Famous Dancers
                                      Donald O'Connor/Peggy Ryan

                    

      Born August 28th 1925, in Chicago, Donald O'Connor married Gwendolyn Carter and had one daughter with Gwendolyn. Re-married to Gloria Noble and with Gloria had one daughter and two sons.
     Donald O'Connor came from a Circus Family that graduated into vaudeville. The name of the act was the O'Connor Family. Donald was already on stage and a Famous Dancer by the tender age of "3" Days Old. Donald's mother played piano in the act and Donald was placed on the bench beside her. Donald has been on the stage ever since. Donald's first dancing experience, as far as he understands was at thirteen months old. He couldn't actually dance, but they held him up by the back of his shirt and he moved his feet like crazy. The original act consisted of his mother, father, sister, two brothers and Donald.
      Singing and dancing became second nature to Donald. He would pick steps up on street corners and drug stores and put them into the act. The popular dances then were the Black Bottom and the Shim Sham, which is still being taught and performed today.

                                                                            Peggy Ryan

Peggy Ryan

      A seasoned professional and again a Famous Dancer by age twelve, Donald starred in movies and became a successful teenage heart throb in "Patrick the Great." Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan's first A-List picture was with Jack Oakie, a vaudevillian veteran and hoofer. (Tap Dancer) 
       A talent scout saw Donald and sent him to make a picture called "What's Cookin," with the Famous Dancer Peggy Ryan, Gloria Jean and the Jivin' Jacks and Jills. Donald had Charisma and the studio kept pushing him to the front, while fellow dancers pushed him to the back for not knowing the routines. So Donald went to Johnny Boyle to learn how to dance. Donald drove him crazy and eventually Johnny sent Donald a letter saying he was                
unteachable.  Preparing for the movie "Singing in the Rain" with Gene Kelly, another Famous Dancer, Donald was driving home and found himself thinking about the routines they had worked on in rehearsal. Donald, wanting to look like Gene Kelly thought, "Oh my, which way does he turn?" I only turn left. That's what drove my teacher Johnny Boyle so crazy.
The next day, as soon as he saw Gene he asked him, "Say, which way do you turn?" and Gene replied, "Oh I don't know, which way do you turn?" Donald said, "To the left!"- "Thank-God," Gene said,

"So do I." 

BackStage Dunes Hotel Las Vegas Scott and Donald O'Connor
1980

Hilton Hotel Las Vegas 93'

     "I knew the harder I worked, the more laughs and more applause I got. No one had to teach me that. I could hear it. That was my thing. That's what I was there for. And I really lived to do just that." 

                                                                     

Meeting the Famous Dancer Donald O'Connor and eventually getting to be in Donalds show, Tap Dancing right beside him was a great thrill for me..! You see when I first started dancing at age 9, people asked if I was Fred Astaire and my reply was, "NO" I'm Donald O'Connor..!  Dancingly Mr.Shuffles 5-6-7-8

Tracy, Blaine, Donald O', Scott