After being placed under close arrest for this act of insubordination, Niven finished a bottle of whisky with the officer who was guarding him: Rhoddy Rose (later Colonel R.L.C. The year is 1974: 33-year-old Robert Opel, looking for all the world like a fit David Crosby, streaks naked past David Niven, who was about to introduce Elizabeth Taylor. Niven subsequently appeared in another thirty films. David Niven Jr. is a British film producer, film actor and script writer who was an executive at Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures. however, mainly because he was content to take what was available Niven was last married to David Niven Jr a British film producer and actor from June 19, 1993, to 1998. Genealogy profile for David Niven Genealogy for David Niven (1804 - 1872) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. When the raw footage was reviewed, his voice was inaudible, and his lines had to be dubbed by Rich Little. 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. [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. Niven explained in his autobiography that there was no military way that he, as a lieutenant-colonel, and Ustinov, who was only a private, could associate, except as an officer and his subordinate, hence their strange "act". This was his last film appearance. Infantry, mainly on Malta, but resigned his commission after three On one occasion Prince Rainier asked Niven who among . up the archetypal English gentleman, witty, debonair, immaculate in 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. 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". 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. [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. He was named David for his birth on St. David's Day (1 March). He was assigned to a training base at Inverailort House in the Western Highlands. Now years later, the picture was still in exactly the same spot. James was baptized on month day 1825, at baptism place. Introducing the family Hjrdis and David Niven with Kristina and Fiona. This helped him gain a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. 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 . Thoughtful and kind, he addressed the boys by their first name, allowed them bicycles and encouraged and nurtured their personal interests. William served in the Berkshire Yeomanry in the First World War and was killed during the Gallipoli Campaign on 21 August 1915. Reed as a quasi propaganda piece for the British Army. His first major roles were in . As he was looking at the picture, Goldwyn's wife Frances said "Sam never took it down.". Later, in 1985, she married David Alexander. His family were soldiers. extended illness, at the age of 73. During his work with the AFPU, Peter Ustinov, one of the script-writers, had to pose as Niven's batman. Roxburgh, who was unlike any of Niven's previous headmasters. experience, but through a combination of luck, knowing the right After failing to pass the naval entrance exam due to his difficulty with maths, Niven attended Stowe School, a newly created public school led by headmaster J.F. 10. (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. Henrietta was of French and British . Nationality: British. Unfortunately, Niven's second marriage was as tumultuous as his first marriage was content. He recounted their meeting: I had never seen anything so beautiful in my lifetall, slim, auburn hair, up-tilted nose, lovely mouth and the most enormous grey eyes I had ever seen. Together the two PA Photos. trough coincided with a personal tragedy when his wife, at the age of Niven. and the book was essentially a succession of funny stories, drawn from "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther. This role led to him being cast in further war and/or action movies: The Captive City (1962); The Best of Enemies (1962); Guns of Darkness (1962); 55 Days at Peking (1963) with Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner. 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. Goldwyn pulled out, and the film did not appear in the U.S. for three years. Good author, David Niven knows how to tell a Story well and thoroughly, beginning, a middle and an end. five decades. 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. She kept a photo of David Niven's villa in the family bathroom and told her children that it was the house of her dreams. For Goldwyn he supported Cary Grant and Young in The Bishop's Wife (1947). After a whirlwind two-week romance in 1940, Niven married Primula Susan Rollo (18 February 1918, London 21 May 1946, Beverly Hills, California), the aristocratic daughter of a British lawyer. (1957); The Little Hut (1957), from the writer of The Moon is Blue and a success at the box office; My Man Godfrey (1957), a screwball comedy; and Bonjour Tristesse (1958), for Preminger. The formula proved astonishingly successful and led to a He is the son of actor David Niven and Primula Rollo. He resumed his career in 1946, now only in starring roles. "[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]. He then headed for America. His health quickly declined and he died in 1983 at age 73, leaving four children and his second wife. Niven was reluctant to take a supporting part in Wuthering Heights (1939) for Goldwyn, but eventually relented and the film was a big success. With the Duke of Argyll at the family seat, Inveraray Castle, in 1960. He returned to England when Goldwyn lent him to Alexander Korda to play the title role in Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948), a notorious box office flop. Hjrdis Genberg Niven. persona that became instantly recognizable and was repeated, more or Local doctors wished to operate immediately to remove the bird shot. Next image. 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 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. Niven resumed his acting career after his demobilisation, and was voted the second-most popular British actor in the 1945 Popularity Poll of British film stars. He was also a co-host of the 30th, 31st, and 46th Academy Awards ceremonies. 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. 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. This was his last film appearance. [3] He was named David after his birth on St David's Day. But his birth certificate says something completely different. [citation needed]. Rose, DSO, MC). 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. Niven's The date was 1910 and the location was Belgrave Mansions, Grosvenor Gardens in London. Niven later claimed credit for bringing future Major General Sir Robert E. Laycock to the Commandos. Niven took part in the Invasion of Normandy, although he was sent to France several days after D-Day. . 'Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,' Kimmel joked. He was working on a third novel when his health failed in 1983. Though promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1933, he saw no opportunity for further advancement. While in Hollywood, Oberon fell desperately in love with actor David Niven, with the two even becoming engaged. fortunate both with his contacts and in being in the right place at (Another 1981 interview, posted on YouTube, shows Niven on The Merv Griffin Show while publicizing his novel Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly. David Niven Jr. Family Background & Career. "All hell broke loose" after, the family cook Elizabeth Duckworth recalled. 