Oscar Profile #403: David Niven

Born March 1, 1910 in London, English (James) David (Graham) Niven was the youngest of four children, his father being killed in World War I during the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915. His mother married Sir Thomas Comyn-Platt, believed to be Niven’s biological father, in 1917. Raised in private schools, Niven graduated from Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the British Army in 1930. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1933 but was bored with the peacetime army and resigned his commission while crossing the Atlantic later that year.

Niven, who had two uncredited roles as an extra while in England in 1932 and 1933, also had uncredited roles in such Hollywood classics as 1934’s Cleopatra and 1935’s Oscar-winning Mutiny on the Bounty. He had his first role of note in 1936’s Dodsworth, followed by major roles in 1937’s The Prisoner of Zenda, 1938’s The Dawn Patrol and 1939’s Wuthering Heights as well as the lead opposite Ginger Rogers in 1939’s Bachelor Mother and the starring role in the 1939 remake of Raffles. He to returned to England to fight in World War II and was recommissioned a lieutenant in February 1940. He married Primula Rollo that year, with whom he would havde two children, and made two highly successful films in England during the war, 1942’s The First of the Few and The Way Ahead. He had his biggest role to date in 1946’s A Matter of Life and Death before returning to Hollywood where his post-war films includedMagnificent Doll, The Bishop’s Wife and Enchantment, Primula having been killed in a tragic accident falling down the stairs at a party in Tyrone Power’s house in 1946. He married second wife, Hjordis Genberg in 1948 with whom he would adopt two more children.

Niven achieved superstardom with the 1956 Oscar winner, Around the World in 80 Days. Two years later he won an Oscar himself on his only nomination for Separate Tables. His post-Oscar films include 1959’s Ask Any Girl opposite Shirley MacLaine and Please Don’t Eat the Daisies opposite Doris Day, after which he played second leads to Gregory Peck in The Guns of Navarone and Charlton Heston in 55 Days at Peking, followed by The Pink Panther which spawned several sequels.

The actor had a series of late career successes in the 1970s with Murder by Death, Candleshoe and Death on the Nile.

In 1980, Niven began experiencing fatigue, muscle weakness, and a warble in his voice. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) AKA “Lou Gehrig’s disease”. His final appearance in Hollywood was hosting the 1981 American Film Institute tribute to Fred Astaire. He died at his home in Switzerland July 29, 1983 at 73, the same day as Raymond Massey, with whom he co-starred in The Prisoner of Zenda and A Matter of Life and Death.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Niven was given the lead in Powell and Pressburger’s classic fantasy by Powell when he visited the filming of their previous film, I Know Where I’m Going! and asked him for a job, expecting just to be offered a cameo in that film. Instead, he got the role that reinvigorated his career as the World War II flyer who jumps out of his fiery place without a parachute resigned to die. Having fallen in love with the radio operator (Kim Hunter) who was the last person he spoke to, he is now just as determined to stay alive against the wishes of the heavenly emissary (Marius Goring) who has been sent to retrieve him.

THE BISHOP’S WIFE (1947), directed by Henry Kostner

Niven was originally supposed to play the angel and Cary Grant the Episcopal bishop in this Christmas classic, but the two actors agreed to switch roles with Loretta Young in the title role as Niven’s wife. The film is a showcase for the three stars as well as supporting players Monty Woolley, Gladys Cooper, James Gleason and Elsa Lanchester. The film was a major success after the box-office failure of Niven’s previous film, Magnificent Doll in which he played Aaron Burr opposite Ginger Rogers as Dolly Madison and Burgess Meredith as James Madison. Alexander Hamilton does not appear.

ENCHANTMENT (1948), directed by Irving Reis

One of the best loved romantic films of its era, this one takes place in an old house during the London blitz. Niven in old age makeup plays a retired colonel in his last days remembering his long-ago romance with childhood sweetheart Teresa Wright, whose relationship was destroyed by a misunderstanding caused his neurotic sister (Jayne Meadows). In the present, he is visited by a niece, an ambulance driver from Canada who is having second thoughts about her relationship with her pilot boyfriend (Farley Granger). It’s Niven’s job to encourage her not to make the same mistake he did.

SEPARATE TABLES (1958), directed by Delbert Mann

Niven won his Oscar on his only nomination for his portrayal of a phony retired Army major residing in a seaside hotel off-season who is arrested for fondling women in the local movie theatre. On stage the characters played by Niven and Burt Lancaster and those played by Deborah Kerr and Rita Hayworth were played in separate acts by the same players. Here they interact with Niven and Kerr as the homely old maid who loves him having the stronger roles. The great supporting cast includes Wendy Hiller, Gladys Cooper, Cathleen Nesbitt, Felix Aylmer and May Hallatt.

MURDER BY DEATH (1976), directed by Robert Moore

Neil Simon’s spoof of famous detectives invited to a mansion to solve a murder gave Niven one of his last major roles as a detective patterned after The Thin Man’s Nick Charles. He and Maggie Smith as his wife, patterned after Nora Charles are the standouts in a cast that includes Peter Sellers patterned after Charlie Chan, Peter Falk patterned after Sam Spade, James Coco patterned after Hercule Poirot and Elsa Lanchester patterned after Miss Marple. Joining them are Truman Capote as their host, Alec Guinness as Capote’s butler, Nancy Walker as his maid and Estelle Winwood as Lanchester’s nurse.