In happier times with Goldwyn, he had observed this same picture sitting on Goldwyn's piano. In 1964, he and Boyer appeared in the Four Star series The Rogues. So we rented a helicopter so they immediately went and grabbed him. Both were made with a view to winning support for the British war effort, especially in the U.S. Niven's Film Unit work included a small part in the deception operation that used minor actor M. E. Clifton James to impersonate Field Marshal Montgomery. 2008". James David Graham Niven (1 March 1910 - 29 July 1983), known professionally as David Niven, was an English actor and novelist, popular both in Europe and the US. His father, William Edward Graham Niven, was a British officer who . I only saw David get angry once. He registered with Central Casting as "Anglo Saxon Type Number About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. According to his autobiography, he and Errol Flynn were firm friends and had decided to rent Rosalind Russell's house at 601 North Linden Drive as a bachelor pad. Hollywood cricket club. Husband of Primula Susan Niven and Hjrdis Paulina Niven After Niven had won the Academy Award, Goldwyn called with an invitation to his home. He then attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, and graduated in 1930 with a commission as a second lieutenant in the regular Army. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous actor young officer who dies trying to get through the enemy lines. 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. In 1971 he published his autobiography, The Moon's a Balloon, which was well received, selling over five million copies. Infantry, mainly on Malta, but resigned his commission after three Niven joined what became known as the Hollywood Raj, a group of British actors in Hollywood which included Rex Harrison, Errol Flynn, Boris Karloff, Stan Laurel, Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman, Leslie Howard and C. Aubrey Smith. He claimed to have been so grief-stricken that he thought for a while that he had gone mad. She was later married to David Alexander in 1985 and they end up divorced after a couple of years. He attended Attleboro schools through high school, Class of 1938. trough coincided with a personal tragedy when his wife, at the age of He blamed his slightly slurred voice on the shooting schedule of the film he had been making, Better Late Than Never. The actress was born as Barbara Lee Bucholz on 26 February 1953 in Portland, Oregon. it made more than 2,000 and helped to launch the careers of several Born in London, Niven attended Heatherdown and Stowe before gaining a place at Royal Military College at Sandhurst. Primmie and their sons (now age 3 and 4 months) took the 2 week journey by boat and arrived in Portland, Maine on March 22, 1946. Niven played a role in the operation to move the Miller band to France prior to Miller's December 1944 disappearance while flying over the English Channel. dress and behaviour but with mischief lurking not far from the Her father was Captain (brevet Major) William Degacher (18411879) of the 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot, who was killed at the Battle of Isandlwana during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. Rose, DSO, MC). In 1978, Niven and Ustinov would star together in a film adaption of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. Just after the books sold more than ten million copies. He was alone among British stars in Hollywood in doing so; the British Embassy advised most actors to stay. perfect foil to Peter Sellers as the accident prone Inspector "[27], Niven ended the war as a lieutenant-colonel. Niven graduated to star parts in "A" films with The Dawn Patrol (1938) remake at Warners; although he was billed below Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, it was a leading role and the film did excellent business. [22], Niven was recommissioned as a lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) on 25 February 1940,[23] and was assigned to a motor training battalion. It says much There, he hired an agent and had several small parts in films through 1935, including a non-speaking role in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). successful war film, "The Guns of Navarone": a blockbuster "55 Days at He is buried in Green Hill Cemetery, Turkey, in the Special Memorial Section in Plot F. [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. I found it where they told me I would, but it was among 27,000 others, and I told myself that here, Niven, were 27,000 reasons why you should keep your mouth shut after the war. Below the table, you can find all the information about his birthday. [43][44][45] David Niven was buried on 2 August 1983 in the local cemetery of Chteau-d'x. Sadly, by the summer of 1983, just weeks before Curse was released . Niven had been Bond creator Ian Fleming's first choice to play Bond in Dr. No. I adored it and was happier there than I had ever been, especially because, with a rare flash of genius, my mother decided that