John O'Malley (actor)

John Patrick O'Malley (November 2, 1916 - August 26, 1959) was an Australian actor who moved to Hollywood and had a career there. He is best known for playing the father in Sons of Matthew.[1]

O'Malley was a journalist who started acting on stage and radio in 1940.[2] He was a commando on Timor during the war.[3]

After the war he became a leading radio actor and was cast in Sons of Matthew. In late 1948 O'Malley was part of a move to ban communists from Actors Equity.[4][5]

In 1949 O'Malley was going to move to England after Sons of Matthew but was admitted to the US and decided to move there instead.[6][7]

In Hollywood O'Malley worked on stage, television and film.[8] He played Australians in productions like The Firing Squad and The Desert Rats.[9][10]

He is not to be confused with John O'Malley, a former Australian heavyweight champion who worked as a stand in on several movies.[11][12]

Select credits

  • This is Murder Mr Jones (1948) (radio)[13]
  • Sons of Matthew (1949) (film)
  • The Firing Squad (1951) (TV play)
  • The Desert Rats (1953) (film)

References

  1. ^ "ACTOR MEETS GIRLS". Daily Mirror. No. 1771. New South Wales, Australia. 30 January 1947. p. 6 (Late Final Extra 3). Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "SUPPORT FOR AUDIENCE SHOWS". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 11 May 1940. p. 9. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ John O'Malley war service
  4. ^ "Actors Ban 'Subversive' Members". The Daily News. Vol. LXVI, no. 22, 995. Western Australia. 22 December 1948. p. 8 (HOME). Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Actors' Trade Union Bans Sedition". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 34, 634. New South Wales, Australia. 22 December 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Thomas, Bob (13 December 1949). "John O'Malley Australian actor". The Albert Lea Tribune. p. 6.
  7. ^ "Hollywood is not what it was, actress finds". The Sun News-pictorial. No. 9691. Victoria, Australia. 16 October 1953. p. 16. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Wilde play". Valley Times. 22 June 1951. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Australian actors". The Morning Call. 1 October 1955. p. 15.
  10. ^ "Tobruk Rats in big battle film". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 20, no. 38. Australia, Australia. 18 February 1953. p. 24. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "THESE FILM STARS HAVE FOUGHT THEIR WAY TO THE TOP". Whyalla News. Vol. 11, no. 4. South Australia. 26 January 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "SYDNEY ACTOR-SINGER 'HOPPING MAD' AFTER CLASH WITH DUSKY FIJIANS". Daily Mirror. No. 3577. New South Wales, Australia. 19 November 1952. p. 2 (Late Final Extra 2). Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ Australian Broadcasting Commission. (22 May 1948), "Ex-R.A.A.F. PILOT PLAYS PILOT!", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, nla.obj-1314028317, retrieved 11 October 2025 – via Trove
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