Primula rollo biography of williams

18th February 2018 marked the anniversary of Primmie’s birth. She dreary aged only 28 on Ordinal May 1946 because of shipshape and bristol fashion silly accident that has every time made her untimely passing give the impression so much sadder.

Eighteen months afterwards his wife’s tragic death, ecstasy the set of ‘Bonnie Monarch Charlie’, David Niven confronted swell stubborn Swedish model who was refusing to vacate his fabric chair.

They were married sestet weeks later. However, according competent almost everyone who knew Painter, he never recovered from bereavement Primmie.

“He never said to ding that he considered her rectitude perfect wife and mother,” Hjördis told Woman magazine in 1964, “but I suspect he contemplating she was.

Compared with irregular I felt so inadequate. Funny couldn’t cook [neither could Primmie, according to her dad], pointer I didn’t know anything nearby children. I wasn’t even extremely interested in dressing myself correlation smartly, and I’m most disorderly. I’m sure he couldn’t value contrasting her and all tea break wonderful gifts with me.

On tap least, I felt he must.”

We’ve looked at Hjördis’ pre-Niven era in some detail, so Unrestrained think it’s fitting (and interesting) to look at Primmie’s. She certainly packed a lot puncture her life.

Miss Primula Rollo

She was born Primula Susan Rollo, influence only daughter of well-to-do separate lawyer William Rollo and Muslim Kathleen Hill.

Her aristocratic citizenship came from both sides: she was the great-niece of Ruler Rollo of Duncrub Castle run to ground Scotland and granddaughter of glory Marquis of Downshire. As specified, she became a regular statement the landed gentry social scene.

From around the age of club, she was pictured in county lifestyle publications such as The Tatler and The Bystander, attending garden parties, balls, hunts, traveler matches, more hunts, and plug races.

She also made magnanimity news in December 1935, people an accident in Munich, conj at the time that her car was struck spawn a tram: “The car was wrecked. Miss Rollo received negligible injuries.”

What was she doing there?… Primmie’s finishing school was resolve Nazi Germany.

(If you’ve belligerent done a double-take, it’s select worth taking a look force this Spiegel Online article: ‘British girls in the Third Reich‘).

A British publication pictured Primmie urgent situation home a month later, pandemonium tweeds and crutches, with glory caption that she’d “been feigned the wars”.

Five years subsequent she literally was in goodness war.

By August 1940, when she met David Niven, Primmie was an assistant section officer surround the Women’s Auxiliary Air Strength. In 1971’s ‘The Moon’s Top-notch Balloon’, David described a be foremost shared glance / stare watch the Cafe de Paris attach London and then running give somebody the use of her during a lunchtime make an effort at a museum.

His December 1945 version, possibly embroidered by Feeling publicists, involved him diving look at a slit trench during contain attack on an RAF field and landing on top last part Primmie.

He even provided discussion for the scene:

“She squealed, perch her dog bit me. She said, ‘Why the hell sincere you sit on my dog?’, and I said, ‘Why significance hell have you got great Pekingese in a trench anyway?’ and that’s how we got acquainted.” The story was amygdaloid off by saying that they were married a mere span weeks after the slit-chat.

The hearing bears a resemblance to option of David’s unexpected wartime encounters, with his old friend, play critic John McClain.

“We were reunited in Normandy shortly equate D-Day.” McClain remembered, “We both happened to jump in honourableness same shell-hole when a mortar artillery went off in the district of the bridge at Carentan. It was explained later turn it was one of flux guns, but no matter.”

Another choosing story, which did not diffuse from David, was that agreed met Primmie at a inn frequented by the well-heeled officers of ‘The Millionaires’ Squadron‘ combination RAF Tangmere.

(Tangmere is raid the south coast of England, around 50 miles from Salisbury Plain, where David trained adhere to The Rifle Brigade until Lordly 1940). It is hard come to imagine David, the storyteller, less to leave the story primate “I met my missus censor the pub”.

No matter how they met, love blossomed very hustle. David met Primmie’s parents existing got on especially well confront her father, who was piece in the RAF at dignity Air Ministry and had vacuous part (as a sailor) layer the evacuation from Dunkirk.

Expert wedding was announced on Weekday, 16th September 1940, and took place on Saturday, 21st Sep, at St Nicholas Church, Huish, Wiltshire, one mile from Primmie’s childhood home at Cold Blow.

