John Dempsey O'Shea (20 June 1920 – 8 July 2001) was a New Zealand independent filmmaker; he was a director, producer, writer and actor. He produced the only three feature films that were made in New Zealand between 1940 and 1970.

Early life

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

is where O'Shea was born in 1920. His parents were both of Irish Catholic ancestry, his mother, Norah Frances Dempsey, was born in New Zealand and his father, John Joseph O’Shea, was from

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

, Ireland. He had three older siblings. He grew up in New Plymouth and

Whanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

and then went to study in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

at Victoria University College where he got involved with a film society. He also studied at Christchurch Teachers' Training College, and in 1942 served in the

New Zealand Army , image = New Zealand Army Logo.png , image_size = 175px , caption = , start_date = , country = , branch = ...

for two years during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

with the ambulance corps in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Career

He was active from 1940 to 1970, and in 1952 set up

Pacific Films Pacific Films is a film production company in New Zealand. It is not to be confused with other companies with the name, including the film company in Hawaii that produced Phantom Below''. History The Pacific Film Unit was established in Wellin ...

with

Roger Mirams Roger Eastgate Holden Mirams (16 April 1918 – 26 February 2004) was a New Zealand-born film producer and director, whose career extended over 60 years. Mirams co-directed ''Broken Barrier'', the only local dramatic feature film made in New Zeala ...

. He produced numerous short films and the three New Zealand feature films made in that period: '' Broken Barrier'' (1952) with Roger Mirams, '' Runaway'' (1964), and ''

Don't Let It Get You ''Don't Let It Get You'' is a film made in New Zealand and Sydney, Australia in 1966. It is notable for the period it was made in as well as the popular musical acts that featured in it. Sir Howard Morrison, Eddie Low, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and He ...

'' (1966) for which he is most remembered. O'Shea was involved with the '' Tangata Whenua: People of the Land'' (1974) a six part television documentary series directed by New Zealand's first

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

screen director

Barry Barclay Barry Ronald Barclay, New Zealand Order of Merit, MNZM (12 May 1944 – 19 February 2008) was a New Zealand filmmaker and writer of Māori people, Māori (Ngāti Apa) and Pākehā (European) descent. Background Barclay was born in Masterton and ra ...

. Other films he produced included are ''

Pictures An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

'' (1981), ''

Among the Cinders ''Among the Cinders'' is a 1983 New Zealand drama film directed by Rolf Hädrich and starring Paul O'Shea (actor), Paul O'Shea, Amanda Jones (actress), Amanda Jones, Derek Hardwick and Yvonne Lawley. After a hunting accident in which his friend i ...

'' (1983), ''

Leave All Fair Leave All Fair is a 1985 New Zealand made film starring John Gielgud as John Middleton Murry the husband of Katherine Mansfield. He is presented as a sanctimonious exploiter of her memory, who ill-treated her during their association. Jane Bir ...

'' (1985) and ''

Ngati ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written an ...

'' (1987). He appeared in the spoof ''

Forgotten Silver ''Forgotten Silver'' is a 1995 New Zealand mockumentary film that purports to tell the story of a pioneering New Zealand filmmaker. It was written and directed by Peter Jackson and Costa Botes, both of whom appear in the film in their roles as ...

'' (1995). Part of his legacy was the many people who Pacific Films gave valuable experiences to and went on to have notable careers such as Barry Barclay and

Gaylene Preston Dame Gaylene Mary Preston (born 1 June 1947) is a New Zealand filmmaker with a particular interest in documentary films. Early life and family Born in Greymouth on 1 June 1947, Preston was educated at Colenso High School (now William Colenso Co ...

. The tearooms at Pacific Films was described as "the venue for debate and argument with O'Shea promoting a lively, stimulating environment where success was measured in ideas, not seniority." O'Shea was a lecturer, research historian, and assistant film censor and was a founding member of the

New Zealand Film Archive The New Zealand Film Archive was established in 1981. On 1 August 2014 the archive was amalgamated with Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero and the Television New Zealand Archive to form Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. 2009 lost film recovery In earl ...

in 1981.

Awards

In the 1990 New Year Honours, O'Shea was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the film industry. Also in 1990 he was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to approximately 3,000 people. Background The New Zea ...

for services to the film industry. In 1992 he received the

New Zealand Film Commission The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC; mi, Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga) is a New Zealand government agency formed to assist with creating and promoting New Zealand films. It was established under the New Zealand Film Commission Act 1978 (as amended ...

Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life

In 1946 O'Shea and Jean Cormie Douglas got married in Christchurch on 20 April, they settled in Wellington. They had three children together, Patrick, Rory and Kathy who all went on to work in the film industry.

References

*''Don’t let it get you: memories - documents'' by John O’Shea (1999, Victoria University Press, Wellington)

External links

*
John O'Shea
at

NZ On Screen NZ On Screen is a state-funded online promotional showcase of New Zealand television and film. Funded by NZ On Air, it provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide ...

John O'Shes on some films, 1950
''Design Review'': Volume 2, Issue 6 (May–June 1950),

NZETC The New Zealand Electronic Text Collection (NZETC; mi, Te Pūhikotuhi o Aotearoa) is a freely accessible online archive of New Zealand and Pacific Islands texts and heritage materials that are held by the Victoria University of Wellington Library ...

John O'Shea on more films, 1950
''Design Review'': Volume 3, Issue 1 (July–August 1950), NZETC {{DEFAULTSORT:Oshea, John 1920 births 2001 deaths New Zealand film directors New Zealand film producers New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from New Plymouth