Nell O'Day

Nell O'Day is remembered by western film fans as the spunky and hard riding heroine to Johnny Mack Brown during his early 1940s westerns for Universal.

She was born in Prairie Hill, Limestone County, Texas in 1909 to Edward E. Roach and Mildred Livonia McClellan.

At the time of the 1910 census, newborn daughter "Nellie" and her family were living in a hotel or boarding house in Justice Precinct 2, Trinity County, Texas. A few years later, the family moved to California and she attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles (other notable Fairfax students who wound up in movies include Carole Lombard and Sally Eilers).

In the late 1920s, Nell Roach had become "Nell O'Day" and toured with a singing and dancing act featuring herself and the Tommy Atkins Sextet. Newspapers as well as Variety and other trade publications have them playing Chicago, New York, Omaha, St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut, many other locales. Nell and the sextet were among the novelty acts included in the musical extravaganza KING OF JAZZ (Universal, 1930) which featured Paul Whiteman and his orchestra.

The 1930s had to be a busy and chaotic period for Nell who alternated between east coast stage plays and west coast movie jobs. Circa 1930-1931, she had a principal role in the play "Fine and Dandy" which enjoyed a lengthy run in New York City and starred Joe Cook and featured tap dancer Eleanor Powell. She was under (brief) contracts with Fox (early 1930s) and Warners (mid 1930s). While a Fox contractee, Nell did her first western, the George O'Brien SMOKE LIGHTNING (Fox, 1933). She was with Educational Pictures for a few Harry Langdon comedy shorts released in 1933. She was also with Shemp Howard in the Warners Vitaphone short SERVES YOU RIGHT (Warners, 1935). And we can't forget the dreadful Poverty Row exploitation / morality film THE ROAD TO RUIN (Willis Kent, 1934) with blonde Nell billed second after star Helen Foster.

She was under contract at Universal from about mid 1940 through early 1942. During that period, she appeared in thirteen Johnny Mack Brown westerns, billed third behind JMB and sidekick Fuzzy Knight. While Knight and some musical groups provided most of the tunes in these oaters, Nell did sing in a few. A listing of Nell's Johnny Mack Brown oaters is further down on this webpage. And since she was picking up a regular paycheck from Universal, they used her in some non-westerns - examples: she was the sister of exotic Maria Montez in THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET (Universal, 1942) and had a minor, unbilled role in the W. C. Fields NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK (Universal, 1941).

A change in the formula of the Brown westerns occurred in late 1941 - early 1942. Tex Ritter came on board to assist JMB. Fuzzy Knight remained. But Nell O'Day was out. Taking over the heroine / leading lady duties in the Brown/Ritter series was Jennifer Holt, Tim Holt's sister.

Nell hit the trail and free lanced. She had the female lead in the cliffhanger PERILS OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED (Columbia, 1942) which starred Robert Stevens (Robert Kellard). And there were a few B westerns with Tim Holt at RKO, Republic's Three Mesquiteers, and Monogram's Range Busters. Her movie career ended with two of the Texas Rangers trio westerns at Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) which were released in late 1943.

O'Day went back to New York, employed in the cast of the Broadway comedy "Many Happy Returns". The star was Hollywood leading lady Mary Astor who was making her New York stage debut. The play was a colossal flop, opening on January 5, 1945 and closing on January 6, 1945.

She then changed her career, concentrating on writing screenplays, TV scripts and stage plays. And in the 1950s, she did some industrial films (information and instructional films for companies).

She was married twice, and both ended in divorce:

Her first was to Ted Fetter and they tied the knot on August 30, 1935 in New York City. At the time, he was acting in both films and plays. In later years, Theodore Henry Fetter became more well known as a television producer and song lyricist - his most famous tune was "Taking a Chance on Love"; TV producer credits include "Your Hit Parade" and Jack Paar; in 1956, he left CBS-TV to became Director of Programming at ABC-TV and a couple years later, was promoted to Vice President. Newspaper articles indicate they separated November 1, 1939. The April 4, 1941 issue of the Los Angeles Times newspaper reported that "Mrs. Nell Fetter, actress ... won divorce from Theodore Fetter, lyric writer", and their breakup was caused by Fetter not being supportive of Nell's movie career.

Marriage number two occurred on May 10, 1942 in Los Angeles and her hubby was actor and writer Lawrence Shapleigh Williams (Larry Williams). Over the next dozen years or so, they teamed on some plays and scripts. Larry Williams is credited with the story for the low budget THE MONSTER MAKER (PRC, 1944), and scuttlebutt is that Nell collaborated on the story development but got no credit. They were scripting TV shows into the mid 1950s and an example is the 1956 "Can You Coffeepot on Skates?" episode on the short-lived "Star Tonight" series which originated from New York over ABC. They also wrote the play "The Bride of Denmark Hill" which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1952. Unsure of when they divorced. (There was another marriage for Larry Williams - he married Margaret Spickers in Rome, Italy in June, 1956. She was a Hollywood starlet using the name 'Margaret Power', and her first husband was actor Scott McKay. Williams and Spickers settled in Westport, Connecticut, and that pairing lasted until Williams death in 1983.)

