Born 1923 as Ann Steely in Siluria, Alabama, American actress Cathy O’Donnell appeared on stage in Boston in Life with Father in 1944. She made her film debut as an uncredited extra in Wonder Man (1945). Her first major film role was in 1946’s The Best Years of Our Lives, playing Wilma Cameron, the high-school sweetheart of Navy veteran Homer Parrish. Homer was played by real-life World War II veteran and double amputee Harold Russell.
O’Donnell was loaned to RKO for They Live by Night (1948). Farley Granger played her love interest. The film is on The Guardian’s list of the top 10 noir films. The two actors appeared together again in Side Street (1950). Later she starred in The Miniver Story (also 1950) as Judy Miniver. She had a large supporting role in Detective Story (1951) with Kirk Douglas. She appeared as Barbara Waggoman, the love interest of James Stewart’s character in the western The Man from Laramie (1955). Her final film role was in Ben-Hur (1959) playing the part of Tirzah, the sister to Judah Ben-Hur.
In the 1960s, O’Donnell appeared in TV shows such as Perry Mason, The Rebel and Man Without a Gun. Her last screen appearance was in 1964 in an episode of Bonanza.
She died in 1970 after a long battle with cancer, aged 46. Take a look at these beautiful photos to see portraits of young Cathy O’Donnell in the 1940s.
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