Michael O'Shea (actor)

Michael O'Shea
from the film Lady of Burlesque (1943)
Born	(1906-03-17)March 17, 1906 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	December 4, 1973(1973-12-04) (aged 67) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Years active	1930s-1971
Spouse(s)	Grace Watts (m.1927-1947); 2 children Virginia Mayo (m. 1947–1973; his death); 1 child
Children	Barbara Watts O'Shea Catherine Mary O'Shea (b. 1953)

Michael O'Shea (March 17, 1906 – December 4, 1973) was known as an American character actor who appeared in feature films and later in television and whose career spanned the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. O'Shea was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Unlike his five brothers who became policemen, he dropped out of school at 12 and began his acting career in vaudeville by touring with boxing idol Jack Johnson's show.

Much like his character from Lady of Burlesque (1943), Biff Brannigan, O'Shea was a comedian and emcee at speakeasies. He put together his own dance band, "Michael O'Shea and His Stationary Gypsies", and later broke into radio and the "legitimate" stage, where he was billed for a time as "Eddie O'Shea".

His performance in the 1942 play The Eve of St. Mark led to a string of film roles in the '40s, which included a memorable performance as Barbara Stanwyck's boyfriend comic in Lady of Burlesque. He also received great reviews in 1944 when he reprised his stage role of Private Thomas Mulveray in the film version of The Eve of St. Mark. O'Shea starred in Something for the Boys (1944), which showed off his Irish tenor voice and in It's a Pleasure!, playing a hockey star who marries figure skater Sonja Henie.

After his career in film waned—he was largely out of films by 1952—he took many roles in television. He acted in TV programs such as Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Damon Runyon Theater, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, The Revlon Mirror Theater, and Daktari. He also starred in the NBC sitcom television series It's a Great Life from 1954-1956 as Denny Davis, a former GI trying to find a civilian job. Frances Bavier played his landlady.