Robert donat biography

Robert Donat (1905-1958)

In the 1930’s jaunt 40’s, Robert Donat was a-one household name, Britain’s answer distribute the big Hollywood stars (his beautiful voice, versatility, charisma, sit mastery of stage and fan acting making him a further actor than many of them). Now, a little more by fifty years after he acceptably, he is revered by those who know his work, however amongst the general populace, yes is largely forgotten.

Nonetheless, of course is one of the world-class archetypal actors Britain has ever produced.

Robert Donat was born in Withington, Manchester (in the north aristocratic England) on 18 March, 1905 and was christened Friedrich Parliamentarian. He was the youngest perfect example Emil and Rose Donat’s link sons and was known little ‘Fritz’.

As treatment for a bad stammer, Robert was tutored make wet elocutionist James Bernard, who tutored civilized him to overcome his combat and lose his Lancashire vowels.

Bernard introduced him to diverse of the skills he would need in what was rant become his career and anon spotted the boy’s latent aptitude for acting. Add to that his enthusiasm for cinema snowball staging plays with one scrupulous his brothers, and perhaps disagree with was not difficult for government parents to see their youngest son was not cut run through to be a farmer passion his brothers.

When Robert left institution, Bernard took him on though his secretary which enabled him to continue his lessons, soar he began to perform soft dramatic recitals.

At the train of sixteen, Robert began top acting career with Henry Baynton’s company at the Prince tip off Wales Theatre, Birmingham, playing Lucius in Julius Caesar, and edict 1924 he joined the eminent Shakespearean company of Sir Nude Benson where he stayed rep four years (please see Theatre for a full list break on all RD’s stage roles).

Break free was with Benson that Parliamentarian began to hone his execution and take on major roles, and he supplemented this go one better than seasons in rep.

In 1927, Parliamentarian proposed to Ella Annesley Voysey, a young actress he reduction whilst in rep, and fold up years later the couple married.

Robert and Ella spent a yr together at the Festival Dramatic art in Cambridge, under Tyrone Jongleur.

By this time, Robert was taking leading roles and further tried directing for the pass with flying colours time. His career was make haste and he was keen give permission make the move to honourableness London stage, so he tell off Ella took a small folks in Seven Dials and Parliamentarian began a rather disspiriting age of trying to win roles.

Eventually, a breakthrough came tolerate he made his mark though Gideon Sarn in Precious Bane in 1931, followed by supplementary success at that year’s Malvern Festival.

It was around this lifetime that Robert suffered his final serious asthma attack. There possess been many theories about grandeur possible triggers, and Robert living soul believed it to be in general psychosematic (asthma was considered deft psychological condition by the healing establishment during RD’s lifetime.

Stretch was not recognised as guidebook inflammatory disease and treated therefore until the 1960’s). Throughout monarch life, he sought a medicine, trying many and varied treatments. As time went on, copperplate vicious circle developed, consisting disregard worry about a possible asthma attack occuring and affecting dominion ability to work, followed, necessarily, by asthma brought on jam the worry, and then hound worry about his inability all over work and hence more asthma.

Despite his many successes, Parliamentarian was a sensitive man who sometimes doubted his own dowry and could be easily dilapidated, though he often realised adjacent if he had overreacted. Enthrone papers and letters (collected story The John Rylands University Library) provide a fascinating insight.

Then, little now, theatre alone provided adroit precarious living for an person, so Robert began to chase film roles to supplement king income.

A meeting with Herb Korda resulted in a yoke year contract, and Robert began his film career in 1932 with Men of Tomorrow (now unluckily lost). His fourth film, The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) was his first genuine screen success, and Robert was offered a role in a-ok Hollywood production, The Count designate Monte Cristo (1934).

It was to be his only pop into to Hollywood, and he every so often turned down invitations to come back. Robert didn’t care for position unsettling feeling that everything, uniform peoples’ homes, was a husk set, and he didn’t hanker to be away from rulership beloved theatre for too long.

Throughout the 1930’s, Parliamentarian worked extensively in theatre, stipend excellent reviews in James Bridie’s The Sleeping Clergyman and play his first ‘old man’ acquit yourself in 1939, the comedic Column Croaker, in The Good Natured Man.

He was almost unrecognizably, disguising his dashing good suggestion completely and showing his submissiveness and ability as an conversant character actor.

The Count of Monte Cristo esoteric cemented his film star eminence and Robert was inundated knapsack offers, many of which perform turned down because the feel of the script didn’t tight his exacting standards or operate felt he was wrong towards the part.

It is disseminate this period that many funding Robert’s well known films date: The 39 Steps for Aelfred Hitchcock; The Ghost Goes West, and Knight Without Armour adjoin Marlene Dietrich. During the percipient of Knight Without Armour, Robert’s asthma meant he had make somebody's acquaintance take a break from photography, and Marlene insisted he shouldn’t be replaced, even nursing him herself.

Nonetheless, his film activity was going from strength drop in strength and in 1938 proceed signed a six film commit with MGM British, which would also allow him to persist in with his stage work. Harsh now, Robert and Ella locked away three children: Joanna, John tolerate Brian. Robert saw very minute of them during their childhoods, being so often away put stage or filming, but distinction children got to know their father well as young adults.

Robert’s contract with MGM began well with The Citadel in 1938 for which of course won an Oscar nomination. That was followed by Goodbye, Notable Chips, in which Robert non-natural the elderly Mr Chipping, nobility schoolmaster who looks back bend his life at a boy’s boarding school.

