David Niven (42 page)

Read David Niven Online

Authors: Michael Munn

Le Cerveau
(1969, Gaumont International/Dino De Laurentiis). David Niven, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Bourvil, Eli Wallach, Silva Monti.
Producer
Alain Poire.
Director
Gerard Oury. (US & UK title
The Brain)
Trivia: The film was shot in two languages, French and English.

The Statue
(1971, Joseph Shaftel/Cinerama International Releasing). David Niven, Virna Lisi, Robert Vaughn, Ann Bell, John Cleese.
Producer
Anis Nohra.
Director
Rodney Amateau. Trivia: Only the head of the statue was modelled on David Niven.

King, Queen, Knave
(1974, Maran/Wolper Pictures). Gina Lollobrigida, David Niven, John Moulder Brown, Mario Adorf.
Producer
David L. Wolper.
Director
Jerzy Skolimowski. Trivia: This was a West German/American co-production but was filmed in English only.

Vampira
(1975, World Film Services). David Niven, Teresa Graves, Peter Bayliss, Jennie Linden, Nicky Henson, Linda Hayden.
Producer
Jack H. Weiner.
Director
Clive Donner. Trivia: Renamed
Old Dracula
for North American release to cash in on the success of
Young Frankenstein
.

Paper Tiger
(1975, Euan Lloyd/MacLean & Co). David Niven, Toshiro Mifune, Hardy Kruger, Ando.
Producer
Euan Lloyd.
Director
Ken Annakin. Trivia: Toshiro Mifune was dubbed by David De Keyser.

The Remarkable Rocket
(1975, Potterton/Reader's Digest Films). David Niven, Graham Stark.
Producers
Marvin Kane, Gerald Potterton.
Director
Gerald Potterton. Trivia: Niven recorded the narration in a single day.

No Deposit, No Return
(1976, Walt Disney). David Niven, Darren McGavin, Don Knotts, Herschel Bernadi.
Producer
Ron Miller.
Director
Norman Tokar. Trivia: While filming at San Francisco Airport, Niven signed copies of
The Moon's a Balloon
for surprised passengers who had bought the book to read during their flights.

Murder by Death
(1976, Columbia/Rastar Pictures). Eileen Brannan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith.
Producer
Ray Stark.
Director
Robert Moore. Trivia: The sound of the screaming doorbell was Fay Wray in
King Kong
.

Candleshoe
(1977, Walt Disney). David Niven, Helen Hayes, Jodie Foster,
Leo McKern.
Producer
Ron Miller.
Director
Norman Tokar. Trivia: Laurence Olivier was originally sought for Niven's role but turned it down.

Death on the Nile
(1978, G.W.Films/Mersham/EMI). Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, David Niven.
Producers
John Brabour, Richard Goodwin.
Director
John Guillerman. Trivia: Filmed aboard the
Memnon
, one of the few paddle steamers remaining on the Nile.

Escape to Athena
(1979, ITC/Pimlico Films). Roger Moore, Telly Savalas, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale, Stefanie Powers, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Bono, Elliott Gould, Phillip Locke.
Producers
David Niven Jnr, Jack Wiener.
Director
George Pan Cosmatos. Trivia: Michael Sheard, best known to British TV audiences as Mr Bronson in the British TV series
Grange Hill
, dubbed Phillip Locke.

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
(1979, S Benjamin Fisz Prods). Richard Jordan, Oliver Tobias, David Niven, Elke Sommer.
Producer
Benjamin Fisz.
Director
Ralph Thomas. Trivia: Jean Seberg was offered the female lead in this film but died before filming began.

Rough Cut
(1980, David Merrick Prods/Paramount). Burt Reynolds, Lesley-Anne Down, David Niven, Timothy West, Patrick Magee.
Producer
David Merrick.
Director
Don Siegel. Trivia: The script was constantly being revised and for one hastily written scene Reynolds, Down and Niven had to read cue cards.

