Melody for Two
1937 | Warner Bros
Donald does a specialty number with one of his brothers in this all but forgotten film, starring James Melton, a tenor, playing Tod Weaver an unhappy band leader who goes into Radio. I'm afraid we can't even guess where Donald might have come into it, only that this seems to have been more in the way of an audition than an actual role. This was broadcast on television just a couple of years ago, but if Donald was in it, he was edited out in the version I saw.

Tom Sawyer, Detective
1938 | Paramount
Donald plays Huckleberry Finn. Tom and Huck play detective trying to clear a preacher of murder.

Has never been been released on video, but it has been shown on television.

Variety review

Boy Trouble
1939 | Paramount
Mr. and Mrs. Fitch adopt two orphan boys, Joe and Butch (Donald O'Connor). Only Mr. Fitch is not in favor of the move, and tells his wife to send them back. Butch runs away and Joe gets sick, and Mr. Fitch loses his job. This we conclude, is not a comedy.

Variety review

Unmarried
1939 | Paramount
A retired fighter and an unemployed night club hostess move into his dead manager's house. (Sounds a little dicey, but there must have been an explanation.) Donald plays Ted Streaver the dead manager's son, who is taken in by the unlikely couple. Ted Streaver grows up to be John Hartley.

It's interesting to note that for his appearance at Cinecon 33, Donald asked that this film be shown.

Variety review

Million Dollar Legs
1939 | Paramount
Though Donald plays, "Sticky Boone", we have no idea how he fits into the plot, which involves a college rowing team raising money for oars by betting on a racehorse. Also stars Betty Grable.

Variety review

Beau Geste
1939 | Paramount | Beau (age 12)
This is the earliest of Donald's films that we've actually seen. Because it's a Gary Cooper film it's widely available. Donald plays the younger version of Cooper's Beau Geste. Unlike some actors that change a great deal when they reach adulthood the thirteen-year old Donald is easily recognizable. He also has a surprisingly deep voice for a child. What we get to see of the young Beau is him playing with toy ships with his brothers, (authoritarian kid), all of them expressing an interest in joining the Foreign Legion one day, and a game of Arthurian Knights which leads young Beau to overhear his gaurdian's plans. The rest of the movie is pretty good, since the classic story can withstand Gary Cooper's low-key idea of acting.

Beau Geste is available on VHS used from Amazon.com.

Night Work
1939 | Paramount
This may not be a sequel to "Boy Trouble" exactly, but it's all the same actors with all the same character names. Here the Fitchs want to adopt Butch Smiley (Donald), but must overcome his grandfather's objections. Unlike "Boy Troubles" melodrama, this is a comedy.

Death of a Champion
1939 | Paramount
Can't say they didn't have some interesting concepts. A show dog is murdered, and a psychic Encyclopedia salesman, assisted by "Small Fry", played by Donald O'Connor, investigates the death.

What's Cookin'
1942 | Universal
From what we can tell, Donald's role as Tommy, is probably limited to dancing with the Jivin' Jack's and Jills, and maybe a few lines. The story line has something to do with young people breaking into radio entertainment. Also features the Andrews Sisters. Gloria Jean, who would be in quite a few of Donald's movies, sings I'll Pray for you.

Private Buckaroo
1942 | Universal
This war time musical features the Andrews Sisters, and has an appearance by stooge Shemp Howard. Donald is "Donny" a young (under-aged) G.I., who has a few lines, which are more than the other members of the "Jivin' Jacks and Jills" get. This studio dance troupe, which Donald was a member of, does seem to push Donald into the background during their exhibition at the end of the film. He and his dance partner in this, Peggy Ryan, went on to do their own pictures, as well as more with the Jacks and Jills. The story of a Big Band joining the army and the snarky attitude of it's lead singer is quite dated and tolerable only if you have a high cheese threshold.

You can order Private Buckaroo on DVD or VHS from Amazon.com

When Johnny Comes Marching Home
1942 | Universal
Again, we're not sure exactly what Donald does in this film, but he plays Frankie. The plot involves Johnny Kovacks (Allan Jones) marching home from the war, straight into a musical.

It Comes Up Love
1943 | Universal
Donald is the Juvenile love interest, Ricky. The main story focuses on Ian Hunter as Tom Peabody. Something about his secretary. Ricky romances the eldest Peabody daughter, played by Gloria Jean.

Mister Big
1943 | Universal
This looks to be another backyard Musical, where the kids get together to put on a show. Donald plays Donald and most everyone else also uses their own first name as their character name. The plot is about a group of drama students trying to prove that their hep music is worthwhile. For more on this film check out our quotes from Elinor Donahue (who appeared in the movie as "Muggsy") in the In Print section.

This Is the Life
1944 | Universal
Donald plays Jimmy Plum, a performer/soldier (descriptions vary) who falls for a girl who is in love with an older man. Jimmy solves the problem by making sure the other man gets back together with his ex-wife. Lots of songs.

Bowery to Broadway
1944 | Universal
Peggy Ryan and Donald do a specialty dance in this. We believe the song was called, "Taking a Sleigh Ride in the Good Old Summertime". Story centers around Jack Oakie, playing a vaudeville show producer involved in a partnership rivalry with another producer.

Follow the Boys
1944 | Universal
This is one of those all-star war time Pictures, where the studio puts in everyone who happens to be on the lot at the time. The thin plot is an ex-vadevillian making it big in Hollywood and organizing entertainment for the troops during World War II. Donald appears as himself with Peggy Ryan. In their first scene they're in the audience of actors volunteering to entertain the boys. Later they come in "between pictures" to be assigned to a show. Then finally the show itself, where they do a song and dance number. Even if these two weren't in it (and perfectly adorable), we recommend it for the Orson Welles/Marlene Dietrich magic act.