Jack O'Brian authored the syndicated "Voice of Broadway" column, and in April, 1970 newspapers, he reminisced about a "lovely principal performer in 'Fine and Dandy', one Nell O'Day" and "whatever happened to her". A few months later, he published the answer: "... pondered the disappearance of Nell O'Day from show biz ... and who cleared it up but Nell herself: She's now a Calif. writer and editor of scientific and technical textbooks plus short fiction after living in Europe several years."

Nell was a guest star at the 1981 Charlotte, North Carolina Western Film Fair and the 1984 Cinecon 20 Film Festival in Los Angeles.

She was hospitalized at Temple Community Hospital, Los Angeles due to gastrointestinal bleeding and diverticulitis. While in the hospital, she suffered a heart attack and passed away on January 5, 1989. No family members were there for Nell and her remains were cremated at the Los Angeles Crematory/Cemetery on January 13, 1989. There's more on Nell's passing further down on this webpage. I found no obituary or funeral notice in trade publications, Newspapers.com, Google's Newspaper Archive, or the Newspaper Archive.

The November 9, 1929 issue of Universal Weekly carried the above photo of Nell and the Tommy Atkins Sextet. In addition to the photo, there was an article on Universal signing them for the 1930 Paul Whiteman KING OF JAZZ film. Quote from that article:

"Miss O'Day and her act, which has been seen for the past year or so over the Publix and other circuits, now is appearing in the big houses of the Stanley Circuit in Philadelphia. The act originally came from California. It was signed by Universal through the William Morris office."

Above - Nell O'Day (as a blonde) and Helen Foster in a screen capture from the exploitation flick THE ROAD TO RUIN (Willis Kent, 1934). Nell was billed second in this.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is a pressbook ad for FIGHTING BILL FARGO (Universal, 1941), one of thirteen Johnny Mack Brown oaters which featured Nell O'Day.

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

The Internet Broadway Database has Nell O'Day in several New York plays during the years 1930-1945: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/nell-oday-54845

45 minute presentation by author Merrill McCord on Nell O'Day and his book at the 2023 MANC Convention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuplfZ1wrjo

More on Nell's first husband, songwriter and television producer Ted Fetter:

Internet Movie Database (IMDb) for Ted Fetter (1910 - 1996): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275342/
The New York Times newspaper website has the 1996 obituary on Fetter who passed away at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, New York: https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/17/nyregion/theodore-fetter-songwriter-89.html

More on Nell's second husband, actor, playwright, and novelist Lawrence Williams:

Internet Movie Database (IMDb) for Larry Williams (1913 - 1983): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931117/
The New York Times newspaper website has the 1983 obituary on Williams who passed away at his Westport, Connecticut home: https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/06/obituaries/lawrence-williams-author-was-novelist-and-playwright.html
Lawrence Williams married Margaret Spickers in Rome, Italy in June, 1956. She was a Hollywood starlet using the name 'Margaret Power', and her first husband was actor Scott McKay:
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Williams-87743
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Spickers-3
https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9C07E2DC103AF931A25751C0A9649D8B63.html
https://westportnow.com/margaret_s-_williams_91/

You can see the blonde-tressed Nell O'Day in the 65 minute long THE ROAD TO RUIN (Willis Kent, 1934). She was about 25 years old when she did this film:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9OMnsgobWE
Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/TheRoadToRuin_457

Jerry England has a website on movie locations and ranches in the Santa Susana Mountains in California (which includes Iversons, Brandeis Ranch, Bell Ranch, Corriganville, more). He has a profile on Nell and her westerns at: http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2014/05/reel-cowgirls-of-santa-susanas-nell-oday.html

Jerry Murbach's Doctor Macro website has a couple publicity stills of Nell as a blonde and brunette: https://www.doctormacro.com/Movie%20Star%20Pages/O'Day,%20Nell-Annex.htm

The New York Public Library Digital Collections has a couple photos of Nell from the Billy Rose Theatrical Collection: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-b0c3-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Several photos of Nell (one with Nell and Lash LaRue, Ted Reinhart, Peggy Stewart, and Richard 'Chito' Martin) at the 1981 Charlotte, North Carolina Western Film Fair - from the Grady Franklin Collection at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana: https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/FranklinPh/search/searchterm/O'Day%2C%20Nell/field/subjec/mode/exact/conn/and