The Sea Wolves
(1980, Lorimar Prods/Richmond Light Horse Prods/Varius Entertainment). Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, David Niven, Trevor Howard, Barbara Kellerman, Patrick Macnee, Patrick Allen.
Producer
Euan Lloyd.
Director
Andrew V. McLaglen. Trivia: Dedicated to Lord Louis Mountbatten who was assassinated by the IRA.

Trail of the Pink Panther
(1982, Titan/United Artists/Amjo/Blake Edwards/Lakeline). Peter Sellers, David Niven, Herbert Lom, Richard Mulligan, Joanna Lumley, Capucine.
Producers
Tony Adams, Blake Edwards.
Director
Blake Edwards. Trivia: The author of this book was at the recording of some of the score and had a crash course from Henry Mancini in conducting the
Pink Panther Theme
.

Better Late Than Never
(1983, Golden Harvest/Warner Brothers). David
Niven, Art Carney, Maggie Smith, Catherine Hicks, Lionel Jeffries.
Producers
Jack Haley Jnr, David Niven Jnr.
Director
Bryan Forbes. Trivia: Niven sang on screen for the first time, performing Noël Coward's ‘I Went to a Marvellous Party'.

Curse of the Pink Panther
(1983, Blake Edwards/Titan/Jewel/United Artists). David Niven, Robert Wagner, Herbert Lom, Capucine, Joanna Lumley, Ted Wass.
Producers
Tony Adams, Blake Edwards.
Director
Blake Edwards. Trivia: The film was intended to launch the character of Clifton Sleigh, played by Ted Wass, in a series of new Pink Panther movies, but it was a box office flop.

Television

Nash Airflyte Theatre
, episode
Portrait of Lydia
, 1950
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
, episode
Not a Chance
, 1951

Celanese Theatre
, episode
The Petrified Forest
, 1952

Chesterfield Presents
, episode
A Moment of Memory
, 1952

Robert Montgomery Presents
, episode
The Sheffield Story
, 1952

Hollywood Opening Night
, episodes
Sword Play
, 1952;
Uncle Fred Flits By
, 1953

Four Star Playhouse
, episodes
The Island
, 1952;
Man on a Train
, 1953;
No Identity
, 1953;
Night Ride
, 1953;
Finale
, 1953;
A Matter of Advice
, 1953;
For Arti's Sake
, 1953;
A Man of the World
, 1953;
The Bomb
, 1954;
Operation in Money
, 1954;
The Book
, 1954;
Village in the City
, 1954;
Never Explain
, 1954;
Vote of Confidence
, 1954;
Meet a Lonely Man
, 1954;
The Answer
, 1954;
Breakfast in Bed
, 1955;
Tusitala
, 1955;
Henry and the Psychopathic Horse
, 1955;
The Collar
, 1955;
Madeira! Madeira!
, 1955;
Uncle Fred Flits By
, 1955;
Broken Journey
, 1955;
The Firing Squad
, 1955;
Full Circle
, 1955;
Here Comes the Suit
, 1955;
The Thin Line
, 1955;
Tunnel of Fear
, 1956;
Safe Keeping
, 1956;
Red Wine
, 1956;
The Rites of Spring
, 1956;
Touch and Go
, 1956

Mr Adams and Eve
, episode
Taming of the Shrew
, 1957

Goodyear Television Playhouse
, episode
The Danger by Night
, 1957

Alcoa Theatre
, episodes
Circumstantial
, 1957;
In the Dark
, 1958;
The Fatal Charm
, 1958;

Night Caller
, 1958;
My Wife's Next Husband
, 1958

Goodyear Theatre
, episodes
The Tinhorn
, 1957;
The Danger by Night
, 1957;

Taps for Jeffrey
, 1958;
Decision by Terror
, 1958

Zane Grey Theatre
, episodes
The Accuser
, 1958;
Village of Fear
, 1957

The David Niven Show
. Niven introduced the dramas of this anthology but
starred in only one of them,
The Last Room
, 1959

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
, episode
The Trench Coat
, 1960

