Peter Finch
Encyclopedia
Peter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman
Howard Beale in the film Network
, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor
, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
, and a Best Actor award from the Golden Globes
. He was the first of two people to win a posthumous Academy Award in an acting category; the other was fellow Australian Heath Ledger
.
and Alicia Gladys Fisher, who divorced when he was two years old. George Finch was born in New South Wales, Australia, but was educated in Paris and Zurich. He was a research chemist when he moved to England in 1912 and later served during the first World War with the Royal Army Ordnance Depot and the Royal Field Artillery. In 1915 at Portsmouth in Hampshire George married Alicia Fisher, the daughter of a Kent barrister. However, George Finch was not Peter Finch's biological father. He learned only in his mid-40s that his biological father was Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell, an Indian Army officer, whose adultery with Finch's mother was the cause of his parents' divorce. George gained custody of Peter and he was taken from his mother and raised by his "grandmother" Laura Finch (formerly Black) in France and India, before being sent to Australia in 1926 where he lived with his great uncle Edward Herbert Finch at Greenwich Point
in Sydney. Alicia Finch married Peter's father "Jock" Campbell in 1922.
) in Sydney.
in 1934. He worked as a sideshow spruiker at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
, in vaudeville
with Joe Cody
and as a foil to American comedian Bert le Blanc. A recommendation led to work with George Sorlie
's travelling troupe, which in turn led to the attention of Australian Broadcasting Commission
radio drama producer Lawrence H. Cecil, who was to act as his coach and mentor throughout 1939 and 1940. He was "Chris" in the Children's Session
and the first Muddle-Headed Wombat
. He later starred with Neva Carr Glyn
in an enormously popular series by Max Afford as husband-and-wife detectives Jeffery and Elizabeth Blackburn as well as other ABC radio plays.
Finch's first screen performance was in a 1935 short film, The Magic Shoes
, an adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella
. He made his feature film debut in 1938 with a supporting role in Dad and Dave Come to Town
for director Ken G. Hall
, who went on to cast Finch in a larger role supporting Cecil Kellaway
in Mr. Chedworth Steps Out
(1939).
(1944). Finch was discharged from the army on 31 October 1945 at the rank of sergeant.
In 1946 Finch co-founded the Mercury Theatre Company
, which put on a number of productions in Sydney over the next few years, as well as running a theatre school. A 1948 performance of The Imaginary Invalid on the factory floor of O'Brien's Glass Factory in Sydney brought him to the attention of Laurence Olivier
and Vivien Leigh
, then touring Australia with the Old Vic
Company. Olivier encouraged Finch to move to London, and he left Australia in 1948.
's play Daphne Laureola
at the Old Vic
supporting Edith Evans
. His first role in a British film was in Train of Events
(1949
), playing a murderous actor. In 1950
, he made his Hollywood film debut in The Miniver Story
, the sequel to the wartime morale boosting movie Mrs. Miniver
; unlike its predecessor, it was poorly received critically. That year he also appeared in The Wooden Horse
playing an Australian prisoner of war
.
During this time, Finch's closeness to the Olivier family led to an affair with Olivier's beautiful but increasingly unstable wife, Vivien Leigh
, which began in 1948, and continued on and off for several years, ultimately falling apart due to her deteriorating mental condition.
In 1951 Finch played Iago on stage opposite Orson Welles
in Othello
. Despite his stage experience, Finch, like his mentor Olivier, suffered from stage fright and as the 50s went on he worked increasingly in film.
(1956) and The Battle of the River Plate (1956). He returned to Australia to make two films, Robbery Under Arms
(1957) and The Shiralee (1957). The success of The Nun's Story
(1959) saw him become an international star, although he never worked in Hollywood for an extended period of time, preferring to base himself in London.
Finch was originally chosen to play Julius Caesar
in Cleopatra
(1963) and filmed scenes in London, but when the film was postponed he withdrew; the role instead went to Rex Harrison
. However Finch had an enormously successful career throughout the 1960s and 1970s, winning BAFTA Awards for his performances in The Trials of Oscar Wilde
(1960) (in the title role
), No Love for Johnnie
(1961) and Sunday Bloody Sunday
(1971). His performance in the latter also earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role
.
Other notable films included The Pumpkin Eater
(1964) and Far from the Madding Crowd
(1967). A profile on Finch in Screenonline
claimed "it is arguable that no other actor ever chalked up such a rewarding CV in British films."
film Network
in which he played the television anchorman
Howard Beale who develops messianic pretensions. He was posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for that role, winning the award, which was accepted by his widow, Eletha Finch. Although James Dean
, Spencer Tracy
, and Massimo Troisi
were also posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, Peter Finch was the first actor to have won the award posthumously, as well as the first Australian actor to win a Best Actor award. He was the only posthumous winner of an Oscar in an acting category until Heath Ledger
won the Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actor
in 2009 (there were many earlier posthumous Oscar winners in non-acting categories; Ledger was also an Australian). Finch also won five Best Actor awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
(BAFTA), including one for Network.
, Vivien Leigh
and Mai Zetterling
, as well as singer Dame Shirley Bassey
.
He had four children from his three marriages: Samantha, Charles and Diana with Yolande Turner, and Anita with Tamara Tchinarova.
After suffering a heart attack in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Finch died on 14 January 1977, at the age of 60; he is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
.
published a biography of Finch titled Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch. That year, his second wife, Yolande Finch, also published a posthumous account of their life together, Finchy: My Life with Peter Finch. Another biography had previously been published by his friend and colleague Trader Faulkner, in 1979. According to Brian McFarlane, in The Encyclopedia of British Film, hosted by British Film Institute
's Screenonline
, Finch "did not emerge unscathed from a life of well-publicised hell-raising, and several biographies chronicle the affairs and the booze, but a serious appraisal of a great actor remains to be written."
: Miscalculates age at time of death as 61, not 60.)
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
Howard Beale in the film Network
Network (film)
Network is a 1976 American satirical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System , and its struggle with poor ratings. The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet...
, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
, and a Best Actor award from the Golden Globes
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
. He was the first of two people to win a posthumous Academy Award in an acting category; the other was fellow Australian Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
.
