Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Emmett O'Connor (March 18, 1885 – September 4, 1962) was an American film actor. He appeared in 204 films between 1919 and 1950. He is probably best known as the warmhearted bootlegger Paddy Ryan in The Public Enemy (1931) and as Detective Sergeant Henderson pursuing the Marx Brothers in A Night at the Opera (1935). He also appeared as Jonesy (the older Paramount gate guard) in Billy Wilder's 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, as well as made a cameo appear...
Known For
Complete Filmography
Sunset Boulevard
1950
as Older Paramount Gate Guard Jonesy (uncredited)
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
Easter Parade
1948
as Policeman (uncredited)
On the day before Easter in 1911, Don Hewes is crushed when his dancing partner (and object of affection) Nadine Hale refuses to start a new contract ...
Tenth Avenue Angel
1948
as Mr. O'Callan (uncredited)
Flavia's been told that her Aunt Susan's fiancé, Steve, has been on a trip around the world, but in truth he's finished his prison term. Steve wonders...
Merton of the Movies
1947
as Mac - Restaurant Counterman (uncredited)
In 1915, Kansas theatre usher Merton Gill is a rabid silent-movie fan. When he brings Mammoth Studios free publicity by imitating star Lawrence Rupert...
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947
as Southerner
A mysterious Civil War veteran courts a Missouri farmer's daughter amid postwar unrest.
The Hucksters
1947
as Frank - Hotel Doorman (uncredited)
A World War II veteran wants to return to advertising on his own terms, but finds it difficult to be successful and maintain his integrity.
High Barbaree
1947
as Stationmaster (uncredited)
After his plane is downed in the South Pacific, a Navy flier recounts his life to a co-pilot while awaiting rescue.
Till the Clouds Roll By
1946
as Ed (uncredited)
Light bio-pic of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern, featuring renditions of the famous songs from his musical plays by contemporary stage artists,...
Undercurrent
1946
as Stationmaster (uncredited)
After a rapid engagement, a dowdy daughter of a chemist weds an industrialist, knowing little of his family or past. He transforms her into an elegant...
Courage of Lassie
1946
as Deputy (uncredited)
Bill's separated from his litter, making friends with the wild creatures until he's found and adopted by young Kathie. An accident separates him from ...
Boys' Ranch
1946
as Druggist
A juvenile delinquent is sent to a rehabilitation ranch, but he immediately proves to be a troublemaker.
The Hoodlum Saint
1946
as Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
A former reporter comes back home after serving in the army during World War I and finds that it's much more difficult to find work than he expected. ...
Up Goes Maisie
1946
as Rose Bowl Watchman (Uncredited)
A showgirl working for an inventor battles crooks, who want to steal his ideas.
The Harvey Girls
1946
as Conductor (uncredited)
On a train trip out west to become a mail-order bride, Susan Bradley meets a cheery crew of young women traveling out to open a "Harvey House" restaur...
Adventure
1945
as Man in Cantina (uncredited)
A rough and tumble man of the sea falls for a meek librarian.
They Were Expendable
1945
as Silver Dollar Bartender (uncredited)
After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the a...
The Great American Mug
1945
as Laughing Man (uncredited)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the typical American barbershop throughout the years.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
1945
as 2nd Studio Guard (uncredited)
When two bumbling barbers act as agents for a talented but unknown singer, they stage a phony murder in order to get him a plum role.
A Gun in His Hand
1945
as Veteran Policeman McGuinnes (uncredited)
In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a young man graduates from the police academy at the top of his class. He then teams up with some local t...
Anchors Aweigh
1945
as Cop (uncredited)
Two sailors on shore leave head out for four days of partying – only to become involved in the affairs of an aspiring singer and her precocious nephew...
The Clock
1945
as Policeman (uncredited)
A G.I. en route to Europe falls in love during a whirlwind two-day leave in New York City.
Main Street After Dark
1945
as Policeman (uncredited)
A police detective uses fluorescent powder to catch a pickpocket and her gang.
The Thin Man Goes Home
1944
as Baggage Attendant on Train (uncredited)
On a trip to visit his parents, detective Nick Charles gets mixed up in a murder investigation.
Gentle Annie
1944
as Childers the Bartender (as Robert Emmet O'Connor)
The Goss family live on a farm they call the dust bowl where the wind blows during the day and the coyotes howl at night. When the train is robbed, ev...
Meet Me in St. Louis
1944
as Motorman (uncredited)
Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family up to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Return from Nowhere
1944
as Diner Cook (uncredited)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a man recovers his lost memories when he is forced to relive events in his dreams.
