The British actor David Niven (1910–1983) performed in many genres of light entertainment, including film, television, radio, and theatre. He was the author of four books: two works of fiction and two autobiographies. Described by Brian McFarlane, writing for the British Film Institute (BFI), as being "of famously debonair manner", Niven's film career spanned from 1932 through 1983.

After brief spells as an army officer, whisky salesman and with a horse racing syndicate, he was an uncredited extra in his screen debut in There Goes the Bride; he went on to appear in nearly a hundred films. During his long career, he was presented with a Golden Globe Award for his part in The Moon Is Blue (1953) and was nominated for a BAFTA for the titular lead in Carrington V.C. (1955). He toplined the 1957 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film), and two years later, for his role as Major Pollock in Separate Tables, Niven was awarded both the Best Actor Oscar and the Golden Globe for a performance where "the pain behind the fake polish was moving to observe". Niven's other notable works include The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Dawn Patrol (1938), The Way Ahead (1944), The Bishop's Wife (1947), The Guns of Navarone (1961), the role of Sir Charles Lytton in The Pink Panther (and two of its sequels), Murder By Death, and most significantly, A Matter of Life and Death (1946), judged by the BFI as one of the top twenty British films of all time.

Niven lived more than 20 years of his life in the United States, although upon the outbreak of the Second World War, he returned to Britain to fight, and was re-commissioned a Lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry. At the end of the war he returned to the US and continued his film work, but increasingly appeared on American radio and television, and later did the same in Britain. He appeared frequently in his Four Star Playhouse series, as well as producing some editions. For his years in both television and film, Niven was honoured with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died in 1983 from motor neurone disease at the age of 73.

Filmography

+ Filmography and awards of David Niven Year Film Role Notes There Goes the Bride Extra Uncredited Eyes of Fate Man at Race Course Cleopatra Slave All the Winners Extra Without Regret Barbary Coast Cockney sailor Uncredited Splendor Mutiny on the Bounty Crewman Uncredited Rose Marie Teddy Palm Springs Dodsworth Thank You, Jeeves! Beloved Enemy We Have Our Moments Dinner at the Ritz Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Four Men and a Prayer Christopher Leigh Three Blind Mice Wuthering Heights Bachelor Mother Eternally Yours Raffles 1942 1944 Magnificent Doll Bonnie Prince Charlie Enchantment Happy Go Lovely Soldiers Three Appointment with Venus Winner, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy at the 11th Golden Globe Awards Happy Ever After Carrington V.C. Nominated, BAFTA Award for Best British Actor at the 8th British Academy Film Awards Around the World in 80 Days Winner, Academy Award for Best Picture at the 29th Academy Awards. Oh, Men! Oh, Women! My Man Godfrey Godfrey Smith Nominated, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy at the 15th Golden Globe Awards Bonjour Tristesse Raymond Separate Tables Winner, Academy Award for Best Actor at the 31st Academy Awards;Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Drama at the 16th Golden Globe AwardsNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor at the 1958 Awards Ask Any Girl Happy Anniversary Please Don't Eat the Daisies Originally titled La Città Prigioniera Originally titled I Due Nemici Lady Chatterley's Lover Lama Guns of Darkness 55 Days at Peking Bedtime Story Where the Spies Are Lady L Eye of the Devil Casino Royale Prudence and the Pill Before Winter Comes Originally titled Le Cerveau King, Queen, Knave Originally titled Herzbube Ghost Vampira Paper Tiger Narrator No Deposit, No Return Murder by Death Candleshoe Priory Death on the Nile Colonel Johnny Race Ivan/General Bernard Drew Escape to Athena Rough Cut Trail of the Pink Panther Voice dubbed by Rich Little Better Late Than Never Curse of the Pink Panther Voice dubbed by Rich Little; posthumous release This list also includes film specific awards and nominations won by Niven, but not the career awards, which consisted of: the 1959 Louella O. Parsons' Golden Apple Award for Most Cooperative Male Star; the Alexander Walker Special Award, won at the 1980 Evening Standard British Film Awards.

Stage credits

+ Stage credits of David Niven Date Production Theatre Role Notes Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, CA One performance only – 12 January 1952 Nina Royale Theatre, New York Gerard 45 performances – October 1952 United Nations Theatre

Radio broadcasts

+ Radio broadcasts of David Niven Date Broadcast Channel Notes Shell Chateau NBC Lux Radio Theatre: "The Gilded Lily" In the British Army Radio Tribute to the King and Queen of England NBC Silver Theater: "Ex Spy" ABC Radio Bob Hope Entertains the Troops Sealtest Variety Theater NBC Information Please ABC Radio Lux Radio Theatre: "Frenchman's Creek" CBS This is Hollywood Hi Jinx! NBC Hollywood Hotel ABC Radio Kraft Music Hall NBC Hollywood Star Preview Mary Margaret McBride Program NBC : "Berkeley Square" CBS Screen Guild Players: "Enchantment" As General Sir Roland Dane in adaptation of Enchantment Screen Guild Players: "Stairway to Heaven" As Peter Carter in adaptation of A Matter of Life and Death NBC University Theatre: "Nineteen Eighty-Four" NBC As Winston Smith in adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four Anacin Hollywood Start Theater: "Next Door to Yesterday" Hollywood Watch Camel Screen Guild Theater: "A Kiss in the Dark" CBS As Eric Phillips in adaptation of A Kiss in the Dark Theater Guild on the Air: "Brief Encounter" Lux Radio Theatre: "The Bishop's Wife" As Henry Brougham in adaptation of The Bishop's Wife Theater Guild on the Air: "I Know Where I'm Going" ABC Radio Theater Guild on the Air: "This Woman Business" CBS Philip Morris Playhouse on Broadway: "Brief Encounter" Theater Guild on the Air: "The Thief" CBS : "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" Hallmark Playhouse: "Lorna Doone" Theater Guild on the Air: "Dear Brutus" CBS Hollywood Star Theater Hollywood Star Theater: "The Long Shot" NBC Lux Radio Theatre: "Stairway to Heaven" CBS As Peter Carter in adaptation of A Matter of Life and Death Please Don't Eat the Daisies Weekend Woman's Hour BBC Radio 4 Kaleidoscope David Niven BBC Radio 2 Noël: The Life and Times of Noël Coward BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 2 David Niven Kaleidoscope BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs John Dunn Show BBC Radio 2