Early life
Finch was born as Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch in London to parents George FinchGeorge Finch (chemist)
George Ingle Finch FRS was a chemist and mountaineer.He was born in Australia but educated in German-speaking Switzerland and studied physical sciences at Geneva University....
and Alicia Gladys Fisher, who divorced when he was two years old. George Finch was born in New South Wales, Australia, but was educated in Paris and Zurich. He was a research chemist when he moved to England in 1912 and later served during the first World War with the Royal Army Ordnance Depot and the Royal Field Artillery. In 1915 at Portsmouth in Hampshire George married Alicia Fisher, the daughter of a Kent barrister. However, George Finch was not Peter Finch's biological father. He learned only in his mid-40s that his biological father was Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell, an Indian Army officer, whose adultery with Finch's mother was the cause of his parents' divorce. George gained custody of Peter and he was taken from his mother and raised by his "grandmother" Laura Finch (formerly Black) in France and India, before being sent to Australia in 1926 where he lived with his great uncle Edward Herbert Finch at Greenwich Point
Greenwich, New South Wales
Greenwich is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Greenwich is located 7 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Lane Cove.The suburb occupies a peninsula on the northern...
in Sydney. Alicia Finch married Peter's father "Jock" Campbell in 1922.
Education
Peter Finch was educated at French primary schools until the age of ten, and then in Australia at North Sydney Intermediate High School (see North Sydney Technical High SchoolNorth Sydney Technical High School
North Sydney Technical High School on Miller Street, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia first opened as St Leonard's Superior Public School...
) in Sydney.
Early career
After school, Finch took several badly paid jobs until he started acting in small parts for Doris FittonDoris Fitton
Doris Alice Fitton Mason, DBE was an Australian actress and theatrical director who founded and for 35 years headed Sydney's Independent Theatre, staging a diverse range of local and international dramas, many for the first time in Australia, including Sumner Locke-Elliott's wartime comedy, Rusty...
in 1934. He worked as a sideshow spruiker at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
Sydney Royal Easter Show
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, also known as the Royal Easter Show or simply The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around Easter.It is run by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales and was first held in 1823...
, in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
with Joe Cody
Joe Cody
Joe Cody was a Quarter Horse stallion famous for siring reining horses.-Life:Joe Cody was registered with number 42,543 in the American Quarter Horse Association . He was a 1952 sorrel colt, bred by Tom W. Cochran of Buckholts, Texas. He was registered in the ownership of Robert F. Roberts of...
and as a foil to American comedian Bert le Blanc. A recommendation led to work with George Sorlie
George Sorlie
George Brown Sorlie was an English-born theatrical entrepreneur famous for his work in Australia, particularly his touring tent shows which took pantomime, musical comedy and vaudeville around the country. He was an early employer of Peter Finch...
's travelling troupe, which in turn led to the attention of Australian Broadcasting Commission
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
radio drama producer Lawrence H. Cecil, who was to act as his coach and mentor throughout 1939 and 1940. He was "Chris" in the Children's Session
Argonauts Club
The Argonauts Club was an Australian children's radio program, first broadcast in 1933 on ABC Radio in Melbourne. Its format was devised by Nina Murdoch who had run the station's Children's Hour on 3LO and stayed on when that station was taken over by the Australian Broadcasting Commission...
and the first Muddle-Headed Wombat
The Muddle-Headed Wombat
The Muddle-Headed Wombat is a fictional wombat featured in the radio serials and later in the children's books of the same name written by Australian author Ruth Park.-History:...
. He later starred with Neva Carr Glyn
Neva Carr Glyn
Neva Carr Glyn or Neva Carr Glynn born "Neva Josephine Mary Carr Glyn" was an Australian contralto and actress born in Melbourne to Arthur Benjamin Carr Glyn , a humorous baritone and stage manager born in Ireland, and Marie Carr Glyn , née Marie Dunoon Senior , an actress with the stage...
in an enormously popular series by Max Afford as husband-and-wife detectives Jeffery and Elizabeth Blackburn as well as other ABC radio plays.
Finch's first screen performance was in a 1935 short film, The Magic Shoes
The Magic Shoes
The Magic Shoes is a 1935 Australian short film based on the fairy tale Cinderella. It features the first screen performance by Peter Finch and Helen Hughes, daughter of former Prime Minister William Hughes and was the first dramatised movie to be shot at the National Studios, built to make The...
, an adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
. He made his feature film debut in 1938 with a supporting role in Dad and Dave Come to Town
Dad and Dave Come to Town
Dad and Dave Come to Town is a 1938 Australian comedy film directed by Ken G. Hall, the third in the 'Dad and Dave' comedy series starring Bert Bailey.-Synopsis:...
for director Ken G. Hall
Ken G. Hall
Kenneth George Hall, AO OBE , better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry.-Early years:...
, who went on to cast Finch in a larger role supporting Cecil Kellaway
Cecil Kellaway
Cecil Lauriston Kellaway was a South African-born character actor.Cecil Kellaway spent many years as an actor, author, and director in the Australian film industry until he tried his luck in Hollywood in the 1930s. Finding he could get only gangster bit parts, he got discouraged and returned to...
in Mr. Chedworth Steps Out
Mr. Chedworth Steps Out
Mr. Chedworth Steps Out is a 1939 Australian film directed by Ken G. Hall. The film is a comedy about a mild-mannered clerk who is dominated by his wife and gets fired from his job after years of service...
(1939).
War service
Finch enlisted in the Australian army on 2 June 1941. He served in the Middle East and was an anti-aircraft gunner during the Bombing of Darwin. During his war service he was allowed to continue to act in radio, theatre and film, notably The Rats of TobrukThe Rats of Tobruk (1944 film)
The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps...
(1944). Finch was discharged from the army on 31 October 1945 at the rank of sergeant.
Mercury Theatre and Laurence Olivier
After the war, Finch continued to work heavily in radio and established himself as Australia's leading actor in that medium, winning Macquarie Awards for best actor in 1946 and 1947. He also worked as a compere, producer and writer.In 1946 Finch co-founded the Mercury Theatre Company
Mercury Theatre (Australia)
The Mercury Theatre was an Australian theatre company that was co-founded by Peter Finch and existed from 1946-1954. It was named after the famous Orson Welles theatre company of the same name....
, which put on a number of productions in Sydney over the next few years, as well as running a theatre school. A 1948 performance of The Imaginary Invalid on the factory floor of O'Brien's Glass Factory in Sydney brought him to the attention of Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
and Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
, then touring Australia with the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
Company. Olivier encouraged Finch to move to London, and he left Australia in 1948.