The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), death certificate, and other sources have information on Nell O'Day:

1900 census prior to Nell's birth and her mother's marriage to E. E. Roach - 22 year old Livonie Mcclellan (born Texas; occupation "Retouching Photos") was single and living in Justice Precinct 2 (Prairie Hill and Mt. Antioch Voting Precincts), Limestone County, Texas with parents, 55 year old father J. W. Mcclellan (occupation "Farming"), 41 year old mother M. A. Mcclellan, three brothers and three sisters. The McClellan's owned their home. (Family trees and other sources have Livonie's birth name as Mildred Livonia McClellan): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3PD-86Q
1910 census - renting in Justice Precinct 2, Trinity County, Texas are 38 year old E. E. Roach (born Texas), his 32 year old wife Mildred (born Texas), 2 year old daughter Isabelle (born Texas), and newborn daughter Nellie (born Texas). The family was among many boarders at an unidentified address, and at the top of the listing of all the boarders is a W. H. Kelley, "Proprietor - Hotel". Father E. E. Roach's occupation was "Auditor - Railroad": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2Q8-KLJ
1918 - Nell's father Edward E. Roach passed away on July 15, 1918 in Los Angeles.
1920 census - renting in Los Angeles are 42 year old Mildred S. Roach (born Texas), her 12 year old daughter Isabelle A. (born Oklahoma), and 10 year old daughter Nelle M. (born Texas). Mother Mildred's occupation was "Retoucher - Studio" (photographer's studio). They were among many families living in a hotel or boarding house with an address of 756 Caro???. A check on Google Maps indicates this was 756 South Carondelet Street: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH74-FXL
1930 census - renting at 282 South Rampart Boulevard, Los Angeles are 52 year old Mildred L. Roach (born Texas), her 23 year old daughter Isabella (born Oklahoma), and 21 year old daughter Nell O Day Roach (born Texas). Mother Mildred was a "Retoucher - Photographic Studio" and Nell was "Actress - Public Theater". Nell was single and her name is shown as Nell "O'Day" Roach: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCVP-J9W
August 30, 1935 New York City marriage record (not the license) of 24 year old Theodore Henry Fetter (born New York) to 23 year old Mildred Nell Roach (born Prairie Hill, Texas). Her parents were Edw. E. and Mildred McClellan Roach: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:246M-SCR
There's two census records on Nell in 1940:
1940 census enumerated April 2, 1940 - 25 year old Nell O'Day (born Texas) was renting at 6626 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles. She completed four years of high school; was listed as married but there's a ? or line thru on the M indication; and her last residence was New York City. Occupation was "Actress - Films", and in 1939, she worked 42 weeks and earned $3000.00: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9C6-7MD
1940 census enumerated April 24, 1940 - 25 year old Nell O'Day (born Texas) was renting at the El Cerrito Apartments, Los Angeles. She completed four years of high school; was divorced; and last residence was New York, Kings County, New York. Occupation was "Actress - Motion Pictures", and in 1939, she worked 38 weeks and earned $3240.00: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CD-8XX
Nell's mother Mildred L. Roach - 1940 census and 1942 death:
1940 census - 62 year old Mildred L. Roach (born Texas; widow) and 32 year old daughter Isabella (born Oklahoma) were renting at 541 Heliotrope, Los Angeles, California. Mildred's occupation was "Retoucher - Photography", and in 1939, she worked 52 weeks and earned $1800.00: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CZ-QYM
Mildred L. Roach was struck by a vehicle on Christmas Eve, 1942 and passed away on December 27, 1942 from her injuries: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83572153/metropolitan-pasadena-star-news/
Funeral notice: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83571869/funeral-notice-for-mildred-l-roach/
April 4, 1941 Los Angeles Times newspaper reported that Nell was granted a divorce from Theodore Fetter. Reason was that he was opposed to her acting career. They separated November, 1939. Couple newspaper clippings on her divorce:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84104574/actress-nell-oday-separated-november/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84104664/divorce-granted-to-actress-nell-oday/
Theodore Fetter enlisted in the Army on May 13, 1941 in New York City and was divorced with no dependents: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8R4-W14
May 10, 1942 Los Angeles marriage license of 26 year old Lawrence Shapleigh Williams (born New Jersey), single, occupation "Actor - Motion Pictures" to 25 year old Nell Roach O'Day (born Texas), occupation "Actress - Motion Pictures". She was divorced and this was her second marriage and her parents were Edward E. Roach (born Texas) and Mildred L. McClellan (born Texas): https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8V5-7GD
From the marriage column in the May 20, 1942 issue of Variety: "Nell O'Day to Larry Williams, in Hollywood, May 10 (1942). Both are film players."
Nell and husband Lawrence Shapleigh Williams are on a 1953 passenger list from the ship Andrea Doria which sailed from Naples, Italy to New York. Nell is listed as "Mildred N. R. Williams known as Nell O'Day" and her place of birth was Prairie Hill, Texas: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HQP-DR5
California Death Index has a record on Nell Oday, born September 22, 1909 in Texas, and passed away on January 5, 1989 in the Los Angeles area: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP93-XZS
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) has similar info but has her birth place incorrectly listed as Massachusetts: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JPQL-8J8

Nell O'Day - her death certificate ... Ancestry.com family trees ... and unanswered questions:

I received the death certificate on Nell in late July, 2015.

