Oscar Profile #85: Robert Donat

Born March 18, 1905 in Withington, Manchester, England, Robert Donat‘s carefully honed speaking voice was a result of the elocution lessons he took as a boy to overcome a terrible stammer. Unfortunately he never outgrew his other childhood affliction, an asthmatic condition that caused him to turn down more film roles than he accepted.

On stage from 1927, he made his screen debut in 1932 and quickly gained notice with his portrayal of the doomed Thomas Culpepper in Alexander Korda’s 1933 hit, The Private Life of Henry VIII. Brought to Hollywood to star in the acclaimed 1934 film version of The Count of Monte Cristo, he was offered the lead in Captain Blood, but turned it down as he was unhappy with the Hollywood lifestyle and wanted to return to England where he then made Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, one of his most celebrated films.

If Hollywood wanted him, and they did, they would have to come to England where he made The Ghost Goes West opposite Jean Parker; Knight Without Armor opposite Marlene Dietrich and The Citadel opposite Rosalind Russell, hits all, receiving his first Oscar nomination for the latter.

He then starred in the film version of James Hilton’s Goodbye, Mr. Chips introducing new MGM star Greer Garson. It brought him a second Oscar nomination and the Oscar itself. He sent his wife and three children to America at the outbreak of World War II while he stayed in England, making just two films during the duration: 1939’s Young Mr. Pitt and 1943’s The Adventures of Tartu. His son John played a key role as one of the students in Jean Renoir’s 1943 classic, This Land Is Mine.

He starred in one of the first, and best, post-war British films, 1945’s Vacation From Marriage opposite rising star Deborah Kerr. Still in England, while his wife and children were still in the States, they were divorced in 1946, after which he made several more British films, most notably 1948’s The Winslow Boy and 1951’s The Magic Box.

Married to British actress Renee Asherson 1953, he was back in the U.S. for a couple of live TV appearances in 1956, but returned to England for his final screen appearance opposite Ingrid Bergman in 1958’s The Inn of the Sixth Happiness opposite Ingrid Bergman.

Donat died June 9, 1958 shortly after completing his role as the Chinese mandarin in the film. His last line was the prophetic “We shall not see each other again, I think. Farewell, Jean-Ai (the one who loves people).” Although his death was at first attributed to chronic asthma, his autopsy revealed an undiagnosed brain tumor.

Donat’s nephew, the Canadian born Peter Donat, carries on the acting tradition. Peter’s son Lucas, by first wife Michael Learned, is remembered as William Holden’s son in 1978’s Damien: Omen II. Now married to Helen Reddy’s daughter, Lucas is the marketing genius behind those E-Harmony commercials.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (1934), directed by Rowland V. Lee

One of the first and best literary adaptations of the early talkie era, Donat stars as Edmund Dantes in this powerful version of Alexandre Dumas’ classic. Though filmed many times, no version has ever been as effective as this one, thanks mainly to Donat’s uncompromising performance as the wronged man doling out revenge to the men who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit.

Judy Garland’s fan letter to Donat for this performance was the basis of her classic “You Made Me Love” short in which she sings the song to a photograph of Clark Gable, MGM having over-ruled her wish to sing the song to Donat.

THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS (1935), directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock’s best and best known British film owes as much to Donat’s performance as it does to Hitchcock’s crafty direction.

As many times as you may have seen the film, you won’t remember the significance of the film’s title. The fun is in getting there as Donat exemplifies Hitchcock’s quintessential innocent caught in a web of intrigue. The sterling supporting cast includes Lucie Mannheim and Peggy Ashcroft, both of whom are superb, but it’s Donat’s scenes with co-star Madeleine Carroll that really sizzle.

Legend has it that Hitchcock introduced the stars to one another by handcuffing them for the first scene to be filled and then pretending to lose the key so the two would have to stay shackled to each other for hours. What may have been uncomfortable off-screen, works beautifully on.

THE CITADEL (1938), directed by King Vidor

A.J. Cronin’s novel about a crusading doctor was a literary sensation and MGM’s British studios pulled out all the stops to make it one the year’s best films, earning top honors form the New York Film Critics and receiving four Oscar nominations including one for Donat.

Playing a Scottish doctor who loses his way when he becomes caught up in the London high life, Donat received strong support from Rosalind Russell as his wife and Ralph Richardson as an old friend, both of whom urge him to return to his humble beginnings, something he does only after one of them is tragically killed. Simple, yet eloquent, it’s much more satisfying than any number of modern TV medical dramas.

GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (1939), directed by Sam Wood

Donat’s best remembered role as the shy, awkward schoolteacher who becomes a beloved institution late in life, was tailor made for the actor. Donat’s lovely co-star Greer Garson became an immediate sensation and within a few years would become MGM’s biggest star, matching Bette Davis’ record of five Oscar nominations in six years, but it’s Donat’s film from start to finish, even if we can never forget his beloved Kathie, played by Garson.

The film’s universal appeal goes beyond that of the standard tribute to a beloved schoolteacher. It also delivers a “never give up” message to its audience as Donat’s Mr. Chipping (“Chips” for short), doesn’t attain his greatest acknowledgment until long after the death of his wife and the emergence of war making him the only plausible headmaster, after which he officially retires but remains active. In that, the film is well ahead of its time.

VACATION FROM MARRIAGE (1945), directed by Alexander Korda

The original British title for this Oscar winning gem for Best Original Story is Perfect Strangers, which also fits the narrative, although the U.S. title is more attention grabbing and compelling.

Donat is back in Mr. Chips mode as a shy banker and Deborah Kerr, still not yet a full-fledged star, is his mousy wife. The two go about their daily routines in a hum-drum manner until the outbreak of World War II when both are called to duty. Both are changed by the war. He has an affair with lovely Ann Todd. She undergoes a transformation expedited by perky Glynis Johns. Assuming the other is as stodgy as he/she was when they last saw each other, both are determined to divorce until they meet and fall in love all over again.