Shouldered Oar Films

History is told one story at a time

Filmography

YOU HAVE TO GO OUT… (2008)

Synopsis: The story of the bravery and dedication of the men who served in the U.S. Life-Saving Service, as seen through the 1892 wreck and rescue of the H.P. Kirkham.

  • The film was produced for the Nantucket Shipwrecks and Lifesaving Museum to bring viewers to both an emotional and historical understanding of the bravery of the mken of the US Lifesaving Service. It was commissioned to be one of the visual centerpieces of the newly rebuilt museum.

THE BONES OF HISTORY (2005)

Synopsis: A sperm whale that washed up on a Nantucket beach on New Years Day connected islanders to their history.
Narrated by John Shea

  • This film was produced for The Nantucket Historical Association and screens daily there.
  • It won a national award called the MUSE AWARD from the American Museum Association.

Review:
“This documentary provides a context to understand the historic importance of sperm whales to Nantucket Island and changing perceptions of whales in modern days.
—Muse Award judges.

LAST CALL: MAIN STREET, DREAMS, AND THE SEARCH FOR COMMUNITY (2004)

Synopsis: A cautionary tale of the dangers of gentrification, told through the eyes of the patrons of an infamous Nantucket watering hole.

  • Narrated by Russell Baker, with an appearance by David Halberstam
  • PBS, film festivals, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)

Review:
“Filmmaker John Stanton’s documentary echoes the easy give-and-take of a friendly tavern when it was a microcosm of the cultural and political changes of the period. Stanton doesn’t single out villains in this taut and melancholy film; he merely suggests that this last call is just one more passage in life.”
—The Boston Phoenix

WITCH CITY (1992, 60 min)

Synopsis: A look at how history is sometimes twisted into commerce and religion, as the town of Salem prepares for the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials.
ß PBS, film festivals, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)

Reviews:
“Fascinating. Very entertaining.
—Michael Apted, Director: Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas in the Mist, 35-Up
"Personal and provoking."
—Anne Driscoll, The Boston Globe

LEATHER SOUL (1989, 60 min)

Synopsis: An oral history of how the leather factories in Peabody, Massachusetts, led to a multi-ethnic working class culture.

  • Narrated by Studds Terkel
  • PBS, film festivals, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC)

Review:
“A wonderful collection of working people’s stories.”
— In These Times

UNFINISHED DREAMS (1990, 60 min)

Synopsis: The tiny Bonaventure University makes a run at the NCAA Final Four. A look at the galvanizing power of sports.

  • Narrated by Charles Osgood, CBS Sunday Morning.
  • This film was produced for Empire Sports and aired on that station. It received 4-and-a-half out of five stars from the Buffalo Daily News.
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Video Highlights

You Have To Go Out… produced for the Nantucket Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum

30-second ad for the Inquirer and Mirror newspaper

30-second spot for the Community Preservation Committee


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