Robert E. O'Connor

Robert E. O'Connor was an American actor born on March 18, 1885, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who died on September 4, 1962. He built his career across stage and screen over several decades, working under variations of his name depending on the medium: Robert O'Connor on stage and in vaudeville, and Robert Emmett O'Connor or Robert E. O'Connor in film.

O'Connor's stage career spanned from 1905 to 1931, during which he performed on Broadway in both musicals and plays. His Broadway credits included the musicals Blossom Time, The Prince of Pilsen, and The Circus Princess, as well as the play The City and Ladies of the Evening, among other productions. Alongside his Broadway work, he was also active in vaudeville during this period.

Following his transition to film, O'Connor appeared in more than 200 productions between 1919 and 1950, becoming particularly associated with the role of policemen. Among his most recognized screen performances was that of Paddy Ryan, a warmhearted bootlegger, in The Public Enemy in 1931. He also portrayed police Sergeant Henderson in the 1935 Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera. In 1950, he appeared in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard as Jonesy, an older gate guard at Paramount. Additionally, O'Connor made appearances at both the opening and closing of the 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon short Who Killed Who?