DAVID NIVEN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

David Niven was born on March 1st, 1910 in London, England in the United Kingdom with the birth name James David Graham Niven.  His father was Lieutenant William Niven who passed away at the age of twenty five while serving with the Berkshire Yeopanry.  Niven's mother, Henriette Julia Degacher was widowed and left to raise four children on her own.  David was named after Saints Day on which he was born.  He received his education at Stowe School and Sandhurst Military Academy.  

Niven served for two years in the military in Malta with the Rifle Brigade.  Then in 1933 he moved to New York City working in whisky sales and horse rodeo promotions in Atlantic city.  In 1934, he moved again to Hollywood and soon befriended Clark Gable.  He decided to attempt a job as an actor and went to Central Casting where he was told in order to work he was to get himself a work permit to allow him to reside in the United States.  Therefore, Niven moved again, this time to Mexico working as a gun-man where he was responsible for clean the guns that belonged to American hunters. 

He finally was able to obtain a Resident Alien Visa from the American Consulate and returned back to the United States and back to Central Casting where he was accepted.  He began with extra work in a Mexican western and then was able to obtain an agent, Bill Hawks.  His career followed with very small, but paying parts between 1933-1935.

An independent film producer, Samuel Goldwyn was  intrigued by Niven and chose to sign him to a contract.  The next four years were very critical in his career, appearing in nineteen films and having supporting roles in many of them such as, "Rose-Maire" (1936), "Dodsworth" (1936), "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1938), "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1937) and "Three Blind Mice" (1938).   

When World War II hit, even though he had reached peak in his acting career he agreed to rejoin the military and serve on the Rifle Brigade again, however, he did agree to do two films while serving for his country, "Spitfire" (1942) and "The Way Ahead" (1944). Niven took part in the Invasion of Normandy, arriving several days after D-Day and when the war ended he had become a lieutenant-colonel.  David then returned back to Hollywood to continue to pursue his career.

In 1946 he got right back into the swing of things and this time he was only getting cast in films with starring roles such as, "A Matter of Life and Death" (1946), "The Bishop's wife" (1947) and "Enchantment" (1947).  A disagreement with Goldwyn got him a slightly bad reputation with Hollywood, but MGM still did use him on 2 of his eleven films done in the 1950's.  He also won a golden Globe Award for his role on the film, "The Moon is Blue' (1953)    

Along with a successful career in film, he also pursued television roles, one of the more popular was on the dramatic anthology series, "Four Star Playhouse", where he starred in a total of thirty three episodes.  Niven was also honored with being a co host for the 30th, 31st and 46th Academy Award ceremonies.  
 
After Niven was awarded an Academy Award for his role in the film, "Separate Tables" (1958) his career began to improve with even more roles.  He was the host of his own television drama, "The David Niven Show" (1959) followed by a total of thirty additional films to add to his already impressive resume, some of which included, "Murder By Death" (1976) and "Death on the Nile" (1978). 

Even in the 70's he continued to work.  In 1974, he hosted, "David Niven's World" for London Weekend Television, which was a series of profiles of adventurers such as hang gliders, motorcyclists, and mountain climbers.  Niven also narrated a short animation called, "The Remarkable Rocket" (1975).  His final film appearance was in 1982 working on two Pink Panther films, "Trail of the Pink Panther" and "Curse of the Pink Panther".  Sadly, he was falling quite ill during the filming of both films and when the footage was reviewed, his voice was so inaudible it had to be dubbed over by actor, Rich Little.  

David Niven was married twice throughout his lifetime.  First to Primula Rollo on September 16th, 1940 with whom he had two children.  She passed away suddenly on May 21st, 1946 when at a dinner at another fellow actor's home, Tyrone Power.  During a game of hide and seek, she opened what she thought was a closet door to hide and fell down the basement stairs hitting the concrete and the bottom and passing away shortly after the incident.  He then married for a second time to Hjördis Genberg with whom he had two children with and remained married until he passed away on July 29th, 1983 in Château-d'Oex, Switzerland from Lou Gehrig's disease.  He was interred at Chateau D'Oex, Switzerland.

