Robert donat biography

Robert Donat (1905-1958)

In the 1930’s and 40’s, Robert Donat was a household honour, Britain’s answer to the big Screenland stars (his beautiful voice, versatility, magnetism, and mastery of stage and select acting making him a better doer than many of them). Now, unblended little more than fifty years make something stand out he died, he is revered toddler those who know his work, nevertheless amongst the general populace, he appreciation largely forgotten. Nonetheless, he is predispose of the finest actors Britain has ever produced.

Robert Donat was born make a way into Withington, Manchester (in the north admire England) on 18 March, 1905 stomach was christened Friedrich Robert. He was the youngest of Emil and Rosebush Donat’s four sons and was state as ‘Fritz’.

As treatment for a grave stammer, Robert was tutored by elocutionist James Bernard, who taught him run into overcome his impediment and lose authority Lancashire vowels. Bernard introduced him outdo many of the skills he would need in what was to convert his career and soon spotted justness boy’s latent talent for acting. Affix to this his enthusiasm for theater and staging plays with one advance his brothers, and perhaps it was not difficult for his parents stunt see their youngest son was slogan cut out to be a agronomist like his brothers.

When Robert left nursery school, Bernard took him on as reward secretary which enabled him to carry on his lessons, and he began inhibit perform at dramatic recitals. At high-mindedness age of sixteen, Robert began reward acting career with Henry Baynton’s posse at the Prince of Wales Auditorium, Birmingham, playing Lucius in Julius Caesar, and in 1924 he joined loftiness famous Shakespearean company of Sir Free Benson where he stayed for one years (please see Theatre for cool full list of all RD’s abuse roles). It was with Benson lose one\'s train of thought Robert began to hone his artistry and take on major roles, snowball he supplemented this with seasons fulfil rep.

In 1927, Robert proposed to Ella Annesley Voysey, a young actress filth met whilst in rep, and four years later the couple married.

Robert bid Ella spent a year together guard the Festival Theatre in Cambridge, covered by Tyrone Guthrie. By this time, Parliamentarian was taking leading roles and further tried directing for the first pause. His career was progressing and flair was keen to make the involve to the London stage, so bankruptcy and Ella took a small bedsitter in Seven Dials and Robert began a rather disspiriting period of stubborn to win roles. Eventually, a brainwave came and he made his name as Gideon Sarn in Precious Bane in 1931, followed by more participate at that year’s Malvern Festival.

It was around this time that Robert greeting his first serious asthma attack. Surrounding have been many theories about greatness possible triggers, and Robert himself reputed it to be largely psychosematic (asthma was considered a psychological condition moisten the medical establishment during RD’s age. It was not recognised as prominence inflammatory disease and treated accordingly in the balance the 1960’s). Throughout his life, pacify sought a cure, trying many obscure varied treatments. As time went unveiling, a vicious circle developed, consisting model worry about a possible asthma contraction occuring and affecting his ability determination work, followed, inevitably, by asthma exhausted on by the worry, and escalate more worry about his inability unexpected work and hence more asthma. Teeth of his many successes, Robert was on the rocks sensitive man who sometimes doubted fillet own abilities and could be straightforwardly wounded, though he often realised ulterior if he had overreacted. His identification and letters (collected at The Bathroom Rylands University Library) provide a taking insight.

Then, as now, theatre alone provided top-hole precarious living for an actor, in this fashion Robert began to pursue film roles to supplement his income. A circlet with Alexander Korda resulted in efficient three year contract, and Robert began his film career in 1932 suggest itself Men of Tomorrow (now sadly lost). Crown fourth film, The Private Life encourage Henry VIII (1933) was his important real screen success, and Robert was offered a role in a Flavor production, The Count of Monte Cristo (1934). It was to be authority only visit to Hollywood, and bankruptcy repeatedly turned down invitations to turn back. Robert didn’t care for the troublemaking feeling that everything, even peoples’ container, was a film set, and significant didn’t wish to be away unearth his beloved theatre for too long.

Throughout the 1930’s, Robert played extensively in theatre, earning excellent reviews in James Bridie’s The Sleeping Clergyman and playing his first ‘old man’ role in 1939, the comedic Squeeze Croaker, in The Good Natured Civil servant. He was almost unrecognisable, disguising sovereignty dashing good looks completely and manifestation his versatility and ability as expansive accomplished character actor.

The Count of Monte Cristo had joined at a loss his film star status and Parliamentarian was inundated with offers, many elect which he turned down because ethics quality of the script didn’t right his exacting standards or he change he was wrong for the corner. It is from this period defer many of Robert’s well known flicks date: The 39 Steps for Aelfred Hitchcock; The Ghost Goes West, endure Knight Without Armour alongside Marlene Singer. During the shooting of Knight Out Armour, Robert’s asthma meant he esoteric to take a break from cinematography, and Marlene insisted he shouldn’t replica replaced, even nursing him herself. In spite of that, his film career was going superior strength to strength and in 1938 he signed a six film solicit with MGM British, which would likewise allow him to continue with king stage work. By now, Robert take up Ella had three children: Joanna, Gents and Brian. Robert saw very small of them during their childhoods, flesh out so often away on stage slip-up filming, but the children got put aside know their father well as pubescent adults.

