James David Graham Niven known as David Niven in the film industry was born on March 1st 1910 in London. His father was a British army lieutenant. He became an actor and was famous for his role in films like ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ and ‘The Pink Panther’.
David Niven was a London boy, who got his early education from the English public school. He later went to the royal military college at Sand Hurst and graduated from the college in 1930. David was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the regular British army. As an army officer he served in different places, but he was not satisfied with his job and decided to resign. He went to New York and then Atlantic City and finally arrived in Hollywood in the year 1934.
David Niven had a desire to become an actor and hence he stood on the steps of the biggest film industry of the world waiting to be recognized. He soon learned that he must get a permit to work and stay in America. There was very little he could do and so he left America for Mexico.
On reaching Mexico he started working as gun man. His job was to clean and polish the hunter’s rifles that came from the United States. In the mean time he continued his effort to get a work visa issued by the American consulate. Finally his long time dream came true and he got the visa to enter America once again.
David took up odd jobs and acted in small roles. He earned a non speaking role in M.G.M’s film, ‘Muting on the Beauty’, which gave him some publicity. Slowly, he was noticed by Samuel Goldwyn who was a film producer. He signed a contract with Goldwyn and finally went on to become an actor. In the coming years he appeared in nineteen films including, ‘Rose Marie, ‘Prisoner of Zenda’ etc. In the year 1939, when the UK declared war, David Nivenreturned to Britain to join the British army.
Here he was posted in the rifle brigade as a lieutenant. He took part in the invasion of Normandy. In the year 1945, David Niven returned to Hollywood to resume his carrier as film actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for this role in the film “The Moon in Blue” in 1953. Television was becoming popular and David Niven worked on television as well in the year 1958. He was awarded the academy award for “best actor” for his cast in “Separate Tables” .
David appeared in more then thirty films. Some of the most popular films are “Guns of Navarone”, ‘Murder by Death’, ‘Sea Wolves’, ‘Death on the Nile’ etc. The great actor David Niven died at the age of 73 in 1983. David Nivenwas a fine gentleman and was a heartthrob of many during his golden days.
Franck Benedittini
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