Follow the Boys is available on VHS from Movies Unlimted.

Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
1948 | Universal | Wilbur McMurty
Donald plays Wilbur McMurty, a traveling salesman who visits a backwoods town and is drafted to participate in a foot race with a rival town. Donald has two numbers "S'posin" and "Me and my Shadow".
Not on Video.

Yes Sir That's My Baby
1949 | Universal
A "coming out of the military" and "college campus" musical comedy. Donald is William Waldo Winfield, a returning GI, who goes back to college with his wife, (played by Gloria DeHaven). Then there's some stuff about child care and football. Donald sings, "They'll Never Figure out a Woman", and with DeHaven sings "All Look at Me" and the title song,"Yes, Sir That's My Baby." It is not available on video.

The Milkman
1950 | Universal
Donald plays "Roger Bradley" in this charming musical. Roger wants to work in his father's Milk business, but his father feels he's not emotionally stable enough. It seems that due to combat fatigue Roger quacks under pressure. Determined to prove himself Roger goes to work for a rival milk company. He teams up with fellow milkman, Jimmy Durante. Roger also has a romance with the boss' daughter, Piper Laurie (also in "Francis Goes to the Races"). Donald's number's inlcude: "The Early Morning Song", "It's Bigger than Both of Us", and "That's My Boy," (w/Jimmy Durante).

Francis Goes to the Races
1951 | Universal
This second entry in the Francis series finds Francis and Peter on the road and unemployed. Francis finds himself a job keeping his cousin the racehorse company. He advises Peter, who is enamoured of the thoroughbred's lovely young owner, to make some money by placing some bets at the track. With Francis' inside information Pete wins big and has the gamblers, the girl and the law wondering how he did it. Peter does one of his few musical turns in this as he sings a duet of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" with Francis.

No longer available from Amazon.com . You can sometimes pick it up used on eBay.

Take our Francis Pop Quiz

This comic and acrobatic display never fails to elicit gasps of amazment, even if we have seen him flip off those walls a hundred times. Aside from the dancing it's also interesting to see him play Cosmo Brown, an older character than Donald usually plays, coming in the middle of the Francis movies as this film does. Donald has no problem inserting the necessary cynicism into lines that were written with Oscar Levant originally in mind. It's widely available on Video, DVD, Laserdisc etc.

To Order from Amazon.com

Singin' in the Rain Posters and Lobby Cards, and play our new Singin' in the Rain Drinking Game

Now available from Amazon.com

Singin' in the Rain (Classic Collection Box Set)

Walking My Baby Back Home
1953 | Universal
What we know about the plot is that Donald plays Jigger Millard, an ex-GI trying to start various musical ventures that go nowhere until he thinks of combining Dixieland and Classical Music. Donald sings the title song, "Walking My Baby Back Home". Oh, and Janet Leigh, of Psycho fame, co-stars. Not available on video, and haven't heard of a TV showing lately.

Francis Joins the WACS
1954 | Universal
One of our favorite in the Francis series. In an unlikely computer error, involving quaint punch cards, Peter is mistakenly assigned to the Women's Army Corps. The still amazingly naive Peter is ill-equipped to take advantage of the situation. With Francis' help he manages to endear himself to the troops, but his commanding officer believes he's been planted in an effort to sabotage their camouflage exercise. Of course, "Francis" movies aren't musicals, but one of our favorite bits in this is when Peter and Bunky (Mamie Van Doren) impersonate hillbillies and sing a snippet of "She'll be coming around the Mountain".

You can order this video from Movies Unlimited.

Take our Francis Pop Quiz

Second he and sister Katy (Mitzi Gaynor) do a parody of their parents vaudeville routine. Next is one of our favorite dance numbers "A Man Chases a Girl", in which the statues come alive to dance with him. We've just about wore out that section of the tape. Last is an inexplicable little number with him, Mitzi and Marilyn. They dance, Marilyn sings and we wonder what kind of weird show they're putting on.

Available on VHS and DVD at Amazon.com Word of warning the VHS version isn't letter-boxed and this movie really requires it. Television showings somtimes have it in that format, as do the DVD and the laserdisc.

Buy now from Amazon.com

Francis in the Navy
1955 | Universal
Donald's last Francis movie. Francis and Peter are unwillingly inducted into the Navy; Francis because he's been sold as surplus and Peter because he's been mistaken for navy man "Slicker" Donevan, whom Donald also portrays. This sixth film can't help being a little repetitive, but it has it's amusing moments. Chief among them is Peter's now weary responses to the usual psychiatric examination. This film is also notable for the guest appearances of Martin Milner, David Janssen and Clint Eastwood.

Available from Amazon but only as a double feature with Francis Goes to West Point. It's available as a single from Movies Unlimited.

Take our Francis Pop Quiz

Anything Goes
1956 | Paramount
In Donald's second movie with Bing Crosby (look way back to 1938 for the first), he plays Ted Adams, a TV song and dance man, who teams up with singer Bill Benson (Bing) to put on a musical. They sail to Europe and both come back in the same boat. That is they've both hired a female lead for their show when they only need one. Some good Cole Porter tunes in this, but that's the only resemblance to anything else called "Anything Goes". Donald's numbers are Ya Gotta Give the People Hoke , You're the Top, I't's De-Lovely, You Can Bounce Right Back, A Second Hand Turban and a Crystal Ball,and the finale, Blow Gabriel Blow.

The Buster Keaton Story
1957 | Paramount
Universally considered a very bad biopic. Mostly this is because the story had very little to do with any actual events in Buster Keaton's life. Though Donald is generally accused of being miscast as Keaton, we think it's more likely that the writing fell short rather than his performance. We taped this off televsion some time ago. (Because Peter Lorre was in it, putting in one of his worst performances.) We then promptly lost it.