Don O'Kelly ( Donald Patrick Kelly; March 17, 1924 – October 2, 1966) was an American actor prominent in the 1950s and 1960s mostly on television. Though credited as "Don Kelly" in earlier performances, his billing was changed to "Don O'Kelly" in 1960.

Background

Donald Patrick Kelly was born in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York to Robert Kelly, an Irish-American father (Robert J. Kelly) and Norwegian-American mother (Rachel Marie Knudsen). Kelly enlisted in the United States Navy on June 17, 1941 just prior to World War II and saw active duty aboard the USS Stanton and USS Palmer. He saw convoy duty at San Juan, Puerto Rico, Iceland, England, Scotland, North Africa, and Italy. He served four years, three months, and 17 days of active duty. Kelly received an honorable discharge after the war and upon separation joined his cousin's ice skating show. O'Kelly used his GI Bill of Rights to study acting with the Strasberg company in Hollywood, California.

Career

Don O'Kelly began his career starring in Tank Battalion with Marjorie Hellen (later Leslie Parrish). O'Kelly was a familiar face to series television fans during the 1950s and 1960s. His last starring role was in The Hostage, made in 1966 and released in 1967, for which he received very favorable reviews.

TV and film credits