David Niven
David Niven | |
---|---|
Born | James David Graham Niven 1 March 1910 Victoria, London, England |
Died | 29 July 1983 Château-d'Œx, Switzerland | (aged 73)
Resting place | Château-d'Œx Cemetery |
Education |
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Alma mater | Royal Military College, Sandhurst |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1932–1983 |
Spouses | |
Children | 4, including David Jr. |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service |
|
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Service number | 44959 |
Unit |
|
Battles/wars | Second World War |
Awards | Legion of Merit (LOM) |
James David Graham Niven (
Born in central London to an upper-middle-class family, Niven attended
Parts, initially small, in major motion pictures followed, including
He went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Separate Tables (1958). Other notable films during this time period include A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Enchantment (1948), The Elusive Pimpernel (1950), The Moon Is Blue (1953), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), My Man Godfrey (1957), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Murder by Death (1976), and Death on the Nile (1978). He also earned acclaim and notoriety playing Sir Charles Lytton in The Pink Panther (1963) and James Bond in Casino Royale (1967).
Early life and family
James David Graham Niven was born on 1 March 1910 at
Niven's father, William Niven, was of
Niven's mother, Henriette, was born in
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).[9] The family moved to Rose Cottage in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight after selling their London home.[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. When the East wind blew, the front door got stuck and when the West wind blew, the back door could not be opened – only the combined weight of the family seemed to keep it anchored to the ground. 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. Uncle Tommy was barred – I don't know where he went – to the Carlton Club I suppose.[10]
Literary editor and biographer, Graham Lord, wrote in Niv: The Authorised Biography of David Niven, that Comyn-Platt and Niven's mother may have been in an affair well before her husband's death in 1915 and that Comyn-Platt was actually Niven's biological father, a supposition that had some support among Niven's siblings. 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."[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]
After his mother remarried, Niven's stepfather had him sent away to boarding school. In The Moon's a Balloon, Niven described the bullying, isolation, and abuse he endured as a six-year-old. He said that older pupils would regularly assault younger boys, while the schoolmasters were not much better. 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 one's 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.[13]
Years later, after joining the British Army, a vengeful Niven decided to return to the boarding school to pay a call on Mr Croome but he found the place abandoned and empty.[13]
While attending school – as was customary for the time – Niven received many instances of
In 1928, an 18-year-old Niven had sex with 15-year-old
Military service
In 1928, Niven attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He graduated in 1930 with a commission as a second lieutenant in the British Army.[15]
He did well at Sandhurst, which gave him the "officer and gentleman" bearing that was his trademark. He requested assignment to the
Niven grew tired of the peacetime army. Though promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1933,[18] he saw no opportunity for further advancement. His ultimate decision to resign came after a lengthy lecture on machine guns, which was interfering with his plans for dinner with a particularly attractive young lady. At the end of the lecture, the speaker (a major general) asked if there were any questions. Showing the typical rebelliousness of his early years, Niven asked, "Could you tell me the time, sir? I have to catch a train."[16]
After being placed under close-arrest for this act of insubordination, Niven finished a bottle of
in 1934.Film career
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1935–1938: Early roles
When Niven presented himself at
Niven's role in Mutiny on the Bounty brought him to the attention of independent film producer
1938–1939: Leading man
Fox Studios gave him the lead in a B picture, Dinner at the Ritz (1938) and he again had a supporting role in Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938) directed by Ernst Lubitsch at Paramount. Niven was one of the four heroes in John Ford's Four Men and a Prayer (1938), also with Fox. He remained with Fox to play the part of a fake love interest in Three Blind Mice (1938). 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. 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.
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. Niven was reluctant to take a supporting part in Wuthering Heights (1939) for Goldwyn, but eventually relented and the film was a big success. RKO borrowed him to play Ginger Rogers' leading man in the romantic comedy Bachelor Mother (1939), which was another big hit. Goldwyn used him to support Gary Cooper in the adventure tale The Real Glory (1939), and Walter Wanger cast him opposite Loretta Young in Eternally Yours (1939). Finally, Goldwyn granted Niven a lead part, the title role as the eponymous gentleman safe-cracker in Raffles (1939).