Barbary Coast Gent
1944
as Joe the Bartender (uncredited)
Honest Plush Brannon is a con-man thrown out of the Barbary Coast in San Francisco in the 1880s and headed for the gold rush region of Nevada. He disc...
Rationing
1944
as Sheriff (uncredited)
A small-town butcher has problems coping with meat rationing.
Shoe Shine Boy
1943
as Charlie the Bartender (uncredited)
A teenaged shoeshine boy urgently tries to raise the remaining amount of money he needs to purchase a secondhand bugle before 6p.m.
Whistling in Brooklyn
1943
as Detective Leo Finnigan
Radio crime show host "The Fox" finds himself on the trail of a serial killer while a suspect himself.
Best Foot Forward
1943
as Train Conductor
Bud Hooper, a cadet at Winsocki Military Academy, sends an invitation to movie star Lucille Ball to come to Winsocki's big dance. Ball's publicity-hun...
Swing Shift Maisie
1943
as Proprietor (Uncredited)
Street-smart Maisie from Brooklyn lands a job at an airplane assembly plant during WWII and falls in love with handsome pilot "Breezy" McLaughlin. Bre...
Who Killed Who?
1943
as Host (uncredited)
A murder has occurred at Gruesome Gables, and the dog detective trying to find the killer has to deal with some suspicious suspects and a haunted hous...
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
1943
as Samson (uncredited)
In this 13th entry to the Dr. Kildare series, the medical staff of Blair General hospital are challenged with further dilemmas, not the least of which...
Air Raid Wardens
1943
as Charlie Beaugart
Two bumblers, failures as businessmen and air raid wardens, stumble across a nest of Nazi saboteurs bent on blowing up the local magnesium plant.
Slightly Dangerous
1943
as Reporter (uncredited)
Small-town soda-jerk Peggy Evans quits her dead-end job and moves to New York where she invents a new identity.
The Human Comedy
1943
as Bartender (uncredited)
Teenager Homer Macauley stays at home in the small town of Ithaca, California to support his family while his older brother Marcus prepares to go to w...
The Greatest Gift
1942
as Brother Xavier (uncredited)
Medieval French monks find a freezing, ill juggler and take him in. Upon recovering, the impoverished man wishes to illustrate his tremendous gratitud...
The Omaha Trail
1942
as Oxen Owner (uncredited)
The coming of the railroad to the West triggers an Indian war.
Jackass Mail
1942
as Peter Lawson
An unknowing orphan idolizes the horse thief/mail robber who has shot his father.
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942
as Benefit Stage Manager (Uncredited)
Struggling performers, Sothern and Skelton's lives are thrown off gear when they are caught with a bagful of hard cash robbed by a goon. With Skelton ...
Inflation
1942
as Joe's Co-worker (uncredited)
The Devil works with Adolf Hitler to cause inflation in the United States.
No Time for Comedy
1940
as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
An aspiring playwright finds himself an overnight Broadway success.
Dance, Girl, Dance
1940
as Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Judy O'Brien is an aspiring ballerina in a dance troupe. Also in the company is Bubbles, a brash mantrap who leaves the struggling troupe for a career...
A Fugitive from Justice
1940
as Murphy
Leslie is being chased by the gangsters, the police and the insurance investigators. He is on the run. Falsely accused of a murder, he embarks upon a ...
Hot Steel
1940
as Police Inspector
Matt Morrison gets his old college chum Frank Stewart a job at the steel foundry where he works. Trouble quickly ensues.
I Take This Oath
1940
as Police Car Driver
The trials and tribulations of a group of newly sworn-in police officers.
Double Alibi
1940
as Patrolman Delaney
A man's ex-wife is found murdered, and he finds himself to be the prime suspect.
The Lone Wolf Strikes
1940
as House Detective
Delia Jordan's father is murdered and some very valuable jewelry stolen. She hires The Lone Wolf.
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
1939
as Pat Donegan
Joe and Ethel Turp are up in arms when their faithful old mailman is fired. Unable to get satisfaction on a municipal level, Joe and Ethel plead their...
Streets of New York
1939
as Police Officer Burke
Jimmy, an idealistic and hard-working young man, has just arrived in New York City with dreams of making his fortune. Along the way he faces numerous ...
Sergeant Madden
1939
as Capt. Crane
A dedicated police officer is torn between family and duty when his son turns to a life of crime.
