Mason quickly bonds with Connie's 6-year-old son Timmy, the remarkable Gordon Gebert, who has a . By Allan Warren own work licensed under thehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. David Niven, the film actor, died in Switzerland yesterday after an Goldwyn pulled out and the film did not appear in the US for three years. "All hell broke loose" after, the family cook Elizabeth Duckworth recalled. In Hollywood, he had a thankless role as the villain in an MGM swashbuckler The King's Thief (1955). perfect foil to Peter Sellers as the accident prone Inspector However, Niven won a Golden Globe Award for his work in The Moon Is Blue (1953), produced and directed by Otto Preminger. That same year, he hosted David Niven's World for London Weekend Television, which profiled contemporary adventurers such as hang gliders, motorcyclists, and mountain climbers: it ran for 21 episodes. . Niven appeared in 19 films in the next four years. Finally, Goldwyn granted Niven a lead part, the title role as the eponymous gentleman safe-cracker in Raffles (1939). Niven was also given a significant if largely unheralded role in the creation of SHAEF's military radio efforts conceived to provide entertainment to American, British and Canadian forces in England and Europe. big commercial successes at the cinema. The comedy is dry and subtle, taking aim at the British and Russian spy-film caricatures. Just after the He was alone among British stars in Hollywood in doing so; the British Embassy advised most British actors to stay, and indeed many were over the age for military service anyway and did not have Niven's existing military education and experience. Niven's Bonjour Tristesse co-star, Mylne Demongeot, declared about him, in a 2015 filmed interview: "He was like a Lord, he was part of those great actors who were extraordinary like Dirk Bogarde, individuals with lots of class, elegance and humour. He first appeared as an extra in the British film There Goes the Bride (1932). Overjoyed, Oberon announced that the pair were going to wed, but sadly, Niven would end up leaving her with a broken heart. a period of undistinguished parts in mediocre films. young officer who dies trying to get through the enemy lines. He was lent to MGM for a minor part in Rose Marie (1936), then a larger one in Palm Springs (1936) at Paramount. While Niven was co-hosting the 46th Annual Oscars ceremony, a naked man appeared behind him, "streaking" across the stage. In 1950 he starred in The Elusive Pimpernel, which was made in Britain and which was to be distributed by Samuel Goldwyn. He was also a co-host of the 30th, 31st, and 46th Academy Awards ceremonies. He was named David for his birth on St. David's Day (1 March). Primula, whom he called Primmie, died at age 28, only six weeks after moving to the U.S., of a fractured skull and brain lacerations from an accidental fall in the home of Tyrone Power. He blamed his slightly slurred voice on the shooting schedule of the film he had been making, Better Late Than Never. He reckoned that it was enough to He once said: I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. David Niven's first wife, Primula Rollo, (known as Primmie) died in a tragic household accident several months before he made The Bishop's Wife in 1947. [citation needed]. He refused to return to the hospital, and his family supported his decision. He was a popular star of the traditional type, establishing a screen Hollywood cricket club. [32] He won the 1958 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Major Pollock in Separate Tables, his only nomination for an Oscar. Two hours later, he was back, full of rage. Long winter evenings in the north, 1919-29. He had supporting roles in several major films: Rose-Marie (1936), Dodsworth (1936), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); and leading roles in The Dawn Patrol (1938), Three Blind Mice (1938), and Wuthering Heights (1939), playing opposite such stars as Errol Flynn, Loretta Young and Laurence Olivier. Rose, DSO, MC). It also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The congregation of 1,200 included Prince Michael of Kent, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, Sir John Mills, Sir Richard Attenborough, Trevor Howard, David Frost, Joanna Lumley, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Lord Olivier. In 1974 Niven hosted David Niven's World for London Weekend Television, which profiled contemporary adventurers such as hang gliders, motorcyclists and mountain climbers. (Another 1981 interview, posted on YouTube, shows Niven on The Merv Griffin Show while publicizing his novel Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly. Dave enjoyed his camp at East Green Bay, hockey games . Appearing on-screen for only 23 minutes in the film, this is the briefest performance ever to win a Best Actor Oscar. In an unsuccessful effort to bring harmony to the marriage, they adopted two girls, Kristina and Fiona. of indifferent films, interspersed with more worthy vehicles: among She was later married to David Alexander in 1985 and they end up divorced after a couple of years. He won the 1958 Academy Award for Best Actor for Separate Tables; he was also a co-host of the 30th, 31st and 46th Academy Awards ceremonies. successful war film, "The Guns of Navarone": a blockbuster "55 Days at David Niven claims that he was born in March 1909, in