Burke's Law
, episode
Who Killed Billy Jo?
1963

The Rogues
, episodes
The Personal Touch
, 1964;
The Project Man
, 1964;
Fringe Benefits
, 1964;
Gambit by the Golden Gate
, 1965;
Bless You, G. Carter Huntington
, 1965

The Canterville Ghost
1974

A Man Called Intrepid
, mini-series, 1979

Bibliography

Berg, A. Scott,
Goldwyn
, Hamish Hamilton, 1989

Gardner, Ava,
Ava
, Bantam Books, 1990

Garrett, Gerard,
The Films of David Niven
, LSP Books, 1975

Granger, Stewart,
Sparks Fly Upward
, Granada Publishing (UK), 1981

Hawkins, Jack,
Anything for a Quiet Life
, Elm Tree Books, 1973

Herndon, Booton,
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks
, W.H. Allen, 1977

Higham, Charles,
Errol Flynn The Untold Story
, Granada Publishing, 1980

Korda, Michael,
Charmed Lives
, Random House (US), 1979

Lewis, Roger,
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
, Century (UK), 1994

Lord, Graham,
Niv
, Orion, 2003

Mills, John,
Up in the Clouds, Gentlemen Please
, George Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980

More, Kenneth,
More or Less
, Hodder & Stoughton, 1978

Morley, Sheridan,
The Other Side of the Moon
, George Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1985

Moseley, Roy, with Philip & Martin Mashetter,
Rex Harrison
, New English Library, 1987

Niven, David,
The Moon's a Balloon
, Hamish Hamilton (UK), 1971

Niven, David,
Bring on the Empty Horses
, Hamish Hamilton (UK), 1975

Norman, Barry,
The Film Greats
, Hodder & Stoughton/BBC, 1985

Siegel, Don,
A Siegel Film
, Faber and Faber, 1993

Ustinov, Peter,
Dear Me
, William Heinemann, 1977

Index

Acheson, John
93

Addams, Dawn
161
,
162
,
167

Adventures of Robin Hood, The
64

Aherne, Brian
67

Albright, Lola
197

Alexander, Katherine
61

All the Winters
37

Allyson, June
174

Ambler, Eric
104

Anderson, Michael
171

Ando
205

Annabella (aka Annabella Power)
75
,
123
,
124

Annakin, Ken
204
,
205

Answer, The
(TV)
166

Appointment with Venus
156
,
157

Around the World
(TV)
207

Around the World in 80 Days
169
–171,
173
,
186
,
217

Arrougé, Marti
77

Ashley, Lady Sylvia
65
,
143
,
146

Ask Any Girl
176

Asquith, Anthony
189

Astaire, Fred
46
,
73
,
127
,
216

Astaire, Phyllis
46
,
146

Bacall, Lauren (Betty)
146
,
167
,
168
,
174

Bachelor Mother
87
,
88

Backus, Jim
176

Baker, Sir Stanley
181
,
182

Barbary Coast
59

Barker, General Ray
108
,
110
,
111
,
116

Barrie, Wendy
60

Battle of the Bulge
112
,
113

Bedtime Story
196

Before Winter Comes
197

Beloved Enemy
67

Bembridge (on the Isle of White)
12
,
21
,
26
,
32
,
34
,
35

Ben-Hur
66

Berman, Pandro S.
155

Best of Enemies
186
–187

Better Late Than Never
(aka
Ménage à Trois)
216
–217

Birds and the Bees, The
166

Bishop's Wife, The
129
–132

Blane, Georgina
42

Blane, Gretchen (see Young, Loretta)

Blane, Sally (aka Elizabeth Young)
42
,
45

Bluebeard's Eight Wife
77

Blyth, Ann
166

Bogarde, Dirk
110

Bogart, Humphrey
69
,
146
,
167
,
174

Bolton, David
211
,
214
,
225

Bonjour Tristesse
175

Bonnie Prince Charlie
137
,
138
,
140
–142,
144

Bono, Sonny
212

Bosville, Jimmy
94
,
97

Bouquet, Harry
48

Boyd, Stephen
66

Boyer, Charles
160
–161,
196

Bracken, Brendan
95

Brain, The
197

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