John van Eyssen was a multifaceted individual who wore many hats throughout his long and storied career, including those of Shakespearean thespian, movie actor, literary agent, producer, and studio executive.
Born and raised in South Africa, van Eyssen did not arrive in Great Britain until after World War II. Once in London, he studied drama at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and before graduating, he joined the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company.
At the RSC, van Eyssen performed the major classical leads and also took on the role of Cassio in Orson Welles' production of Othello. His performance as Lucifer in the York Cycle of Mystery Plays was particularly notable, as it inspired a young Dame Judi Dench to pursue a career in acting.
From there, van Eyssen branched out into radio, television, and film, appearing in a number of British movies, including "The Angel with the Trumpet" (1950),"Blind Date," "Cockleshell Heroes," and "Carlton Browne of the F.O."
In 1958, he appeared as Jonathan Harker in Hammer Films' cult classic, "The Horror of Dracula." However, van Eyssen eventually abandoned acting in 1961 to pursue a career in literary agency.
He proved to have a knack for the job and was quickly promoted to helm the literary department at London Management. He became so important that, when the company merged with London Artists, he was in charge of handling notable clients such as Franco Zeffirelli, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller.
Van Eyssen left the management business in 1965 to work at Columbia Pictures' UK division, where he was eventually promoted to Managing Director of the UK studio. During his tenure, he oversaw the production of some of the studio's most popular 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).
In 1969, he was promoted to Worldwide Head of Production (ex-US) and relocated to New York. He left the studio in 1974 to work as an independent producer, and in 1981, he produced Sidney Lumet's "Daniel."
Van Eyssen returned to England in 1991 and became an instrumental part of establishing the Chelsea Film Festival, a premier showcase for talented young filmmakers in Britain.
