"I want to report a murder...""Who was murdered?"
"I was."
With these words began D.O.A. (1949) in which Edmond O'Brien played a man investigating his own murder. For me, few others encapsulated the confusion of the ordinary Joe in post-war western society better than O'Brien in a run of classic films.
After a brilliant stage career, O'Brien went to Hollywood for a key role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), but it was not until he appeared in Robert Siodmak's The Killers (1946) that he began to carve a niche as one of the foremost interpreters of film noir. He went on to have a successful career on film, television and radio, winning a much deserved Oscar for his portrayal of the sycophantic press agent in The Barefoot Contessa. At long last there is a biography about him, written by yours truly which I hope is a fitting tribute to this unique actor.
Edmond O'Brien: Everyman of Film Noir is published by McFarland & Co, Inc. See link below:
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/edmond-obrien/