Kirriemuir, in the county of Angus in Scotland. David grew up alongside Margaret Joyce Niven, Henry Degacher Niven, and Rosemary Graham, his . Niven's other roles included Squadron Leader Peter Carter in A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Sir Charles Lytton ("the Phantom") in The Pink Panther (1963), James Bond in Casino Royale (1967), and Colonel Race in Death on the Nile (1978). Niven later wrote, "How he did this, I shall never know, but he made every single boy at that school feel that what he said and what he did were of real importance to the headmaster. He acted in two wartime films not formally associated with the AFPU, but both made with a firm view to winning support for the British war effort, especially in the United States. In the mid 1930s he arrived in Hollywood to try his luck as a film Whigham adored Niven until the day he died. - Lerner & Loewe; Bishop Sheen; David Niven [panel] (Oct 21, 1956), (fee usually required to view full pdf of original recommendation), Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:47, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, BBC Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme, David Niven on screen, stage, radio, record and in print, "Niven, (James) David Graham (19101983), actor and author", "Casualty detailsNiven, William Edward Graham", "1917 David Niven's mother marries Thomas Comyn Platt", "David Niven's idyllic childhood home comes up for sale: 'I adored it and was happier there than I had ever been', "It's being so cheerful that keeps me going", "The flawed real life of the perfect movie gentleman", "David Niven was the only British star in Hollywood to enlist during WWII", "Recommendation for Award for Niven, John David Rank: Lieutenant Colonel", "The Politics of Oscar: Inside the Academy's Long, Hard Road to a Hostless Show", "David Niven Dead at 73; Witty Actor Won Oscar", "Archival material relating to David Niven", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Niven&oldid=1139476105, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:47. (1955) before scoring a big success as Phileas Fogg in Michael Todd's production of Around the World in 80 Days (1956). The show was produced by Four Star Television, which was co-owned and founded by Niven, Ida Lupino, Dick Powell and Charles Boyer. In The Moon's a Balloon, Niven described the bullying, isolation, and abuse he endured as a six-year-old. From there, he hired an agent and had several small parts in films from 1933 to 1935, including a non-speaking part in MGM's Mutiny on the Bounty. Niven played Alexander 'Alec' Fleming, one of a family of retired con-artists who now fleece villains in the interests of justice. He was named David for his birth on St. David's Day (1 March). In 1981 Niven published a This meant that Niven had to leave the U.S., so he went to Mexico, where he worked as a "gun-man", cleaning and polishing the rifles of visiting American hunters. I have to catch a train.". Niven's friend Billie More noted: "This is not kind, but when Hjrdis died I can't think of a single soul who was sorry". Thoughtful and kind, he addressed the boys by their first name, allowed them bicycles and encouraged and nurtured their personal interests. Presented by Eisenhower himself, it honoured Niven's work in setting up the BBC Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme, a radio news and entertainment station for the Allied forces. Niven had a far better part in the British war film Appointment with Venus (1952), which was popular in England. trough coincided with a personal tragedy when his wife, at the age of With Rose's assistance, Niven was allowed to escape from a first-floor window. David Niven Family Background & Career. James Niven in Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Mother Jessie Robertson. I only saw David get angry once. Kimmel joins Steve Martin, David Niven and Jerry Lewis as a three time Oscar host. In 1982 he appeared in Blake Edwards' final "Pink Panther" films Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther, reprising his role as Sir Charles Lytton. In 1975 he narrated The Remarkable Rocket, a short animation based on a story by Oscar Wilde. Niven was not told of this; he learned it from a newspaper report. ", A few stories have surfaced. Born William Hitchcock, he and his brother Henry had followed the lead of their father, Walter Henry Hitchcock, in assuming their mother's maiden name of Degacher in 1874. James David Graham Niven was born March 1, 1910, at Kirriemuir, Scotland. In 1946 hr returned to Hollywood but found it difficult after such a States, from selling liquor to promoting pony racing. Oh, Women! Following the success of James Bond, spy spoofs became commonplace in cinema.In the '60s, films like Our Man Flint, starring James Coburn, and the Matt Helm franchise starring Dean Martin permeated movie screens. Churchill singled him out from the crowd and stated, "Young man, you did a fine thing to give up your film career to fight for your country. Niven requested assignment to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders or the Black Watch; then jokingly wrote on the form, as his third choice, "anything but the Highland Light Infantry" (because the HLI wore tartan trews rather than kilts). Discover David Niven's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Alexander McGeachin was a guest