during the holidays she would be alone with her children. ", He gave a few details of his war experience in his autobiography, The Moon's a Balloon: his private conversations with Winston Churchill, the bombing of London, and what it was like entering Germany with the occupation forces. extended illness, at the age of 73. Thus Niven did not enjoy his time in the Army. He hosted the 1981 American Film Institute tribute to Fred Astaire, which was his final appearance in Hollywood. He returned to Britain to play the title role in The Elusive Pimpernel (1950) from Powell and Pressberger, which was to have been financed by Korda and Goldwyn. Niven also worked with the Army Film Unit. The couple parted. James Niven was born on month day 1825, to John Niven and Agnes Moodie. billing, and first real chance to show his gift for comedy, came in [3] He was named David after his birth on St David's Day. But his birth certificate says something completely different. Early Life and Family. He was working on a third novel when his health failed in 1983. He once said: "I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. He then headed for America. He returned to the US and was accepted by Central Casting as "Anglo-Saxon Type No. But Deborah . In the Ian Fleming novel You Only Live Twice, Kissy Suzuki has a cormorant who is named "David" after the actor. Reed as a quasi propaganda piece for the British Army. David Niven Jr., better known by her family name David Niven Jr., is a popular British actor. recruiting British actors and Niven fitted happily into an expatriate Though promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1933, he saw no opportunity for further advancement. Streaker Robert Opel, a gay rights activist, had a history of nude protests, and his antics weren't as rare as you might think -- streaking was actually a nationwide trend in 1974. He appeared in A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947), and Enchantment (1948), all of which received critical acclaim. Niven also had special scorn for the newspaper columnists covering the war who typed out self-glorifying and excessively florid prose about their meagre wartime experiences. Matka, dcera armdnho dstojnka, pochzela z Walesu a kdy Davidv otec padl v Bitv o Gallipoli (1915), provdala se za Sira Thomase Comyn-Platta. 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. After Sandhurst he was gazetted a lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry. rater than stick out for good parts. DAVID NIVEN's former partner 'was a b**** to him', according to James Bond actor Roger Moore. Father David Pearson Niven. In 1971, with the X. 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". http://ww2gravestone.com/people/niven-james-david-graham/. Niven first met Churchill at a dinner party in February 1940. "[11] Niven is said to have revealed that he knew Comyn-Platt was his real father a year before his own death in 1983.[12]. From Maggie Smith to Michael Caine, from Richard Harris . After detours to Bermuda and Cuba, he arrived in Hollywood in the summer of 1934. He appeared in A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947, with Cary Grant and Loretta Young), and Enchantment (1948, with Teresa Wright), all of which received critical acclaim. He came to films almost by accident, and with no previous acting They married six weeks later. in the popular comedy show, "The Rogues"; later he was much in demand two films a year but he probably had mlre impact with a series of In 1933, she wed US golfer and gambler Charles Sweeny in a glamorous, highly publicised wedding, which 3,000 Londoners tried to gatecrash. It ran for 21 episodes. After Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Niven returned home and rejoined the Army. Niven had particular scorn for those newspaper columnists covering the war who typed out self-glorifying and excessively florid prose about their meagre wartime experiences. When Niven presented himself at Central Casting, he learned that he needed a work permit to reside and work in the U.S. 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. 25, was killed in an accidental fall, leaving two small sons. A 2009 biography of Niven contained assertions that he had an affair with Princess Margaret, who was 20 years his junior. return to Britain to play his part. Niven plays the bumbling amateur who makes good but was recruited because all the other spies have been unfortunately lost - that's MI5. Son of William Edward Graham Niven and Henriette Julia Comyn-Platt (1958) Starring: Dick Powell, David Niven Genre: TV Western, Television Studio: Timeless Media Release Date: 12/2/2014 Features: Boxed Set The third season of the anthology series brings more of Zane Grey's Old West stories to the small screen with no shortage of drama or top guest stars. By Allan Warren own work licensed under thehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. While crossing the Atlantic, Niven resigned his commission by telegram on 6 September 1933. David Niven, in full James David Graham Niven, (born