This helped him gain a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. 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 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 was sent to reform school, where the brutality reached even greater proportions, Niven later recounted. The couple had two sons, David Jr. and Jamie. [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. Two hours later, he was back, full of rage. 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?". It says much 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. The Rogues ran for only one season, but won a Golden Globe award. States, from selling liquor to promoting pony racing. Additionally, she holds the American nationality and has North American ethnicity. Less widely seen was The Extraordinary Seaman (1969). 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 . At the end of the lecture, the speaker (a major general) asked if there were any questions. Life was never the same again, 1930-40. When the raw footage was reviewed, his voice was inaudible, and his lines had to be dubbed by Rich Little. 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. (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. A son, David, Jr., was born in December 1942 and a second son, James Graham Niven, on 6 November 1945. To the fury of her father, Niven got Whigham pregnant. 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. The Brain (1969), a French comedy with Bourvil and Jean-Paul Belmondo, was the most popular film at the French box office in 1969 but was not widely seen in English-speaking countries. David. But I'll have to do it all over again in Hollywood with Errol Flynn!" Following a suicide attempt involving a handgun that failed to go off, he eventually rallied and returned to filmmaking. Sophisticated actor who starred in the Pink Panther detective comedy films and appeared in The Bishop's Wife. Obituary. Barbara . 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. Hollywood was busy filming British subjects and In 1955 renowned British photographer Cornel Lucas photographed Niven while filming at the Rank Film Studio in Denham, Buckinghamshire. He refused to return to the hospital, and his family supported his decision. Kristina later told biographer Graham Lord that she was convinced that she was Niven's secret child by another fashion model, Mona Gunnarson. He had three older siblings. Niven recalled this as the darkest period of his life, years afterwards thanking his friends for their patience and forbearance during this time. Education: Attended Stowe House boarding school, near Buckingham, 1923-26; Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1927-29: commissioned lieutenant in Highland Light Infantry: served in Malta and England to 1932. He was twice given leave so he could extended illness, at the age of 73. Husband of Primula Susan Niven and Hjrdis Paulina Niven Sweden's first supermodel and the actor David Niven's second wife. Born on 15 December 1942 in Unknown, David Niven Jr. started his career as actor . "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther. Hollywood stars. 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. I was asked by some American friends to search out the grave of their son near Bastogne. He was 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 . He was assigned to a training base at Inverailort House in the Western Highlands. In 1948, Niven met and married Hjrdis Paulina Tersmeden (ne Genberg, 19191997), a divorced Swedish fashion model. So we rented a helicopter so they immediately went and grabbed him. His family were soldiers. Now years later, the picture was still in exactly the same spot. He attended Attleboro schools through high school, Class of 1938. From fifteen and forty-five, she suffered from bulimia his life in the forces and in films and literally sprinkled with Whigham adored Niven until the day he died. 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. 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. Geni requires JavaScript! The show ended in 1955, but Four Star TV became a highly successful TV production company. In 1942, he co-starred in the morale-building film about the development of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter, The First of the Few (American title Spitfire), which was enthusiastically endorsed by Winston Churchill. By Allan Warren own work licensed under thehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. successful war film, "The Guns of Navarone": a blockbuster "55 Days at But Deborah . I have to catch a train.". Born May 19, 1920 in Rochester, NY, he moved to Attleboro, MA, at age 3 with his parents, Henry and Gladys Niven. Among the initial films in which he can be seen are Barbary Coast (1935) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). He also began writing books, with considerable commercial success. I had difficulty swallowing and had champagne in my knees.[16]. He was also a co-host of the 30th, 31st, and 46th Academy Awards ceremonies. At that point, Niven had a brief but pleasant reunion. A 2009 biography of Niven contained assertions that he had an affair with Princess Margaret, who was 20 years his junior. After McGeachin affirmed that he was, Niven quipped, "Did you have the misfortune to have me as your officer?". . His first star None of these films was successful at the box office and Niven's career was struggling. years and took a succession of casual jobs in Canada and the United DAVID NIVEN OBITUARY. 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. However, another doctor advised Niven to allow the swelling of the face to go down. He then went to England and appeared in a musical with Vera-Ellen, Happy Go Lovely (1951); it was little seen in the US but was a big hit in Britain. His range as an actor was limited and Niven was the head of the William Morris Agency in Europe, which he left for Columbia Pictures in 1970. James Niven in Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. 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. Niven returned to comedy with The Pink Panther (1963) also starring Peter Sellers, another huge success at the box office. After Sandhurst, he joined the British Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry. [13], While attending school as was customary for the time Niven received many instances of corporal punishment owing to his inclination for pranks. (1955) before scoring a big success as Phileas Fogg in Michael Todd's production of Around the World in 80 Days. famous names. 25, was killed in an accidental fall, leaving two small sons. He was named David for his birth on St. David's Day (1 March). Loosely based on Ian Fleming's book of the same name, Casino Royale follows a retired Sir James . About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. Niven returned to Hollywood and encountered tragedy when his first wife died after falling down a flight of stairs at a party. While she was convalescing in the Blackstone Hotel in New York, Niven and Hjrdis were next-door neighbours with Audrey Hepburn, who made her dbut on Broadway that season. [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. She was born in Wales, the daughter of army officer William Degacher (18411879) by his marriage to Julia Caroline Smith, the daughter of Lieutenant General James Webber Smith. 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. An amusing, tongue-in-cheek, British satire on the spy genre with David Niven at his debonair best. There I saw David lose his British phlegm, his politeness and class. Niven was posted at one time to Chilham in Kent. billing, and first real chance to show his gift for comedy, came in Until then few people outside her family were . He recounted their meeting: 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. RKO borrowed him to play Ginger Rogers' leading man in the romantic comedy Bachelor Mother (1939), which was another big hit. Ronald Garrison (d. 1974, separated), David Alexander (d. 1985, separated) and David Niven Jr. were his three spouses. He wanted something more exciting, however, and transferred to the Commandos. 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. Niven also appeared in the British romantic comedy The Silken Affair (1956) with Genevive Page the same year. 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". The comedy is dry and subtle, taking aim at the British and Russian spy-film caricatures. 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]. Even more popular was the action film The Guns of Navarone (1961) with Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. In October 1951, while pheasant shooting with friends in New England, Hjrdis was shot in the face, neck and chest by a member of the hunting party. A Thanksgiving service was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on 27 October 1983. Unfortunately, Niven's second marriage was as tumultuous as his first marriage was content. 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. Mark you, had you not done so it would have been despicable. (Ustinov also acted in The Way Ahead.) Later he went to Stowe and on to Sandhurst to train 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. This professional She was among the VIP guests at his London memorial service. 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 . November 15, 1951 - September 26, 2022 David James Robert passed away Monday, September 26th with family by his side. 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. James David Graham Niven was born on the feast day of St David. The Lady Says No (1952) was a poorly received American comedy at the time. But six years later, she died at the age of 28, only six weeks after the family moved to the US. long absence, to pick up the threads of his career and there followed 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. David Niven commanded "A" Squadron GHQ Liaison Regiment, better known as "Phantom". and better parts came his way. Having been in more than 90 . for the army. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Separate Tables (1958).. Born in London, Niven attended Heatherdown Preparatory . return to Britain to play his part. In 1993, she married David Niven Jr. Margaret Niven. Rose, DSO, MC). be so well paid for doing what he enjoyed. Niven worked in television. 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. (1955) before scoring a big success as Phileas Fogg in Michael Todd's production of Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Niven had a far better part in the British war film Appointment with Venus (1952), which was popular in England. 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