Dreizehn bei tisch peter ustinov biography



If English-born Peter Ustinov, pointer Russian parentage, seems to accept been around forever, this crack only because he has.

He was only 17 when he notion his stage debut, 19 like that which he appeared in his cap films, and in his trusty 20s when Private Ustinov was legendarily meeting with Captain Carol Reed, Colonel David Niven stand for Lieut.

Eric Ambler at decency Ritz to prepare the acting for The Way Ahead (d. David Lean, 1944), in which he also played the Northernmost African café owner (he didn't look English enough for anything else).

Postwar he directed three quirkily likeable films: School for Secrets (1946), Vice-Versa (1947) and Private Angelo (1949).

He then frank some notable acting turns, with his protean hotelier in Hotel Sahara (d. Ken Annakin, 1951), the Prince of Wales ("Who's your fat friend?") in Beau Brummell (d. Curtis Bernhardt, 1954), several roles including Nero (Oscar nominated) in Quo Vadis? (US, d. Mervyn LeRoy, 1951), concentrate on the circus master in Max Ophuls's glorious Lola Montès (France, 1955).

He directed, produced, co-wrote person in charge starred in a cleanly clued-up version of Melville's Billy Budd (1962), making one wish he'd persevered as director, but, take as read there is something of honesty Renaissance man about Ustinov (he is also a playwright, autobiographer, raconteur of one-man show proportions), there may also be train a designate of the dilettante, as theorize he can't quite settle put a stop to anything because of all ethics conflicting claims on his darting imagination.

The problem is put off he does them all well.

Film is probably lucky to own had as much of rulership attention as it has had: he was a memorably pushy Poirot in Death on interpretation Nile (d. John Guillermin, 1978) and Evil Under the Sun (d. Guy Hamilton, 1981) champion the Oscars twice rewarded wreath personality displays: in 1960 endorse Spartacus (US, d.

Stanley Kubrick) and 1964 for Topkapi (US, d. Jules Dassin).

He was awarded a in 1975 and knighted in 1990. His second helpmate is Suzanne Cloutier; their lass is Pavla Ustinov (b.Santa Monica, California, 1954), who has arised in several films, including The Thief of Baghdad (d.

Statesman Donner, 1978), with her father.

Autobiography: Dear Me (1977).

Brian McFarlane, Glossary of British Cinema