79 year old Nell O'Day was born September 22, 1909 in Texas, and her residence was 450 Grand View Street, Los Angeles, California. She had been under doctor's care for several months and was hospitalized at Temple Community Hospital, Los Angeles for five days with gastrointestinal bleeding and diverticulitis. While in the hospital, she suffered a heart attack and passed away on January 5, 1989. Funeral director was the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center Mortuary. No one claimed her body and Nell was cremated on January 13, 1989 at the Los Angeles County Crematory/Cemetery.

The informant on her death certificate was "Richard York (COUC), P. O. Box 9064, Pasadena, California". Genealogy references indicate the abbreviation "Couc" means "Cousin's child". Recent findings indicate that he was a cousin and friend of Nell. The question is why was York unable to provide any background and family information on Nell for the many information boxes on her death certificate. He would've known that she had been an actress and her real surname was Roach, not O'Day. Here's the "unknowns" on Nell's death certificate:

Her Father's name and birthplace are "unknown".
Maiden name of her mother and birthplace are "unknown".
Nell's marital status, spouse's name, and highest school grade completed are "unknown".
Nell's occupation, business/industry, employer, and years in that occupation are "unknown".
Nell's surname of Roach is not mentioned.

The Los Angeles Crematory and Cemetery cares for deceased individuals whose remains have not been claimed by family members. Periodically, the unclaimed are interred in a common grave. Hoping for additional information on Nell, I called the Los Angeles Crematory/Cemetery on August 5, 2015. Nell's cremains were released on March 22, 1989 to a person whose first name was "George" but his last name was difficult to read. The LA Cemetery representative speculated that his last name might be "Rose" or "Ross".

There are a couple Roach and McClellan family trees on Ancestry.com which include Nell. I've been in contact with owners of two family trees, and they've not found any family ties to a Richard York or a George with a last name of Rose, Ross or R-something.

Note the P. O. Box 9064 for Richard York from the death certificate. Family Search has a public record index for Richard York, born April 15, 1902 and one of his addresses was P. O. Box 90064, Pasadena, California: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KT7R-GGN

Find A Grave website has information on:

Nell O'Day - interment location is unknown: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113734874/mildred-nell-o'day

Nell's parents, Edward E. Roach (1872-1918) and Mildred Livonia McClellan Roach (1878-1942), are interred at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71716747/edward-e.-roach
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71716761/mildred-livonia-roach

Nell O'Day did westerns with ...
Hero / Series	Production Company	Quantity	Year of Release
George O'Brien	Fox	1	1933
Johnny Mack Brown	Universal	13	1940-1942
Tim Holt	RKO	1	1942
Range Busters	Monogram	1	1942
Three Mesquiteers	Republic	1	1943
Texas Rangers	PRC	2	1943

Nell with Johnny Mack Brown and Fuzzy Knight at Universal.
Release Date	Title	Leading Lady/Ladies
7/26/40	SON OF ROARING DAN	Nell O'Day & Jeanne Kelly (Brooks)
9/20/40	RAGTIME COWBOY JOE	Nell O'Day & Marilyn (Lynn) Merrick
11/28/40	LAW AND ORDER	Nell O'Day
12/12/40	PONY POST	Nell O'Day & Dorothy Short
1/10/41	BOSS OF BULLION CITY	Nell O'Day & Maria Montez
3/21/41	BURY ME NOT ON THE LONE PRAIRIE	Nell O'Day & Kathryn Adams
6/20/41	LAW OF THE RANGE	Nell O'Day & Elaine Morley
7/18/41	RAWHIDE RANGERS	Nell O'Day & Kathryn Adams
9/5/41	MAN FROM MONTANA	Nell O'Day & Jeanne Kelly (Brooks)
10/24/41	MASKED RIDER, THE	Nell O'Day & Virginia Carroll
11/14/41	ARIZONA CYCLONE	Nell O'Day & Kathryn Adams
12/19/41	FIGHTING BILL FARGO	Nell O'Day & Jeanne Kelly (Brooks)
2/13/42	STAGECOACH BUCKAROO	Nell O'Day & Anne Nagel