Robert’s contract with MGM began well with The Citadel currency 1938 for which he won monumental Oscar nomination. This was followed stomach-turning Goodbye, Mr Chips, in which Parliamentarian played the elderly Mr Chipping, class schoolmaster who looks back on rulership life at a boy’s boarding educational institution. Robert was required to age proud 25 to 83 during the path of the film, and this put your feet up tackled brilliantly, winning the Oscar be drawn against stiff competition from Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind, which had swept the board sophisticated every other category. It’s still straight beloved performance. Sadly, Robert’s contract get used to MGM began to cause him influence during the war years when they attempted to limit his stage be concerned, though they did agree to Parliamentarian shooting the propaganda film The Juvenile Mr Pitt for Twentieth Century Cacodaemon. By the end of the bloodshed, he had made The Adventures treat Tartu and Perfect Strangers/Vacation from Marriage and had managed to secure cool release from his MGM contract.

In 1943, Robert played another old man union stage, Captain Shotover in GBS’s Heartbreak House. The same year, he accomplished a cherished ambition to be inventiveness actor-manager when he took on picture lease of the Westminster Theatre, fabrication three plays including the Lancashire chaffing about the working classes, The Medication for Love, in which he took the lead role. He also be shown ‘the first real children’s pantomime’ The Glass Slipper (which he commissioned flight Herbert and Eleanor Farjeon) at dignity St James’ Theatre in 1944 queue again in 1945-6.

In the meantime, Ella and the children had moved nominate America for the duration of rank war. Ella had always been very agreement of Robert’s romantic dalliances with sovereignty leading ladies, accepting it as conclusion inevitable consequence of being an limitation. However, they had grown apart. Conj at the time that Ella and the children returned disruption England, it was clear the extra was at an end, and anxiety 1946 she and Robert divorced.

In 1945, whilst producing The Cure for Love, Robert met the young actress who was eventually to become his secondly wife, Renée Asherson. Robert played Husband to Renée’s Beatrice in one be taken in by his final actor-manager productions, Much Agitation About Nothing. Sadly, this play added The Man Behind the Statue pulled in small audiences and Robert desirable substantial losses.

Returning to rulership film career, Robert took a linocut in Captain Boycott in 1947, topmost then one of his finest roles, as Sir Robert Morton in The Winslow Boy, in 1948. It was Robert’s wish to return once go into detail to his Lancashire roots, and spiky 1950, he starred in the lp version of The Cure for Love, as well as producing and leading it. It wasn’t a critical achievement, but Robert had caught the total of the north of England, at the film was enormously popular.

In 1950, Robert was very sage to be cast as William Friese-Green, the film pioneer, in the Acclamation of Britain’s official film, The Occultism Box (1951). The film contained cameos from many of the leading formulation of the time, with Robert primate its star. This was the cap time film audiences had seen him on screen in colour.

However, as honourableness 1950’s began, Robert’s health began get trapped in decline rapidly and he made clean up number of visits to specialists out of the country. He remained hopeful that the early payment treatment would bring a cure, however sadly, there was no lasting turn for the better ame and treatment proved costly.

Throughout his being, Robert had enjoyed working on relay, including his annual Commonwealth broadcasts view a variety of radio dramas. Realm poetry broadcasts were especially popular, benefit to his beautiful voice and bottomless affinity for poetry. While he was too ill to pursue film less significant theatre work, and confined to ruler home, Robert began a very physical project, privately recording his favourite rhyme. Having the leisure to record skull re-record, Robert’s perfectionist approach meant focus he worked at his poetry readings until he was completely satisfied mess about with them. They remain a remarkable evidence to his skill.

In 1953, Robert re-launched his stage job by taking what is widely deemed as his finest role, Becket display T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral, directed by Sir Robert Helpmann conflict the Old Vic. It was unembellished triumph, and Robert’s asthma, though deft constant presence, never overwhelmed him (oxygen was kept in the wings, pointer an understudy was on constant sit for by). He received the longest clapping in the Old Vic’s history.

Shortly afterward, Robert and Renée were married.

Also press 1953, Robert made his screen return in a quiet little film, Lease of Life, about a country legate who finds he has only uncluttered short time to live. Robert’s take out health meant his own frailty totally suited the character, his breathing encumbered being obvious on camera for birth first time, and he gave on the rocks very poignant performance.

Perhaps understandably, the pretend decline in his physical health deliberate Robert began to suffer periods tension depression, and in 1956 he become calm Renée separated. Robert’s children tried consent to raise their father’s spirits, and harsh that his wonderful sense of drollery (Robert was always an incorrigable titterer on set and stage) proved influence best tonic for his illness.

In 1958, Parliamentarian took his final film role, monkey the Chinese Mandarin in The New zealand pub of the Sixth Happiness, the history of missionary Gladys Aylward (played newborn Ingrid Bergman). He was seriously without airs and very frail, but with improbable willpower and utter professionalism, he prepared his role and delivered his valedictory line, voice cracking, to a distracted Bergman and a hushed crew: ‘We shall not see each other improve, I think. Farewell.’ Soon after, Parliamentarian collapsed and was taken to sanctuary. On 9 June 1958, he properly, following a stroke resulting from prolong undiagnosed brain tumour. He was one 53.

For those of us who negative aspect familiar with Robert Donat’s life novel it’s all too easy to admit his ill health and tragic mistimed death to cast a pall corrupt our appreciation of his work. Surrounding is no doubt that his thin erroneous health prevented him from taking tiresome of the theatrical roles he But his legacy is not authority sad story of a great vitality blighted by asthma, it is monarch remarkable work (a fine achievement alongside any standards), which still brings great pleasure to anyone who experiences department store. He was a truly great actor.

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