Margaret Kathleen O'Brien
New Zealand film director, radio presenter, dance teacher and hostess
About Margaret Kathleen O'Brien
Lived 1906 – 1978 (aged 71–72). Margaret Kathleen O'Brien was a New Zealand film director.
Margaret Kathleen O'Brien (7 April 1906 – 13 February 1978) was a New Zealand film director, dance teacher, and radio presenter. One of the first New Zealand women to direct films, she spent 20 years working for government filmmaking body the National Film Unit.
Career
O'Brien was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1906. After time teaching ballet in Wellington, and living in England, she got a job in Wellington at the country's National Film Unit in 1946. O'Brien directed her first short film for the NFU the following year. Australian-born filmmaker Margaret Thomson had begun directing films at the NFU the decade before O'Brien. When Thomson left the unit to work in England in 1949, O'Brien stayed on and remained the only female director on the NFU staff for the next 20 years.
O'Brien never gained recognition during her lifetime. She died in Wellington on 13 February 1978.
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Important facts
People in Margaret Kathleen O'Brien's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Margaret Kathleen O'Brien?
New Zealand film director, radio presenter, dance teacher and hostess (1906-1978)
When was Margaret Kathleen O'Brien born?
Margaret Kathleen O'Brien was born in 1906 in Wellington.
When did Margaret Kathleen O'Brien die?
Margaret Kathleen O'Brien died in 1978 in Wellington.
What was Margaret Kathleen O'Brien's occupation?
Margaret Kathleen O'Brien was a film director.
What nationality was Margaret Kathleen O'Brien?
Margaret Kathleen O'Brien was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Margaret Kathleen O'Brien
· DBpedia: Kathleen O'Brien (film director)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Margaret Kathleen O'Brien. https://biography.guide/margaret-kathleen-o-brien/
MLA: "Margaret Kathleen O'Brien." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/margaret-kathleen-o-brien/.
Chicago: "Margaret Kathleen O'Brien." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/margaret-kathleen-o-brien/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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