Boone
- The Border Patrolman (1936) as Bob Wallace
- O'Malley of the Mounted (1936) as Constable O'Malley aka Duke Kinnard
- The Cowboy Millionaire (1935) as Bob Walker
- Thunder Mountain (1935) as Kal Emerson
- When a Man's a Man (1935) as Larry Knight
- Hard Rock Harrigan (1935) as Tim 'Hard Rock' Harrigan
- Whispering Smith Speaks (1935) as Gordon Harrington, Jr. aka John 'Whispering' Smith
- Frontier Marshal (1934) as Michael Wyatt
- The Dude Ranger (1934) as Ernest 'Dude' Selby
- Ever Since Eve (1934) as Neil Rogers
- The Last Trail (1933) as Tom Daley
- Smoke Lightning (1933) as Smoke Mason
- Life in the Raw (1933) as Jim Barry
- Mystery Ranch (1932) as Bob Sanborn
- Robbers' Roost (1932) as Jim Wall
- The Rainbow Trail (1932) as John Shefford
- The Gay Caballero (1932) as Ted Radcliffe
- The Golden West (1932) as David Lynch / Motano
- Seas Beneath (1931) as Cmdr. Robert 'Bob' Kingsley
- A Holy Terror (1931) as Tony Bard aka Woodbury
- Fair Warning (1931) as Whistlin' Dan Barry
- Riders of the Purple Sage (1931) as Jim Lassiter
- Hollywood Studios (1930)
- Rough Romance (1930) as Billy West
- The Last of the Duanes (1930) as Buck Duane
- The Lone Star Ranger (1930) as Buck Duane
- True Heaven (1929) as Lieutenant Philip Gresson
- Salute (1929) as Cadet John Randall
- Masked Emotions (1929) as Bramdlet Dickery
- Sharp Shooters (1928) as George
- Honor Bound (1928) as John Oglegree
- Noah's Ark (1928) as Travis / Japheth
- Blindfold (1928) as Robert Kelly
- Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) as The Man (Anses)
- East Side, West Side (1927) as John Breen
- Is Zat So? (1927) as Ed 'Chick' Cowan
- Paid to Love (1927) as Crown Prince Michae
- 3 Bad Men (1926) as Dan O'Malley
- The Silver Treasure (1926) as Nostromo
- The Johnstown Flood (1926) as Tom O'Day
- Fig Leaves (1926) as Adam Smith
- The Blue Eagle (1926) as George Darcy
- Rustlin' for Cupid (1926) as Bradley Blatchford
- The Iron Horse (1925) as Davy Brandon
- Thank You (1925) as Kenneth Jamieson
- The Dancers (1925) as Tony
- The Fighting Heart (1925) as Denny Bolton
- Havoc (1925) as Dick Chappel
- The Sea Hawk (1924) as Galley Slave (uncredited)
- The Painted Lady (1924) as Luther Smith
- Shadows of Paris (1924) as Louis
- The Man Who Came Back (1924) as Henry Potter
- The Roughneck (1924) as Jerry Delaney
- Woman-Proof (1923) as Bill Burleigh
- The Ne'er-Do-Well (1923) as Clifford
- The Ghost Breaker (1922) as One of the Ghosts (uncredited)
- White Hands (1922) as Sailor
- Moran of the Lady Letty (1922) as Deck Hand
- Ebb Tide (1922) as Islander (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is George O'Brien best known for?
George O'Brien is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Cheyenne Autumn (1964), Studio 57 (1954), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Gold Raiders (1951).
When and where was George O'Brien born?
George O'Brien was born on April 18, 1899 in San Francisco, California, USA. They passed away on September 4, 1985.
How many credits does George O'Brien have?
George O'Brien has accumulated over 91 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1922 to 2023.
What is George O'Brien's background in cinema and television?
George O'Brien was an American actor born in San Francisco, California on April 18, 1899, and he passed away on September 4, 1985 at the age of 86. He gained popularity as an actor during the silent film era and into the talkie era of the 1930s. He is best known today for his role as the lead actor in F. W. Murnau's 19...
George O'Brien by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) as The Man (Anses) — aged about 28
- Studio 57 (1954) — aged about 55
- Fort Apache (1948) as Capt. Sam Collingwood — aged about 49
- She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) as Maj. Mac Allshard — aged about 50
- Cheyenne Autumn (1964) as Major Braden — aged about 65
- Gold Raiders (1951) as George O'Brien — aged about 52
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