Edward Flanagan (actor)

{{Distinguish|text=the actor born as Edward Flanagan who became known as Dennis O'Keefe}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Edward Flanagan

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1880|8|15|mf=y}}

| birth_place = St. Louis, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1925|8|18|1880|8|15|mf=y}}

| death_place = Hollywood, U.S.

| occupation =

| yearsactive = 1900–1925

| spouse = Charlotte Ravenscroft

| children = 2

| relatives =

}}

File:Edward Flanagan & Neely Edwards - May 1920 EH.jpg]]

File:Neely Edwards & Edward Flanagan - 1919 MPN.jpg

Edward Flanagan, sometimes spelled Edward Flannigan{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YX1ZAAAAMAAJ&q=edward+flanagan+film+neely | title=American film personnel and company credits, 1908-1920: Filmographies reordered by authoritative organizational and personal names from Lauritzen and Lundquist's American film-index| isbn=9780786402557| last1=Spehr| first1=Paul C.| last2=Lundquist| first2=Gunnar| last3=Lauritzen| first3=Einar| date=July 1996| publisher=McFarland, Incorporated}} (1880 – August 18, 1925), was a comedic actor in vaudeville and American films. He was part of a popular vaudeville duo with Neely Edwards.{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|date=August 26, 1925|title=Obituary|page=31|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety79-1925-08#page/n182/mode/1up|access-date=January 11, 2021|via=Archive.org}}

Flanagan was a native of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1900, he teamed up with Edwards and they toured the U.S. performing the show titled On and Off.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VDZ1DwAAQBAJ&q=edward+flanagan+film+neely&pg=PT293 | title=Lame Brains and Lunatics| last1=Massa| first1=Steve| date=April 2013}} They also starred in the musical farce Up in the Air.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6nI9AQAAMAAJ&q=edward+flanagan+film+neely&pg=PA32 |title = Pacific Coast Musical Review|year = 1918}} They ceased performing vaudeville houses in 1921 but returned in 1924.

The comedy team starred together on screen in a series of Hallroom Boys Comedies, adapted from the comic strip,{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rvVhEJmbfrsC&q=edward+flanagan+film+neely&pg=PA81 |title = The Hollywood Story|isbn = 9781903364666|last1 = Finler|first1 = Joel Waldo|year = 2003| publisher=Wallflower Press }}{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EWtZAAAAMAAJ&q=edward+flanagan+film+neely | title=From Silents to Sound: A Biographical Encyclopedia of Performers who Made the Transition to Talking Pictures| isbn=9780786403820| last1=Liebman| first1=Roy| year=1998| publisher=McFarland}} and again for National Film Corporation in "Flanagan and Edwards" shorts.

His wife also worked in vaudeville under the name Charlotte Ravenscroft. They had a son and a daughter. Their son Edward Flanagan, also became an actor, known in film as Dennis O'Keefe.{{cite news |title=Dennis O'Keefe, Son of Vaudeville Performers, Knows the Theater |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26862253/dennis_okeefe/ |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=The Times |date=July 7, 1939 |location=Indiana, Munster |page=71|via = Newspapers.com}}

Flanagan was performing at the Metropolitan Theatre on August 13, 1925, and was taken ill and rushed to Hollywood Hospital. He had an operation for stomach ulcers and developed peritonitis and died on August 18, 1925.