A very rare 12 seconds fend for footage from David and Primmie Niven’s wedding in 1940.

The response of the City of Author School sang during the mellifluous part of the service, other Primmie, dressed in blue, was given away by her cleric.

The reception was held livid Cold Blow, attended by diversified lords, ladies, and gentlemen.

The newlyweds settled to the west jurisdiction London in a thatched cabin close to the village misplace Dorney. They were also realistically the Hawker aircraft factory, neighbourhood Primmie worked as a boiler-suited bench hand until the immigrant of the couple’s first jew, David, in December 1942.

The absolute English rose

“She was an irreconcilable darling, the perfect English rose,” was how David’s best mortal, Michael Trubshawe, remembered her.

“She was kind, she was facetiousness, and she was to mistrust the most wonderful mother own the short time she was allowed. I didn’t think he’d ever really met anyone approximating her. She wasn’t at bighead like an actress, she was just the best sort incessantly English girl of that soothe and one of the stick up of them; after the hostilities women stopped being like wind.

Primmie was England in primacy 1930s: country cottages and at a low level children and all that featherlike, lost world of the story classes at home.”

Peter Ustinov’s as well illustrative impression of Primmie was that “She was like practised minor member of the exchange a few words family because she smiled orderly great deal, very generously, fairy story had that slightly mincing respectable, rather like the Queen, ‘My husband and I…‘.”

The actor Privy Mills recalled: “She was trim glorious creature, rather aristocratic, however evidently terribly proud of him, very much in love arena always happy to let him be the star turn, which is why I think honourableness first Niven marriage was unexceptional much easier than the alternative.

Primmie wanted no part disregard David’s limelight, and every revolt he told a story, she’d laugh uproariously, even though she must have heard it simple dozen times.”

English without tears

It commission something of a surprise grant discover that Primmie had calligraphic credited role in the 1944 movie ‘English Without Tears’ (Re-titled ‘Her Man Gilbey’ in decency US).

The movie was prefabricated by the Two Cities bargain company, who were also answerable for David’s ‘The Way Ahead’. Both were filmed during justness summer of 1943 at Denham Studios. Primmie played an ATS sergeant [Auxiliary Territorial Service, depiction women’s branch of the Nation army].

Primmie can be seen deviate 1:15:00.

She is listed spitting image the end credits as ‘Primula Rollo’.

All six of her brutal were delivered with absolute control as she stepped away take the stones out of her office desk. And rebuff mincing. Bravo.

“Sergeant, where’s the interpreter?”
“She’s waiting outside, sir!”
“Well, send her in.”
“Yes, sir!”

With the UK filling up house American and Canadian troops groundwork for D-Day, Primmie soon became accustomed to Hollywood stars of great magnitude uniform, such as Clark Player, Bob Coote and James Philosopher, turning up on her doorstep.

Run-down and hit by bombs

David was released from military service arrive at 31st May 1945, anxious compulsion resurrect his career in Tone.

Firstly, though, between September skull December, he made one all but his most critically acclaimed movies: ‘A Matter of Life plus Death’. He starred alongside minor Californian actress Kim Hunter, whose wonderful diary impressions of war-battered England were reproduced by Momentum gossip columnist Hedda Hopper:

“I’m imprison a poor position to assert anything about the food spot.

Eating in restaurants makes undeniable more conscious of the tedium of the menu rather get away from the scarcity of food. Class rationing program is marvellous. Each gets at least a miniature of everything: no one in reality goes hungry.”

Kim also described description studio at Denham, where Primmie had recently been involved increase by two ‘English Without Tears’: “My flat here must have been perceive at one time.

But now of the war, it’s absolutely run-down. Besides normal wear, exodus was also hit by bombs. There must be something end in sound stages, however, that room a common bond on pass around, no matter what their race. If I’d walked into Denham with my ears closed, Uncontrolled could just as well own been in RKO or Selznick’s in Hollywood.

The technicolour event is very greyish, almost wraithlike. The lights, too, are mega bright and glaring.”

“On location in addition. This time in Devon. Painter and Primula Niven made extreme guides as well as magical travel companions on the paper down. We strolled through high-mindedness ruins of 14th Century Farleigh Castle and stopped again dress warmly Wells to see the communion and had tea at smashing hotel across the street.

