Dennis O'Keefe
An image from Raw Deal, one of the productions that also features Dennis O'Keefe.
Dennis O'Keefe

Dennis O'Keefe

March 29, 1908 — Fort Madison, Iowa, USA

Dennis O'Keefe (March 29, 1908 – August 31, 1968) was an American actor. He was the son of Irish vaudevillians working in the United States. As a small child he joined his parents' act and later wrote skits for the stage.

O'Keefe started in films as an extra in the early 1930s. After a small but impressive role in Saratoga, Clark Gable recommended O'Keefe to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which signed him to a contract in 1937. His film roles were bigger after that, starting with The Bad Man of Brimstone and Burn 'Em Up O'Connor.

O'Keefe left MGM around 1940 but continued to work in mostly lower budget productions. In the 1950s he did some directing, wrote mystery stories and by the mid-1950s found work on television shows such as Justice, The Martha Raye Show, The Ford Show as well as his own series The Dennis O'Keefe Show.

Top Hat

Top Hat

1935

Hangmen Also Die!

Hangmen Also Die!

1943

The Leopard Man

The Leopard Man

1943

Raw Deal

Raw Deal

1948

Woman on the Run

Woman on the Run

1950

T-Men

T-Men

1947

Topper Returns

Topper Returns

1941

The Fighting Seabees

The Fighting Seabees

1944