1939–1945: Second World War
The day after Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Niven returned home and rejoined the British Army. He was alone among British stars in Hollywood in doing so; the
Niven was recommissioned as a lieutenant in the
Niven also worked with the
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. These were The First of the Few (1942), directed by Leslie Howard, and The Way Ahead (1944), directed by Carol Reed. Ustinov also played a large supporting role as a Frenchman in The Way Ahead.
Niven was also given a significant if largely unheralded role in the creation of
On 14 March 1944, Niven was promoted war-substantive major (temporary lieutenant-colonel). in Kent. He spoke little about his experience in the war, despite public interest in celebrities in combat and a reputation for storytelling. He once said:
I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. I was asked by some American friends to search out the grave of their son near Bastogne.
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.[citation needed]
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. Niven stated, "Anyone who says a bullet sings past, hums past, flies, pings, or whines past, has never heard one – they go crack!" He gave a few details of his war experience in his autobiography,
A few stories have surfaced. About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. But I'll have to do it all over again in Hollywood with Errol Flynn!" 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!"[27]
Niven ended the war as a lieutenant-colonel. On his return to Hollywood after the war, he received the Legion of Merit, an American military decoration.[28] It honoured Niven's work in setting up the BBC Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme, a radio news and entertainment station for the Allied forces.[29][30]
1946–1950: Postwar career
Niven resumed his career while still in England, playing the lead in A Matter of Life and Death (1946), from the team of Powell and Pressburger. The film was critically acclaimed, popular in England and was selected as the first Royal Film Performance. Niven returned to Hollywood and encountered tragedy when his first wife died after falling down a flight of stairs at a party. Goldwyn lent him to play Aaron Burr in Magnificent Doll (1946) opposite Ginger Rogers, then to Paramount for The Perfect Marriage (1947) with Loretta Young and Enterprise Productions for The Other Love (1947). For Goldwyn he supported Cary Grant and Young in The Bishop's Wife (1947). 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. Back in Hollywood Niven was in Goldwyn's Enchantment (1948) with Teresa Wright. At Warner Bros he was in a comedy A Kiss in the Dark (1948) with Jane Wyman, then he appeared opposite Shirley Temple in the comedy A Kiss for Corliss (1949). None of these films was successful at the box office and Niven's career was struggling.
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. Goldwyn pulled out and the film did not appear in the US for three years. Niven had a long, complex relationship with Goldwyn, who gave him his first start, but the dispute over The Elusive Pimpernel and Niven's demands for more money led to a long estrangement between the two in the 1950s.[31]
1951–1964: Renewed acclaim
Niven struggled for a while to recapture his former position. He supported
Niven's professional fortunes were completely restored when cast as
Niven is the only person to win an
Even more popular was the action film The Guns of Navarone (1961) with Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. This role led to him being cast in further war and/or action films: 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 returned to comedy with The Pink Panther (1963) also starring Peter Sellers, another huge success at the box office. Less so was the comedy Bedtime Story (1964) with Marlon Brando. In 1964, Charles Boyer, Gig Young and top-billed Niven appeared in the Four Star series The Rogues. Niven played Alexander 'Alec' Fleming, one of a family of retired con-artists who now fleece villains in the interests of justice. 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. The Rogues ran for only one season, but won a Golden Globe award.
1965–1982: Later films
In 1965, he made two films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: 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. After the horror film Eye of the Devil (1966), Niven appeared as James Bond in Casino Royale (1967), and is, with the exception of Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again, the only other man to ever portray Bond in a non-Eon Productions film. Niven had been Bond creator Ian Fleming's first choice to play Bond in Dr. No. Casino Royale co-producer Charles K. Feldman said later that Fleming had written the book with Niven in mind, and therefore had sent a copy to Niven.[33] Niven was the only actor who played James Bond mentioned by name in the text of a Fleming novel. 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.
Niven made some popular comedies,
In 1974, while Niven was co-hosting the
Writing
Niven wrote four books. 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. 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.