English career
When Finch arrived in England, Olivier became his mentor, and helped him get cast in a role in James BridieJames Bridie
James Bridie was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and surgeon whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor....
's play Daphne Laureola
Daphne laureola
Daphne laureola, or Spurge-laurel , is a species of Daphne in the flowering plant family Thymelaeaceae...
at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
supporting Edith Evans
Edith Evans
Dame Edith Mary Evans, DBE was a British actress. She was known for her work on the British stage. She also appeared in a number of films, for which she received three Academy Award nominations, plus a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award.Evans was particularly effective at portraying haughty...
. His first role in a British film was in Train of Events
Train of Events
Train of Events is a 1949 British film made by Ealing Studios directed by Sidney Cole, Charles Crichton and Basil Dearden.A portmanteau work, it tells the various stories of the passengers who are on a train which crashes into a stalled petrol tanker at a level crossing.-Plot:The film opens with a...
(1949
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
), playing a murderous actor. In 1950
1950 in film
The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
, he made his Hollywood film debut in The Miniver Story
The Miniver Story
The Miniver Story is a 1950 film sequel to the successful 1942 film Mrs. Miniver.Like its predecessor, it was made by MGM and starred Greer Garson in the title role, but it was filmed on location in England. The film was directed by H.C. Potter and produced by Sidney Franklin, from a screenplay by...
, the sequel to the wartime morale boosting movie Mrs. Miniver
Mrs. Miniver (film)
Mrs. Miniver is a 1942 American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, and Teresa Wright. Based on the fictional English housewife created by Jan Struther in 1937 for a series of newspaper columns, the film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture,...
; unlike its predecessor, it was poorly received critically. That year he also appeared in The Wooden Horse
The Wooden Horse
The Wooden Horse is a 1950 British Second World War war film starring Leo Genn, Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson and directed by Jack Lee. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay....
playing an Australian prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
During this time, Finch's closeness to the Olivier family led to an affair with Olivier's beautiful but increasingly unstable wife, Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
, which began in 1948, and continued on and off for several years, ultimately falling apart due to her deteriorating mental condition.
In 1951 Finch played Iago on stage opposite Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
in Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
. Despite his stage experience, Finch, like his mentor Olivier, suffered from stage fright and as the 50s went on he worked increasingly in film.
Film stardom
Finch's film roles increased in size and prestige and by the mid 1950s he was one of the biggest stars in British cinema, thanks to films like A Town Like AliceA Town Like Alice
A Town Like Alice is a novel by the British author Nevil Shute about a young Englishwoman in Malaya during World War II and in outback Australia post-war....
(1956) and The Battle of the River Plate (1956). He returned to Australia to make two films, Robbery Under Arms
Robbery Under Arms (1957 film)
Robbery Under Arms is a 1957 British crime film directed by Jack Lee and starring Peter Finch, Ronald Lewis, Laurence Naismith and Jill Ireland. It is based on the Australian novel Robbery Under Arms by Thomas Alexander Browne...
(1957) and The Shiralee (1957). The success of The Nun's Story
The Nun's Story
The Nun's Story is the title of a 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme. The book was a Book of the Month selection and reached #1 on the New York Times best-seller list....
(1959) saw him become an international star, although he never worked in Hollywood for an extended period of time, preferring to base himself in London.
Finch was originally chosen to play Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1963 film)
Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
(1963) and filmed scenes in London, but when the film was postponed he withdrew; the role instead went to Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
. However Finch had an enormously successful career throughout the 1960s and 1970s, winning BAFTA Awards for his performances in The Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Trials of Oscar Wilde also known as The Man with the Green Carnation and The Green Carnation, is a 1960 British film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. It was produced by Irving Allen, written by Allen and Ken Hughes and...
(1960) (in the title role
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
), No Love for Johnnie
No Love for Johnnie
No Love for Johnnie is a 1961 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was based on the book of the same title by the Member of Parliament Wilfred Fienburgh and stars Peter Finch....
(1961) and Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)
Sunday Bloody Sunday is a 1971 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Murray Head, Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch. It tells the story of a free-spirited young bisexual artist and his simultaneous relationships with a female recruitment consultant and a male Jewish doctor...
(1971). His performance in the latter also earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
.
Other notable films included The Pumpkin Eater
The Pumpkin Eater
The Pumpkin Eater is a 1964 British drama film starring Anne Bancroft as an unusually fertile woman and Peter Finch as her philandering husband....
(1964) and Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd (1967 film)
Far from the Madding Crowd is a 1967 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, adapted from the book of the same name by Thomas Hardy. It was Schlesinger's fourth film and marked a stylistic shift away from his earlier works which explored contemporary urban mores. The cinematography was by...
(1967). A profile on Finch in Screenonline
Screenonline
Screenonline is a Web site devoted to the history of British film and television, and to social history as revealed by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lottery New Opportunities Fund.Reviews...
claimed "it is arguable that no other actor ever chalked up such a rewarding CV in British films."
Posthumous Oscar
At the time of his death, he was doing a promotional tour for the 19761976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
film Network
Network (film)
Network is a 1976 American satirical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System , and its struggle with poor ratings. The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet...
in which he played the television anchorman
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
Howard Beale who develops messianic pretensions. He was posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for that role, winning the award, which was accepted by his widow, Eletha Finch. Although James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
, Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
, and Massimo Troisi
Massimo Troisi
Massimo Troisi was an Italian actor, film director, and poet. He is best known for his role as Mario Ruoppolo in the 1994 film Il Postino.- Early years and TV star :...
were also posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, Peter Finch was the first actor to have won the award posthumously, as well as the first Australian actor to win a Best Actor award. He was the only posthumous winner of an Oscar in an acting category until Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
won the Academy Award
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
in 2009 (there were many earlier posthumous Oscar winners in non-acting categories; Ledger was also an Australian). Finch also won five Best Actor awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
(BAFTA), including one for Network.
