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Pat O'Brien
ACTOR

Pat O'Brien

Known for Happy Days · Ragtime · WKRP in Cincinnati

Pat O'Brien (born William Joseph Patrick O'Brien) was an American stage, screen, radio, and television actor. He was a star during the first several years of his film career, the height of his popularity being during the 1930s and 1940s.

Snapshot 2026-10-16

Born
Nov 10, 1899
Died
Oct 15, 1983
Birthplace
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Known For
Acting

Biography

Pat O'Brien (born William Joseph Patrick O'Brien) was an American stage, screen, radio, and television actor. He was a star during the first several years of his film career, the height of his popularity being during the 1930s and 1940s.

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Known For

TVHappy Days
Happy Days2 eps · 1974
★ 7.6
MOVIERagtime
RagtimeDelmas · 1981
★ 7.0
TVWKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati1 eps · 1978
★ 7.6
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf · 1962
★ 7.6
MOVIEThe Last Hurrah
The Last HurrahJohn Gorman · 1958
★ 7.2
TVMcCloud
McCloud1 eps · 1970
★ 7.2
TVThe Virginian
The VirginianJ. Jimerson Jones · 1962
★ 6.5
TVAlias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones1 eps · 1971
★ 7.0

Filmography

Movies

Compliments of the SeasonPolice Detective (uncredited)
1930
MM
My Mistake
1930
The Voice of HollywoodSelf/Host
1930
Consolation MarriageSteve Porter
1931
Crimes SquareMarty
1931
Flying HighSport Wardell
1931
Honor Among LoversConroy (uncredited)
1931
Personal MaidPeter Shea
1931
The Front PageHildy Johnson
1931
Air MailDuke Talbot
1932
American MadnessMatt Brown
1932
Flaming GoldBen Lear
1932
Hell's HouseMatt Kelly
1932
Hollywood SpeaksJimmy Reed
1932
Scandal for SaleWaddell
1932
The Final EditionSam Bradshaw
1932
The Strange Case of Clara DeaneFrank Deane
1932
VirtueJimmy Doyle
1932
BombshellJim Brogan
1933
Bureau of Missing PersonsDetective Butch Saunders
1933
College CoachCoach Gore
1933
Destination UnknownMatt Brennan
1933
Laughter in HellBarney Slaney
1933
The World Gone MadAndy Terrell
1933
Flirtation Walk"Scrapper" Thornhhill
1934
Gambling LadyCharlie Lang
1934
Here Comes the NavyBiff Martin
1934
I Sell Anything"Spot Cash" Cutler
1934
I've Got Your NumberTerry Riley
1934
Screen Snapshots No. 11Himself
1934
SH
Studio HighlightsSelf (archive footage)
1934
The Personality KidRitzy
1934
Twenty Million SweetheartsRush Blake
1934
A Dream Comes TrueHimself (uncredited)
1935
A Trip Thru a Hollywood StudioHimself (uncredited)
1935
Devil Dogs of the AirLieut. Brannigan
1935
In CalienteLarry MacArthur
1935
Oil for the Lamps of ChinaStephen Chase
1935
Page Miss GloryClick Wiley
1935
Stars Over BroadwayAl McGillevray
1935
The Irish in UsPat O'Hara
1935
Things You Never See on the ScreenSelf
1935
Breakdowns of 1936Self
1936
Ceiling ZeroJake L. Lee
1936
China ClipperDave Logan
1936
I Married a DoctorDr. William P. Kennicott
1936
Public Enemy's WifeLee Laird
1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)Self
1936
Back in CirculationBill Morgan
1937
Breakdowns of 1937Self
1937
San QuentinCapt. Stephen Jameson
1937
SlimRed Blayd
1937
Submarine D-1Butch Rogers
1937
The Great O'MalleyJames Aloysius 'Jim' / 'Jimmy' O'Malley
1937
Angels with Dirty FacesJerry Connolly
1938
Boy Meets GirlJ. Carlyle 'J.C.' Benson
1938
Breakdowns of 1938Pat O'Brien (archive footage) (uncredited)
1938
Cowboy from BrooklynRoy Chadwick
1938
Garden of the MoonJohn Quinn
1938
Out Where the Stars BeginPat O'Brien
1938
Swingtime in the MoviesHimself (uncredited)
1938
Women Are Like ThatBill Landin
1938
Breakdowns of 1939Self
1939
Indianapolis SpeedwayJoe Greer
1939
Off the RecordThomas "Breezy" Elliott
1939
Slightly HonorableJohn Webb
1939
The Kid from KokomoWilliam Jennings 'Billy / 'Square Shooting Murph' Murphy
1939
The Night of NightsDan O'Farrell
1939
'Til We Meet AgainSteve Burke
1940
Breakdowns of 1940Self
1940
Castle on the HudsonWarden Walter Long
1940
Escape to GloryMike Farrough
1940
Flowing GoldIan 'Hap' O'Connor
1940
Knute Rockne All AmericanKnute Rockne
1940
The Fighting 69thFather Duffy
1940
Torrid ZoneSteve Case
1940
Breakdowns of 1941Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1941
BroadwayDan McCorn
1942
Flight LieutenantSamuel J. 'Sam' Doyle
1942
The Navy Comes ThroughChief Michael 'Mike' Mallory
1942
Two Yanks in TrinidadTim Reardon
1942
BombardierChick Davis
1943
His Butler's SisterMartin Murphy
1943
The Iron MajorFrancis William 'Frank' / 'Cav' Cavanaugh
1943
Marine RaidersMaj. Steve Lockhart
1944
Secret CommandSam Gallagher
1944
Having Wonderful CrimeMichael J. Malone
1945
Man AliveMichael O'Flaherty 'Speed' McBride
1945
Crack-UpGeorge Steele
1946
Perilous HolidayPatrick Nevil
1946
Blow-Ups of 1947Self
1947
Riff-RaffDan Hammer
1947
Fighting Father DunneFather Peter J. Dunne
1948
The Boy with Green HairGramp Fry
1948
A Dangerous ProfessionJoe Farley
1949
Johnny One-EyeMartin Martin
1950
The FireballFather O'Hara
1950
Criminal LawyerJames 'Jimmy' Regan
1951
TH
The Hills of IrelandSelf - Narrator
1951
The People Against O'HaraDet. Vincent Ricks
1951
OkinawaLt. Cmdr. Hale
1952
Jubilee TrailErnest 'Texas' Conway
1954
Ring of FearFrank Wallace
1954
Inside DetroitGus Linden
1955
Invitation to a GunfighterSheriff Kyle Bickford
1957
Kill Me TomorrowBart Crosbie
1957
The Last HurrahJohn Gorman
1958
I Captured the King of the LeprechaunsSelf
1959
Some Like It HotDetective Mulligan
1959
Babe Ruth Story: That Ever Livin' BabeNarrator
1962
The Road to Hong KongChinese Restaurateur (uncredited)
1962
Town TamerJudge Murcott
1965
The Over the Hill GangCaptain Oren Hayes
1969
The PhynxPat O’Brien
1970
The Adventures of Nick CarterHallelujah Harry
1972
Welcome Home, Johnny BristolSgt. McGll
1972
Amanda FallonEmory
1973
The Sky's the LimitAbner Therman
1975
Kiss Me... Kill MeJimmy, the morgue attendant
1976
Billy Jack Goes to WashingtonPresident of the Senate
1977
The EndBen Lawson
1978
Scout's HonorMr. Caboose
1980
JC
James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle DandySelf
1981
RagtimeDelmas
1981
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare FootageSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American MoviesSelf (archive footage)
1995
Dill ScallionSelf
1999
Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?Self (archive footage)
2005
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. StorySelf (archive footage)
2008
Classic Movie Bloopers: UncensoredSelf (archive footage)
2013

