Dennis O'Keefe (born Edward Vanes Flanagan, Jr., March 29, 1908 â€"
August 31, 1968) was an American actor and writer,Born in Fort
Madison, Iowa, O'Keefe was the son of Edward and Charlotte Flanagan,
Irish vaudevillians working in the United States. As a small child, he
joined his parents' act and later wrote skits for the stage. He
attended the University of Southern California but left midway through
his sophomore year after his father died.O'Keefe continued his
father's vaudeville act for several years after the father's death. He
started in films as an extra in 1931 and appeared in numerous films
under the name Bud Flanagan. After a small but impressive role in
Saratoga (1937), Clark Gable recommended O'Keefe to
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which signed him to a contract in 1937 and
renamed him Dennis O'Keefe. His film roles were bigger after that,
starting with The Bad Man of Brimstone (1938) opposite Wallace Beery,
and the lead role in Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939).O'Keefe left MGM
around 1940 but continued to work in mostly lower budget productions.
He often played the tough guy in action and crime dramas, but was also
known as a comic actor as well as a dramatic lead.
August 31, 1968) was an American actor and writer,Born in Fort
Madison, Iowa, O'Keefe was the son of Edward and Charlotte Flanagan,
Irish vaudevillians working in the United States. As a small child, he
joined his parents' act and later wrote skits for the stage. He
attended the University of Southern California but left midway through
his sophomore year after his father died.O'Keefe continued his
father's vaudeville act for several years after the father's death. He
started in films as an extra in 1931 and appeared in numerous films
under the name Bud Flanagan. After a small but impressive role in
Saratoga (1937), Clark Gable recommended O'Keefe to
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which signed him to a contract in 1937 and
renamed him Dennis O'Keefe. His film roles were bigger after that,
starting with The Bad Man of Brimstone (1938) opposite Wallace Beery,
and the lead role in Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939).O'Keefe left MGM
around 1940 but continued to work in mostly lower budget productions.
He often played the tough guy in action and crime dramas, but was also
known as a comic actor as well as a dramatic lead.
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