Donald O'Brien

Donal Timothée O'Brien (15 September 1930 – 23 April 2018 His Irish-born father had been a US Army cavalry officer and left the service after being wounded in the Spanish–American War. His father then returned to Ireland with the pension he received for his military service, sold the family farm and retired to the South of France where he eventually met and married an English governess. O'Brien's family moved around during the next few years before settling in the country's northern coast. During the Second World War, and the Nazi occupation of France, his family fled the country to Dublin, Ireland. It was during this period that one of O'Brien's brothers, among the dozen Irish volunteers serving in the Royal Air Force, was killed in action.

Growing up, he was a great admirer of fellow Irishmen William Butler Yeats and Michael Collins, the French adventurer André Malraux, composer Maurice Ravel, the Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico, German boxer Max Schmeling, English actor Sir Laurence Olivier and especially handicapped Second World War ace Douglas Bader. which so impressed director John Frankenheimer that he cast O'Brien as a supporting character in Grand Prix (1966), his first break-out role, co-starring James Garner and Eva Marie Saint. O'Brien credited Burt Lancaster with helping himself and other younger actors on the set of The Train.

Now that was a guy, terrific. I've worked with some Hollywood actors, but he was worth all of them. He used to be a circus acrobat. He had this marvellous physique, and while other actors would choose to act like primadonnas when it came to dangerous scenes, Lancaster would do most of the stuff himself. And he was a friendly guy, always helping us little-knowns when we had problems. This was one of my first more important parts and I was very unsure of myself. He was always telling us what we could do to improve our stuff. A great guy. His portrayal of ex-American lawman turned soldier of fortune Nathaniel Cassidy led to future leading roles in the genre for a number of years. Shortly after filming, he was interviewed in the 1968 television documentary Western, Italian Style. Sollima, according to O'Brien, was "considered to be the intellectual among the Western filmmakers. I enjoyed working with him. He was a very intelligent and gifted man." It was during his years working in Italy that he changed his given name from "Donal" to "Donald", given his film contracts and credits frequently misspelled his name, banks would refuse to cash his checks under his birth name. He ended up having to the embassy to have a new passport issued with "Donald" in parentheses. and The Executioner of God (1973), and Six Bounty Killers for a Massacre (1973) with Attilio Dottesio and Robert Woods. He later recalled having a somewhat strained relationship with Berger, mostly due to his drug issues, and was given parts originally intended for the older actor when was either unable to perform or had been arrested. O'Brien also starred in one of his first non-western roles, in the Italian horror film Il sesso della strega, as the investigating police inspector. O'Brien called Fulci one of his most favourite directors to work with and was deeply saddened when learning of his death in a 1996 interview calling him "a truly original human being with a great love for cinema". His depiction of the "mad scientist" became very popular among horror fans and remains one of the most infamous characters in the genre. Later that year, while staying in Parisian hotel, he slipped in the bathroom and hit his head. He was in a coma for three days and discovered half of his body was paralysed shortly after waking up. It took him nearly four years to recover from his injuries though he would have limited mobility for the rest of his life. This would also reduce the range of roles he could play. The death scene for his character featured an elaborate special effect scene for the time, in which his skull was "cracked open" by an axe, but the producers felt it was too over the top and cut it from the film. His handicap continued to trouble him over the years, being necessary to use a walking stick, and as a result his appearances became sporadic during the rest of the decade. In 1986, he played another "mad scientist" in Sergio Martino's science fiction film Vendetta dal futuro/ aka "Fists of Steel". He also played a supporting part, as Pietro d'Assisi, in The Name of the Rose directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud that same year. Two years later, he played the mad housekeeper Valkos in Ghosthouse produced by Joe D'Amato's company Filmirage.

He died in Andernos-les-Bains, aged 88, on April 23, 2018.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1960 The Wretches 1961 Saint Tropez Blues Todd Anderson Dynamite Jack 1962 Tales of Paris (segment "Ella")The Trial of Joan of Arc English Priest Uncredited 1963 Ballade pour un voyou 1964 The Train Sgt. Schwartz Weekend at Dunkirk British Officer 1965 Passeport diplomatique agent K 8 Dolbry Hail, Mafia Mafia Thug Cloportes Gallery Visitor Three Rooms in Manhattan Diner Cook Nick Carter and Red Club 1966 A Matter of Resistance American Officer Uncredited The Man from Interpol Polard Martin Soldat Captain Carruthers Grand Prix Wallace Bennett 1967 The Night of the Generals German Officer Uncredited 1968 Run, Man, Run! Nathaniel Cassidy 1971 The Last Traitor Captain Ned Carter Finders Killers Jack Forest Paid in Blood Lee Rast Sheriff of Rock Springs Jones 1972 God Is My Colt .45 Collins Two Brothers in Trinity Lester O'Hara 1973 Il Giustiziere di Dio Frank Sex of the Witch Inspector Six Bounty Killers for a Massacre Frank Kung Fu Brothers in the Wild West Outlaw 1974 Challenge to White Fang Liverpool White Fang to the Rescue Harold 1975 Four of the Apocalypse Sheriff of Salt Flat Giochi erotici di una famiglia per bene Prof. Riccardo Rossi 1976 Keoma Caldwell 1977 A Man Called Blade Burt Craven Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals Donald McKenzie Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century Sgt. Stricker Kakkientruppen Comandante 1978 The Inglorious Bastards SS Commander Silver Saddle Fletcher Tough to Kill Major Hagerty 1980 Flying Sex Mr. Slider Zombie Holocaust Dr. Obrero 1981 Images in a Convent Exorcist 1982 2020 Texas Gladiators Black One 1984 Warriors of the Year 2072 Monk Panther Squad General 1986 Vendetta dal futuro Professor Olster The Name of the Rose Pietro d'Assisi 1988 Ghosthouse Valkos 1989 Mortacci Archibald Williams 1990 Una vita scellerata Bernardino, l'ermita Flight from Paradise Quest for the Mighty Sword Prince Gunther 1991 Return from Death (Frankenstein 2000) Ric The Devil's Daughter Justice Jonathan Ford 1993 Sparrow 1994 Il Briganti Sicilian Baron (final film role) Honey Sweet Love Officer

Television Year Film Role Notes 1963 L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête Dalton Episode: "Voir Paris et mourir" 1980 The Day Christ Died Roman Soldier Television film