Personal life
Finch married three times; first to Russian ballerina Tamara Rechemcinc (who performed under her mother's family name of Tchinarova), secondly to South African actress Yolande Eileen Turnbull ("Turner"), who was known as Yolande Finch during their marriage; both marriages ended in divorce. After his divorce from Yolande Finch, he married Mavis "Eletha" Barrett, who was known as Eletha Finch. He also had relationships with actresses Kay KendallKay Kendall
Kay Kendall was an English actress.Kendall began her film career in the 1946 musical London Town. Though the film was a financial failure, Kendall continued to work regularly until her appearance in the comedy Genevieve brought her widespread recognition...
, Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
and Mai Zetterling
Mai Zetterling
-Early life:Zetterling was born in Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden to a working class family. She started her career as an actress by the age of seventeen at Dramaten, the Swedish national theater, and appeared in war-era film starting in her teens.-Career:...
, as well as singer Dame Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
.
He had four children from his three marriages: Samantha, Charles and Diana with Yolande Turner, and Anita with Tamara Tchinarova.
After suffering a heart attack in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Finch died on 14 January 1977, at the age of 60; he is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
.
Biographies
In 1980, American author Elaine DundyElaine Dundy
Elaine Dundy was an American novelist, biographer, journalist, actress and playwright.-Early life:Born Elaine Rita Brimberg in New York City, of Latvian maternal descent, her Polish father was an office furniture manufacturer and a violent bully...
published a biography of Finch titled Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch. That year, his second wife, Yolande Finch, also published a posthumous account of their life together, Finchy: My Life with Peter Finch. Another biography had previously been published by his friend and colleague Trader Faulkner, in 1979. According to Brian McFarlane, in The Encyclopedia of British Film, hosted by British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
's Screenonline
Screenonline
Screenonline is a Web site devoted to the history of British film and television, and to social history as revealed by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lottery New Opportunities Fund.Reviews...
, Finch "did not emerge unscathed from a life of well-publicised hell-raising, and several biographies chronicle the affairs and the booze, but a serious appraisal of a great actor remains to be written."
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | The Magic Shoes The Magic Shoes The Magic Shoes is a 1935 Australian short film based on the fairy tale Cinderella. It features the first screen performance by Peter Finch and Helen Hughes, daughter of former Prime Minister William Hughes and was the first dramatised movie to be shot at the National Studios, built to make The... |
Prince Charming | A short film, now considered lost, although some stills exist at Australia's National Film and Sound Archive National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items... . |
| 1938 | Dad and Dave Come to Town Dad and Dave Come to Town Dad and Dave Come to Town is a 1938 Australian comedy film directed by Ken G. Hall, the third in the 'Dad and Dave' comedy series starring Bert Bailey.-Synopsis:... |
Bill Ryan | Finch only has one scene of note, but it was a good one, acting opposite Bert Bailey Bert Bailey Albert Edward Bailey , better known as Bert Bailey, was a New Zealand-born writer and actor best known for playing Dad Rudd on stage and screen.-Biography:... . A copy of the scene is available at Australian Screen Online. |
| 1939 | Mr. Chedworth Steps Out Mr. Chedworth Steps Out Mr. Chedworth Steps Out is a 1939 Australian film directed by Ken G. Hall. The film is a comedy about a mild-mannered clerk who is dominated by his wife and gets fired from his job after years of service... |
Arthur Jacobs | A clip of Finch acting opposite Cecil Kellaway Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway was a South African-born character actor.Cecil Kellaway spent many years as an actor, author, and director in the Australian film industry until he tried his luck in Hollywood in the 1930s. Finding he could get only gangster bit parts, he got discouraged and returned to... is available at Australian Screen Online |
| 1941 | The Power and the Glory The Power and the Glory (1941 film) The Power and the Glory is a 1941 Australian war film about a Czech scientist who escapes from the Nazis to live in Australia. It features an early screen performance by Peter Finch.... |
Frank Miller | |
| 1941 | While There is Still Time While There is Still Time While There is Still Time is a 1943 short Australian dramatised documentary directed by Charles Chauvel about Australian soldiers during World War II.-External links:* at Australian Screen Online* at National Film and Sound Archive... |
Jim | A propaganda short film made for the Australian government during World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . |
| 1944 | The Rats of Tobruk The Rats of Tobruk (1944 film) The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps... |
Peter Linton | A clip of Finch's death scene is available at Australian Screen Online |
| Red Sky at Morning Red Sky at Morning (1944 film) Red Sky at Morning is a 1944 Australian melodrama set during the 19th century. It features an early screen performance by Peter Finch, who plays a convict who falls in love with the wife of a sea captain. It is considered a lost film.-External links:... |
Michael | This is considered a lost film Lost film A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons... . |
|
| 1946 | A Son Is Born A Son Is Born A Son Is Born is a 1946 Australian melodrama about a woman who marries an irresponsible drifter . They have a son , but later divorce and she remarries a rich businessman... |
Paul Graham | |
| 1949 | Train of Events Train of Events Train of Events is a 1949 British film made by Ealing Studios directed by Sidney Cole, Charles Crichton and Basil Dearden.A portmanteau work, it tells the various stories of the passengers who are on a train which crashes into a stalled petrol tanker at a level crossing.-Plot:The film opens with a... |
Philip (segment The Actor) | |
| Eureka Stockade Eureka Stockade (film) Eureka Stockade is a 1949 British film of the story surrounding Peter Lalor and the gold miners' rebellion of 1854 at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria... |
Humffray | ||
| 1950 | The Miniver Story The Miniver Story The Miniver Story is a 1950 film sequel to the successful 1942 film Mrs. Miniver.Like its predecessor, it was made by MGM and starred Greer Garson in the title role, but it was filmed on location in England. The film was directed by H.C. Potter and produced by Sidney Franklin, from a screenplay by... |
Polish officer | |
| The Wooden Horse The Wooden Horse The Wooden Horse is a 1950 British Second World War war film starring Leo Genn, Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson and directed by Jack Lee. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay.... |
Australian in Hospital | ||
| 1952 | The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men is a 1952 live action Disney version of the Robin Hood story in Technicolor which was filmed in Buckinghamshire, England... |
Sheriff of Nottingham Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is... |
