Husband of Primula Susan Niven and Hjrdis Paulina Niven He attended Attleboro schools through high school, Class of 1938. At a dinner in 1961. To the fury of her father, Niven got Whigham pregnant. 2008". He then headed for America. Following a suicide attempt involving a handgun that failed to go off, he eventually rallied and returned to filmmaking. Niven's 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! 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. DAVID NIVEN OBITUARY. His many . 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. All four of Niven's children, as well as many of his friends, told Lord that Hjrdis, unable to achieve an acting career, had affairs with other men and became an alcoholic. He served as an officer with the Highland Light 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. Now years later, the picture was still in exactly the same spot. I had difficulty swallowing and had champagne in my knees.[16]. After Sandhurst he was gazetted a lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry. "[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]. Ustinov later appeared with Niven in Death on the Nile (1978). 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]. Niven moved to New York City, where he began an unsuccessful career in whisky sales and horse rodeo promotion in Atlantic City. In 1948 Niven met Hjrdis Paulina Tersmeden (ne Genberg, 19191997), a divorced Swedish fashion model. wife. Born to a longtime military family, Niven attended Sandhurst Military Academy. In happier times with Goldwyn, he had observed this same picture sitting on Goldwyn's piano. Reed as a quasi propaganda piece for the British Army. Sadly, by the summer of 1983, just weeks before Curse was released . 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?" The couple had two sons, David Jr. and Jamie. His first important part came in . For Goldwyn, Niven again had a small role in Splendor (1935). . As he was looking at the picture, Goldwyn's wife Frances said "Sam never took it down.". While playing "sardines", she walked through a door believing it led to a closet. After the horror film Eye of the Devil (1966), Niven appeared as James Bond in Casino Royale (1967), the only man to only ever portray Bond in a non-Eon Productions film. David Niven Jr.'s godfather was Nol Coward, who gave him a silver cocktail shaker with the . Though promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1933, he saw no opportunity for further advancement. He was Thu 18 Oct 2007 19.06 EDT. When the boy was five, his father was killed in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. Together the two Niven remained close-mouthed about the war, despite public interest in celebrities in combat and a reputation for storytelling. Nationality: British. During his work with the Film Unit, Peter Ustinov, though one of the script-writers, had to pose as Niven's batman. 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 supported Mario Lanza in a musical at MGM, The Toast of New Orleans (1950). for chat shows, where his gift for anecdote made him an ideal subject. POWELL TOWNSHIP - David Michael Niven, age 64, of Powell Township, entered eternal life Sunday afternoon, May 22, 2016, at his home, in the loving, comforting care of his family. The Office of Alumni Engagement will recognize four distinguished alumni for their leadership, accomplishments and service and the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients during this year's Alumni Awards Weekend on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25. Robert Douglas Niven. About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. 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). He was chosen by Otto Preminger for These were The First of the Few (1942), directed by Leslie Howard, and The Way Ahead (1944), directed by Carol Reed. 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. Cap Ferrat, 1964 "For a long time it was a well-kept secret among a few close friends," David's friend Roddy Mann wrote. (1936), before finally landing a sizable role as a soldier in The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) at Warners, an Imperial adventure film starring his housemate at the time, Errol Flynn. 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. 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. rising from second lieutenant to colonel and served in Normandy, 'Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,' Kimmel joked. With the Duke of Argyll at the family seat, Inveraray Castle, in 1960. He also began writing books, with considerable commercial success. None of these films was successful at the box office and Niven's career was struggling. harmonious it lasted for 14 years. Hollywood cricket club. He made his way to Hollywood in the mid-1930s and began performing as an extra. [Laughs]. Niven also worked with the Army Film and Photographic Unit. Previous image. Rosalind Russell later named the house "Cirrhosis-by-the-Sea". perfect foil to Peter Sellers as the accident prone Inspector 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. He was assigned to a training base at Inverailort House in the Western Highlands. 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. supported Ronald Colman in "The Prisoner of Zenda", played opposite He blamed his slightly slurred voice on the shooting schedule of the film he had been making, Better Late Than Never. David Niven Jr. Family Background & Career. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous actor with Laurence Olivier gave a creditable performance as Edgar Linton in Niven first met Churchill at a dinner party in February 1940. Mason pegs her as a phony consumer and is fired for failing to turn her in to store management. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known in the USA as "Lou Gehrig's disease") later that year. Life at Leja, 1942-43. During his work with the AFPU, Peter Ustinov, one of the script-writers, had to pose as Niven's batman. Family, Romance, And Relationships Who is Barbara Niven dating? Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Niven returned to Britain and rejoined the army, being re-commissioned as a lieutenant. James David Graham Niven was born in London to William Edward Graham Niven (1878-1915) and his wife, Henrietta Julia (ne Degacher) Niven. This professional Other than, this there is no information on her siblings or early childhood. When the raw footage was reviewed, his voice was inaudible, and his lines had to be dubbed by Rich Little. (Ustinov also acted in The Way Ahead.) Niven took part in the Invasion of Normandy, although he was sent to France several days after D-Day. [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. By Allan Warren own work licensed under thehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. 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. After a whirlwind romance, they married on 16 September 1940. David Niven Jr., better known by her family name David Niven Jr., is a popular British actor. the right time. He reckoned that it was enough to Family tree. During the 1950s Niven re-established himself as a popular leading man [7][8] Henriette's mother was Julia Caroline Smith, the daughter of Lieutenant General James Webber Smith CB. "[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. big commercial successes at the cinema. English private schools at the time of Niven's boyhood were noted for their strict and sometimes brutal discipline. He requested assignment to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders or the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), then jokingly wrote on the form, as his third choice, "anything but the Highland Light Infantry" (because that regiment wore tartan trews rather than the kilt). States, from selling liquor to promoting pony racing. This helped him gain a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. After selling their chain of stores, the . His father was an army man, as were both his grandfathers. 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. 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 . 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. Niven won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the bogus major in 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. In 1944 he worked extensively with the BBC and SHAEF to expand these broadcast efforts. In 1975 he narrated The Remarkable Rocket, a short animation based on a story by Oscar Wilde. [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. Niven was posted at one time to Chilham in Kent. He resumed his career in 1946, now only in starring roles. Niven first met Churchill at a dinner party in February 1940. He was assigned to the HLI, with which he served for two years in Malta and then for a few months in Dover. Bored with the peacetime army, he resigned his commission in 1933, relocated to New York, then travelled to Hollywood. [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. The actor passed away in July . David Niven was born in England. The couple parted. Later, in 1985, she married David Alexander. . 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. After Niven had won the Academy Award, Goldwyn called with an invitation to his home. Barbara Niven has only one child in her family, which is her little girl, Jessica Niven, who is also an artist by profession. In 1974, Barbara Niven wed Ronald Garrison, with whom she had a daughter named Jessica. 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. 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. [46], A Thanksgiving service for Niven was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on 27 October 1983. Niven returned to comedy with The Pink Panther (1963) also starring Peter Sellers, another huge success at the box office. for his staying power that he was still in regular demand after nearly He served in the "Phantom Signals Unit", which located and reported enemy positions, and kept rear commanders informed on changing battle lines. Geni requires JavaScript! In 1979 he appeared in Escape to Athena, which was produced by his son David Jr. Find-a-Grave Memorial #3552-----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.. Born in London, Niven attended Heatherdown Preparatory School and Stowe before gaining a place at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1982 Niven fell ill during filming and was diagnosed with a virulent form of Motor Neurone Disease. 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). billing, and first real chance to show his gift for comedy, came in 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. 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