March 1, 1910, London, Englanddied July 29, 1983, Chteau-d'Oex, Switzerland), British stage and motion-picture actor who personified dapper charm. James David Graham Niven was born on 1 March 1910 at Belgrave Mansions, Grosvenor Gardens, London, to William Edward Graham Niven (1878-1915) and his wife, Henrietta Julia (ne Degacher) Niven (1878-1932). Niven won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the bogus major in Bored with the peacetime army, he resigned his commission in 1933, relocated to New York, then travelled to Hollywood. Graham Lord, in NIV: The Authorized Biography of David Niven, suggested that Comyn-Platt and Mrs. Niven had been having an affair for some time before her husband's death, and that Sir Thomas may well have been David Niven's biological father, a supposition which has some support from her children. He then headed for America. son. He had a support role in MGM's Soldiers Three (1951) similar to those early in his career. At that point, Niven had a brief but pleasant reunion. In 1939 he co-starred with Ginger Rogers in the RKO comedy Bachelor Mother, and starred as the eponymous gentleman safe-cracker in Raffles. Hjrdis Genberg Niven. In 1974 Niven hosted David Niven's World for London Weekend Television, which profiled contemporary adventurers such as hang gliders, motorcyclists and mountain climbers. The Moon Is Blue, a sex comedy, became notorious when it was released without a Production Code Seal of Approval; it was a big hit and Niven won a Golden Globe Award for his role. Niven struggled for a while to recapture his former position. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out. Niven was reluctant to take a supporting part in Wuthering Heights (1939) for Goldwyn, but eventually relented and the film was a big success. Niven was fourth billed in Beloved Enemy (1936) for Goldwyn, supporting Merle Oberon with whom he became romantically involved. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther. He graduated in 1930 with a commission as a second lieutenant in the British Army. When the boy was five, his father was killed in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. However, Niven won a Golden Globe Award for his work in The Moon Is Blue (1953), produced and directed by Otto Preminger. He served in "Phantom", a secret reconnaissance and signals unit which located and reported enemy positions,[26] and kept rear commanders informed on changing battle lines. In 1959, he became the host of his own TV drama series, The David Niven Show, which ran for 13 episodes that summer. Niven also worked with the Army Film and Photographic Unit. But still he made a high ratio Born in London in 1910, David Niven went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1928 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry the following year. "[13], In 1928, an 18-year-old Niven had sex with 15-year-old Margaret Whigham (the future socialite and Duchess of Argyll) while she was on holiday in Bembridge. 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 made some popular comedies, Prudence and the Pill (1968) and The Impossible Years (1968). contract by Sam Goldwyn and though the relationship was not always David Niven commanded "A" Squadron GHQ Liaison Regiment, better known as "Phantom". Holland, Belgium and Germany. The show ended in 1955, but Four Star TV became a highly successful TV production company. 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. (Another 1981 interview, posted on YouTube, shows Niven on The Merv Griffin Show while publicizing his novel Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly. This was his only recurring role on television. Life at Leja, 1942-43. Other than, this there is no information on her siblings or early childhood. 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. His father was killed during the World War I in 1915. The formula proved astonishingly successful and led to a Now years later, the picture was still in exactly the same spot. He acted in two films made during the war, The First of the Few (1942) and The Way Ahead (1944). He was also a co-host of the 30th, 31st, and 46th Academy Awards ceremonies. He was born James David Graham Niven on March 1, 1910, in Kirriemuir, a market and linen-mill center in the Scottish Highlands. Niven grew tired of the peacetime Army. Loosely based on Ian Fleming's book of the same name, Casino Royale follows a retired Sir James . Hjordis Tersmeden; they had two adopted daughters. company, Four Star Television, to produce films for the small screen; A son, David, Jr., was born in December 1942 and a second son, James Graham Niven, on 6 November 1945. He was a popular star of the traditional type, establishing a screen 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, but I did co-star with Ginger Rogers in Bachelor Mother! He attended Dartmouth College and was graduated. He received his resident alien visa from the American consulate when his birth certificate arrived from Britain. In Malta he became friends with Roy Urquhart, future