Denis O'Dea

Biography

Denis O'Dea (26 April 1905 – 5 November 1978) was an Irish stage and film actor.

He was born in Dublin and attended Synge Street CBS. When very young he and his mother Kathleen (from County Kerry) moved in with her sister, who kept a boarding house at 54 South Richmond Street. He worked in insurance until taking up acting. O'Dea was a leading member of Dublin's Abbey Theatre where he had a great acting career from 1929 to 1953; a list of his performances can be found in the Abbey archives. He also appeared in numerous plays by Irish playwright Teresa Deevy, some of which toured New York and England. His work led to a number of notable film roles, including two mid-1930s John Ford films, The Informer and The Plough and the Stars (1936), and the part of the police inspector in pursuit of IRA man James Mason in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out (1947).

Known for

HD

Cradle of Genius

1960 ⭐ 10.0

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Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1959 ⭐ 6.7

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I Captured the King of the Leprechauns

1959 ⭐ 9.0

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The Story of Esther Costello

1957 ⭐ 7.0

Career timeline

1960

Esther and the King

Mordecai · 1960

⭐ 5.3

Cradle of Genius Notable

Self · 1960

⭐ 10.0

1959

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Father Murphy · 1959

⭐ 6.7

I Captured the King of the Leprechauns Notable

Father Murphy · 1959

⭐ 9.0

1957

The Story of Esther Costello Notable

Father Devlin · 1957

⭐ 7.0

The Rising of the Moon

Police Sergeant Tom O'Hara (se · 1957

⭐ 6.8

1955

Captain Lightfoot

Regis Donnell · 1955

⭐ 6.4

1953

Mogambo

Father Josef · 1953

⭐ 6.4

Sea Devils

Lethierry · 1953

⭐ 5.9

1952

Niagara

Inspector Starkey · 1952

⭐ 6.8

1951

Never Take No for an Answer

Father Damico · 1951

⭐ 6.3

Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.

RAdm. Sir Rodney Leighton · 1951

⭐ 6.9

The Long Dark Hall

Sir Charles Morton · 1951

⭐ 6.7

1950

Treasure Island

Dr. Livesy · 1950

⭐ 6.6

1949

Landfall Notable

Captain Burnaby · 1949

⭐ 7.6

Under Capricorn

Mr. Corrigan · 1949

⭐ 6.0

Marry Me

George Saunders · 1949

⭐ 5.8

1948

The Fallen Idol Notable

Inspector Crowe · 1948

⭐ 7.2

1947

The Mark of Cain

Sir William Godgrey · 1947

⭐ 6.2

Odd Man Out Notable

Inspector · 1947

⭐ 7.3

1936

The Plough and the Stars

The Covey · 1936

⭐ 5.7

Beloved Enemy

Sean's I.R.A. Friend (Uncredit · 1936

⭐ 6.3

1935

The Informer

Street Singer · 1935

⭐ 6.8

Guests of The Nation

1935

⭐ 5.0

Frequently appears with

Eileen Crowe

Self

Barry Fitzgerald

Self

Siobhán McKenna

Self

Albert Sharpe

Darby O'Gill

Janet Munro

Katie O'Gill

Sean Connery

Michael MacBride

Jimmy O'Dea

King Brian

Kieron Moore

Pony Sugrue

Full filmography

HD

Esther and the King

1960 ⭐ 5.3

HD

Cradle of Genius

1960 ⭐ 10.0

HD

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1959 ⭐ 6.7

HD

I Captured the King of the Leprechauns

1959 ⭐ 9.0

HD

The Story of Esther Costello

1957 ⭐ 7.0

HD

The Rising of the Moon

1957 ⭐ 6.8

HD

Captain Lightfoot

1955 ⭐ 6.4

HD

Mogambo

1953 ⭐ 6.4

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Sea Devils

1953 ⭐ 5.9

HD

Niagara

1952 ⭐ 6.8

HD

Never Take No for an Answer

1951 ⭐ 6.3

HD

Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.

1951 ⭐ 6.9

HD

The Long Dark Hall

1951 ⭐ 6.7

HD

Treasure Island

1950 ⭐ 6.6

HD

Landfall

1949 ⭐ 7.6

HD

Under Capricorn

1949 ⭐ 6.0

HD

Marry Me

1949 ⭐ 5.8

HD

The Fallen Idol

1948 ⭐ 7.2

HD

The Mark of Cain

1947 ⭐ 6.2

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Odd Man Out

1947 ⭐ 7.3