Corcoran graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in theatre arts. His credits from this era include Superdad (1973), The Island at the Top of the World (1974) and Pete's Dragon (1977). [2] Also on the fourth anniversary show, aired on September 11, 1957, segments were shown of Rainbow Road to Oz, a live-action film about characters in the Land of Oz. Because he was so genuine, not a goody-goody type of a model child. Another brother, Bill Corcoran Jr., former dean of students at California State University, Fresno, died in 2007. From a family of young actors, she was recommended by Ronald Reagan for the role. He was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 7, 1958. Corcoran went on to a career behind the camera. Privacy Policy He made guest role appearances on several TV shows in the 1960s which included Daniel Boone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Batman and Bonanza. We would be grateful if you would support our work by recording your loved ones, preserving their memory for future generations. According to Corcoran, she wanted the kids badly, but her body did not cooperate. and the One of eight children, many of whom were also . His nickname, Moochie, established him as an irrepressible character in film. Corcoran appeared in a Mouseketeer outfit with the name Moochie across his chest - once. Viewership Transparency, A.I. Corcoran was the first assistant director on a number of TV shows throughout the '80s and '90s, including "Murder, She Wrote" (CBS, 1984-1996), "Baywatch" (Syndicated, 1989-2001), and "Providence" (NBC, 1999-2002). Corcoran's real sisters, Noreen and Donna, played the other children. Heather was just 12 years old when she succumbed to complications during surgery to repair an acute bowel obstruction. Roddy studied at St. Joseph's College in Upper Norwood. America watched Corcoran grow up during the course of 157 episodes, and Bachelor Father ended just as her character was about to begin college. His determination to emulate elder peers despite adult warnings (swimming, helping Wilby, even switch-hitting) frequently gets him in trouble, but Moochie's bravado always returns soon afterward. Im done acting.. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. In addition to her niece and sister Donna, Noreens survivors include another sister, Kerry. All Rights Reserved. Kevin Corcoran, the actor who played the youngest son in the 1957 Disney classic Old Yeller, has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Updated at noon on Jan. 16 with details of death and other survivors. After seven years, William disappeared from Hollywood acting in 1971, only to resurface ten years later, as an adult in a bit role as a Horseman in an . Kevin was the cutest child actor EVER! We cannot record everything. Dont you ever run out of questions? Kirk asks Corcoran in Old Yeller. Stollery said that even at a young age, Corcoran was a professional who knew his lines and took direction. Tommy and I had been battling off-screen about something, so instead of the prop rubber rocks, I started throwing real ones., Among the other Disney films in which he appeared were Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus, Pollyanna (opposite Hayley Mills) and Swiss Family Robinson.. Elder siblings Donna, Noreen, and Hugh Corcoran have extensive film and television credits as child actors during the 1950s. He is survived by his wife, Laura (nee Soltwedel), whom he married in 1972, by three sisters, Che, Noreen and Kerry, and by a brother, Hugh. Appropriately, he also worked on The New Mickey Mouse Club (1977). He also worked on The New Mickey Mouse Club (1977). In 2006, he was named a Disney Legend by the studio where he saw his most success as an actor and where he did occasional work, including producing episodes of the Herbie, the Love Bug series in 1982. Corcoran is survived by his wife, Laura (nee Soltwedel), whom he married in 1972, by three sisters, Che, Noreen and Kerry, and by a brother, Hugh. Born in 1949 in Santa Monica, California, Corcoran was one of eight children. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, RT25: Celebrating 25 Years of Rotten Tomatoes, The 5 Most Anticipated TV & Streaming Shows of May 2023, Weekend Box Office Results: Super Mario Joins the Billion-Dollar Club, Highest Rated: While her father was working at MGM, he heard children were needed to play some extra roles. Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran (June 10, 1949 - October 6, 2015) was an American child actor, director and producer. [6], Kevin Corcoran was honored as a Disney Legend on October 9, 2006. Corcorans real sisters, Noreen and Donna, played the other children. She also played Bridget White, ("eight years old") as the little orphan who saw the "Angels in the Outfield" in the original 1951 version with Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh. Between 1957 and 1963 Corcoran appeared in over two-dozen Disney films and TV shows, most notably "Old Yeller" (1957), "The Shaggy Dog" (1959), and "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" (ABC, 1957-1963), in which he appeared as a character known only as "Moochie." After this he returned to Disney, this time working behind the camera as an assistant director and producer. Corcoran largely retired from acting after A Tiger Walks, although he also appeared in the 1968 film Blue in a minor role. His father, William "Bill" Corcoran, Sr. (19051958), was a police officer and then director of maintenance at MGM Studios. Some child actors mentioned here departed this world very young, such as Poltergeist star Heather O'Rourke. Brian Corcoran played Kevin's brother, and Kerry, his sister, in the 1960 Daniel Boone miniseries on Walt Disney Presents, then on ABC. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The cause was colorectal cancer, his niece Karnel Watkins said. POLLYANNA, from left: Kevin Corcoran, Hayley Mills, 1960. Corcoran graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in theatre arts. Travis was played by actor Tommy Kirk, and the two would go on to play brothers in four other Disney productions: The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, Bon Voyage, and the 1963 sequel to Old. I remember one sequence, Corcoran said, in which I was supposed to be throwing rocks at him. He was 66. Kevin Corcoran in Old Yeller (1957), still remembered as being a defining childhood experience for many baby boomers. Important co-starring roles include the following: Kevin Corcoran and Tommy Kirk played brothers in five films, beginning with 1957's Old Yeller. However, after A Tiger Walks (1964), another animal movie aimed at children a tiger is threatened with death after escaping from a circus Corcoran, at the grand old age of 15, quit acting. To kids of my generation, Moochie was an irresistible figure, a kid we could all relate to, film critic Leonard Maltin said in taped comments released by Disney. Anyone can read what you share. MORE: Shark Tank: meet the partners of Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and more Barbara Corcoran. Kelly Patrick Corcoran (August 7, 1958April 17, 2002) was an American child actor and a brother of Donna, Noreen, and Kevin Corcoran. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Childhood & Early Life. Precocious, outspoken child-teen starlet of the 1990s, Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four children of Sarah (Murdoch), a realtor, and Ralph Ricci, a lawyer and therapist. Kevin Corcoran was a child actor who was best known for his numerous roles in Disney TV shows and films throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s. Born in Santa Monica, California, to Kathleen and Bill, an MGM studio policeman, Corcoran had seven siblings, all of whom did some film acting. Film writer Donald Liebenson has called Corcoran's character "part All-American boy and part hellion."[4]. [7], "Disney Legend Kevin Corcoran Passes Away", "Kevin Corcoran, a child actor mainstay for Disney, dies at 66", "Sir Elton John, Joe Ranft Headline Disney Legends Award", Profile on The Original Mickey Mouse Club Show website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Corcoran&oldid=1142647476, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 16:26. Kelly Corcoran was an American child actor, a brother of Donna Corcoran, Hugh Corcoran, Noreen Corcoran, Brian Corcoran, and Kevin Corcoran. The family moved to Santa Monica, and her father worked in maintenance on the MGM lot. The couple married on June 12, 1971 and had three children. Brian Corcoran, another brother and child . Kevin Corcoran, a child actor for Walt Disney in the 1950s and '60s who appeared in films like "Old Yeller" before moving behind the camera to work in production, died Tuesday in Burbank,. In 1957 Corcoran was given a leading role in Old Yeller, one of the best and most poignant boy-and-his-dog movies, still remembered as being a defining childhood experience for many baby boomers. One of eight children, most of whom did some acting in the late 1950s to early 1960s, Corcoran was the sibling whose work is best remembered. While her father was working at MGM, he heard children were needed to play some extra roles. And unlike many child actors, he had a quiet life with a long marriage and no public drama. Skip to content. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He starred as Toby, an orphan who runs off to join the circus, in Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960). His nickname, Moochie, established him as an irrepressible character in film. By creating an account, you agree to the He studied theatre arts at California State University in Northridge, and after graduating took on a second career in the entertainment business as a first assistant director. Kevin Anthony Corcoran was born in Santa Monica, Calif., on June 10, 1949, to Kathleen and William Henry Corcoran. Corcoran went on to play Kirks slightly brattish kid brother again in four further movies, in which Kirk, eight years Corcorans senior, would portray a character going through a painful puberty, often irritated by his mischievous and talkative brother. Over the course of his tenure on the Angela Lansbury series Murder, She Wrote, he was credited as first assistant director, assistant producer, and director. Performance & security by Cloudflare. He played a role in Wagon Train in the episode The Cassie Vance Story. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0efd4ad929f83c In 1956 he landed his first credited role on the sitcom "December Bride" (CBS, 1954-59), and from there his career began to take off. In 1961, he did the voice of Goofy Jr. in the animated short Aquamania. Others, like actors River Phoenix and Brad Renfro, died in their early 20s after struggles with substance abuse.