|
| 1953 | The Heart of the Matter The Heart of the Matter (film) The Heart of the Matter is a 1953 British film based on the book of the same name by Graham Greene. It was directed by George More O'Ferrall for London Films. It was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot, cast and production:... |
Father Rank | |
| The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan is a 1953 British technicolor film that dramatises the story of the collaboration between W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert and Sullivan authored 14 comic operas, later referred to as the Savoy Operas, which became the most popular series of musical... |
Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era... |
||
| 1954 | Father Brown Father Brown (film) Father Brown is a 1954 British mystery comedy film. Technically, the film is a remake of the 1934 Paramount picture Father Brown, Detective, starring Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas and Gertrude Michael, which was likewise based on "The Blue Cross," but confined the action to London... |
Flambeau Flambeau (character) M. Hercule Flambeau is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton who appears in the five volumes of in total 48 short stories, of the Father Brown series. His name is the French word for a flaming torch.... |
|
| Elephant Walk Elephant Walk Elephant Walk is a 1954 Paramount Pictures film, directed by William Dieterle, and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Andrews, Peter Finch and Abraham Sofaer.... |
John Wiley | He was originally to co-star with Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark... but she had a nervous breakdown and was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age... . |
|
| Make Me an Offer | Charlie | ||
| 1955 | Josephine and Men Josephine and Men Josephine and Men is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Glynis Johns, Jack Buchanan, Donald Sinden and Peter Finch... |
David Hewer | |
| Passage Home Passage Home -Cast:* Anthony Steel as First Mate Vosper* Peter Finch as Captain Lucky Ryland* Diane Cilento as Ruth Elton* Cyril Cusack as Bohannon the steward* Geoffrey Keen as Ike the bosun* Hugh Griffith as Pettigrew* Duncan Lamont as 1st Mate Llewellyn... |
Captain Lucky Ryland | ||
| Simon and Laura Simon and Laura Simon and Laura is a 1955 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Peter Finch, Kay Kendall and Muriel Pavlow. A married couple are hired for a television programme to portray domestic happiness, although in real life their marriage is breaking down.-Cast:* Peter Finch - Simon Foster*... |
Simon Foster | ||
| The Dark Avenger The Dark Avenger The Dark Avenger is a 1955 film directed by Henry Levin. The screenplay was written by Daniel P. Ullman and Phil Park who was uncredited. The film starred Errol Flynn, Joanne Dru and Peter Finch... |
Comte De Ville | He stars opposite fellow Australian Errol Flynn Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:... . |
|
| 1956 | The Battle of the River Plate The Battle of the River Plate (film) The Battle of the River Plate is a 1956 British war film by director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, starring John Gregson, Anthony Quayle and Peter Finch... |
Capt. Langsdorff Hans Langsdorff Hans Wilhelm Langsdorff was a German naval officer, most famous for his command of the Panzerschiff Admiral Graf Spee during the Battle of the River Plate. He held the rank of Kapitän zur See.... , Admiral Graf Spee German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. The vessel was named after Admiral Maximilian von Spee, commander of the East Asia Squadron that fought the battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands in World War I... |
|
| A Town Like Alice A Town Like Alice (film) A Town Like Alice is a 1956 British drama film, based on the novel by Nevil Shute and with Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch in the leading roles. The film does not follow the whole novel, concluding at the end of Part Two of the book, and many plot details are truncated or omitted... |
Joe Harman | BAFTA Award for Best British Actor | |
| 1957 | Windom's Way Windom's Way Windom's Way is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Ronald Neame. It was nominated for four British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards in 1958.-Cast:* Peter Finch as Alec Windom* Mary Ure as Lee Windom* Natasha Parry as Anna Vidal... |
Alec Windom | Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best British Actor |
| Robbery Under Arms Robbery Under Arms (1957 film) Robbery Under Arms is a 1957 British crime film directed by Jack Lee and starring Peter Finch, Ronald Lewis, Laurence Naismith and Jill Ireland. It is based on the Australian novel Robbery Under Arms by Thomas Alexander Browne... |
Captain Starlight | ||
| The Shiralee | Jim Macauley | Clips from the film are available at Australian Screen Online | |
| 1959 | The Nun's Story The Nun's Story (film) The Nun's Story is a 1959 Warner Brothers film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Audrey Hepburn. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same title by Kathryn Hulme, the story tells of the life of Sister Luke , a young Belgian woman who decides to enter a convent and make the many sacrifices... |
Dr. Fortunati | Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best British Actor |
| Operation Amsterdam Operation Amsterdam Operation Amsterdam is a 1959 British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book Adventure in Diamonds, by David E Walker. The action of the story covers a few days in May 1940 when the... |
Jan Smit | ||
| 1960 | The Trials of Oscar Wilde The Trials of Oscar Wilde The Trials of Oscar Wilde also known as The Man with the Green Carnation and The Green Carnation, is a 1960 British film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. It was produced by Irving Allen, written by Allen and Ken Hughes and... |
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s... |
BAFTA Award for Best British Actor Moscow International Film Festival Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Moscow International Film Festival Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995.... |
| Kidnapped Kidnapped (1960 film) Kidnapped is a 1960 Walt Disney Productions film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Kidnapped. It stars Peter Finch and James MacArthur, and was Disney's second production based on a novel by Stevenson.-Plot:... |
Alan Breck Stewart | ||
| 1961 | No Love for Johnnie No Love for Johnnie No Love for Johnnie is a 1961 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was based on the book of the same title by the Member of Parliament Wilfred Fienburgh and stars Peter Finch.... |
Johnnie Byrne | BAFTA Award for Best British Actor Silver Bear for Best Actor Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.- Awards :- External links :*... at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival 11th Berlin International Film Festival The 11th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 23 to July 4, 1961.-Jury:* James Quinn * France Roche* Marc Turfkruyer* Satyajit Ray* Gian Luigi Rondi* Hirosugu Ozaki* Nicholas Ray* Falk Harnack* Hans Schaarwächter... . |
| The Sins of Rachel Cade The Sins of Rachel Cade The Sins of Rachel Cade is a 1961 drama film starring Angie Dickinson in the title role as well as Peter Finch and Roger Moore.-Plot:During World War II, Protestant medical missionary Rachel comes to the village of Dibela in the Belgian Congo. Widowed military administrator Colonel Derode is... |