You Can't Get Away with Murder
1939
as First Detective (uncredited)
Johnnie learns crime from petty thug Frank Wilson. When Wilson kills a pawnbroker with a gun stolen from Johnnie's sister Madge's fiance Fred Burke, F...
Made for Each Other
1939
as Harry (Elevator Starter) (uncredited)
A couple struggle to find happiness after a whirlwind courtship.
Professor Beware
1938
as Cop at Estate
Egyptologist, Dean Lambert, accused of car-theft, skips bail and begins a cross-country trek to join a group in New York headed for Egypt. With the po...
Boy of the Streets
1938
as Police Officer Rourke
Cocky young street kid worships his father, a sleazy political operative.
Wells Fargo
1937
as Sea Captain
In the 1840s, Ramsey MacKay, the driver for the struggling Wells Fargo mail and freight company, will secure an important contract if he delivers fres...
Trapped by G-Men
1937
as Federal Agent Jim
Granite-jawed Jack Holt performs a dual role in Columbia's Trapped by G-Men.
Super-Sleuth
1937
as Casey
A movie actor playing a detective gets carried away with his role and starts trying to solve real-life crimes.
New Faces of 1937
1937
as Policeman
A crooked producer makes money from Broadway flops by selling more than 100% interest to multiple parties. He only fails if it makes a profit.
The Last Train from Madrid
1937
as Secret Service Man (uncredited)
The story of seven people: their lives and love affairs in Madrid during the Civil War.
The Frame-Up
1937
as Larry Mann (aka John Mench)
A detective investigates a racing scam.
A Star Is Born
1937
as Santa Anita Clubhouse Bartender (uncredited)
Esther Blodgett is just another starry-eyed farm kid trying to break into the movies. Waitressing at a Hollywood party, she catches the eye of her ido...
Waikiki Wedding
1937
as Policeman (uncredited)
Tony Marvin is a laid back but incredibly successful promoter and fair-haired boy for J. P. Todhunter's pineapple company located in beautiful Hawaii....
Park Avenue Logger
1937
as Police Sergeant
Millioniare Curran, thinking his son too intellectual, sends him west to learn logging at one of his lumber camps. Unknown to his father, Grant Curan ...
The Crime Nobody Saw
1937
as Tim Burke
Three playwrights develop a plot around a drunk who gets killed in their apartment.
Girl Overboard
1937
as Sergeant Hatton
A beautiful girl on a passenger ship is suspected of murder.
We Who Are About to Die
1937
as Detective Mitchell
John Thompson is kidnapped by mobsters after quitting his job. Then he is arrested, tried, and sentenced to death for murders they committed. A suspic...
Sinner Take All
1936
as Police Capt. Greenwood (uncredited)
A young lawyer is determined to identify who is murdering members of a wealthy New York publishing family.
Jailbreak
1936
as Policeman
A reporter gets himself sent to prison so he can solve a murder behind bars.
Desire
1936
as Customs Official
Madeleine steals a string of pearls in Paris and uses American engineer Tom, who is driving on his vacation to Spain, to get the pearls out of France....
At Sea Ashore
1936
as First Immigration Officer
Patsy's working at Rumplemeyer's Donut Shop in Brooklyn. By accident she catches Mr. Rumplemeyer's trousers in the donut machine as he's leaving to pi...
Little Lord Fauntleroy
1936
as Policeman
An American boy turns out to be the heir of a wealthy British earl. He is sent to live with the irritable and unsentimental aristocrat, his grandfathe...
The Lone Wolf Returns
1935
as Detective Benson
Once a jewel thief always a jewel thief? Yes and no. Yes if you consider the fact that Michael Lanyard also known as the Lone Wolf once retired from t...
A Night at the Opera
1935
as Henderson
The Marx Brothers take on high society and the opera world to bring two lovers together. A sly business manager and two wacky friends of two opera sin...
Waterfront Lady
1935
as Police Lieutenant
When a young man is befriended by a gambling ship operator and made a partner in the business, he becomes involved in a police manhunt after he covers...
Diamond Jim
1935
as Brady's Father
A loose biopic based on the life of Gilded Age tycoon "Diamond" Jim Brady.
Stolen Harmony
1935
as Warden Clark (uncredited)
Band leader Jack Conrad is impressed by prison inmate Ray Ferrera on saxophone. Conrad hires Ray to join his band and tour upon his release. Ray hooks...
Star of Midnight
1935
as Police Sergeant Cleary
When a dancer disappears from a theater, Clay Dalzell is asked to investigate, leading him on a trail of murder and deception.
