55-440: Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford ( né Aylen ; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor. He was a member of the " Rat Pack " and the brother-in-law of US president John F. Kennedy and senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy . From the 1940s to the 1960s, he was a well-known celebrity and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. In later years, he was noted more for his off-screen activities as
110-521: A German ME-110 lose a dogfight and crash. Immediately afterwards, two fighters duel at treetop level. Realizing Carol has been wounded by machine-gun fire from the planes, Kay takes her back to Starlings, where she dies. The villagers assemble at the bomb-damaged church where their vicar affirms their determination in a sermon: We in this quiet corner of England have suffered the loss of friends very dear to us, some close to this church. George West, choirboy. James Ballard, stationmaster and bellringer, and
165-559: A TV series, The Thin Man (1957–59) with Phyllis Kirk , an NBC series from MGM based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett . It was more successful, running for 72 episodes. In 1959, Sinatra invited Lawford to join the " Rat Pack " and also got him a role in Never So Few (1959). Peter Lawford and Sinatra appeared in Oceans 11 (1960). Lawford had been first told of the basic story of
220-698: A U.S. citizen and assisted on his brother-in-law's successful presidential election. He did a TV remake of The Farmer's Daughter (1962) with Lee Remick and was reunited with the Rat Pack in Sergeants 3 (1962). Lawford played a Senator in Advise & Consent (1962) for Preminger and was Lord Lovat in The Longest Day (1962), a war film with a star-studded cast. In 1961, Lawford and his manager Milt Ebbins formed Chrislaw Productions , which
275-517: A big hit. Lawford was put in a Kathryn Grayson - June Allyson musical, Two Sisters from Boston (1946) which was very popular. Ernst Lubitsch used him at Fox in Cluny Brown (1946) where he was billed after Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones . He won a Modern Screen magazine readers' poll as the most popular actor in Hollywood of 1946. His fan mail jumped to thousands of letters
330-399: A career as an actor, a decision that resulted in one of his aunts refusing to leave him her considerable fortune, as she had originally planned. In 1938, Lawford was travelling through Hollywood when he was spotted by a talent scout. He was screen tested and made his Hollywood debut in a minor part in the film Lord Jeff starring Freddie Bartholomew . The outbreak of World War II found
385-459: A celebrity than for his acting; it was said that he was " famous for being famous ". Born in London in 1923, Lawford was the only child of Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford , KBE (1865–1953) and May Sommerville Bunny (1883–1972). At the time of his birth, his mother was married to Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ernest Vaughn Aylen DSO , one of Sir Sydney's officers, while his father
440-904: A huge hit, and Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in Julia Misbehaves (1948), also popular. He played Laurie in MGM's version of Little Women (1949) alongside Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor. He was billed beneath Pidgeon and Ethel Barrymore in the anti-Communist The Red Danube (1949) and was one of Deborah Kerr 's leading men in Please Believe Me (1950). He was Jane Powell 's love interest in Royal Wedding (1951) with Fred Astaire and co-starred with Janet Leigh in Just This Once (1952), both popular. 20th Century Fox borrowed him for Kangaroo (1952),
495-804: A melodrama shot in Australia with Maureen O'Hara . Back at MGM he was top billed in some lower budgeted films: You for Me (1953), a comedy, The Hour of 13 (1953), a thriller, and Rogue's March (1953), a war film. The studio then let him go. Lawford's first film after Metro released him and several other players from their contracts was the comedy It Should Happen to You (1954), wherein he starred alongside Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon . He focused on television, guest starring on shows like General Electric Theater , Schlitz Playhouse , and The Ford Television Theatre . In 1954, Lawford married Patricia Kennedy, sister of Senator John F. Kennedy . Lawford would become an enthusiastic fundraiser for
550-659: A minor role at Republic's Someone to Remember (1943) and The West Side Kid (1943), the latter directed by Sherman. Lawford played a soldier in Sahara (1943) and sailors in Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) and Corvette K-225 (1943). He was a Frenchman in Paris After Dark (1943) and Flesh and Fantasy (1943), and was a student in MGM's Girl Crazy (1943) and The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944). Lawford's career stepped up