Colonel Henry Derode | ||
| 1962 | I Thank a Fool I Thank a Fool I Thank a Fool is a 1962 British crime film made by Eaton and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Robert Stevens and produced by Anatole de Grunwald from a screenplay by Karl Tunberg based on the novel by Audrey Erskine Lindop... |
Stephen Dane | |
| 1963 | In the Cool of the Day | Murray Logan | |
| 1964 | First Men in the Moon | Bailiff's man | Finch plays an uncredited cameo in this film. He was visiting the set when the actor who was supposed to play the part failed to show up. |
| Girl with Green Eyes Girl with Green Eyes Girl with Green Eyes is a 1964 British drama film, which Edna O'Brien adapted from her novel The Lonely Girl. It was directed by Desmond Davis, and stars Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave and Julian Glover.- Plot :... |
Eugene Gaillard | ||
| The Pumpkin Eater The Pumpkin Eater The Pumpkin Eater is a 1964 British drama film starring Anne Bancroft as an unusually fertile woman and Peter Finch as her philandering husband.... |
Jake Armitage | ||
| 1965 | The Flight of the Phoenix The Flight of the Phoenix The Flight of the Phoenix is a 1964 novel by Elleston Trevor. The plot involves the crash of a transport aircraft in the middle of a desert and the survivors' desperate attempt to save themselves... |
Capt. Harris | |
| 1966 | 10:30 P.M. Summer 10:30 P.M. Summer 10:30 P.M. Summer is a 1966 American drama film directed by Jules Dassin, husband of star Melina Mercouri.-Plot:Maria and Paul, a couple in their forties, travel through Spain with a new friend, Claire , a younger woman. The couple's daughter is also part of the trip... |
Paul | |
| Judith | Aaron Stein | ||
| 1967 | Come Spy with Me | Cameo appearance | uncredited |
| Far from the Madding Crowd Far from the Madding Crowd (1967 film) Far from the Madding Crowd is a 1967 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, adapted from the book of the same name by Thomas Hardy. It was Schlesinger's fourth film and marked a stylistic shift away from his earlier works which explored contemporary urban mores. The cinematography was by... |
William Boldwood | National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Actor An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
|
| 1968 | The Legend of Lylah Clare The Legend of Lylah Clare The Legend of Lylah Clare is a 1968 Metrocolor film directed by Robert Aldrich. The film stars Peter Finch, Kim Novak, Ernest Borgnine, Michael Murphy and Valentina Cortese. The film was based on a 1962 Dupont Show of the Week TV drama co-written by Wild in the Streets creator Robert Thom.-Plot... |
Lewis Zarken | |
| 1969 | The Greatest Mother of Them All | Sean Howard | |
| The Red Tent The Red Tent (film) The Red Tent is a joint Soviet/Italian 1969 film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov.The film is based on the story of the mission to rescue Umberto Nobile and the other survivors of the crash of the Airship Italia. It features Sean Connery as Roald Amundsen and Peter Finch as Nobile. The script was... |
General Umberto Nobile Umberto Nobile Umberto Nobile was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships during the Golden Age of Aviation between the two World Wars... |
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| 1971 | Sunday Bloody Sunday Sunday Bloody Sunday (film) Sunday Bloody Sunday is a 1971 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Murray Head, Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch. It tells the story of a free-spirited young bisexual artist and his simultaneous relationships with a female recruitment consultant and a male Jewish doctor... |
Dr. Daniel Hirsh | BAFTA Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor is an annual award given by the National Society of Film Critics to honor the best leading actor of the year.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... |
| 1972 | Something to Hide Something to Hide Something to Hide , is a 1972 British thriller film, written and directed by Alastair Reid, based on a 1963 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. The film stars Peter Finch, Shelley Winters, Colin Blakely, Linda Hayden and Graham Crowden... |
Harry Field | |
| 1973 | England Made Me England Made Me (film) England Made Me is a 1973 British drama film directed by Peter Duffell and starring Peter Finch, Michael York, Hildegarde Neil and Michael Hordern. It is based on the novel England Made Me by Graham Greene.-Main cast:... |
Erich Krogh | |
| Bequest to the Nation Bequest to the Nation (film) Bequest to the Nation is a 1973 British historical drama film directed by James Cellan Jones and starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Michael Jayston and Margaret Leighton. It is based on the 1970 Terence Rattigan play A Bequest to the Nation. The film depicts the relationship between Admiral Lord... |
Adm. Lord Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of... |
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| Lost Horizon Lost Horizon (1973 film) Lost Horizon is a 1973 musical film directed by Charles Jarrott and starring Peter Finch, John Gielgud, Liv Ullmann, Michael York, Sally Kellerman, Bobby Van, George Kennedy, Olivia Hussey, James Shigeta and Charles Boyer.... |
Richard Conway | ||
| 1974 | The Abdication The Abdication The Abdication is a 1974 British historical drama film directed by Anthony Harvey and starring Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Cyril Cusack, Graham Crowden and James Faulkner... |
Cardinal Azzolino Decio Azzolino Decio Azzolino , generally known as the Younger, was an Italian cardinal.He was born at Fermo, the son of Pompeo Azzolino and Giulia Ruffo, and great-nephew of Cardinal Decio Azzolino the Elder. He received doctorates in philosophy, juridics and theology from Fermo University... |
|
| 1976 | Network Network (film) Network is a 1976 American satirical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System , and its struggle with poor ratings. The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet... |
Howard Beale | Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... BAFTA Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1977 | Raid on Entebbe Raid on Entebbe (film) Raid on Entebbe is a 1977 TV movie directed by Irvin Kershner. It is based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Entebbe, Uganda on July 4, 1976. It was the last movie to be released featuring Academy Award-winning actor Peter Finch who died just... |
Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin ' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995.... |
TV movie Nominated – Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie |
Australia
- Peter PanPeter PanPeter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
by J.M. Barrie - Savoy Theatre, Sydney, 1934 - directed by Doris FittonDoris FittonDoris Alice Fitton Mason, DBE was an Australian actress and theatrical director who founded and for 35 years headed Sydney's Independent Theatre, staging a diverse range of local and international dramas, many for the first time in Australia, including Sumner Locke-Elliott's wartime comedy, Rusty... - Counsellor at LawCounsellor at LawCounsellor at Law is a 1933 American drama film directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by Elmer Rice is based on his 1931 play of the same title.-Plot:...
by Elmer RiceElmer RiceElmer Rice was an American playwright. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1929 play, Street Scene.-Early years:...
