Margaret O’Brien

Among Hollywood’s child stars are some talented children, normal and pleasant who find fame in film. Margaret O’Brien is one; her career began in 1941. The fresh-faced moppet quickly became a sensation and won the 1944 Academy Award for Outstanding Child Actress. As Adele in Jane Eyre (1944) and Beth in Little Women (1949), Margaret endeared herself to millions. Despite the strain of growing up on screen, O’Brien continues to perform today.
This reference work details O’Brien’s remarkable and varied career on stage, screen, and television: it includes a biography and a complete listing of all her film, radio, stage, and television appearances, as well as references to her in magazines and newspapers. Each entry includes complete production information, as well as reviews and behind-the-scenes commentary. Included are forewords by Robert Young and O’Brien herself, who provided much of the information in this book. Dozens of photos, including many from O’Brien’s personal collection, illustrate the text and show the varied stages of a career that includes both famous roles and famous friendships.

Allan R. Ellenberger, the author of numerous books about the cinema, has written for such publications as Classic Images and Films of the Golden Age. He lives in Hollywood, California.

Allan R. Ellenberger
Forewords by Robert Young  and Margaret O’Brien
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 253
Bibliographic Info: 90 photos, references, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2004 [2000]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2155-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0401-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix
Foreword by Robert Young      xi
Foreword by Margaret O’Brien      xiii
Introduction      1
Margaret O’Brien—Her Journey      5

The Films
Babes on Broadway (1941)      48
Journey for Margaret (1942)      51
Dr. Gillespie’s Criminal Case (1943)      57
Thousands Cheer (1943)      63
Madame Curie (1943)      67
You, John Jones (1943)      70
Lost Angel (1944)      73
Jane Eyre (1944)      80
The Canterville Ghost (1944)      85
Music for Millions (1944)      91
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)      97
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)      108
Victory in Europe (1945)      114
Bad Bascomb (1946)      115
Three Wise Fools (1946)      121
The Unfinished Dance (1947)      127
Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)      134
Big City (1948)      140
Little Women (1949)      146
The Secret Garden (1949)      153
Her First Romance (1951)      158
Girls Hand in Hand (1953)      163
Glory (1956)      167
Heller in Pink Tights (1960)      173
Diabolic Wedding (1972)      177
Annabelle Lee (1972)      179
Amy (1981)      180
Sunset After Dark (1996)      182
Hollywood Mortuary (1999)      187

Radio      191
Theater      195
Television      199
Magazine References      209
Newspaper References      211

End Notes      215
Bibliography      223
Index      227

• “The detailed entries on each production provide complete cast and technical credits”—Classic Images
• “A complete career chronology…[will] keep her fans enraptured”—Film Review
• “Liberally sprinkled with black-and-white photographs”—Reference Reviews