605-795: A notch when he was signed to a long-term contract to MGM in June 1943. The studio signed him with a specific role in mind: The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), in which he played a young soldier during the Second World War. Lawford had a small role in The Canterville Ghost (1944) and Mrs. Parkington (1944), playing a suitor of Greer Garson . MGM gave him another important role in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945). Lawford's first leading role came in Son of Lassie (1945),
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#1732782345680660-485: A person upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname , the given name , or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth register may by that fact alone become the person's legal name . The assumption in the Western world is often that the name from birth (or perhaps from baptism or brit milah ) will persist to adulthood in
715-972: A soldier in Random Harvest (1942), Immortal Sergeant (1942), and London Blackout Murders (1943) (directed by George Sherman), and a navigator in Assignment in Brittany (1943). He had a billed part in The Purple V (1943). At MGM he was a student in Above Suspicion (1943), a soldier in Pilot #5 (1943), a naval commander in The Sky's the Limit (1943) (with Fred Astaire), and an Australian in The Man from Down Under (1943). He had
770-539: A week. With actors such as Clark Gable and James Stewart away at war, Lawford was recognised as a new romantic lead on the MGM lot. Lawford made My Brother Talks to Horses (1947) with Jackie Butch Jenkins , an early work of Fred Zinnemann which was a big flop. He was reunited with Grayson in It Happened in Brooklyn (1947), which also starred Frank Sinatra . Lawford received rave reviews for his work in
825-457: Is affected by World War II . Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , its supporting cast includes Teresa Wright , May Whitty , Reginald Owen , Henry Travers , Richard Ney and Henry Wilcoxon . It was a critical and a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1942 and winning six Academy Awards , including Best Picture , Best Director , Best Actress (Garson), and Best Supporting Actress (Teresa Wright). It
880-579: Is briefly seen in Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Eagle Squadron (1942), both times as pilots. His first decent role in a major film production was in A Yank at Eton (1942), starring Mickey Rooney , in which Lawford played a snobbish bully. It was very popular at the box office. Lawford was a cadet in Thunder Birds: Soldiers of the Air (1942) and Junior Army (1942) (starring Bartholomew),
935-478: Is in us! And may God defend the right. Lady Beldon stands alone in her family's church pew. Vin moves to stand alongside her, united in grief, as the members of the congregation sing " Onward, Christian Soldiers ". Meanwhile, visible through the holes in the roof, RAF fighters in "V for Victory" formations depart to face the enemy. The film entered pre-production in the autumn of 1940, when the United States
990-532: Is likely to be killed in action. During an air raid, Kay and her family take refuge in their Anderson shelter in the garden and attempt to keep their minds off the bombing by reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . They narrowly survive as a bomb destroys part of the house. Vin and Carol return from their honeymoon in Scotland and see the damage to the house, but Kay has arranged Vin's room for them. At
1045-447: Is the difference between marshmallows and human beings. Of the 592 critics polled by American magazine Film Daily , 555 named it the best film of 1942. Joseph Goebbels , minister of Nazi propaganda , wrote: [ Mrs. Miniver ] shows the destiny of a family during the current war, and its refined powerful propagandistic tendency has up to now only been dreamed of. There is not a single angry word spoken against Germany; nevertheless
1100-461: Is the masculine form. The term née , having feminine grammatical gender , can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage. The term né can be used to denote a man's surname at birth that has subsequently been replaced or changed. The diacritic mark (the acute accent ) over
1155-731: The Dunkirk evacuation . Early one morning, Kay wanders down to the landing stage and discovers a wounded German pilot hiding in her garden. He takes her to the house at gunpoint, where she feeds him, calmly disarms him when he collapses, and calls the police. Soon after, Clem returns home, exhausted, from Dunkirk. Lady Beldon visits Kay to try to convince her to talk Vin out of marrying Carol on account of her granddaughter's comparative youth at age eighteen and short engagement. Kay reminds her that she, too, had been young when she married her late husband. Lady Beldon concedes defeat. Carol marries Vin, becoming another Mrs. Miniver even though she fears Vin
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#17327823456801210-456: The e is considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but is sometimes omitted. According to Oxford University 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g., " Margaret Thatcher , née Roberts" or " Bill Clinton , né Blythe"). Since they are terms adopted into English (from French), they do not have to be italicized , but they often are. In Polish tradition ,