commander of the British 1st Airborne Division. In 1967 Niven appeared as one of seven incarnations of 007 in the James Bond spoof Casino Royale. [41] He also became close friends with William F. Buckley and his wife Pat; Buckley wrote a memorial tribute to him in Miles Gone By (2004). Now years later, the picture was still in exactly the same spot. Niven's professional fortunes were completely restored when cast as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (1956), a huge hit at the box office. In 1948, Niven met and married Hjrdis Paulina Tersmeden (ne Genberg, 19191997), a divorced Swedish fashion model. [13], While attending school as was customary for the time Niven received many instances of corporal punishment owing to his inclination for pranks. In 1944 he worked extensively with the BBC and SHAEF to expand these broadcast efforts. I goggled. The show was produced by Four Star Television, which was co-owned and founded by Niven, Ida Lupino, Dick Powell and Charles Boyer. became a close friend and drinking companion) ; Niven played a gallant (Ustinov also acted in The Way Ahead.) During the course of his long and storied acting career, Niven played a leading man, a world explorer, the villain in a Pink Panther movie, a soldier, a sailor, an action hero, and even James Bond in the first Casino Royale.He won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1958 for his role as Major Pollock in . She was brought up by her parents David Niven and Primula Rollo. Niven appeared in many shows for television and nearly 100 films. With Rose's assistance, Niven was allowed to escape from a first-floor window. 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. [16] On 21 October 1956, in an episode of the game show What's My Line?, Niven, as a member of the celebrity panel, was reacquainted with one of his former enlisted men. supported Ronald Colman in "The Prisoner of Zenda", played opposite Biography ID: 192869360 . During his work with the Film Unit, Peter Ustinov, though one of the script-writers, had to pose as Niven's batman. Family tree. Niven was in demand throughout the last decade of his life: King, Queen, Knave (1972); Vampira (1974); Paper Tiger (1975); No Deposit, No Return (1976), a Disney comedy; Candleshoe (1977), one of several stars in a popular comedy; Murder By Death (1976), Death on the Nile (1978), one of many stars and another hit; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979); Escape to Athena (1979), produced by his son; Rough Cut (1980), supporting Burt Reynolds; and The Sea Wolves (1980), a wartime adventure movie. 1936 in "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (whose star, Errol Flynn, 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 followed this with Bring On the Empty Horses in 1975, a collection of entertaining reminiscences from Hollywood's "Golden Age" in the 1940s. David Niven claims that he was born in March 1909, in Kirriemuir, in the county of Angus in Scotland. 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. It all started in a small town when she, as a young Yugoslavian woman, married a man named Robert Chandler. With an Academy Award to his credit, Niven's career continued to thrive. He secured a small role in A Feather in Her Hat (1935) at Columbia before returning to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a bit role, billed as David Nivens, in Rose Marie (1936). Niven was one of the four heroes in John Ford's Four Men and a Prayer (1938), also with Fox. Both sound pretty fancy to me, but Niven's origin story involved anothereven greater . Clouseau. When the raw footage was reviewed, his voice was inaudible, and his lines had to be dubbed by Rich Little. [17], Niven grew tired of the peacetime army. 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. By this time, Niven was having serious health problems. Read Todd S. Purdum's 1999 article on Hollywood family life on fabled Roxbury Drive, . Upon developing an interest in acting, he found a role as an extra in the British film There Goes the Bride (1932). He also began writing books, with considerable commercial success. Overjoyed, Oberon announced that the pair were going to wed, but sadly, Niven would end up leaving her with a broken heart. Born to a longtime military family, Niven attended Sandhurst Military Academy. RKO borrowed him to play Ginger Rogers' leading man in the romantic comedy Bachelor Mother (1939), which was another big hit. He died at his chalet from ALS on 29 July, aged 73. On one occasion Prince Rainier asked Niven who among . Mark you, had you not done so it would have been despicable. 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. Niven ended the war as a lieutenant-colonel. of indifferent films, interspersed with more worthy vehicles: among Next image. 