Maureen O'Sullivan
Acting
Born: May 17, 1911 · Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland
Died: June 23, 1998 (aged 87)
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
Hannah and Her Sisters
1986
Peggy Sue Got Married
1986
The Thin Man
1934
A Day at the Races
1937
Tarzan the Ape Man
1932
The Big Clock
1948
Pride and Prejudice
1940
Tarzan and His Mate
1934
The Tall T
1957
Tarzan Escapes
1936
The Devil-Doll
1936
Tarzan Finds a Son!
1939
Photos (2)
Movies (78)
Hannah and Her Sisters
Norma
Peggy Sue Got Married
Elizabeth Alvorg
Tarzan the Ape Man
Jane Parker
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Bennet
The Thin Man
Dorothy Wynant
Tarzan Escapes
Jane
Tarzan and His Mate
Jane Parker
The Tall T
Doretta Mims
A Day at the Races
Judy Standish
Anna Karenina
Kitty
The Big Clock
Georgette Stroud
The Emperor's Candlesticks
Maria Orlich
Too Scared to Scream
Marian Hardwick
David Copperfield
Dora Spenlow
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Jane
Tarzan's New York Adventure
Jane
Tarzan Finds a Son!
Jane Parker
Stranded
Grace Clark
Just Imagine
LN-18
The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Henrietta Barrett
The Crowd Roars
Sheila 'Shelia' Carson
Where Danger Lives
Julie
Ellis in Freedomland
The Dishwasher (voice)
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
The Devil-Doll
Lorraine Lavond
Let Us Live
Mary Roberts
The Phynx
Maureen O'Sullivan
All I Desire
Sara Harper
A Connecticut Yankee
Alisande / Woman in Mansion
The Bishop Misbehaves
Hester Grantham
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is
Eleanor Biddlecomb
Payment Deferred
Winnie Marble
West Point of the Air
'Skip' Carter
Famous T&A 2
Jane Porter (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mission Over Korea
Nancy Slocum
So This Is London
Elinor Worthing
Skyscraper Souls
Lynn Harding
Fast Companions
Sally
Duffy of San Quentin
Gladys Duffy
Never Too Late
Edith Lambert
Stage Mother
Shirley Lorraine
Tugboat Annie
Patricia 'Pat' Severn
Okay, America!
Sheila Barton
Hide-Out
Pauline Miller
A Yank at Oxford
Molly Beaumont
With Murder in Mind
Aunt Mildred
Wild Heritage
Emma Breslin
The Silver Lining
Joyce Moore
The Blessed Midnight
Sister Mary Benedict
The Steel Cage
Gladys Duffy
Cardinal Richelieu
Lenore
Woman Wanted
Ann
Hold That Kiss
June Evans
Skyline
Katherine Kearny
Maisie Was a Lady
Abby Rawlston
The Crooked Hearts
Lillian Stanton
Spring Madness
Alexandra Benson
The Big Shot
Doris Thompson
The Edge of Innocence
Julia Williams
The Habitation of Dragons
Helen Taylor
Mandy's Grandmother
Grandmother
Between Two Women
Claire Donahue
The Great Houdinis
Lady Conan Doyle
Good Old Boy
Aunt Sue
Port of Seven Seas
Madelon
The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble
Molly Kelly
My Dear Miss Aldrich
Martha Aldrich
Sporting Blood
Linda Lockwood
The Voice of Bugle Ann
Camden Terry
Morning's at Seven
Esther "Esty" Crampton
The Flame Within
Linda Belton
Bonzo Goes to College
Marion Gateson Drew
Strange Interlude
Madeline Arnold
Robbers' Roost
Helen Herrick
No Resting Place
Nan Kyle
The Princess and the Plumber
Princess Louise
Song o' My Heart
Eileen
The Little Lamb: A Christmas Story
Mother
TV Shows (9)
Climax!
Lady Dominey · 1 eps
Climax!
Miriam · 1 eps
Four Star Playhouse
Minna Baxter · 1 eps
Matinee Theater
1 eps
Ben Casey
1 eps
Cavalcade of America
Sister Mary Benedict · 1 eps
The Whistler
1 eps
Leg Work
Dorothy Richardson · 1 eps
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1 eps
Self / Appearances (15)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 1 eps
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · 2 eps
The Merv Griffin Show
Self · 1 eps
What's My Line?
Self · 1 eps
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Self
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Self (archive footage)
The Romance of Celluloid
Self
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
Self
Tarzan Revisited
Self (archive footage)
In Search of Tarzan with Jonathan Ross
Self
Screen Snapshots No. 11
Herself
Hollywood - The Second Step
Herself