Joseph Arthur Donahue

Massachusetts, Births from the Mass Archives has Joseph Donahoe Event Date: 3 Jun 1899 Event Place: 88 Austin St., Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Father's Name: Dennis Donahoe, boilermaker, Father's Birthplace: Ireland Mother's Name: Julia Buckley Mother's Birthplace: Ireland GS Film number: 1843713 , Digital Folder Number: 4341230 , Image Number: 184.

Note; Looked up record again and it is clearly the 3rd. It has it "do 3rd" indicating the month above it the column which is clearly June. With other records including World War one draft card showing birth date of 3 Jan 1899, they probably should have put in Jan in place of "do" and failed to.

There is also at Familysearch.com a record of Massachusetts Births and Christenings for Joseph Donohue Birth Date 03 January 1899 Birthplace Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Father's Name Dennis Mother's Name Julia Buckley

1900 U.S. census has Donahue Residence: 1900, 88 Austin Street, Boston city, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA (same address as birth record) Township: Boston city Ward: 5 Sheet: 13 County: Suffolk Enum. District: 1216 Family: 267 State: Massachusetts Series: T623 Line: 19 Date: 1900 Roll: 1240677 Image: 536 Head Dennis Donahue 37, born Aug 1863, Ireland, Boilermaker. Wife Julia Donahue 37, born Feb 1863, Ireland, married 12 years, 4 of 5 children living. Son John Donahue 12, born Dec 1888, Massachusetts Daughter Margaret Donahue 8. born Feb 1892, Massachusetts Daughter Julia Donahue 5 born June 1895, Massachusetts Son Joseph Donahue 1, born Jan 1899, Massachusetts.

Note; 1900 census has him born Jan 1899.

1910 U.S. census has Joseph Donahue Birth: Circa 1899 Massachusetts, United States Residence: 1910, 14 Lawrence st., Charlestown, Boston Ward 5, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA Age: 11 Township: Boston Ward 5 Series: T624 Image: 392 County: Suffolk Sheet: 2-A State: Massachusetts Family: 27 Date: 1910 Line: 26 Head Dennis Donahue 48, boilermaker Wife Julia Donahue 48 Son John J Donahue 21, Actor Daughter Margaret E Donahue 18, dressmaker Daughter Julia Donahue 14, school Son Joseph Donahue 11, school Daughter Alice Donahue 7, school Son Walter Donahue 4.

United States World War I Draft Registration Cards has Joseph Arthur Donahue Event Type Draft Registration Event Date 1917-1918 Event Place Charlestown, no 3, Massachusetts, United States Gender Male Nationality United States Birth Date 03 Jan 1899 Birthplace , , United States

Note; So date of birth was 3 January 1899.

Can't find him on the 1920 or 1930 U.S. census.

In 1930 in his debut, he stared in the First National Picture at star Marilyn Miller’s request, in "Sunny". Watched in in Dec of 2021 and he was fantastic, stole the show. A really great performance in a very early talky. Marilyn was a very good friend of his brother Jacks on Broadway. Jack was in the stage version.

1940 U.S. census has Residence: 1940, 12 Prospect Street, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Residence in 1935: Same House - 12 Prospect Street, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, US Incorporated place: Boston Enum. District: 15-65 Family: 130 County: Suffolk Roll: m-t0627-01659 Line: 38 State: Massachusetts Frame: 00098 Date: 1940 Page: 7A Head Timothy S. Buckley 46, born Mass. 2 yr h.s., City Fireman, 2100 per year. Wife Margaret E. Buckley 47, born Mass, 3 yrs h.s. Son Walter Buckley 16, born Mass, 3 yrs h.s. school Son Leo Buckley 13, born Mass, in school. Mother in Law Julia Donahue 78, born Ireland, widow, 6th grade ed. Brother in Law, Joseph A Donahue, 40, born Mass, married, wife not with him, 2 yr h.s., machinist helper, government navy yard.

Can't find a World War Two draft card.

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Joseph Arthur Donahue was the fourth of six children (note; should be 5 of 7) born to Irish immigrants Dennis Donahue (1863-1922) and Julia (Buckley) Donahue (1863-1940). The elder Donahues both arrived from Ireland in 1880 and were married in 1888. While all of their children would have a talent for dancing, neither parent did. At the turn of the century Dennis would list his profession as boilermaker.

