Trivia

At his funeral, the largest wreath was from the porters at Heathrow Airport. There was a card which read, "To the finest Gentlemen who ever walked these halls. He made a porter feel like a King".

Became friends with Clark Gable during the 1930s. While Gable was serving in England during World War II, he used to stay over at the Nivens' cottage and spend time with Niven's wife and children. A few years later Niven's wife died in a tragic accident, and Gable did his best to comfort him. Niven said, "Clark was drawing on his own awful experience [his wife Carole Lombard 's tragic death] to steer me through mine".

During his war service, his batman was Pvt. Peter Ustinov.

After the UK declared war in 1939, he was one of the first expatriate British actors to go back and join the army. Although Niven had a reputation for telling good stories over and over again, he was totally silent about his war experience. He said once: "I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. I was asked by some American friends to search out the grave of their son near Bastogne. I found it where they told me I would, but it was among 27,000 others, and I told myself that here, Niven, were 27,000 reasons why you should keep your mouth shut after the war".

Once wrote that as a child, he felt superior to others. He attributed this to the fact that when reciting the Lord's Prayer in church, he thought for several years that the correct phrasing was, "Our Father, who art a Niven . . . "

His first wife, Primula Rollo, died tragically while attending a dinner at fellow actor Tyrone Power 's house. After dinner, while playing hide and seek, she opened what she thought was a closet door but instead tumbled down the basement stairs and onto the concrete floor. She died shortly after.

Niven wound up with the deepest pool in Europe due to a miscommunication with the builders. They thought he meant 15 meters when all he wanted was 15 feet.

Joined the British Army's Rifle Brigade regiment and served through Dunkirk, joining the commandos and later the secret Phantom Reconnaissance Regiment. He spent most of the time behind German lines with the latter outfit, a rough, tough, hit-and-run group harassing the enemy.

During his final illness (Lou Gehrig's disease), Niven's speech would slur in interviews, causing some to think he was drunk. In the last three films he made (Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Better Late Than Never (1983), and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)), his voice had to be dubbed by Rich Little.

He was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of super-villain and archenemy of the Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro (created in 1961). Niven was 51 years at the point.

He died on 29 July 1983 at age 73, two years after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neurone disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease -- a disease that causes the death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles. Some also use the term motor neuron disease for a group of conditions of which ALS is the most common.

The title of his autobiography, "Bring on the Empty Horses", is taken from a command given by director Michael Curtiz during the filming of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) in which Niven had a featured part. Curtiz, a Hungarian notorious for his poor command of English, wanted a lot of riderless horses in the background of the climactic charge, but couldn't make himself understood to his assistant directors. Finally he exploded, "Bring on the empty horses!".

As a joke he agreed to celebrate the wedding of two gorillas and to be the godfather of their first son.

Niven's father, Lt. William Edward Graham Niven, was killed during World War I at the battle of Gallipoli on 21 August 1915, aged 38, while serving with the Berkshire Yeomanry. He was reported missing until 1917. A landowner, William Niven left a widow, Henriette Julia (née Degacher), of French and Welsh descent, and four children (Max, David, Joyce, and Grizel).

In the James Bond novel "You Only Live Twice," by Ian Fleming, he is referred to, and a pet bird in the story was named after him. Three years after the book was released, he played Bond in Casino Royale (1967).

He once asked Greta Garbo why she quit making movies. She answered, "I had made enough faces".

Ian Fleming recommended him for the role of James Bond for Dr. No (1962), but producer Albert R. Broccoli thought that Niven was too old.

Niven claimed he was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland (he thought it sounded more romantic) until an appearance on the radio show "Desert Island Discs" when he admitted he was born in London. His mother was there for the day visiting a specialist regarding the pregnancy when he was born.

During his final illness his weight dropped from 230 lbs to just 110 lbs.

Was too ill to attend Grace Kelly's funeral in September 1982.

Knew his first wife, Primula Rollo, 17 days before he married her. He knew his second wife, Hjördis Genberg, 10 days before marrying her. Father, with Primula Rollo, of David Niven Jr. and Jamie Niven; and the father, with Hjordis, of two adopted daughters, Kristina (adopted 1960) and Fiona (adopted 1962).