Television

FT
Ford Theatre1 eps
1948
Studio OneMike Waterson · 1 eps
1948
The Ed Sullivan ShowSelf · 2 eps
1948
Lux Video TheatreTim Larkin · 1 eps
1950
Lux Video TheatreCaptain Barnaby · 1 eps
1950
Lux Video TheatreJoe Crandall · 1 eps
1950
Lux Video TheatreGeorge Morrell · 1 eps
1950
Lux Video TheatreCharley Hackett · 1 eps
1950
Lux Video TheatreEddie Gorman · 1 eps
1950
The Colgate Comedy HourSelf · 1 eps
1950
What's My Line?Self · 2 eps
1950
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1 eps
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of StarsJohn Wentworth · 1 eps
1951
The Ford Television TheatreLt. V. Keever · 1 eps
1952
This Is Your LifeSelf · 1 eps
1952
General Electric TheaterMajor Irish · 1 eps
1953
Climax!Police Lieutenant Moore · 1 eps
1954
Climax!Police Lieutenant · 1 eps
1954
Climax!Ed Talbot · 1 eps
1954
Science Fiction Theatre1 eps
1955
Telephone Time1 eps
1956
Kraft Music HallSelf · 1 eps
1958
Harrigan and Son34 eps
1960
The Best of the PostMike Breen · 1 eps
1960
The Mike Douglas ShowSelf - Co-Host · 2 eps
1961
The Mike Douglas ShowSelf · 3 eps
1961
Going My Way1 eps
1962
The Merv Griffin ShowSelf · 3 eps
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf · 2 eps
1962
The VirginianJ. Jimerson Jones · 1 eps
1962
The VirginianDoc Bigelow · 1 eps
1962
BH
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre1 eps
1963
Kraft Suspense TheatreLt. John Curwood · 1 eps
1963
Kraft Suspense TheatreInspector Dan Zarilla · 1 eps
1963
Branded1 eps
1965
McCloud1 eps
1970
Alias Smith and Jones1 eps
1971
Banyon1 eps
1972
Happy Days2 eps
1974
WKRP in Cincinnati1 eps
1978

Photos

Pat O'Brien photo
Pat O'Brien photo
Pat O'Brien photo
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