In 1971, he published his autobiography,
In 1981 Niven published a second and much more successful novel, Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly, which was set during and after the Second World War, and which drew on his experiences during the war and in Hollywood. He was working on a third novel at the time of his death.[citation needed]
Personal life
While on leave in 1940, Niven met Primula "Primmie" Susan Rollo (18 February 1918 – 21 May 1946), the daughter of London lawyer William H.C. Rollo. After a whirlwind romance, they married on 16 September 1940. A son, David Jr., was born in December 1942 and a second son, James Graham Niven, on 6 November 1945. Primmie died at the age of 28, only six weeks after the family moved to the US. She fractured her skull in a fall in the Beverly Hills, California home of Tyrone Power, while playing a game of sardines. She had walked through a door believing it to be a closet, but instead, it led to a stone staircase to the basement.[36][37]
In 1948, Niven met and married
I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life – tall, slim, auburn hair, up-tilted nose, lovely mouth and the most enormous grey eyes I had ever seen. It really happened the way it does when written by the worst lady novelists ... I goggled. I had difficulty swallowing and had champagne in my knees.[16]
According to friends, the relationship between Niven and Hjördis was turbulent.[38][39]
In 1960, Niven bought a chalet in
Niven divided his time in the 1960s and 1970s between his chalet in Château-d'Œx
Death and legacy
In 1980 Niven began experiencing fatigue, muscle weakness and a warble in his voice. His 1981 interviews on the talk shows of Michael Parkinson and Merv Griffin alarmed family and friends; viewers wondered if Niven had either been drinking or suffered a stroke. He blamed his slightly slurred voice on the shooting schedule of the film he had been making, Better Late Than Never. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) later that year. His final appearance in Hollywood was hosting the 1981 American Film Institute tribute to Fred Astaire.
In February 1983, using a false name to avoid publicity, Niven was hospitalised for ten days, ostensibly for a digestive problem. Afterwards, he returned to his chalet at Château-d'Œx. Though his condition continued to worsen he refused to return to the hospital, a decision supported by his family. He died at his chalet on 29 July 1983, aged 73.[45][46][47] Niven was buried on 2 August in the local cemetery of Château-d'Œx.[48]
A Thanksgiving service for Niven was held at
In 1985, Niven was included in a series of British postage stamps, along with Sir
Niven's "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. I only saw David get angry once. Preminger had discharged him for the day but eventually asked to get him. I said, sir, you had discharged him, he left for Deauville to gamble at the casino. So we rented a helicopter so they immediately went and grabbed him. Two hours later, he was back, full of rage. There I saw David lose his British phlegm, his politeness and class. It was royal. [Laughs]."[53]
Acting credits
Accolades
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958 | Academy Award |
Best Actor | Separate Tables | Won | |
1954 | BAFTA Award |
Best British Actor | Court Martial | Nominated | |
1955 | Emmy Awards | Best Actor in a Single Performance | Four Star Playhouse | Nominated | |
1957 | Nominated | ||||
1953 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy – Motion Picture | The Moon is Blue |
Won | |
1957 | My Man Godfrey | Nominated | |||
1958 | Best Actor in a Drama – Motion Picture | Separate Tables | Won |
Bibliography
- Niven, David (1951). Round the Rugged Rocks. London: The Cresset Press.
- Niven, David (1971). The Moon's a Balloon. London: ISBN 0-340-15817-4.
- Niven, David (1975). Bring on the Empty Horses. Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-89273-2.
- Niven, David (1981). Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly. Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-10690-7.
Further reading
- Lord, Graham (14 December 2004). NIV: The Authorized Biography of David Niven. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-32863-4.
- Morley, Sheridan (5 September 2016). The Other Side of the Moon: The Life of David Niven. Dean Street Press. ISBN 978-1-911413-63-9.
See also
References
- required.)
- ^ "Obituaries". The Times. 30 July 1983.
- ISBN 0198600879.
- ^ ISBN 0-340-39643-1.
- ^ "Casualty details—Niven, William Edward Graham". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
- ^ "Marriages". The Times. 26 October 1888.
- ^ "Notices". The Times. 18 February 1874. p. 1.
- ^ "Henry James Degacher CB". www.britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "1917 – David Niven's mother marries Thomas Comyn Platt". hjordisniven.com. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ a b "David Niven's idyllic childhood home comes up for sale: 'I adored it and was happier there than I had ever been'". Country Life. 23 January 2020.