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. While Niven was co-hosting the 46th Annual Oscars ceremony, a naked man appeared behind him, "streaking" across the stage. Surprisingly few of his 90-odd films stay in the memory, pilot in Powell and Pressburger's Entdecke Niv: The Authorised Biography of David Niven by Lord, Graham Hardback Book The in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! Niven often claimed that he was born in Kirriemuir, in the Scottish county of Angus in 1909, but his birth certificate shows this was not the case. The show was produced by Four Star Television, which was co-owned by Niven, Robert Montgomery and Charles Boyer. His many . He supported Mario Lanza in a musical at MGM, The Toast of New Orleans (1950). his life in the forces and in films and literally sprinkled with Primmie died at the age of 28, only six weeks after the family moved to the US. He served as an officer with the Highland Light He once said: I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. Obituary. Kristina and Fiona told Graham Lord that Hjrdis added insult to injury by forbidding them to bury her alongside her husband in the place left for her in his double grave in Switzerland. When he interrupted David Niven at the 1974 Academy Awards ceremony, the Oscars streaker established what remains the all-time most outrageous moment in the history of the Oscars. 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. At the age of 15, she became pregnant with the actor David Niven's child while on a holiday on the Isle of Wight, but the pregnancy was terminated. Find out about David Niven's family tree, family history, ancestry, ancestors, genealogy, relationships and affairs! Showing the typical rebelliousness of his early years, Niven asked, "Could you tell me the time, sir? for chat shows, where his gift for anecdote made him an ideal subject. A Thanksgiving service was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on 27 October 1983. He served with the HLI for two years in Malta and then for a few months in Dover. As he was looking at the picture, Goldwyn's wife Frances said, "Sam never took it down."[16]. David Niven was born on the 1st of March, 1910. and better parts came his way. For Goldwyn, Niven again had a small role in Splendor (1935). [9] The family moved to Rose Cottage in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight after selling their London home. Niven joined what became known as the Hollywood Raj, a group of British actors in Hollywood which included Rex Harrison, Boris Karloff, Stan Laurel, Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman, Leslie Howard,[21] and C. Aubrey Smith. By 1938, he was starring as the leading man in other 'A' films, including Wuthering Heights (1939). Among the initial films in which he can be seen are Barbary Coast (1935) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). When the raw footage was reviewed, his voice was inaudible, and his lines had to be dubbed by Rich Little. 47 sold. He was famous for being a Movie Actor. His final appearance in Hollywood was hosting the 1981 American Film Institute tribute to Fred Astaire. In 1982 Niven fell ill during filming and was diagnosed with a virulent form of Motor Neurone Disease. He was assigned to the HLI, and his comment was known in the regiment. James David Graham Niven was born on 01 March 1910 at Belgrave Mansions, Grosvenor Gardens, London, to William Edward Graham Niven (1878-1915) and his wife, Henrietta Julia (ne Degacher) Niven (1878-1932). The show ended in 1955, but Four Star TV became a highly successful TV production company. harmonious it lasted for 14 years. This brought him to wider attention within the film industry and he was spotted by Samuel Goldwyn. Niven's father, William Niven, was of Scottish descent; he was killed in the First World War serving with the Berkshire Yeomanry during the Gallipoli campaign on 21 August 1915. Flynn in a re-make of "The Dawn Patrol" and in formidable competition Niven's 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. In 1974, while Niven was co-hosting the 46th Annual Oscars ceremony, a naked man (Robert Opel) appeared behind him, "streaking" across the stage. [15], He did well at Sandhurst, which gave him the "officer and gentleman" bearing that was his trademark. Oh, Women! Excellent read. 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. 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. Grizel Rosemary Graham (born in Belgravia, Middlesex), 28 November 1906 28 January 2007). He continued to make one and [46], A Thanksgiving service for Niven was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on 27 October 1983. "All hell broke loose," remembered Elizabeth Duckworth, the family cook. In 1933, bored with Army life, he resigned his commission and moved to the USA where he started a new career as an actor. [4] He had two older sisters and a brother: Margaret Joyce Niven (1900 1981), Henry Degacher Niven (1902 1953), and the sculptor Grizel Rosemary Graham (19062007), who created the bronze sculpture Bessie that is presented to the annual winners of the Women's Prize for Fiction. While in Hollywood, Oberon fell desperately in love with actor David Niven, with the two even becoming engaged. 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