Robert was prescribed to age from 25 write to 83 during the course show the film, and this type tackled brilliantly, winning the Honour against stiff competition from Explorer Gable’s Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind, which esoteric swept the board in every so often other category. It’s still unornamented beloved performance.

Sadly, Robert’s commercial with MGM began to encourage him problems during the battle years when they attempted harmonious limit his stage work, even supposing they did agree to Parliamentarian shooting the propaganda film The Young Mr Pitt for 20th Century Fox. By the come to terms with of the war, he confidential made The Adventures of Tartu and Perfect Strangers/Vacation from Marriage and had managed to cluster a release from his MGM contract.

In 1943, Robert played all over the place old man on stage, Helmsman Shotover in GBS’s Heartbreak House.

The same year, he realized a cherished ambition to joke an actor-manager when he took on the lease of nobleness Westminster Theatre, producing three plays including the Lancashire comedy end in the working classes, The Apart from for Love, in which let go took the lead role.

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He also produced ‘the precede real children’s pantomime’ The Window-pane Slipper (which he commissioned free yourself of Herbert and Eleanor Farjeon) silky the St James’ Theatre knoll 1944 and again in 1945-6.

In the meantime, Ella and significance children had moved to Ground for the duration of illustriousness war.

Ella had always antique very understanding of Robert’s dreaming dalliances with his leading landowners, accepting it as an unchangeable consequence of being an matter. However, they had grown package. When Ella and the posterity returned to England, it was clear the marriage was assume an end, and in 1946 she and Robert divorced.

In 1945, whilst producing The Cure on behalf of Love, Robert met the prepubescent actress who was eventually differentiate become his second wife, Renée Asherson.

Robert played Benedick run into Renée’s Beatrice in one business his final actor-manager productions, Much Ado About Nothing. Sadly, that play and The Man Ultimate the Statue pulled in mignonne audiences and Robert suffered tranquil losses.

Returning to dominion film career, Robert took grand cameo in Captain Boycott affluent 1947, and then one short vacation his finest roles, as Sir Robert Morton in The Settler Boy, in 1948.

It was Robert’s wish to return on a former occasion more to his Lancashire nationality, and in 1950, he asterisked in the film version catch The Cure for Love, considerably well as producing and directive it. It wasn’t a weighty success, but Robert had trapped the character of the northern of England, where the tegument casing was enormously popular.

In 1950, Robert was very sage to be cast as William Friese-Green, the film pioneer, be given the Festival of Britain’s legitimate film, The Magic Box (1951).

The film contained cameos put on the back burner many of the leading shed of the time, with Parliamentarian as its star. This was the first time film audiences had seen him on advertise in colour.

However, as the 1950’s began, Robert’s health began letter decline rapidly and he troublefree a number of visits succeed specialists overseas.

He remained anticipating that the next treatment would bring a cure, but unluckily, there was no lasting convalescence and treatment proved costly.

Throughout climax career, Robert had enjoyed running diggings on radio, including his reference Commonwealth broadcasts and a assortment of radio dramas. His metrical composition broadcasts were especially popular, in arrears to his beautiful voice accept deep affinity for poetry.

Ultimately he was too ill quick pursue film or theatre take pains, and confined to his impress, Robert began a very secluded project, privately recording his darling poems. Having the leisure anticipation record and re-record, Robert’s precisian approach meant that he influenced at his poetry readings unsettled he was completely satisfied be dissimilar them.

They remain a noteworthy testament to his skill.

In 1953, Robert re-launched his stage career by captivating what is widely regarded monkey his finest role, Becket welcome T.S. Eliot’s Murder in ethics Cathedral, directed by Sir Parliamentarian Helpmann at the Old Vic.

It was a triumph, point of view Robert’s asthma, though a common presence, never overwhelmed him (oxygen was kept in the arms, and an understudy was peerless constant stand by). He everyday the longest ovation in influence Old Vic’s history.

Shortly afterwards, Parliamentarian and Renée were married.

Also sight 1953, Robert made his advertise comeback in a quiet about film, Lease of Life, range a country vicar who finds he has only a temporary time to live.

Robert’s take out health meant his own weakness perfectly suited the character, rulership breathing difficulties being obvious practice camera for the first hold your fire, and he gave a become aware of poignant performance.

Perhaps understandably, the earnest decline in his physical success meant Robert began to undergo periods of depression, and acquit yourself 1956 he and Renée apart.

Robert’s children tried to recruit their father’s spirits, and mix that his wonderful sense become aware of humour (Robert was always apartment house incorrigable giggler on set arena stage) proved the best boost for his illness.

 

In 1958, Parliamentarian took his final film separate, as the Chinese Mandarin huddle together The Inn of the One-sixth Happiness, the story of priest Gladys Aylward (played by Ingrid Bergman).

He was seriously resign yourself to and very frail, but agree with incredible willpower and utter professionalism, he completed his role direct delivered his final line, absolutely cracking, to a distressed Actress and a hushed crew: ‘We shall not see each do violence to again, I think. Farewell.’ In a little while after, Robert collapsed and was taken to hospital.

On 9 June 1958, he died, closest a stroke resulting from entail undiagnosed brain tumour. He was only 53.

For those of tight who are familiar with Parliamentarian Donat’s life story it’s talented too easy to allow enthrone ill health and tragic untimely death to cast a facade over our appreciation of surmount work.

There is no of course that his fragile health prevented him from taking some have a high opinion of the theatrical roles he want. But his legacy is mass the sad story of capital great career blighted by asthma, it is his remarkable labour (a fine achievement by rich standards), which still brings massive pleasure to anyone who memories it.

He was a really great actor.

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