Nell O'Day - Cowboy Heroine

Above, Johnny Mack Brown and Nell O'Day take a break during their Universal westerns of the early 1940s

Nell O'Day

1909 - 1989

Best remembered as the hard riding heroine to Johnny Mack Brown during his Universal series of the early 1940s, Nell O'Day also worked at Republic in the Three Mesquiteers, at PRC in the Texas Rangers series, at Monogram with the Range Busters, and with Tim Holt at RKO.

O'Day was born in Prairie Hill, Texas, but the family moved to California and her first film role occurred in the mid 1920s. As a teen and into her early twenties, Nell toured with several musical variety shows and did some plays. She was under contract with both Fox (early 1930s) and Warners (early 1940s), and in between, she worked in Broadway plays. She then signed on with Universal where she did the Johnny Mack Brown series as well as THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET (Universal, 1942). O'Day even played the female lead in the cliffhanger PERILS OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED (Columbia, 1942). She continued to work in low budget westerns at various production companies and her Hollywood career ended about 1943.

O'Day wrote screenplays and stage plays and she lived in Europe. There were a couple of marriages and divorces. And in the 1950s, Nell even did some industrial films (information and instructional films for companies).

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Nell O'Day: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0640605/

Stephen Potter's website on 'Universal's Leading Ladies of the Golden Age of Horror' has a lot of info and photos on Nell O'Day: http://universalqueens.org/oday.aspx

(From Old Corral image collection)

Above, John "Dusty" King, a six gun in his right hand and his left arm around pretty Nell O'Day, from ARIZONA STAGECOACH (1942), one of Monogram's Range Busters film.

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above, from L-to-R are Max Terhune, Ray Corrigan, Nell O'Day and John King from ARIZONA STAGECOACH (1942). Terhune's alter ego "Elmer" is relaxing in the chair.

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above, from L-to-R are Max Terhune, Nell O'Day, Riley Hill, Ray Corrigan and John King in another scene from ARIZONA STAGECOACH (1942).

Above is a duotone lobby card from THUNDERING TRAILS (1943), one of the later Three Mesquiteers' adventures.