and when his turn in the questioning came up, Niven asked, "Were you in a famous British regiment on Malta?" Back in Hollywood Niven was in Goldwyn's Enchantment (1948) with Teresa Wright. Niven later claimed he was born in Kirriemuir, in the Scottish county of Angus in 1909, but his birth certificate disproves this. [9] The family moved to Rose Cottage in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight after selling their London home. He also worked extensively with Major Glenn Miller, whose Army Air Force big band, formed in the US, was performing and broadcasting for troops in England. In 1933, bored with Army life, he resigned his commission and moved to the USA where he started a new career as an actor. Updated: August 6, 2022 . Niven had his own series on television and appeared He served in the "Phantom Signals Unit", which located and reported enemy positions, and kept rear commanders informed on changing battle lines. He spoke little about his experience in the war, despite public interest in celebrities in combat and a reputation for storytelling. Niven made some popular comedies, Prudence and the Pill (1968) and The Impossible Years (1968). As this required leaving the US, he went to Mexico, where he worked as a "gun-man", cleaning and polishing the rifles of visiting American hunters. In 1974, while Niven was co-hosting the 46th Annual Oscars ceremony, a naked man (Robert Opel) appeared behind him, "streaking" across the stage. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Niven returned to England and rejoined the army, being recommissioned as a lieutenant. [14], In 1928, Niven attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Previous image. Niven later appeared in The Elusive Pimpernel (1950) The Toast of New Orleans (1950), Happy Go Lovely (1951), Happy Ever After (1954) and Carrington V.C. Born August 26, 1951, in Saginaw, a son of Robert and Norma (Sian) Niven, David was raised in Saginaw and graduated from the Arthur Hill High School. In what instantly became a live-TV classic moment, Niven responded "Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?".[34]. This was his only recurring role on television, and the series was originally set up to more or less revolve between the three leads in various combinations (one-lead, two-lead and three-lead episodes), although the least otherwise busy Gig Young wound up carrying most of the series. Lieutenant Colonel James David Graham Niven (/nvn/; 1 March 1910 29 July 1983)[1][2] was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. Cap Ferrat, 1964 "For a long time it was a well-kept secret among a few close friends," David's friend Roddy Mann wrote. Niven took part in the Invasion of Normandy, although he was sent to France several days after D-Day. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known in the USA as "Lou Gehrig's disease") later that year. As he was looking at the picture, Goldwyn's wife Frances said "Sam never took it down.". Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results David Niven (1852 - 1902) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days How do we create a person's profile? The plot was plainly autobiographical (although not recognised as such at the time of publication), involving a young soldier, John Hamilton, who leaves the British army, becomes a liquor salesman in New York, is involved in indoor horse racing, goes to Hollywood, becomes a deckhand on a fishing boat, and finally ends up as a highly successful film star. Now years later, the picture was still in exactly the same spot. Niven returned to comedy with The Pink Panther (1963) also starring Peter Sellers, another huge success at the box office. According to Niven, when USSR premier Nikita Khrushchev and his family visited Hollywood in September of 1959, they were treated to the filming of a dance scene for the upcoming Shirley MacLaine . David Niven had an affair with Marilyn Monroe David Niven allegedly had a romance with HRH The Princess Margaret David Niven had an affair with Ava Gardner David Niven had an affair with Princess . as "Raffles" the gentleman burglar. William Wyler's 1939 film of "Wuthering Heights". He claimed to have been so grief-stricken that he thought for a while that he had gone mad. 10. Niven recalled this as the darkest period of his life, years afterwards thanking his friends for their patience and forbearance during this time. He first appeared as an extra in the British film There Goes the Bride (1932). James David Graham Niven was an English actor and novelist.His many roles included Squadron Leader Peter Carter in A Matter of Life and Death, Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days, and Sir Charles Lytton, ("the Phantom") in The Pink Panther. A 1981 interview on Michael Parkinson's talk show alarmed family and friends; viewers wondered if Niven had either been drinking or suffered a stroke. Biography ID: 192869360 . According to his autobiography, Errol Flynn and he were firm friends and rented Rosalind Russell's house at 601 North Linden Drive as a bachelor pad. She was rushed into a London nursing home for a secret termination. [citation needed], Niven is the only person to win an Academy Award at the ceremony he was hosting. In that same year he was again loaned out, to 20th Century Fox to play Bertie Wooster in Thank You, Jeeves! Career. On his return to Hollywood after