1265-611: The 7 Hoods (1964) with Bing Crosby — but Sammy Davis Jr. remained loyal and got Lawford a supporting role in A Man Called Adam (1966). He played a washed-up film star in The Oscar (1966). He and Patricia Kennedy divorced in 1966. He guest-starred on shows like The Wild Wild West and I Spy and was in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967). Lawford went to Europe to star in Dead Run (1967) and The Fourth Wall (1968). He
1320-499: The English film Poor Old Bill . He also had an uncredited bit in A Gentleman of Paris (1931). At the age of 14, Lawford severely injured his right arm in an accident when it went through a glass door. Irreversible nerve damage severely compromised the use of his forearm and hand, which he later learned to conceal. The injury resulted in his being unable to follow a military career as his parents had hoped. Instead, Lawford pursued
1375-753: The Lawfords in Florida . In a matter of days, they realised that they had been stranded. Their money was in Britain and Britain was at war. Their assets were frozen. Peter, then 16, took a job parking cars. When he saved enough money for the fare, he went back to Hollywood where he supported himself working as a theatre usher until he began to get film work. The advent of World War II saw an increase in British war stories and Lawford found himself in demand playing military personnel, albeit usually in uncredited parts. He
1430-716: The Scottish 14th Earl of Eglinton ) as well as his aunt Ethel Turner Lawford (who married a son of the 1st Baron Avebury ). His aunt, Jessie Bruce Lawford, another of his father's sisters, was the second wife of the Hon Hartley Williams , senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court of the colony of Victoria , Australia. A relative, through his mother, was Australian artist Rupert Bunny . He spent his early childhood in France and, owing to his family's travels,
1485-559: The Senator. Lawford had a regular role on a TV sitcom, Dear Phoebe (1954–55) but the show only ran 32 episodes. When it ended he resumed guest starring on shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents , Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre , Screen Directors Playhouse , Schlitz Playhouse again, Playhouse 90 , Producers' Showcase (a version of Ruggles of Red Gap ), several episodes of Studio 57 , Climax! and Goodyear Theatre . Lawford had another starring role on
1540-435: The annual village flower show, Lady Beldon disregards the judges' decision that her rose is the winner. Instead, she announces the rose entered by the local stationmaster, Mr. Ballard, named the "Mrs. Miniver" as the winner, with her own Beldon Rose taking second prize. As air raid sirens sound and the villagers take refuge in the cellars of Beldon Hall, Kay and Carol drive Vin to join his squadron. On their journey home, they see
1595-459: The anti-German tendency is perfectly accomplished. Presently (in 21 century) the film is somewhat forgotten. However, if one were to look for a film that served humanity the most, it would probably be this modest melodrama. Winston Churchill once said that this film had done more for the war effort than a flotilla of destroyers. In 1942 Variety wrote in its review: In its quiet yet actionful way, is, probably entirely unintentionally, one of
1650-481: The farms, in the home and in the heart of every man, woman, and child who loves freedom. Well, we have buried our dead, but we shall not forget them. Instead, they will inspire us with an unbreakable determination to free ourselves, and those who come after us, from the tyranny and terror that threaten to strike us down. This is the People's War. It is our war. We are the fighters. Fight it, then! Fight it with all that
1705-470: The film by director Gilbert Kay, who heard the idea from a gas station attendant. Lawford eventually bought the rights in 1958, imagining William Holden in the lead. Sinatra became interested in the idea, and a variety of writers worked on the project. Lawford played a British soldier in the acclaimed Israeli-set drama Exodus (1960) for Otto Preminger and had a cameo in Pepe (1960). In 1960, he became
Peter Lawford - Misplaced Pages Continue
1760-492: The film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "An excessively sentimental piece of propaganda, Mrs. Miniver nonetheless succeeds, due largely to Greer Garson's powerful performance." In 2006, the film was ranked No. 40 on the American Film Institute 's list of the most inspiring American films of all time . In 2009, it
1815-560: The film, while Sinatra's were lukewarm. Lawford later admitted that the most terrifying experience of his career was the first musical number he performed in the musical Good News (1947), the film he starred in alongside Allyson. He was lauded for the role in which he used an American accent. He was Esther Williams ' leading man in On an Island with You (1948) and supported Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in Easter Parade (1948),