He was survived by his children and four grandchildren.  Along with a impressive acting resume he was also an author writing a total of four books, Round the Rugged Rocks, The Moon's a Balloon, Bring on the Empty Horses and Go Slowly, Come Back Quickly.  
 
 
Filmography
 
1983   Curse of the Pink Panther 
1983   Better Late Than Never 
1982   Trail of the Pink Panther 
1980   The Sea Wolves 
1980   Rough Cut 
1979   A Man Called Intrepid
1979   Escape to Athena 
1979   A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square  
1978   Death on the Nile
1977   Candleshoe  
1976   Murder by Death 
1976   No Deposit, No Return 
1975   Paper Tiger 
1975   The Canterville Ghost
1975   Old Drac 
1975   The Remarkable Rocket
1972   King, Queen, Knave 
1971   The Statue 
1969   The Extraordinary Seaman
1969   Before Winter Comes
1969   The Brain
1968   The Impossible Years 
1968   Prudence and the Pill  
1966   Casino Royale 
1966   Eye of the Devil
1965   Lady L 
1965   Where the Spies Are
1964-1965  The Rogues 
1964   Bedtime Story  
1963   Burke's Law 
1963   55 Days at Peking
1963   The Shortest Day 
1962   Conquered City 
1962   Guns of Darkness
1962   The Road to Hong Kong 
1961   The Best of Enemies 
1961   The Guns of Navarone  
1960   Please Don't Eat the Daisies 
1960   The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959   Happy Anniversary
1959   The David Niven Show 
1959   Ask Any Girl 
1958   Separate Tables
1957-1958  Zane Grey Theatre
1957-1958  Goodyear Theatre
1957-1958  Alcoa Theatre
1958   Bonjour tristesse 
1957   Goodyear Playhouse
1957   My Man Godfrey  
1957   Mr. Adams and Eve
1957   The Little Hut
1957   Oh, Men! Oh, Women!
1956   Around the World in Eighty Days
1956   The Silken Affair
1952-1956  Four Star Playhouse 
1956   The Birds and the Bees
1956   The Star and the Story 
1955   The King's Thief
1955   Court Martial 
1954   Tonight's the Night 
1954   The Love Lottery
1953   The Moon Is Blue
1952-1953  Hollywood Opening Night 
1952   Robert Montgomery Presents 
1952   Celanese Theatre
1952   Chesterfield Presents
1952   The Lady Says No 
1951   Island Rescue
1951   Schlitz Playhouse
1951   Soldiers Three
1951   Happy Go Lovely 
1950   The Fighting Pimpernel
1950   Nash Airflyte Theatre
1950   The Toast of New Orleans 
1949   A Kiss for Corliss 
1949   A Kiss in the Dark 
1948   Enchantment 
1947   The Bishop's Wife 
1947   The Other Love
1947   The Perfect Marriage 
1946   Magnificent Doll  
1946   Stairway to Heaven 
1944   The Way Ahead
1942   Spitfire 
1939   Raffles 
1939   Eternally Yours 
1939   The Real Glory 
1939   Bachelor Mother 
1939   Wuthering Heights 
1938   The Dawn Patrol 
1938   Three Blind Mice 
1938   Four Men and a Prayer 
1938   Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
1937   Dinner at the Ritz 
1937   The Prisoner of Zenda
1937   We Have Our Moments
1936   Beloved Enemy
1936   The Charge of the Light Brigade 
1936   Thank You, Jeeves!
1936   Dodsworth 
1936   Palm Springs  
1936   Rose-Marie
1935   Splendor 
1935   Mutiny on the Bounty  
1935   A Feather in Her Hat 
1935   Barbary Coast 
1935   Without Regret 
1934   Cleopatra 
1933   Eyes of Fate
1932   There Goes the Bride