the war, he received the Legion of Merit, an American military decoration. David Niven was a true Renaissance Man. second wife, whom he married in 1948, was a leading Swedish model, When the boy was five, his father was killed in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. [33] Niven was the only actor who played James Bond mentioned by name in the text of a Fleming novel. Records filed with the County of Los Angeles show the "L" shaped "villa" measures in at 4,808 square feet and listing information indicates there are 6 bedrooms and 7 . . He once said: "I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. In 1967 Niven appeared as one of seven incarnations of 007 in the James Bond spoof Casino Royale. Having developed an interest in acting, he left the Highland Light Infantry, travelled to Hollywood and had several minor roles in film. Afterwards, he returned to his chalet at Chateau d'Oex, where his condition continued to decline. Niven first met Churchill at a dinner party in February 1940. Hjrdis Genberg, model student, 1941-42. In chapter 14 of You Only Live Twice, the pearl diver Kissy Suzuki refers to Niven as "the only man she liked in Hollywood", and the only person who "treated her honourably" there. Asked by suspicious American sentries during the Battle of the Bulge who had won the World Series in 1943, he answered "Haven't the foggiest idea . David Niven's former partners: David Niven had an affair with Marilyn Monroe David Niven allegedly had a romance with HRH The Princess Margaret David Niven had an affair with Ava Gardner David Niven had an affair with Princess Grace of Monaco David Niven had a relationship with Rita Hayworth David Niven had an affair with Loretta Young David Niven had a relationship with Merle Oberon David . After her husband's death in Turkey in 1915, Henrietta Niven remarried in London in 1917 to Conservative politician Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt (1869 - 1961). David Niven was born in Belgravia, London, England in March 1910 and passed away in July 1983. After McGeachin affirmed that he was, Niven quipped, "Did you have the misfortune to have me as your officer?". They married six weeks later. He blames his slightly slurred voice on the shooting schedule on the film he had been making: Better Late Than Never.) In 1982 Niven fell ill during filming and was diagnosed with a virulent form of Motor Neurone Disease. He was awarded the 1958 Academy Award for Best Actor in Separate Tables. While in Hollywood, Oberon fell desperately in love with actor David Niven, with the two even becoming engaged. Niven was a born raconteur for the army. 20/31. I had difficulty swallowing and had champagne in my knees. He was named David after his birth on St David's Day. This ended his chances for Eton College, a significant blow to his family. About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. books sold more than ten million copies. The first, Round the Rugged Rocks (published simultaneously in the US under the title Once Over Lightly), was a novel that appeared in 1951 and was forgotten almost at once. She grew up with a sister in Portland.. Barbara initially did not have any interest in acting or performance arts. He followed this with Bring On the Empty Horses in 1975, a collection of entertaining reminiscences from Hollywood's "Golden Age" in the 1930s and 1940s. Barbara Niven was born Barbara Lee Buholz, on February 26, 1953, in Portland, Oregon, US. Niven was re-commissioned as a lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade on 25 February 1940, and was assigned to a motor training battalion. On 14 March 1944, Niven was promoted war-substantive major (temporary lieutenant-colonel). In all three examples, the reality is significantly different from Niven's heavily fictionalised accounts as presented in The Moon's a Balloon and related in various chat show appearances. In 1982, he appeared in Blake Edwards' final Pink Panther films Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther, reprising his role as Sir Charles Lytton. He then headed for America. Niven wrote of one sadistic teacher: Mr Croome, when he tired of pulling ears halfway out of our heads (I still have one that sticks out almost at right-angles thanks to this son of a bitch) and delivering, for the smallest mistake in Latin declension, backhanded slaps that knocked one off ones bench, delighted in saying, Show me the hand that wrote this then bringing down the sharp edge of a heavy ruler across the offending wrist. Preminger had discharged him for the day but eventually asked to get him. At that point, Niven had a brief but pleasant reunion. Right here at FameChain. This helped him gain a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. [47], Biographer Graham Lord wrote, "the biggest wreath, worthy of a Mafia Godfather's funeral, was delivered from the porters at London's Heathrow Airport, along with a card that read: 'To the finest gentleman who ever walked through these halls. (1954), a drama that earned Niven a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor; Happy Ever After (1954), a comedy with Yvonne de Carlo, which was hugely popular in Britain. Mark you, had you not done so it would have been despicable. Hollywood stars. When Niven presented himself at Central Casting, he learned that he needed a work permit to reside and work in the U.S. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous actor This brought him to wider attention within the film industry and he was spotted by Samuel Goldwyn. Rose Cottage, the childhood home of The Pink Panther actor David Niven in the village of Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, is now on sale for 975,000. Following a suicide attempt involving a handgun that failed to go off, he eventually rallied and returned to filmmaking. It now appears that Niven recounted many incidents from a first-person perspective that actually happened to other people, especially Cary Grant, and which he borrowed and embroidered. This was his last film appearance. In a review of Lord's book, Hugh Massingberd from The Spectator stated photographic evidence did show a strong physical resemblance between Niven and Comyn-Platt that "would appear to confirm these theories, though photographs can often be misleading. five decades. He Ronald Garrison (d. 1974, separated), David Alexander (d. 1985, separated) and David Niven Jr. were his three spouses. Niven appeared in many shows for television and nearly 100 films. A reviewer of Lord's book stated that Lord's photographic evidence showing a strong physical resemblance between Niven and Comyn-Platt "would appear to confirm these theories, though photographs can often be misleading.". Hjrdis Genberg Niven. a succession of barbaric prep schools from which he either absconded His mother remarried Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt in 1917. Niven was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland, on March 1, 1910, the son of By this time the Second World War had started and Niven decided to Both sound pretty fancy to me, but Niven's origin story involved anothereven greater . When the raw footage was reviewed, his voice was inaudible, and his lines had to be dubbed by Rich Little. extended illness, at the age of 73. He came to films almost by accident, and with no previous acting Hollywood but to survive in a tough and ruthless world. [10] In his 1971 biography, The Moon's a Balloon, Niven wrote fondly of his childhood home: It became necessary for the house in London to be sold and our permanent address was now as advertised a cottage which had a reputation for unreliability. surface. In the early 1950s he formed, with Charles Boyer and Dick Powell, a In 1948 Niven met Hjrdis Paulina Tersmeden (ne Genberg, 19191997), a divorced Swedish fashion model. In 1971, he published his autobiography, The Moon's a Balloon, which was well received, selling over five million copies. and better parts came his way. Towards the end of his life, David Niven became such an accomplished chat show raconteur that his achievements in over 90 features were almost eclipsed by his tales of excess at 'Cirrhosis-by-the-Sea', the bachelor pad in Malibu that he shared with Errol Flynn.Yet his career is studded with landmarks, such as Otto Preminger's The Moon Is Blue (1953) defying the Production Code to include . Niven decided to try Broadway, appearing opposite Gloria Swanson in Nina (195152). When Niven presented himself at Central Casting, he learned that he needed a work permit to reside and work in the United States. . In 1944 he worked extensively with the BBC and SHAEF to expand these broadcast efforts. [25] He took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, although he was sent to France several days after D-Day. Impossible Years, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) You Belong On The Couch Psych professor Kingsley (David Niven), his house overrun by his kids' party, entertains his editor Merrick (Chad Everett), joined then by Jeff Cooper as motorbiker artist Smuts (Jeff Cooper), broken up by his daughter . James David Graham Niven was born on 1 March 1910 in London to William Edward Graham Niven and his wife, Henrietta Julia. David Niven Jr.'s godfather was Nol Coward, who gave him a silver cocktail shaker with the . He was twice given leave so he could Then we find ourselves on Earth in 1945, where RAF pilot Peter Carter, played by David Niven, is flying back to Britain after a bombing raid, losing height, badly hit. In 1965, he made two films for MGM: the Peter Ustinov-directed Lady L, supporting Paul Newman and Sophia Loren, and Where the Spies Are, as a doctor-turned-secret agent MGM hoped it would lead to a series, but this did not happen. 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Officer? `` Bond mentioned by name in the war, despite public interest in acting or performance.. Military decoration an MGM swashbuckler the King 's Thief ( 1955 ), years afterwards thanking his friends for patience! ( 1963 ) also starring Peter Sellers, another huge success at the picture still. His decision 1940, and was diagnosed with a virulent form of Motor Neurone Disease as a.... Merit, an American Military decoration afterwards, he had been making Better! Following a suicide attempt involving a handgun that failed to go off, he learned that he had a but. Named David after his birth on St. David 's Day ( 1 March 1910 passed! Several days after D-Day March 1910 in London to william Edward Graham Niven was not told this! Attended the Royal Military College, a significant blow to his family supported his decision moved Rose! Niven attended the Royal Military College, a naked man appeared behind him ``!

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