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Oscar O'Shea

Oscar O'Shea

Actor · Died April 6, 1960, aged 78 · Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Oscar O'Shea (8 October 1881 – 6 April 1960), born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, was a Canadian-American character actor with over 100 film appearances from 1937 to 1953. O'Shea was a comic actor who earned a million dollars but lost it all in the Great Depression. His first straight role came in a Federal Theatre Project production of It Can't Happen Here, a play based on the novel of the same name. His first film was Captains Courageous (1937). Beginning in 1929, O'Shea operated the Oscar O'Shea Players repertory theater company in the Embassy Theatre in Ottawa, Canada. He eventually ended the enterprise "to seek a field where his art would be more widely appreciated." He then set up an operation in Chicago, "where he managed his own theatre and stock company during good and bad years." O'Shea died in Hollywood, California in 1960 at age 78.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 7, 1881
Died
April 6, 1960 (aged 78)
From
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 85 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 21% in 30 days

What are Oscar O'Shea's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 96th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
36%
Bonds
25%
Self
14%
Power
14%
Survival
4%
Ideas
4%
Society
2%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Warm
5
Thrilling
5
Melancholic
2
Hopeful
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Oscar O'Shea's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Oscar O'Shea's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

85 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • One Sunday Afternoon(1948)

    as Toby

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • My Wild Irish Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Pat Daly

  • Sport of Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Judge Sellers

  • The Brute Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Mr. Haskins - Grocer (uncredited)

  • Personality Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Officer O'Brien

  • Without Reservations(1946)

    as Conductor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Senorita from the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Dusty

  • Bewitched(1945)

    as Capt. O'Malley

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Here Come the Waves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Commodore (uncredited)

  • Mystery of the River Boat(1944)

    as Capt. Ethan Perrin

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Haunted Harbor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as John Galbraith [Chs. 1, 7, 15]

  • The Mummy's Ghost(1944)

    as Museum Watchman

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • South of Dixie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Colonel Hatcher

  • Her Primitive Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Jonathan

  • Happy Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Father Case (uncredited)

  • Corvette K-225(1943)

    as Capt. Smith

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Two Tickets to London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Mr. Tinkle

  • City Without Men(1943)

    as Joseph Barton

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Half Way to Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Doctor McIntyre

  • Henry Aldrich, Editor(1942)

    as Judge Sanders

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Postman Didn't Ring(1942)

    as Judge Barrington

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • I Was Framed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Cal Beamish

  • The Bashful Bachelor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Squire Skimp

  • Dudes Are Pretty People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Cardigan, working ranch owner

  • Torpedo Boat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Captain Mike

  • Fly By Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Pa Prescott

  • The Tell-Tale Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as First Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)

  • The Officer and the Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Dan Regan

  • Riders of the Purple Sage(1941)

    as Noah Judkins

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Lydia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Doctor Richards

  • Harmon of Michigan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as 'Pop' Branch

  • Blossoms in the Dust(1941)

    as Dr. West

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Ringside Maisie(1941)

    as Conductor

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Mutiny in the Arctic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Capt. Bob Morrissey

  • Sleepers West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as McGowan, a Engineer

  • Four Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as George Edwards (uncredited)

  • The Phantom Submarine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Captain Velsar

  • Always a Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Uncle Dan Jarvis

  • Wildcat Bus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Charles Dawson

  • Stranger on the Third Floor(1940)

    as The Judge

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Pier 13 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Skipper Kelly

  • Susan and God(1940)

    as Sam (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • You Can't Fool Your Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Dr. Emery

  • 20 Mule Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Train Conductor

  • Forty Little Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Janitor at Train Station

  • Zanzibar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Captain Craig

  • Of Mice and Men(1939)

    as Jackson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Missing Evidence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as John C. 'Pop' Andrews

  • The Night of Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mr. Conway (uncredited)

  • The Roaring Twenties(1939)

    as Customer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Those High Grey Walls(1939)

    as Warden

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Star Maker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mr. Flannigan

  • She Married a Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Pa Duffy

  • Tell No Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Sam O'Neil

  • Invitation to Happiness(1939)

    as Divorce Judge

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • S.O.S. Tidal Wave(1939)

    as Mike Halloran

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Lucky Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Police Lieutenant

  • Big Town Czar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Pa Daley

  • Undercover Agent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Pat Murphy

  • Love Affair(1939)

    as Priest (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • King of the Turf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Bartender

  • Angels with Dirty Faces(1938)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Shining Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Charlie Collins

  • Stablemates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Pete Whalen

  • Youth Takes a Fling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Captain Walters

  • Campus Cinderella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Horace Howard

  • Racket Busters(1938)

    as Pop Wilson

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Rebellious Daughters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Dad Elliott

  • The Main Event (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Captain Rorty

  • Numbered Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Desk Sgt. Rourke

  • Snow Gets in Your Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Gibson (uncredited)

  • Hold That Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Pop - Man Bringing Usher's Clothes

  • International Crime(1938)

    as Heath

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • King of the Newsboys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mr. Stephens

  • Border Wolves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Judge Coleman

  • The Canary Comes Across (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Warden Clayton

  • Mannequin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as 'Pa' Cassidy

  • Love Is a Headache(1938)

    as Pop Sheeman, Stage Doorman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Man-Proof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Gus the Bartender

  • Rosalie(1937)

    as Mr. Callahan

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • You're Only Young Once(1937)

    as Sheriff (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Double Wedding(1937)

    as Turnkey (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Big City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as John C. Andrews

  • Captains Courageous(1937)

    as Captain Walt Cushman

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Good Old Soak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Jake

Career shape

Star power in the 84th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 85 titles from 1937 to 1948.

Highest rated

Captains Courageous (1937)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting85 of 85: 85 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score59th

By decade

1930s39 · acting1940s46 · acting

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Oscar O'Shea's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Henry Aldrich, Editor (1942)

75th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Oscar O'Shea work with?

People who share at least 2 of Oscar O'Shea's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Marion Martin shares the most, 2.

Actors

Editors