James Mason and Ted O'Brien

James Mason and Ted O'Brien

Cork Film Festival, James Mason, Ted O'Brien

This is a black and white photo, dated 1965, of the English actor James Mason and Ted O'Brien standing side-by-side and both turned to their right in conversation with a lady (we can only see her hands in this photo). Both men are wearing dinner jackets accessorised with a bow-tie and a pin on the left lapel. The light of the camera illuminates Mason, with his grey-flecked hair, and bounces off his cheek bones. His shorter colleague, with dark hair and horn-rimmed glasses, looks on towards the companion to whom they are speaking.

James Mason (1909-1984) appears a couple of times in the archive. Born in England he found success in both England and Hollywood from the 1950s through to the 1980s starring in more than 100 films. He was nominated for three Academy Awards for A Star is Born (George Cukor, 1954) with Judy Garland, Lolita (Stanley Kubrick, 1962) and the Silvio Narizzano award-winning film Georgy Girl (1966) with Lynn Redgrave and Charlotte Rampling.

Mason was one of the early players in the Hollywood studio production system and negotiated strongly for contractual rights allowing him economic and creative freedom. Interestingly he registered as a conscientious objector during the Second World War.

University College Cork, Cork Film Festival, BL MacGill

Cork Film Festival Collection

University College Cork

1965

BL MacGill

Photo
TIFF
JPEG

English, eng

1965
Cork, Ireland

Photo

218 x 167mm