1870-530: The home front, as movingly directed by William Wyler, did much to rally America's support for its British allies. Film critic Manny Farber writing in The New Republic registered this response to the picture: Mrs. Miniver is about an English family which is prissy and fake like all screen families. The five Minivers are all very pretty and behave according to Will Hays and whoever wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy . Greer Garson makes motherhood seem
1925-545: The lead role in Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You and guest starred on Bewitched . In 1971 he appeared as Ben Hunter on The Men From Shiloh (rebranded name for The Virginian ) in the episode titled "The Town Killer." He had a semi recurring role in The Doris Day Show (1971–72) and even directed an episode. Birth name#Maiden and married names A birth name is the name given to
1980-405: The normal course of affairs—either throughout life or until marriage. Some reasons for changes of a person's name include middle names , diminutive forms, changes relating to parental status (due to one's parents' divorce or adoption by different parents), and gender transition . The French and English-adopted née is the feminine past participle of naître , which means "to be born". Né
2035-419: The ones to suffer? Children, old people, a young girl at the height of her loveliness? Why these? Are these our soldiers? Are these our fighters? Why should they be sacrificed? I shall tell you why. Because this is not only a war of soldiers in uniform. It is the war of the people, of all the people. And it must be fought not only on the battlefield, but in the cities and in the villages, in the factories and on
2090-488: The profession of impeccable taste and Walter Pidgeon acts the wise father by smoking a pipe, nodding his head knowingly and saying nothing…The older son is a mother’s delight from Oxford , and the two little Minivers make those irritating and unchildlike smart cracks because it’s the one device known these days for comedy relief in family pictures…the difference between these people and their originals in Jan Struther’s novel
2145-563: The proud winner only an hour before his death of the Beldon Cup for his beautiful Miniver Rose. And our hearts go out in sympathy to the two families who share the cruel loss of a young girl who was married at this altar only two weeks ago. The homes of many of us have been destroyed, and the lives of young and old have been taken. There's scarcely a household that hasn't been struck to the heart. And why? Surely, you must have asked yourselves this question? Why, in all conscience, should these be
2200-571: The strongest pieces of propaganda against complacency to come out of the war. Not that it shows anything like the result of lack of planning by governments or individuals, but in that it brings so close to home the effects of total war. Mrs. Miniver exceeded all expectations, grossing $ 5,358,000 in the US and Canada and $ 3,520,000 abroad. In the United Kingdom , it was named the top box office attraction of 1942. The initial theatrical release earned
2255-499: The term z domu (literally meaning "of the house", de domo in Latin ) may be used, with rare exceptions, meaning the same as née . Mrs. Miniver Mrs. Miniver is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler , and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon . Inspired by the 1940 novel Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther , it shows how the life of an unassuming British housewife in rural England
Peter Lawford - Misplaced Pages Continue
2310-543: The war comes closer to home, Vin enlists in the Royal Air Force , qualifying as a fighter pilot. He is posted to a base near his parents' home and can signal his safe return from operations to his parents by "blipping" his engine briefly as he flies over the house. Vin proposes to Carol in front of his family at home. Together with other boat owners, Clem volunteers to take his motorboat, the Starling , to assist in
2365-489: The war, the garden scene was re-filmed to reflect the tough, new spirit of a nation at war. The key difference was that in the new version of the scene, filmed in February 1942, Mrs. Miniver was allowed to slap the pilot across the face. The film was released four months later. Wilcoxon and director William Wyler "wrote and re-wrote" the key sermon scene the night before it was shot. The speech "made such an impact that it
2420-812: Was Bette Davis 's leading man in Dead Ringer (1964) and guest starred on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour , Profiles in Courage (as General Alexander William Doniphan ), Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre and Run for Your Life . He went on to produce the Patty Duke film Billie (1965) and had supporting roles in two Carroll Baker movies, playing her fiancé both times: Sylvia (1965) and Harlow (1965). By this time, Lawford had fallen out with Sinatra — who replaced him in Robin and
