David niven children

1. Biography of David Niven
2. Early Life and Military Career
3. World War II and Return to Acting
4. Career Success and Later Years

Biography of David Niven

David Niven was an English film actor who was of Scottish descent, hence the pronunciation of his surname not following the rules of English phonetics. He worked in Hollywood for half a century, specializing in roles as British aristocrats with an ever-present bowtie and rose in his lapel.

Early Life and Military Career

Niven was born in London into a family of a World War I hero. In his youth, he was associated with the upper echelons of society, having graduated from the Sandhurst military academy. In the early 1930s, he received an invitation from producer Samuel Goldwyn to come to Hollywood, where he initially stayed with his friend Errol Flynn. He appeared in minor roles in classic films such as "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935) and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (1936).

World War II and Return to Acting

Unable to secure leading roles, Niven returned to the British Army and joined the newly formed Commandos during World War II. He completed the full Commando training course at the Achnacarry training center under the guidance of his friend Robert Laycock and served as a communications officer. During the war, he managed to appear in two films. After the war, Niven married and finally started to receive offers for leading roles in films such as "The Bishop's Wife" (1947) and "The Moon is Blue" (1953), although the latter was banned due to censorship reasons.

Career Success and Later Years

In 1956, Niven played Phileas Fogg in the film adaptation of Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days." Two years later, he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film "Separate Tables," despite his character's screen time being less than 16 minutes. Niven continued to act in the 1960s and 1970s, portraying the iconic character of Sir Charles Lytton in the "Pink Panther" comedy series and playing James Bond in the unofficial film "Casino Royale" (1967). Several of his autobiographical books became bestsellers, including "The Moon's a Balloon." He passed away at the age of 73 from the rare disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.