Television + Television appearances of David Niven Date Programme Channel Role Notes Nash Airflyte Theater: "Portrait of Lydia" CBS Adapted from a work by A.A. Milne Schlitz Playhouse of Stars: "Not a Chance" What's My Line? Himself (mystery celebrity guest) Celanese Theater: "The Petrified Forest" ABC Adapted from a play by Robert E. Sherwood : "The David Niven Story" CBS Robert Montgomery Presents: "The Sheffield Story" NBC Four Star Playhouse: "South Sea Doctor" CBS Hollywood Opening Night: "Sword Play" NBC Four Star Playhouse: "Man on a train" CBS Niven also produced this episode. Four Star Playhouse: "No Identity" Four Star Playhouse: "Night Ride" Four Star Playhouse: "Mr. Bingham" Four Star Playhouse: "Finale" Four Star Playhouse: "A Matter of Advice" Four Star Playhouse: "For Art's Sake" Four Star Playhouse: "A Man of the World" Four Star Playhouse: "The Bomb" Four Star Playhouse: "Operation in Money" Four Star Playhouse: "The Book" Four Star Playhouse: "Village in the City" Four Star Playhouse: "Never Explain" Light's Diamond Jubilee: "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses" ABC, CBS, NBC, and DuMont Four Star Playhouse: "Vote of Confidence" CBS Four Star Playhouse: "Meet a Lonely Man" Four Star Playhouse: "The Answer" Deacon Niven also produced this episode;Nominated, Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Single Performance at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards Four Star Playhouse: "Breakfast in Bed" Four Star Playhouse: "Tusitala" Four Star Playhouse: "Henry and the Psychopathic Horse" Four Star Playhouse: "The Collar" Four Star Playhouse: "Uncle Fred Flits By" Uncle Fred Niven also produced this episode;adapted from a P.G. Wodehouse story Four Star Playhouse: "Broken Journey" Four Star Playhouse: "Firing Squad" Four Star Playhouse: "Full Circle" Maxwell Four Star Playhouse: "Here Comes the Suit" Four Star Playhouse: "Tunnel of Fear" Niven also produced this episode. Four Star Playhouse: "Safe Keeping" Four Star Playhouse: "Red Wine" Wilson Four Star Playhouse: "The Rites of Spring" Four Star Playhouse: "Touch and Go" What's My Line? Himself Four Star Playhouse: "Second Chance" Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre: "Village of Fear" This is Scotland Scottish Television Opening night of Scottish Television Mr. Adams and Eve: "Taming of the Shrew" CBS Himself Niven also portrayed Phineas Fogg during the episode. Alcoa Theatre: "Circumstantial" NBC What's My Line? CBS Himself Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre: "Danger By Night" NBC Alcoa Theatre: "In the Dark" Alcoa Theatre: "Night Caller" Alcoa Theatre: "My Wife's Next Husband" Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater: "The Accused" CBS What's My Line? Himself : "The Trench Coat" Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater: "Wayfarers" As director Close-Up: "Location Story of The Guns of Navarone" ITV Interviewee : "Everybody Loves Sweeney" NBC : "Luxury Liner" : "Apples Don't Fall Far" : "Epilogue" Academy Awards Presentation ABC Host 1964–1965 The Rogues NBC 10 episodes All Eyes on Sharon Tate Himself Interviewee Scotland Yard NBC Narrator Aquarius ITV Interviewee Personal View: David Niven Parkinson BBC1 Survival Special: "The Forbidden Desert of the Danaki" ITV Narrator NBC Narrator BBC1 Bell System Family Theatre: "The Canterville Ghost" NBC Parkinson BBC1 Survival Special: "Safari by Balloon" ITV Narrator David Niven's WorldNarrator Film Night: "David Niven" BBC2 Survival Special: "The Family That Lives With Elephants" ITV Narrator Looks Familiar ITV : "Errol Flynn" BBC1 : "Ronald Colman" BBC1 Survival Special: "The Leopard That Changed Its Spots" ITV Narrator – 22 May 1979 NBC Survival Special: "Penguin Islands" ITV Narrator Portrait of a Great Lady CBS Niven hosted the AFI Life Achievement Award given to Fred Astaire Parkinson BBC1 This list also includes programme-specific nominations for Niven, but not the career nominations, which consisted of the 1956 Emmy Award for Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series for his work in the Four Star Playhouse series.

Books + Books by David Niven Year Title Genre Publisher 1951 Round the Rugged Rocks Novel London: Cresset Press 1972 Autobiography London: Hamilton 1975 Bring on the Empty Horses Autobiography 1981 Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly Novel

Discography

+ Album recordings by David Niven Year Album 1952 1977 David Niven: The Moon's a Balloon 1979 1980 Bring on the Empty Horses

References

Bibliography

External links

David Niven at the British Film Institute

David Niven on Pathé News