Don O'Kelly, was an American actor prominent in the 1950s and 1960s. Though credited as "Don Kelly" in earlier performances, his billing was changed to "Don O'Kelly" in 1960.

Background

Don O'Kelly born Donald Patrick Kelly at Sheepshead Bay, New York, the son of an Irish-American father Robert J. Kelly and Norwegian-American mother Rachel Knudtsen was an American actor in the 1950s and 1960s. He did mostly television work. Don O'Kelly began his career starring in "Tank Battalion" with Marjorie Helen (later Leslie Parrish-Bach).

Don Kelly enlisted in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

  on June 17, 1941 just prior to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and saw active duty aboard the USS Stanton and USS Palmer

USS Palmer

USS Palmer may refer to more than one United States Navy ship:*USS Palmer , in commission as a destroyer from 1918 to 1922 and as a minesweeper from 1940 to 1945...

. He saw convoy duty at San Juan, Puerto Rico, Iceland, England, Scotland, Africa (Invasion), then a brief leave in the US and back on convoy to the European Theater, Africa, Italy (all phases of the European campaign), convoy duty then to Scotland, Africa, Iceland, Southern France (Invasion) through Channel into Pacific and then on to the Carolinas, Siapan, Tinian, Marshalls, Gilbert, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the Sea of Japan. He saw active duty four years, three months, and 17 days. Don Kelly received an Honorable Discharge after the war and upon separation joined his cousin's ice skating show. O'Kelly née Kelly used his GI Bill of Rights to study acting with the Strasberg company in Hollywood, CA. He was a prolific painter. Some of his art work is at the U.S.S. Elizabeth C. Stanton, AP69 Museum (affectionally known as "The Lucky Lizzie.")

Career

Don O'Kelly was a familiar face to series television fans during the 1950s and 1960s. As a character and lead actor with starring film role in Tank Battalion with Marjorie Helen (later Leslie Parrish-Bach). His last starring role was in The Hostage

The Hostage (film)

The Hostage is a 1967 Crown International low-budget motion picture starring Don O'Kelly, James Almanzar and Joanne Brown, with Leland Brown, John Carradine, and Harry Dean Stanton....

, made in 1966 and released in 1967, in which he received very favorable reviews.

TV and film credits

• The Hostage
  The Hostage (film)
  The Hostage is a 1967 Crown International low-budget motion picture starring Don O'Kelly, James Almanzar and Joanne Brown, with Leland Brown, John Carradine, and Harry Dean Stanton....
  
   (1967) ... Bull
• Shoot Out at Big Sag (1962) ... Fargo
• Frontier Uprising (1961) ... Kilpatrick
• Tank Battalion (1958) ... Sgt Brad Dunne aka Korean Attack
• The Notorious Mr. Monks (1958) ... Dan Flynn
• Bombers B-52 (1957) ... Master Sergent Darren McKind aka No Sleep Till Dawn (UK)
• The Crooked Circle (1957) ... Joe Kelly
• The Big Land (1957)... Billy Tyler aka Stampeded (UK)
• The Wild Wild West
  The Wild Wild West
  The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
  
   (1965) episode The Night of a Thousand Eyes ... Peavey
• Gunsmoke
  Gunsmoke
  Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
  
   (1965) episode Eliab's Aim ... Dealer
• Ben Casey
  Ben Casey
  Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
  
   (1964) episode One Nation Indivisible ... George Zybsko
• Bonanza
  Bonanza
  Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
  
   (1964) episode The Lila Conrad Story
• The Virginian
  The Virginian (TV series)
  The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
  
   (1963) episode The Evil That Men Do ... Deke
• The Dakotas (1963) episode Fargo ... Paul Young
• The Gallant Men (1963)episode The Leathernecks ... Captain Barlow
• 77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
  
   (1963) episode Crashout ... Arnie Martin
• The Gallant Men (1962) episode One Moderately Peaceful Sunday
• 77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
  
   (1962) episode Terror in a Small Town ... Sheriff Farger
• The Beachcomber (1962) episode The Fugitive ... Womack
• Ripcord (1961) episode High Jeopardy ... Johnny Grimes
• 77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
  
   (1961) episode The Turning Point ... Nate Minton
• Bat Masterson
  Bat Masterson (TV series)
  Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961...
  
   (1961) episode Meeting at Mimbers ... Tom Smith
• Riverboat (1960) episode Zigzag ... Clyde
• The Deputy (1960) episode Lady for a Hanging ... Hunter
• Bat Masterson
  Bat Masterson (TV series)
  Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961...
  
   (1960) episode The Last of the Night Raiders ... Jack Doolin
• The Twilight Zone
  The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
  The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
  
   (1960) episode The Mighty Casey ... Monk
• Overland Trail (1960) episode Fire in the Hole ... Red
• Bourbon Street Beat (1960) episode Neon Nightmare ... George Johnson
• Lawman (1960) episode The Truce
• M Squad (1960) episode Race to Death ... Joe Calhoun
• Laramie (1960) episode Duel at Alta Mesa
• The Alaskans (1960) episode The Trial of Reno McKee ... Carl
• The Alaskans (1960) episode Black Sand
• Have Gun – Will Travel (1960) episode The Day of the Bad Man ... Amos Saint
• Bonanza
  Bonanza
  Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
  
   (1960) episode El Toro Grande
• The Restless Gun (1959) episode A Very Special Inspector ... Blair Weeks
• Tales of Wells Fargo
  Tales of Wells Fargo
  Tales of Wells Fargo is an American Western television series that ran from March 18, 1957 to June 2, 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season when it expanded to an hour.-Synopsis:...
  
   (1959)episode The Daltons ...Bob Dalton
• Black Saddle (1959) episode Client: Reynolds ... Harry Briggs
• Lawman (1959) episode The Souvenir ... Virgil Carey
• Disneyland (6 March 1959) episode The Slaughter Trail ... Jed
• Texas John Slaughter (1959) episode (#1.5) The Slaughter Trail ... Jed
• Disneyland (20 March 1959) episode Man from Bitter Creek ... Jed
• Texas John Slaughter (1959) (#1.6) Man from Bitter Creek ... Jed
• Sugarfoot (1959) episode The Giant Killer ... Tracy
• The Texan (1959) episode A Quart of Law
• Maverick
  Maverick (TV series)
  Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
  
   (1958) episode Holiday at Hollow Rock ... Ira Swain
• 77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip
  77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
  
   (1958) episode The Court Martial of Johnny Murdo ... Sergeant Bannock
• Lawman (1958) episode The Oath ... Lou Menke
• Broken Arrow (1958) episode War Trail ... Captain Baker
• Have Gun – Will Travel (1958) episode The Teacher ... Coley
• Maverick
  Maverick (TV series)
  Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
  
   (1958) episode Trail West to Fury ... Jett
• Wire Service (1957) episode Misfire
• Frontier (1956) episode A Somewhere Voice ... Jim
• Death Valley Days
  Death Valley Days
  Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
  
  (1956) episode The Sinbuster
• Frontier (1956) episode The Well ... Jim

Personal life

He was married to Ruthie Kelly, who is now retired and lives in The Villages of Central Florida. They had three sons, Michael David Kelly (who had three children: Elizabeth, Alexander and Ruby); Brent Robert Kelly (who had three children: Lori, Nicholas and Elissa); and Raymond Joseph Kelly (who had three children Heather (now married to Michael Weathers), Carissa (now married to Frank Jenkins. The Jenkins have two children Daysia and Jaylen.) and daughter Maria. Unfortunately, he died of stomach cancer shortly after "The Hostage" was released and just prior to leaving on a national tour promoting the film.

External links