2475-416: Was "a very English tale of domestic fortitude and endurance, of middle-class reticence and perseverance, set symptomatically around the disaster at Dunkirk where all these qualities were taken to be most on display—[it] was a pure product of Hollywood. Yet for the English generation that first saw it the film would long remain the truest representation of national memory and self-image." On Rotten Tomatoes ,
2530-843: Was a popular guest star on TV comedy and game shows. He produced a film starring himself and Davis, Salt and Pepper (1968), and had support roles in Skidoo (1968) for Preminger, Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), Hook, Line & Sinker (1969) with Jerry Lewis , and The April Fools (1969). Salt and Pepper was popular enough for Lawford to raise money for a sequel, One More Time (1970) directed by Lewis. He supported George Hamilton in Togetherness (1970) and guest-starred several times on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In . In 1971, he married Rowan's daughter Mary. Lawford's later films included A Step Out of Line (1971), Clay Pigeon (1971), and The Deadly Hunt (1971). He had
2585-554: Was made with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon reprising their roles. Kay Miniver lives a comfortable life in Belham, a fictional village outside London. Her devoted husband, Clem, is an architect. They have three children: the youngsters, Toby and Judy, and an older son, Vin, a student at Oxford University . As World War II looms, Vin returns from university and meets Carol Beldon, granddaughter of Lady Beldon from nearby Beldon Hall. Despite initial disagreements, they fall in love. As
2640-521: Was married to Muriel Williams. At the time, May and Ernest Aylen were living apart. May confessed to Aylen that the child was not his, a revelation that resulted in a double divorce. Sydney and May wed in September 1924 after their divorces were finalised and when their son was one year old. Lawford's family was connected to the British aristocracy through his uncle Ernest Lawford's wife (a daughter of
2695-479: Was named after Peter's son Christopher. It signed a three-year deal with United Artists to make three features and two TV series for $ 10 million. William Asher was to be executive producer. Their first project was to be a remake of the old silent film The Great Train Robbery . Half a million dollars instead went toward the 1963 action film Johnny Cool starring Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery . Lawford
2750-537: Was named to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant: This remarkably touching wartime melodrama pictorials the classic British stiff upper lip and the courage of a middle-class English family (headed by Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon) amid the chaos of air raids and family loss. The film's iconic tribute to the sacrifices on
2805-417: Was never formally educated. Instead, he was schooled by governesses and tutors, and his education included tennis and ballet lessons. "In the beginning," his mother observed, "he had no homework. When he was older he had Spanish, German and music added to his studies. He read only selected books: English fairy stories, English and French classics; no crime stories. Having studied Peter for so long, I decided he
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#17327823456802860-412: Was quite unfitted for any career except art, so I cut Latin , Algebra , high mathematics and substituted dramatics instead." Because of the widely varying national and religious backgrounds of his tutors, Lawford "attended various services in churches, cathedrals, synagogues and for some time was an usher in a Christian Science Sunday School...." Around 1930, aged seven, he made his acting debut in
2915-468: Was still a neutral country. Over the several months the screenplay was written, the U.S. moved closer to war. As a result, scenes were rewritten to reflect Americans' more realistic view of the war. For example, the scene where Mrs. Miniver confronts a downed German pilot in her garden was made more confrontational in each revision. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the U.S. into
2970-589: Was the first film centered on World War II to win Best Picture, and the first to receive five acting nominations. The film ranked 40th on the American Film Institute 's list of most inspirational movies. In 2009, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". A sequel, The Miniver Story (1950)
3025-477: Was used in essence by President Roosevelt as a morale builder and part of it was the basis for leaflets printed in various languages and dropped over enemy and occupied territory". Roosevelt ordered the film rushed to the theaters for propaganda purposes. The sermon dialogue was reprinted in Time and Look magazines. Mrs. Miniver had a profound impact on British audiences. Historian Tony Judt wrote that it
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