The Mysterious Mr. Wong
1935
as Officer 'Mac' McGillicuddy
Mr. Wong is a "harmless" Chinatown shopkeeper by day and relentless blood-thirsty pursuer of the Twelve Coins of Confucius by night. With possession o...
A Wicked Woman
1934
as Dugan (uncredited)
A woman and her children escape severe poverty and abuse. She successfully betters her family's condition while living with the secret that she killed...
Return of the Terror
1934
as Inspector Bradley
"The Terror", a killer whose identity is unknown, occupies an English country house that has been converted into an inn.
Bottoms Up
1934
as Detective Rooney
Promoter "Smoothie" King helps a pair of phonies con their way into a movie company. As Wanda heads toward stardom, she turns more and more from King ...
The Big Shakedown
1934
as Regan
Former bootlegger Dutch Barnes pressures neighborhood druggist Jimmy Morrell into making cut-rate knockoff toiletry, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical prod...
Lady for a Day
1933
as Inspector MacCreary
Never-wed, poor, rough around the edges Apple Annie has always written to her daughter, Louise, in Spain that she is married and a member of New York'...
Penthouse
1933
as Police Lt. 'Steve' Stevens
Gertie Waxted knows how notorious gangster Jim Crelliman runs his rackets, because she's long been under the hoodlum's thumb. She's secretly helping l...
Midnight Mary
1933
as Cop
While on trial for her life, a young woman recalls her tough upbringing and her involvement with the men who brought her to this current state of affa...
Don't Bet on Love
1933
as Edward Shelton
A plumber wins big at the racetrack but then his luck runs out and almost ruins his business. His manicurist girlfriend stands by him and helps him re...
Bed of Roses
1933
as River Boat Captain Scroggins (uncredited)
A girl from the wrong side of the tracks is torn between true love and a life of sin.
Picture Snatcher
1933
as Lieutenant Casey Nolan
An ex-con uses his street smarts to become a successful photojournalist.
Gabriel Over the White House
1933
as Corrupt Police Inspector (uncredited)
A political hack becomes President during the height of the Depression and undergoes a metamorphosis into an incorruptible statesman after a near-fata...
Mystery of the Wax Museum
1933
as Police Sergeant by Christmas tree
The disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.
Frisco Jenny
1933
as Jim Sandoval
Jenny is carrying the child of a young man who dies in the San Francisco earthquake (1906). After giving birth, she decides to place her child in the ...
The Kid from Spain
1932
as Detective Crawford
Eddie and his Mexican friend Ricardo are expelled from college after Ricardo put Eddie in the girl's dormitory when he was drunk. Per chance Eddie get...
Blonde Venus
1932
as Dan O'Connor
In an effort to be able to afford expensive treatment for her gravely ill American husband, a retired German entertainer returns to the cabaret as Blo...
Blessed Event
1932
as Jim
A New York gossip columnist feuds with a singer and enjoys the power of the press.
American Madness
1932
as Police Inspector
Socially-conscious banker Thomas Dickson faces a crisis when his protégé is wrongly accused of robbing the bank, gossip of the robbery starts a bank r...
Week-End Marriage
1932
as Police Desk Clerk Eddie (uncredited)
In this comedy, a hard-working husband loses his job and his wife becomes the bread winner.
The Dark Horse
1932
as Sheriff
The Progressive Party convention is deadlocked for governor, so both sides nominate the dark horse Zachary Hicks. Kay Russell suggests they hire Hal B...
Night World
1932
as The Policeman
"Happy" MacDonald and his unfaithful wife own a Prohibition era night club. On this eventful night, he is threatened by bootleggers, and the club's st...
The Arm of the Law
1932
as Chief of Detectives Capt. Blake
A reporter and a detective team up to solve the murder of a nightclub singer who had been involved in a divorce scandal.
Play Girl
1932
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
A young innocent falls for a compulsive gambler.
The Big Timer
1932
as Dan Wilson
Loud-mouth hamburger flipper, Cooky, thinks he can box. His big chance comes when everyone else quits the gym when it is inherited by a dame.
The Beast of the City
1932
as Booking Policeman (uncredited)
Police Chief Jim Fitzpatrick is after gangster Sam Belmonte. He uses his own corrupt brother Ed to watch over Daisy who was associated with Belmonte.
Two Kinds of Women
1932
as Tim Gohagen
The daughter of a senator from South Dakota visits Manhattan for the first time, eager to see the sights of the big city. While there, she finds herse...
Taxi!
