As a child, Margaret O'Brien was more popular than most of her adult contemporaries -- at least as popular and well-merchandised as today's Olson twins. But unlike the twins from Full House, she didn't make the transition from child star to teen and adult star with quite the same level of success. Though she has continued to be seen on stage, screen, and TV, the high point of her career was in her pre-teen years.
But what a high point it was! A natural dramatic actress whose screen presence was quite powerful, she could have acted rings around the Olson twins.
Margaret was born Angela Maxine O'Brien on January 15, 1937 in Los Angeles. Her father was a circus performer who died before her birth. Her mother, Gladys, was a dancer who encouraged Margaret's early desire to be an actress.
She first appeared before the public on the covers of magazines, photographed by Paul Hesse. This led to a small part in MGM's Babes on Broadway (1941), and she made the most of her one-minute performance, which in turn lead to the title role in Journey for Margaret. As was often the custom in those days, she changed her name to match her character in that film. She had small roles in five movies in 1943, including a memorable supporting role in Jane Eyre, which also featured fellow precocious child actresses Liz Taylor and Peggy Ann Garner.
She made a big impression on the public, and quickly became one of the biggest stars of the 40s. Her signature role of "Tootie," Judy Garland's kid sister in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), resulted in a special Oscar as Outstanding Child Actress of 1944. She went on to appear in The Canterville Ghost (1944), Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945), Three Wise Fools (1946), The Secret Garden (1949) and Little Women (1949), among others. In every case she more than held her own with some pretty high-powered adult stars.
Margaret's big screen career slowed when she reached her teen years, and her contract with MGM was cancelled six months early by mutual agreement. Her first love scene took place at age 14 in Her First Romance (1951), for Columbia. She also appeared in Glory (1955) and Heller in Pink Tights (1960). But she kept busy with television parts on shows such as Studio One and Playhouse 90, as well as a CBS TV-movie version of Little Women in 1958. There was an unsuccessful pilot for her own TV series, Maggie, in 1960, plus guest shots on shows like Ironside, Love, American Style, Adam-12, Marcus Welby, and Murder, She Wrote. She has also appeared on stage with summer stock and touring companies.
She has never retired from show business, and in addition to occasional movie, stage, and TV appearances, has been seen at autograph shows and has been busy with charity work and, of course, her family. By all accounts, she's a class act, and I hope you, and she, enjoy this tribute, updated for her 70th birthday.
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Margaret O'Brien Tributes and Other Pages
Part III: Movie Reviews & Where to Find Her Movies
Part IV: Books, Photos, Art, Sounds, and Posters
