D.O.A (1949)

Can't honestly say I thought much of the movie - great idea but for me didn't work overall (but far better than the 1969 version- 1988 one not much worse)

But I'm huge fan of O'Brien

He actually did get a fair few leads - some have been mentioned - I'll add Winston Smith in 1984, and leads/top billing  in THE THIRD VOICE,  THE WEB, SILVER CITY and THE BIGAMIST (although I think in latter Fontaine and Lupino billed above him on opening credits - but no doubt he has most screen time/was focal point of story - and had title role).... but they were mostly fairly forgettable programmers. You could make a case for him being the real lead in THE KILLERS - I think he gets as much screen time as nominal stars Lancaster and Gardner but doesn't make quite such a pretty picture for the posters  

His most memorable films and roles were as a top featured player - my favourite being his brash, boozy senator in the superb SEVEN DAYS IN MAY. Nobody can top Ed for being sweaty and dishevelled on screen

He was perhaps a little portly and frankly not enough of a looker to achieve proper leading man status (although I'll concede it didn't stop Edward G Robinson) - and/or maybe RKO and Warners, where he was under contract, were more interested in promoting other names .....and/or maybe he was happy with his second (or third) level star status - not everyone wants the responsibility of being a front rank A lister (for example, I believe that Mary Astor turned down a star contract in the early 30s, figuring that once you are a star if you ever lose star billing and go below the title your status is gone, and she thought she was better off remaining as a featured player/part of the stock company - and her 40 year screen career including a dozen or more memorable appearances in copper bottomed, much loved classics, an Oscar win, the fulsome respect she got from her peers (cf Bette Davis championing her on THE GREAT LIE and getting her the CHARLOTTE gig) and her more or less unassailable reputation amongst most classic film buffs I think proves she made the right choice).

I checked out O'Brien in my reference books - sorry to say David Shipman finds no room for him, nor Mr Parish (even in the catch all 40s actors volume that celebrates the likes of Wayne Morris and Sonny Tufts!), but he got an entry in the MacFarlane BAD BOYS OF FILM NOIR

Turns out he extricated himself from his long term studio contracts voluntarily around the time of DOA- so with no studio with any interest in "building" him his chances of top stardom not good - and anyway pretty soon the studios began to divest themselves of their contract players as the TV threat increased (He was also briefly with Universal as well as RKO and Warners in 40s). It says he was tired of asking for good roles, and believed he had enjoyed what success he'd had despite the studio brass rather than because of. In being an early freelance champion he he was like Burt L - a pioneer.

Also another quote (I'm paraphrasing) suggests he was happy where he was in the star hierarchy " Its me that gets the chance to do something interesting, different, funny*. Its me the public expect something unusual from. I like it that way"  although he was eloquent on the downside of being a "character actor" "Versatility has a price - seldom does a producer say - now there's a great Edmond O'Brien role..."

Trivia - Harry Houdini taught him tricks as a child and for a while he wanted to be a magician.

also he had to drop out of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA due to ill health - didn't know that - I'm assuming the Arthur Kennedy role.

If you like him check out THE BIGAMIST - the best of his "leads" I'd say.

* I'd say we got it most of the time.