1931
as Cop with Jewish Man (uncredited)
Amidst a backdrop of growing violence and intimidation, independent cab drivers struggling against a consolidated juggernaut rally around hot-tempered...
Reckless Living
1931
as Ryan
In order to be able to buy a gas station, a young couple run a speakeasy. Complications arise when the husband loses their money to bookies.
Fanny Foley Herself
1931
as Burns
A vaudeville performer has trouble dividing her time equally between her career and her two daughters.
The Public Defender
1931
as Detective Brady
A mysterious phantom who calls himself The Reckoner vows to expose the crooked bankers who embezzled their company's funds.
Three Who Loved
1931
as Police Lt. Tom Rooney
A bank teller's love life falls apart when he's accused of embezzling.
The Public Enemy
1931
as Paddy Ryan
Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blo...
The Single Sin
1931
as Detective
A lady-bootlegger does her 90 days in jail, gets released and becomes the secretary for a prominent millionaire. The magnate falls madly in love with ...
Paid
1930
as Police Sgt. Cassidy
Mary Turner gets a three year prison sentence for a crime she didn't commit. Once released, she plots to get back at the man responsible for her convi...
Man to Man
1930
as Sheriff
A young man attempts to overcome the memory of his father, who was sent to jail for committing a murder.
Up the River
1930
as Prison Warden (uncredited)
Daily life at men and women's prison units where baseball and the marching band are serious business. Two prisoners escape in order to help paroled St...
Shooting Straight
1930
as Detective Regan
A gambler wanted for murder hides under the guise of a clergyman.
Our Blushing Brides
1930
as The Detective
Jerry, Connie, and Franky are small-town girls seeking wealthy husbands in New York City. But, while Connie and Franky are reckless with their affecti...
The Big House
1930
as Donlin
Convicted of manslaughter for a drunken driving accident, Kent Marlowe is sent to prison, where he meets vicious incarcerated figures who are planning...
The Big Fight
1930
as Detective
Based on the David Belasco stage production of the Max Marcin play in which heavyweight-champion Jack Dempsey played the role of the fighter, Tiger: T...
Alias French Gertie
1930
as Detective Kelcey
A safecracker poses as a French maid in order to gain access to wealthy homes. In the midst of a nocturnal search for a cache of valuables, she is int...
Framed
1930
as Sergeant Schultze
Rose Manning swears revenge for the unjust slaying of her father by Inspector McArthur. Five years later, as a nightclub hostess, she is sought by Chu...
In the Next Room
1930
as Tim Morel
The story starts with a prologue set in 1889 in which we see an angry husband murdering his wife's lover. The setting then moves to 1929, just as an a...
The Isle of Lost Ships
1929
as Jackson
The Isle of Lost Ships is a 1929 talking film released in an alternative silent version with a Vitaphone track of effects and music. It was produced b...
Smiling Irish Eyes
1929
as Sir Timothy
A pretty, young violinist who travels from Ireland to America to seek fame and fortune on Broadway finds a bit more than she expected. A lost film.
Weary River
1929
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
A gangster is put in prison, but finds salvation through music while serving his time. Again on the outside, he finds success elusive and temptations ...
The Booster
1928
The Booster is a silent comedy short
Freedom of the Press
1928
as Boss Maloney
When a newspaper owner is murdered, his son takes over his crusade against a corrupt politician with criminal associations.
The Singing Fool
1928
as Cafe Owner Bill
After years of hopeful struggle, waiter and aspiring singer-songwriter Al Stone is on his way. He gets his huge break on a magical night when his song...
Four Walls
1928
as Sullivan
After completing his prison sentence for killing a rival gang leader in self-defence, Benny Horowitz decides to go straight.
Dressed to Kill
1928
as Detective Gilroy
A mob boss' gang gets suspicious about their boss' new girlfriend, a beautiful young girl who doesn't seem to be the type who'd hang out with gangster...
The Noose
1928
as Jim Conley
In this suspenseful silent crime drama, a hijacker proves his loyalty to his mother by killing his biological father, a blackmailing gangster who has ...
Tin Gods
1926
as Second Foreman
In a mountain village in South America, Dr. McCoy and the padre watch Roger Drake enter a small chapel near a towering bridge, and McCoy recounts the ...
Drink Hearty
1920
Snub conducts a blind pig in a barn, where the village cronies gather for their "licker," and the place is raided by revenue officers.
His Royal Slyness
1920
as (uncredited)
A young adventurer trades places with a European prince and falls in love above his station.