- Savoy Theatre, Sydney, 1934 - directed by Doris FittonDoris FittonDoris Alice Fitton Mason, DBE was an Australian actress and theatrical director who founded and for 35 years headed Sydney's Independent Theatre, staging a diverse range of local and international dramas, many for the first time in Australia, including Sumner Locke-Elliott's wartime comedy, Rusty...
with Sumner Locke ElliottSumner Locke ElliottSumner Locke Elliott was an Australian novelist.-Biography:Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Helena Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsia one day after his birth... - Richard of Bordeaux by Gordon Daviot - Savoy Theatre, Sydney, 1935 - directed by Doris FittonDoris FittonDoris Alice Fitton Mason, DBE was an Australian actress and theatrical director who founded and for 35 years headed Sydney's Independent Theatre, staging a diverse range of local and international dramas, many for the first time in Australia, including Sumner Locke-Elliott's wartime comedy, Rusty...
- Joe Coady's Vaudeville Show - Maccabean Hall, Sydney, 1935
- Bert le Blanc comedy show - Sydney, 1935
- Interference by Roland Pertwee and Harold Dearden - St James Hall, Sydney, 1935
- False Colours by Frank HarveyFrank Harvey (Australian screenwriter)Frank Harvey was an English-born actor, producer and writer best known for his work in Australia.-Biography:...
- Independent Theatre, Sydney, 1935 - Under the Big Top - touring show with George SorlieGeorge SorlieGeorge Brown Sorlie was an English-born theatrical entrepreneur famous for his work in Australia, particularly his touring tent shows which took pantomime, musical comedy and vaudeville around the country. He was an early employer of Peter Finch...
, various Queensland towns, 1936 - So This is Hollywood - Apollo Theatre, Melbourne, 1938
- Personal Appearance - Theatre Royal, Sydney and Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, 1938
- White CargoWhite CargoWhite Cargo is a film starring Hedy Lamarr and Walter Pidgeon and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Set in 1910, it is based on the 1923 London and Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon, which was in turn adapted from the novel Hell's Playground by Ida Vera Simonton...
by Leon Gordon - Theatre RoyalTheatre Royal, SydneyThe Theatre Royal in Sydney is Australia's oldest theatrical institution. Sydney's original Theatre Royal was built in 1827 behind the Royal Hotel, but burned to the ground in 1840. The name was dormant for 35 years until 1875 when a new Theatre Royal was built in the location where the current...
, Sydney, 1939 - directed by Ben Lewin - Night of January 16thNight of January 16thNight of January 16th is a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King", Ivar Kreuger. First produced under a different name in 1934, it takes place entirely in a court room and is centered on a murder trial. It was a hit of the 1935-36 Broadway season...
by Ayn RandAyn RandAyn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
- Minerva Theatre, Sydney, 1944 - with Lawrence H. Cecil - While the Sun ShinesWhile the Sun ShinesWhile the Sun Shines is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith. It was based on Terrence Rattigan's 1943 play of the same name. -Plot:...
by Terrence Rattigan - Minerva Theatre, Sydney 1944 - with Ron RandellRon RandellRonald Egan "Ron" Randell was an Australian-born American film and stage actor.-Biography:Randell was born in Sydney. He started his career as a stage and radio performer in his teens. He soon established himself as a leading male juvenile for radio, acting for 2KY Players, George Edwards, BAP...
(later toured this production to army hospitals and bases in 1945) - French Without Tears by Terrence Rattigan - various army hospitals and bases, 1945
- Diamond Cuts Diamond by Gogol - Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, 1946
- The Pastry Baker by Lope de VegaLope de VegaFélix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque literature...
- Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, 1946 - also directed - The Broken Pitcher by Von KleistVon KleistVon Kleist is a Pomeranian Prussian noble family. Notable members of this family include:* Ewald Jürgen Georg von Kleist ; co-inventor of the Leyden jar* Ewald Christian von Kleist ; German poet and soldier...
- - Conservatorium of Music, Sydney, 1946 - French Without Tears by Terrence Rattigan - Killara Hall, Sydney, 1947
- Midsummer Night by Lajos BiroLajos BiróLajos Bíró was a Hungarian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who wrote many films from the early 1920s through the late 1940s. He was born in Nagyvárad, Austria-Hungary and eventually moved to the United Kingdom where he worked as a scenario chief for London Film Productions run by...
- touring production, Sydney 1948 - directed - Anatole's Wedding Morning by Arthur SchnitzlerArthur SchnitzlerDr. Arthur Schnitzler was an Austrian author and dramatist.- Biography :Arthur Schnitzler, son of a prominent Hungarian-Jewish laryngologist Johann Schnitzler and Luise Markbreiter , was born in Praterstraße 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian...
- touring production, Sydney 1948 - directed - The Imaginary Invalid by MoliereMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
- O'Brien's Glass Factory and Sydney Town Hall, Sydney, 1948 - directed by Sydney John KaySydney John KayKurt Kaiser , better known as Sydney John Kay, was a German-born composer, musician and theatre entrepreneur.-Germany:...
England
- Daphne LaureolaDaphne laureolaDaphne laureola, or Spurge-laurel , is a species of Daphne in the flowering plant family Thymelaeaceae...
by James BridieJames BridieJames Bridie was the pseudonym of a Scottish playwright, screenwriter and surgeon whose real name was Osborne Henry Mavor....
- London, 1949 - directed by Murray MacDonald with Edith EvansEdith EvansDame Edith Mary Evans, DBE was a British actress. She was known for her work on the British stage. She also appeared in a number of films, for which she received three Academy Award nominations, plus a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award.Evans was particularly effective at portraying haughty...
and Felix AylmerFelix AylmerSir Felix Edward Aylmer Jones, OBE was an English stage actor who also appeared in the cinema and on television.-Early life and career:... - The Damascus Blade by Bridget BolandBridget Boland-Selected filmography:* Laugh It Off * Gaslight * Freedom Radio * This England * The Prisoner * War and Peace * Anne of the Thousand Days -External links:...
- provincial tour, 1950 - directed by Laurence OlivierLaurence OlivierLaurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright... - Captain CarvalloCaptain CarvalloCaptain Carvallo is a traditional comedy play told in three acts by Denis Cannan, with its preposterous Ruritarian story featuring a romantic hero with a girl in every soldierly billet.The comedy was an immediate success when it opened at the St...
by Denis CannanDenis CannanDenis Cannan was a British dramatist, playwright and script writer. Born Denis Pullein-Thompson, the son of Captain Harold J. Pullein-Thompson and novelist Joanna Cannan, he changed his name by deed poll in 1964. His younger sisters were Josephine, Diana and Christine Pullein-Thompson.Born in...