He appeared in one film produced by his son David Niven Jr.: Escape to Athena (1979).

Audrey Hepburn attended his funeral.

Close friend of Michael Trubshawe. They served together in a Highland Regiment in Malta in the 1930s and Trubshawe figures prominently in Niven's biography, "The Moon's A Balloon". Niven states: "He swiftly made a name for himself in television and one of his earliest screen appearances was in The Guns of Navarone (1961)--a lovely bonus for me." Niven does not mention Trubshawe's earlier appearance in Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Trubshawe was Niven's best man on the occasion of his two marriages, and also godfather to Niven's son, David Jr.

He was the only major British star to join the military when WWII broke out.

Met director Blake Edwards, when Edwards was writing and directing films for Four Star Television, a production company partly owned by Niven.

Died the same day as his The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and A Matter of Life and Death (1946) co-star Raymond Massey.

After he left the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst he was asked to write down his three preferred regiments; he wrote, "Anything but the HLI [Highland Light Infantry]". He was, of course, commissioned into the HLI, later being transferred to the Rifle Brigade.

News that Niven--who was merely an extra at the time--had been signed by Irving Thalberg of MGM prompted independent producer Samuel Goldwyn to sign him to a long-term contract.

He was close friends with Robert Wagner and was able to comfort him when Natalie Wood died, just as he had been comforted by Clark Gable when his wife Primmie died. All 3 lost wives they adored in tragic incidents.

Died at Château-d'Oex, Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District, Vaud, Switzerland, on the same day as his The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and A Matter of Life and Death (1946) co-star Raymond Massey. He was interred there.

He was Michael Anderson's choice to play Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery in a Columbia Pictures epic, "16th of December: The Battle of the Bulge," which had the blessing of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Defense Department, but the project was abandoned after Warner Brothers used the title Battle of the Bulge (1965) for a film starring Henry Fonda.

Tried to leave the army in September 1944 in order to return to Hollywood.

He'd raced yachts for England and won the Cumberland Cup competition against France.

Is portrayed by Nigel Havers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).

His favourite film was Around the World as it gave him the opportunity of meeting up with old friends.

Appeared in eight Best Picture nominees: Cleopatra (1934) (uncredited), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) (uncredited), Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Separate Tables (1958), and The Guns of Navarone (1961). Two of these -- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Around the World in 80 Days (1956) -- won the award.

He was attached to the role of Captain Phillip Blumburtt in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), but died before filming began. The role was meant to be a tribute to his work in The Guns of Navarone (1961), which was one of the inspirations for the film.

A memorial service was held for him at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London on 27 October 1983.

Grandson Ryan (born 1998), by daughter Fiona. Grandson Michael (born 1990), by daughter Kristina. Grand-daughters Fernanda and Eugenie, by son Jamie.

He was a graduate of Sandhurst military academy and served as a Lt Col in the Commandos in Normandy.

He has appeared in four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Dodsworth (1936), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939) and The Pink Panther (1963).

Contrary to a popular myth, he was not a cousin of actor Patrick Macnee. According to Macnee, in Sheridan Morley's 1985 biography "The Other Side of the Moon,", his elder brother Max and Patrick's mother were friends and Max was described as an "uncle," as opposed to a cousin. However, there was no blood link.

He was originally wanted for the role of Will Scarlet in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) but was on holiday in England, so the part went to Patric Knowles.

Didn't like watching his own films.

Naturally gifted as a raconteur, David Niven entertained his audience with amusing stories of his past.

Ex-father-in-law of Barbara Niven.

He and his A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Rogues (1964) and Prudence and the Pill (1968) co-star Robert Coote both played Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim in different adaptations of the 1894 novel "The Prisoner of Zenda" by Anthony Hope: Niven in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and Coote in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952).

Started as a film extra.

Had become acquainted with swing-music legend Glenn Miller while both were working in Hollywood. They were reunited when Niven became Miller's commanding officer during WWII, following transfer of the latter's Army Air Forces orchestra to the UK. Reportedly Niven never got over Miller's decision to fly to Paris without requesting permission, a flight that ended in tragedy.