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 . 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?" 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. Niven plays the bumbling amateur who makes good but was recruited because all the other spies have been unfortunately lost - that's MI5. [20] In New York City, Niven began a brief and unsuccessful career in whisky sales, followed by a stint in horse rodeo promotion in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Other than, this there is no information on her siblings or early childhood. Back in Hollywood Niven was in Goldwyn's Enchantment (1948) with Teresa Wright. He then attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, and graduated in 1930 with a commission as a second lieutenant in the regular Army. Niven had been Bond creator Ian Fleming's first choice to play Bond in Dr. No. 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. . Niven won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the bogus major in He was assigned to the HLI, with which he served for two years in Malta and then for a few months in Dover. The Distinguished Alumni will be recognized at the Distinguished Alumni Awards . For Goldwyn, Niven again had a small role in Splendor (1935). The play ran for only 45 performances but it was seen by Otto Preminger, who decided to cast Niven in the film version of the play The Moon Is Blue (1953). Niven commanded "A" Squadron GHQ Liaison Regiment, better known as "Phantom". supported Ronald Colman in "The Prisoner of Zenda", played opposite He appeared several times on various short-drama shows, and was one of the "four stars" of the dramatic anthology series Four Star Playhouse, appearing in 33 episodes. James passed away on August 19 1885, at age 60. Due to his role in Mutiny on the Bounty, he came to the attention of independent film producer Samuel Goldwyn, who signed him to a contract and established his career. In 1964, he and Boyer appeared in the Four Star series The Rogues. 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. In 1981 Niven published a second and much more successful novel, Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly, which was set during and after World War II, and which drew on his experiences during the war and in Hollywood. 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). He returned to the US and was accepted by Central Casting as "Anglo-Saxon Type No. Margaret Niven. 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?". Clouseau. 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. Niven also worked with the Army Film and Photographic Unit. She focused on her academics and was an exceptional student. After Niven had won the Academy Award, Goldwyn called with an invitation to his home. be so well paid for doing what he enjoyed. Niven died as a result of ALS on 29 July 1983, at age 73. DAVID NIVEN's former partner 'was a b**** to him', according to James Bond actor Roger Moore. In an unsuccessful effort to bring harmony to the marriage, they adopted two girls, Kristina and Fiona. Niven was the head of the William Morris Agency in Europe, which he left for Columbia Pictures in 1970. 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. David Niven claims that he was born in March 1909, in Kirriemuir, in the county of Angus in Scotland. [6] Although born William Hitchcock, in 1874, he and his older brother Lieutenant Colonel Henry Degacher (1835-1902), both followed their father, Walter Henry Hitchcock, in taking their mother's maiden name of Degacher. . less, through film after film. In 1979 he appeared in Escape to Athena, which was produced by his son David Jr. Matka, dcera armdnho dstojnka, pochzela z Walesu a kdy Davidv otec padl v Bitv o Gallipoli (1915), provdala se za Sira Thomase Comyn-Platta. 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. Updated: August 6, 2022 . From fifteen and forty-five, she suffered from bulimia 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. He reckoned that it was enough to He had a better part in The Birds and the Bees (1956), portraying a conman in a remake of The Lady Eve (1941), in which Niven played a third-billed supporting role under American television comedian George Gobel and leading lady Mitzi Gaynor. He was assigned to a training base at Inverailort House in the Western Highlands. Following the war, David was eager to resume his Hollywood career and left for America first to begin wrapping up the loose ends of his former bachelor life. He once said: "I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. The comedy is dry and subtle, taking aim at the British and Russian spy-film caricatures. None of these films was successful at the box office and Niven's career was struggling. [4] This liberal borrowing and embroidering of his personal history was also said to be the reason why he persistently refused to appear on This Is Your Life. The couple parted. The day after Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Niven returned home and rejoined the British Army. Among the initial films in which he can be seen are Barbary Coast (1935) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). He gained additional fame for his roles in Enchantment, The Toast of New Orleans, and Happy go Lovely. 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. [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. It really happened the way it does when written by the worst lady novelistsI goggled. He was promoted to war-substantive captain on 18 August 1941.[24]. The Rogues ran for only one season, but won a Golden Globe award. Showing the typical rebelliousness of his early years, Niven asked, "Could you tell me the time, sir? He blames his slightly slurred voice on the shooting schedule on the film he had been making: Better Late Than Never.) Niven struggled for a while to recapture his former position. These were The First of the Few (1942), directed by Leslie Howard, and The Way Ahead (1944), directed by Carol Reed. Additionally, she holds the American nationality and has North American ethnicity. 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! His father was an army man, as were both his grandfathers. During this period Niven was largely barred from the Hollywood studios. James Niven. (1955) before scoring a big success as Phileas Fogg in Michael Todd's production of Around the World in 80 Days (1956). [40] However, Kerr, Ustinov, and Coward were all honoured. He made a porter feel like a king. Niven was the only James Bond actor mentioned by name in the text of Fleming's novels. [25] He took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, although he was sent to France several days after D-Day. But I did co-star with Ginger Rogers in Bachelor Mother!". Life was never the same again, 1930-40. Niven also worked in television. Niven's grandfather William Degacher was killed in the Battle of Isandlwana (1879), during the Zulu War. Was accepted by Central Casting as `` Phantom '', in Kirriemuir in. Coincided with a personal tragedy when his wife, at the family Elizabeth! ; All hell broke loose & quot ; after, the family cook Elizabeth Duckworth.! 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