About Sally O'Neil
Lived 1908 – 1968 (aged 59). Sally O'Neil was an American actor and film actor.
Sally O'Neil (born Virginia Louise Concepta Noonan; October 23, 1908 – June 18, 1968) was an American film actress of the 1920s. She appeared in more than 40 films, often with her name above the title.
Early years O'Neil was born Virginia Louise Concepta Noonan on October 23, 1912, Another sister, Isabelle, also acted in films. She appeared with Joan Crawford again as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1926.
Her fame began to subside after silent pictures gave way to sound. Although her broad "Joisey" accent in early talkies like Jazz Heaven was unsuitable for most ingenue roles, Warner Bros. signed her to play streetwise girls in its feature films of 1929-30. After Warners released her in 1930, O'Neil freelanced at various studios. The Brat, a 1931 pre-Code film directed by John Ford, was revived at New York City's Museum of Modern Art in November 2016. A showcase for O'Neil, the movie involves a brash chorus girl's effect upon a snobbish family when their son brings her home in order to research a novel.
Her last American film was released in 1935; she traveled to England in 1937 for one final film, Kathleen Mavourneen, of interest today for a guest appearance by comedian Arthur Lucan as Old Mother Riley.
Stage Sally O'Neil appeared on Broadway in When We Are Married (1940). She continued on stage and toured with the USO until the 1950s.
Personal life In October 1953, O'Neil married businessman S.S. Battles. They divorced in 1957, but they soon remarried. She had a stepson and two stepdaughters. )
Partial filmography
Don't (1925) Sally, Irene and Mary (1925) Mike (1926) The Auction Block (1926) Battling Butler (1926) Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927) The Callahans and the Murphys (1927) Frisco Sally Levy (1927) Becky (1927) The Lovelorn (1927) The Battle of the Sexes (1928) Mad Hour (1928) Bachelor's Paradise (1928) The Floating College (1928) Girl on the Barge (1929) Broadway Scandals (1929) The Sophomore (1929) Jazz Heaven (1929) A Real Girl (1929) On with the Show! (1929) The Show of Shows (1929) Broadway Fever (1929) Girl of the Port (1930) Hold Everything (1930) Kathleen Mavourneen (1930) Murder by the Clock (1931) Salvation Nell (1931) The Brat (1931) By Appointment Only (1933) The Moth (1934) Beggar's Holiday (1934) Convention Girl (1935) Too Tough to Kill (1935) Kathleen Mavourneen (1937)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Sally O'Neil's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sally O'Neil's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sally O'Neil?
actress (1908-1968)
When was Sally O'Neil born?
Sally O'Neil was born on 23 October 1908 in Bayonne.
When did Sally O'Neil die?
Sally O'Neil died on 18 June 1968 in Galesburg.
What was Sally O'Neil's occupation?
Sally O'Neil was an actor and film actor.
What nationality was Sally O'Neil?
Sally O'Neil was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sally O'Neil. https://biography.guide/sally-o-neil/
MLA: "Sally O'Neil." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sally-o-neil/.
Chicago: "Sally O'Neil." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sally-o-neil/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:05 UTC