- St James Theatre, London, 1950 - directed by Laurence OlivierLaurence OlivierLaurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
with Diana WynyardDiana WynyardDiana Wynyard, CBE , whose birth name was Dorothy Isobel Cox, was an English stage and film actress.-Life and career:...
and Jill Bennett - Point of Departure by Jean AnouilhJean AnouilhJean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1943 play Antigone, an adaptation of Sophocles' Classical drama, that was seen as an attack on Marshal Pétain's...
- Duke of York Theatre, London, 1951 - directed by Peter Ashmore with Mai ZetterlingMai Zetterling-Early life:Zetterling was born in Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden to a working class family. She started her career as an actress by the age of seventeen at Dramaten, the Swedish national theater, and appeared in war-era film starting in her teens.-Career:...
(he replaced Dirk BogardeDirk BogardeSir Dirk Bogarde was an English actor and novelist. Initially a matinee idol in such films as Doctor in the House and other Rank Organisation pictures, Bogarde later acted in art-house films such as Death in Venice... - OthelloOthelloThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
- St James Theatre, London, 1951 - directed by Orson WellesOrson WellesGeorge Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
with Orson WellesOrson WellesGeorge Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
. Edward MulhareEdward MulhareEdward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.Born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers, Mulhare intended to study medicine, but was sidetracked by a growing interest in acting... - The Happy TimeThe Happy TimeThe Happy Time is a 1952 movie directed by the award-winning director Richard Fleischer, based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Robert Fontaine, which Samuel A. Taylor turned it into a hit play. A boy, played by Bobby Driscoll, comes of age in a close-knit French-Canadian family. The film...
by Samuel TaylorSamuel A. TaylorSamuel A. Taylor was an American playwright and screenwriter.Born Samuel Albert Tanenbaum, in a Jewish family, in Chicago, Illinois, Taylor made his Broadway debut as author of the play The Happy Time in 1950. He wrote the play Sabrina Fair in 1953 and co-wrote its film adaptation the following year...
- St James Theatre, London, 1952 - directed by George DevineGeorge DevineGeorge Alexander Cassady Devine CBE was an extremely influential theatrical manager, director, teacher and actor in London from the late 1940s until his death. He also worked in the media of TV and film.-Biography:...
, with Genevieve PageGeneviève PageGeneviève Page is a leading French actress with a film career spanning fifty years. She is the daughter of Jacques Paul Bonjean , a well known French art-collector.-Career:... - Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
- Old Vic Theatre, London, 1952 - directed by Denis CareyDenis CareyDenis Carey was a British actor who appeared in many film and television roles.Some of Carey's notable appearances include Dennis Potter's 1968 television series A Beast with Two Backs, Elizabeth R, I, Claudius and The Barchester Chronicles...
with Claire BloomClaire BloomClaire Bloom is an English film and stage actress.-Early life:Bloom was born in the North London suburb of Finchley, the daughter of Elizabeth and Edward Max Blume, who worked in sales...
and Alan BadelAlan BadelAlan Fernand Badel was a distinguished English stage actor who also appeared frequently in the cinema, radio and television and was noted for his richly textured voice which was once described as "the sound of tears".-Early life:... - An Italian Straw Hat by Eugene Labiche - Old Vic Theatre, London, 1953 - with Laurence PayneLaurence PayneLaurence Payne was an English actor and novelist.-Early life:Laurence Stanley Payne was born in London. His father died when he was three years old, and he and his elder brother and sister were brought up in by their mother, a Wesleyan Methodist in Wood Green, London...
- Two for the SeesawTwo for the SeesawTwo for the Seesaw is a 1962 romance-drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine. It was adapted from the Broadway play written by William Gibson.-Plot:...
by William GibsonWilliam GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
- Theatre Royal, Brighton and Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 1958-59 - directed by Arthur PennArthur PennArthur Hiller Penn was an American film director and producer with a career as a theater director as well. Penn amassed a critically acclaimed body of work throughout the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:...
with Gerry Jedd - The SeagullThe SeagullThe Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be the four major plays by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov. The Seagull was written in 1895 and first produced in 1896...
by Anton ChekhovAnton ChekhovAnton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
- Queen's Theatre, London, 1964 - with Peggy AshcroftPeggy AshcroftDame Peggy Ashcroft, DBE was an English actress.-Early years:Born as Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft in Croydon, Ashcroft attended the Woodford School, Croydon and the Central School of Speech and Drama...
, Peter McEneryPeter McEneryPeter McEnery is an English stage and film actor. His daughter Kate, by his first marriage to British actress Julie Peasgood, is an actress....
, Vanessa RedgraveVanessa RedgraveVanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
and George DevineGeorge DevineGeorge Alexander Cassady Devine CBE was an extremely influential theatrical manager, director, teacher and actor in London from the late 1940s until his death. He also worked in the media of TV and film.-Biography:...
.
External links
. (N.B.Nota Bene
Nota bene is an Italian and Latin phrase meaning "note well". The phrase first appeared in writing circa 1721.Often abbreviated as "N. B.", nota bene comes from the Latin roots notāre and bene . It is in the singular imperative mood, instructing one individual to note well the matter at hand...
: Miscalculates age at time of death as 61, not 60.)
- http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A355115%20|%20Number%3A356374%20|%20Number%3A358641%20|%20Number%3A358746%20|%20Number%3A575257%20|%20Number%3A575255%20|%20Number%3A449081%20|%20Number%3A582335%20|%20Number%3A582326%20|%20Number%3A351094%20|%20Number%3A352071%20|%20Number%3A582364%20|%20Number%3A582573%20|%20Number%3A426974%20|%20Number%3A426965%20|%20Number%3A426973%20|%20Number%3A426987%20|%20Number%3A355620%20|%20Number%3A357177;querytype=;resCount=10Peter Finch media holdings] at the National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
of Australia. - Peter Finch Australian theatre credits at AusstageAusstageAusStage is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia. It provides records of productions from the beginnings of theatre in Australia up to today...
- Peter Finch at Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
- Audio interview with Peter Finch from 1973 discussing Australia