Molly O’Day — A Blossom from the Old Sod (1927) 🇺🇸
There’s a new leading lady in pictures. A blossom from the Old Sod.
by Media Mistley
“When Irish eyes are smiling — All the world seems bright and gay —”
And when Molly O’Day smiles, your own heart skips a beat and you look into a pair of hazel eyes, fringed with long dark lashes and reflect that if Ireland never produced anything but lovely women it would merit a place in the sun.
Of course Molly wasn’t born in Ireland; but she is a direct descendant of the Celtic race and her mother was a singer with a remarkable voice. She surrendered a five year contract with Metropolitan Opera in New York to marry and become the mother of ten children — six boys and four girls. Which gives to the world little Molly O’Day with a saucy face that just invites — well, admiration. Full red lips, a rounded throat, wavy dark hair, and teeth like the proverbial pearls and you get a mental picture of the sort of girls that spring from the royal line of Kings in the Emerald Isle.
I met Molly at the First National Studio during Christmas week, just after she had signed a long term contract and had received her first rôle — leading woman with Richard Barthelmess in his starring picture, The Patent Leather Kid. Isn’t that the luck of the Irish with a vengeance!
No wonder that Molly O’Day was almost speechless at first; but when she had regained her wind, she became voluble enough and told me in a breath all that I have been writing about her mother and her new engagement.
“I never had any screen or stage experience,” she said, “but one day my brother suggested that I accompany him to the Hal Roach studio. Right away they gave me a job! I worked in twenty comedies — one and two reelers — with Clyde Cook, Charlie Chase [Charley Chase], Jimmie Finlayson [James Finlayson], Glenn Tryon and others. I never had a test made and it seemed to be all right. But I am so happy now that I can’t hold myself in. At the time of the Roach contract, I supposed it was just that they wanted someone of my type, who had a saucy face and an Irish look. Maybe there was some other reason — at least they never complained about my acting. This time there were a lot of tests made and they all seemed to agree that I was the type for Mr. Barthelmess’ picture. You see, I’m an Irish girl in the picture and he is a prize fighter and he sort of takes me by storm. It’s perfectly wonderful.”
Molly’s father was a Judge of the Supreme Court in Bayonne, N. J., where she was born — and Molly went to school at the Notre Dame Convent on Staten Island. Three years ago the family came West and settled in Los Angeles. Her sister got into pictures and Molly followed. Her brothers are all athletes. One, Jerry, was full-back on the Notre Dame team four years ago and another, George, was invited to play with the American Ice Hockey team at the latest Olympic Games. So Molly herself come naturally by her love of outdoor sports and excels as a swimmer, at running, hiking, and the like. Also she is an accomplished dancer and is up-to-the-minute on all the new dances such as the Charleston, Black Bottom and similar terpsichorean revels.
“My great ambition,” declared Molly, with one of her flashing smiles that sent dimples chasing one another up and down her peach-blossom cheeks, “is to go to Ireland.”
Anyhow — Kitty is just another evidence that the Irish have a lot to be grateful for and that the world owes a lot to the Irish. They’ve brought sunshine into the world since first they became a distinct race of people and if they’ve been a bit given to scrapping — at least they have no malice in their hearts.
And their women — well, see Molly O’Day some time and you’ll know what I mean!
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Molly in her pretty dress which she wears in The Patent Leather Kid with Richard Barthelmess.
Molly O’Day and her sister Sally O’Neil, who have proved the rule, “big family, big hearts”.
Collection: Screenland Magazine, July 1927