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John van Eyssen (1922-1995) had a diverse professional career as a Shakespearean actor, film performer, literary agent, producer, and studio executive. Originally from South Africa, he relocated to Great Britain after World War II. In London, he studied drama at the Central School of Speech and Drama and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company before graduating. At the RSC, van Eyssen took on major classical roles and portrayed Cassio in Orson Welles' Othello. His portrayal of Lucifer in the York Cycle of Mystery Plays inspired a young Judi Dench to pursue acting. Van Eyssen expanded into radio, television, and film, debuting in The Angel with the Trumpet (1950), and appeared in British films such as Joseph Losey's Blind Date, Cockleshell Heroes, and Carlton Browne of the F.O. In 1958, he played Jonathan Harker in Hammer Films' cult classic The Horror of Dracula.
He left acting in 1961 to become a literary agent at London Management, quickly rising to lead the literary department. After merging with London Artists, he managed prominent figures like Franco Zeffirelli, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. In 1965, van Eyssen joined Columbia Pictures UK, becoming Managing Director in 1967. He oversaw several successful British films, including Romeo and Juliet, To Sir With Love (1967), Born Free (1966), Georgy Girl (1966), Oliver!, and A Man For All Seasons (1969). Promoted in 1969 to Worldwide Head of Production (excluding the US), he relocated to New York. Van Eyssen left Columbia in 1974 to work as an independent producer and produced Sidney Lumet’s Daniel in 1981. Returning to England in 1991, he played a key role in founding the Chelsea Film Festival, a leading platform for emerging British filmmakers.