It was while watching Expensive Women (1931) that I first took notice of Joe Donahue. I had put the movie on because it’s Warren William’s earliest existing talkie, and you should know by now I’m a big Warren fan, but it was Donahue’s stumbling Bobby Brandon who caught my attention this time. Dolores Costello starred and was underwhelming as she was being courted by suave William, absent later caddish impulses, and bland Anthony Bushell, leaving boisterous Donahue to steal the movie.

The Internet Movie Database reveals that he only ever appeared in four movies, each of them First National Pictures, Expensive Women was his final film, preceded by his debut, at star Marilyn Miller’s request, in Sunny and then less important roles in two Dorothy Mackaill titles, Party Husband (1931), in which Donahue offers a toast and then disappears, and The Reckless Hour (1931), which he hung in throughout.

After a perusal of a few old issues of Film Daily, greatly aided by the Lantern Search Engine, you can safely add the 1932 Mack Sennett short The Boudoir Butler (1932) to that list as well. A “Joe Donohoe” is listed in those credits on the Internet Movie Database.

From Immortal Ephemera web site.

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Donahue — In Charlestown, Jan. 3, 1943 . Joseph A., beloved son of the late Dennis and Julia Donahue (nee Buckley). Funeral from the Daniel A. Wiles Funeral Home, 3 Dexter Row. Tuesday, Jan 5 at 9:15 am. Requiem High Mass at St. Mary’s Church at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited.

Boston Globe, 4 January 1943.

Note; He died on his 44th birthday.

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JOSEPH DONAHUE, DANCER-ACTOR, OF CHARLESTOWN, DIES

The funeral of Joseph A. Donahue of Charlestown, well-known dancer and motion picture actor and brother of the late Jack Donahue, noted dancer, who died Sunday at the City Hospital of pneumonia, will take place tomorrow from the Daniel A. Wiles Funeral Home, 3 Dexter Row, Charlestown. A requiem high mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. in St. Mary’s Church, Charlestown, and burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden.

Mr. Donahue was born in Charlestown and educated in the schools of that district. He was a talented dancer and following the death of his brother Jack he filled his role in the musical comedy “Sunny” in which Marilyn Miller starred. He was also a performer in motion pictures.

He was the son of the late Dennis and Julia (Buckley) Donahue and the nephew of the late Councilor Timothy J. Buckley. When a young man Joseph was employed in the Globe business office.

He is survived by two sisters; Mrs. Timothy J. Buckley of 12 Prospect St., Charlestown and Mrs. Warren Hookway of Billerica, and a brother, Walter Donahue, well known entertainer, of Jacksonville, Fla.

Boston Globe 4 Jan 1943.

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Joseph A. Donahue

Many relatives and friends attended funeral services in St. Mary’s Church, Charlestown, this morning for Joseph A. Donahue of Charlestown, well known dancer and motion picture actor, who died Sunday in City Hospital of pneumonia. The requiem high mass at 9 was celebrated by Rev. Edward C. Bailey. Four cousins of the deceased, John, Jeremiah, Frank and Henry Buckley, were pallbearers. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. Prayers at the grave were read by Rev. John G. Hogan.

Boston Globe, 5 Jan 1943.

JACK DONAHUE'S BROTHER IS DEAD. The death in City Hospital of dancer Joseph A. Donahue of Charlestown, and brother of the late Jack Donahue, famous stage dancer, was revealed yesterday. Donahue, a comedian and dancer in his own right, who took his brother's place in the motion picture with the late Marilyn Miller, died of pneumonia. His parents were the late Dennis and Julia Donahue nee Buckley). He ls survived by two sisters, Mrs. Warren Hookway and Mrs. Timothy Buckley, and by a brother, Walter. Funeral services will take place today from the Daniel A. Wiles funeral home, Dexter row, Charlestown, at....." article continues, can't open.

The Boston Record newspaper, Jan 5, 1943.

Brother of Stage Star. The funeral of Joseph A. Donahue of Charlestown, dancer and brother of the late Jack Donahue, famous Broadway dancer, was held this morning with a solemn high mass of requiem.

The Boston American, Jan 5 1943.