(From Old Corral image collection)

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 with 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). 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 circa 1943 in westerns with the Three Mesquiteers and Texas Rangers.

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/

The Internet Broadway Database has Nell O'Day in several plays: http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=54845

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

(Courtesy of Bob Tomko) Above - Johnny Mack Brown and Nell O'Day take a break during their Universal westerns of the early 1940s. An expert rider, O'Day was Brown's helper in thirteen of his Universal oaters. (From Old Corral image collection) Above - the title lobby card from THE MASKED RIDER (Universal, 1941) which starred Johnny Mack Brown and Fuzzy Knight as his sidekick. Note the "and NELL O'DAY" billing. Nell and Fuzzy are pictured in the lower left corner. (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, in the title lobby card for 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). (From Old Corral image collection) Above is a duotone B&W title lobby card from the 1950 re-release of THUNDERING TRAILS (Republic, 1943). From left to right are Tom Tyler, Jimmie Dodd, and Bob Steele. Nell O'Day is shown in the top right photo inset. (From Old Corral image collection) Above is another duotone B&W lobby card from the 1950 re-release of THUNDERING TRAILS (Republic, 1943). From left to right are Jimmie Dodd, Bob Steele, Nell O'Day, Forrest Taylor and Tom Tyler. Below is a crop/blowup showing Nell O'Day and Forrest Taylor. (From Old Corral image collection) Above - Texas Rangers member Jim Newill serenades pretty Nell O'Day in THE RETURN OF THE RANGERS (PRC, 1943).