Biography Of David
Niven,The Star Of “South Of St. Louis”
Born of a French mother and a Scottish father, David Niven was christened for the Saint’s Day on which he was born, March 1st. 1910. He was born at Kirriemuir, Angus, and was sent to Stowe, then a new Public School. From there he entered the regular army, through Sandhurst, taking a commission in the highland Light Infantry in 1928. He served in Malta.
After overseas service he found peactime soldiering in England far from exciting and, after trying it for two years resigned his commission and sailed for Canada. There he did all the jobs that young men in similar circumstances have done before and since. He worked on a newspaper, on bridge construction, was a waiter, a barman. After six months of doing everything, the decided to try the U.S.A. Following the sun, he spent some time beachcombing in Bermuda and Havana. Cuba was having the usual revolution and, as it appeared to be anybody’s fight, David joined in on both sides! This was exciting until the British Consul gave him twenty minutes to get out of the country. He wound up in Santa Barbara and in a poor financial state.
In the light of his subsequent success it is interesting that he always comforted himself, when reaching rock bottom, that if all else failed he could always be an actor. Inevitably he turned to Hollywood, going through the usual drill of the unknown and uninitiated. He applied at the contral casting bureau and found himself on the list as “English Type 2008”. The first 2007 made for heavy competition, so he worked for two years an an extra, supplementing his income by working as deckland on a swordfish boat.
In spite of his modest profession, David became a great social success, which led to meetings with the great and a contract from Sam Goldwyn. This did not mean stardom overnight but years of hard work. His first line, in “Barbary Coast,” was delivered in a Cockney accent. It was: “All right, I’ll go,” and it went into the trailer. His next success aws a one-liner, too: “Hello, my dear, 'to Elissa Landi, followed by “Good-bye,me dear”,to Ruth Chatterton. During the time he was in B pictures the late Doug. Fairbanks did all he could to help him, but it was his attractive personality that led to his first real chance as an actor, in “Dodsworth.” This was followed by Prisoner of Zenda” and “Dawn Patrol,” and then he was established. A string of successes followed, topped by one of his greatest hits, “Bachelor Mother.” So that when Niven left Hollywood in 1939, to join