Part of the reason that the young Niven enjoyed his school holidays in Bembridge so much is that his mother saw very clearly that her two teenage sons needed space and freedom to let their hair down — so much so, in fact, that she built an extension to the rear of the house which was quickly dubbed the 'Sin Wing'. [When] David and his brother used to come in rather noisily at night [...] his mother got a bit cross so she built two bedrooms and a bathroom at the back.
- ^ Massingberd, Hugh (15 November 2003). "It's being so cheerful that keeps me going". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
- ^ "The flawed real life of the perfect movie gentleman". Irish Independent. 19 July 2009.
- ^ ISBN 9780140239249.
- ^ Lord, Graham (2004). Niv: The Authorised Biography of David Niven. Orion. p. 420.
- ^ "No. 33575". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 January 1930. pp. 651–652.
- ^ ISBN 0-340-15817-4.
- YouTube
- ^ "No. 33907". The London Gazette. 31 January 1933. p. 674.
- ^ "Lieutenant-Colonel David Rose". The Daily Telegraph. 26 October 2010. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
- ^ "No. 33975". The London Gazette. 5 September 1933. p. 5801.
- ISBN 978-0-85303-971-6
- ISBN 0-520-20949-4.
- ^ "No. 34823". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 September 1933. p. 1978.
- HM Stationery Office. 1943. p. 1368b.
- HM Stationery Office. 1945. p. 1368b.
- ^ "Five Film Stars' Wartime Roles". Imperial War Museums.
- ^ "David Niven was the only British star in Hollywood to enlist during WWII". 18 August 2016.
- ^ "No. 37340". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 November 1945. p. 5461.
- ^ "Recommendation for Award for Niven, John David Rank: Lieutenant Colonel" (fee usually required to view full pdf of original recommendation). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "No. 37340". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 November 1945. p. 5461.
- ^ "David Niven's Own Story". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 15 September 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ Keegan, Rebecca (20 February 2019). "The Politics of Oscar: Inside the Academy's Long, Hard Road to a Hostless Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "Ian Fleming, Author or Spy?". www.hmss.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ "Oscar streaker". YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ^ "Why David Niven and the amateurs behind Jamaica Inn will always be on Separate Tables". Borehamwood Times. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ISBN 978-0313280443
- ^ Sunday Times (Perth, WA: 1902–1954) "David Niven's wife in death crash" 26 May 1946, P.3 Retrieved 12 January 2016
- ^ "The flawed real life of the perfect movie gentleman". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Bradley, Charley (27 February 2022). "David Niven wife: Roger Moore claimed Niven's partner 'was a b**** to him'". Daily Express. London. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-78131-372-5.
- ISBN 978-0-313-28044-3.
- ISBN 978-1-57113-071-6.
- ^ Munn, Michael (24 May 2009). "Oh God, I wanted her to die". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ "Ch. David Niven 7: Château-d'Oex". map.search.ch. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ISBN 0-711-99512-5.
- ^ Pace, Eric (30 July 1983). "David Niven Dead at 73; Witty Actor Won Oscar". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ^ Pace, Eric (30 July 1983). "David Niven Dead at 73; Witty Actor Won Oscar". The New York Times. p. 2.
- ISBN 0-762-74101-5.
- ^ Niv by Graham Lord, Orion, 2004, p. 420
- ^ "In Thespian Praise of: David Niven". Paulburgin.blogspot.com. 25 January 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ^ Walker, Alexander. Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh, pp. 303, 304. Grove Press, 1987.
- ^ Brown, Jeremy (10 June 2007). "WIZARD INSIDER: SINESTRO". Wizard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
- ^ Mac Mahon Filmed Conferences Paris (5 July 2015). "Rencontre avec mylène demongeot". YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
External links
- David Niven at the BFI's Screenonline
- David Niven at the better source needed]
- "Archival material relating to David Niven". UK National Archives.
- David Niven at the Internet Broadway Database
- David Niven at IMDb
- David Niven at the TCM Movie Database
- David Niven at Find a Grave