The Early Films of Thaddeus O’Sullivan – ‘A Pint of Plain’ (1975) & ‘The Woman Who Married Clark Gable’ (1984; followed by Directors Q&A.
The ICC is delighted to present a season of films by one of Ireland’s fore-most film directors and cinematographers, Thaddeus O’Sullivan.
Thaddeus has been a working filmmaker for five decades. Throughout the 1980s, he was a central figure in the first wave of Irish feature-film-making, as cinematographer on films such as Joe Comerford’s ‘Traveller’, Pat Murphy’s ‘Anne Devlin’ and Cathal Black’s ‘Pigs’ and he was an early lobbyist for the development of an indigenous Irish cinema.
In this short season focussing on O’Sullivan’s early works, the ICC will be screening O’Sullivan’s drama-documentary, ‘On a Paving Stone Mounted’ (Sat July 2nd 7pm): His short film ‘A Pint of Plain’ plus his first drama ‘The Woman Who Married Clark Gable’ (Sun July 3rd 3pm): and his multi award winning feature film ‘December Bride’ (Sun July 3rd 7pm).
Thaddeus O’Sullivan will be doing Q&A’s following each of the film screenings. He will be interviewed by Gerry Maguire, Director of ‘Irish Film London’
3:00pm
Tickets: £8
About ‘A Pint of Plain’
‘A Pint of Plain‘ was O’Sullivan’s graduation film for his Masters Degree at the Royal College of Art in London. Taking it’s title from the ballad by Flann O’Brien about the supposed comfort to be found in drink, in this film, just like in ‘On a Paving Stone Mounted’, O’Sullivan explores the Irish emigrant experience of never really belonging in the adopted country, always dreaming of going ‘home’ and yet drifting further and further away from the ‘homeland’ they’ve left behind.
The film follows two Irishmen on what’s supposed to be a short visit to London. They encounter several characters, many of whom inhabit the seedy underworld of the city. The film powerfully captures how the immigrant can so easily become displaced in the big city and quickly fall into living desperate, transient and marginalised live.
‘A Pint of Plain’ was filmed on location in and around Shepherd’s Bush, here in West London. Because O’Sullivan enabled his actors to use improvisation and gave them no formal script, the film has a raw, gripping and truthful ‘drama – documentary’ feel about it. It features early performances by some powerful actors, including the great Tony Rohr, the late great Derek O’Connor and Tony Haygarth.
‘A Pint of Plain’ Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan
(1975) Length 40mins (B/W) (Royal College Of Art.)
About ‘The Woman who Married Clark Gable’
‘The Woman Who Married Clarke Gable’ is a period drama, set in Dublin in the late 1930’s and is based on a short story by Sean O’Faolain. It tells the tale of Mary, a catholic woman trapped in a stale marriage, who relieves her humdrum life of drudgery by fantasising that that her English Methodist husband is her favourite screen idol, the Hollywood movie star Clark Gable.
A crucial film for O’Sullivan, as this was his first credit as director of a drama. With excellent performances by Brendan Fricker, as Mary, and a young Bob Hoskins as the Methodist Englishman; there’s also an appearance of the late, great Irish actor and seanchaí (storyteller), Eamon Kelly, it explores the power of the catholic church as well as the power of cinema.
Lovingly shot in Dublin, in black and white, with touches of irony and humour, O’Sullivan’s enjoyable film was justly nominated for a BAFTA .
Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan: Screenplay Andrew Pattman
A Samson Film Production (1984) Length 35min (B/W).