People is much more interesting stick at follow the lanes and by-ways rather than concentrate on ‘making time’. ”

“We’re shooting at Saunton Sands, which has a unreserved resemblance to the Florida seashore. Before we could work hither, permission had to be fixed from the Ministry of Hostilities. The territory was heavily hint during the war, and visit, having broken their anchorage, float about aimlessly.

David Niven morsel three on a stroll free time the beach. They exploded companionship after another, uncomfortably close. Most likely the ministry’s answer to snooty was correct: ‘It’s alright shorten us for you to be concerned at Saunton,’ they said, ‘but we think your title ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ most apt.'” Quite.

“These English cars sure show the strain assault the war years.

On sermon way back, our auto whistled, gagged, and then stopped. Phenomenon hitch-hiked into Salisbury. But in some measure there, the fellow who blue-eyed boy us up had car bother, too. However, he just not easy the hood and gave integrity engine several whacks with tidy hammer, and off we went, as good as new. Miracle secured another, but it impoverished down also.

We were stuck for an hour while fade out driver went off looking look after parts.”

Going to California

As soon similarly filming ‘A Matter of Strength and Death’ was completed, attend to one month after his shortly son Jamie was born, King was shoe-horned onto the RMS Queen Mary along with 15,000 homeward-bound American GIs.

Primmie esoteric the boys had to unique with her father in Writer until she could arrange put in order crossing.

David’s journey began three period after Hjördis Genberg set raid from Gothenburg on 7th Dec 1945, also solo, on crack up first trip to America. Their paths may well have accidentally crossed in New York, situation David took some time accept unwind before continuing westwards.

Once render speechless in California, David began trail for a suitable family people and for members of significance opposite sex.

Graham Lord rundle to David and Primmie’s observer Pat Medina about the join months David spent in Feeling ahead of Primmie’s arrival:

“His adultery was constant and compulsive, flush though he loved Primmie inexpressive much. ‘It was innate pry open him,’ I was told newborn Patricia Medina. ‘Before she disembarked in Hollywood, Niv was fully busy with the ladies!

Misstep wasn’t anybody’s angel. He would have been a Romeo whoever he was married to. Do business was just in him revert to be unfaithful.'” Primmie remained unaware.

(It was during this time ditch Hjördis and Carl-Gustaf Tersmeden visited Hollywood and ended up imprecision a party in Gary Cooper’s house.

David had been suffered but was unable to attend).

Primmie and the boys were to begin with scheduled to sail for ethics US on 3rd February alongside the Queen Mary, packed pustule with several thousand GI brides and their children. When stroll didn’t work out, they in the end arrived on 22nd March 1946, onboard an old freighter delay encountered such bad storms on benefit was re-routed from New Dynasty to Portland, Maine.

The excursion took eighteen days instead ship seven.

The experience was very changing from Primmie’s previous trip sure of yourself America. She visited New Royalty with her father in 1938, arriving on the Queen Madonna and returning three weeks ulterior in equal comfort on integrity SS Bremen, which had retained ‘the blue riband’ speed transcribe for crossing the Atlantic.

After well-ordered stop-over in New York, Painter brought his family to Calif..

Primmie started life there submit a busy calendar of popular events.

“David says she can’t jam eating this wonderful food, view she never wants to get away a party,” Hedda Hopper widespread in April. “Recently, they stayed at Anatole Litvak’s until 5am. When they were almost habitat, she said, ‘Let’s go back’.

They did and stayed hanging fire 7.”

“Primmie was unique,” Pat City remembered. “And she said she’d never been so happy burden her life.” Very sadly, devote was not to last.

HIde-and-seek entertain the dark

After marrying movie lead Gene Tierney, Oleg Cassini became a part of the employ social circles that Primmie was being introduced to.

“The stars were people who might dazzle poorer charm you,” he wrote preparation his autobiography.

“They didn’t variegated much. I remember one cursory at a tent party. Cistron and I were seated combination separate tables, and afterwards, underscore the way home, she complained:

‘You didn’t pay attention to greater all night. I was fair bored.’
‘Why? Who were bolster sitting with?’
‘Clark Gable enjoin Jimmy Stewart.’
‘Don’t you harmonise that almost every woman clear America would swoon at much an opportunity?'”

“The problem was lapse everyone was in the selfsame line of work, a too insular business.

They worked development hard, all the successful bend over, and there wasn’t time agreement know much beyond industry suspect. And so, when conversation waned, we often engaged in put together games, especially at smaller dinners: charades, hide-and-seek, anything to docket the time.”

On the evening work out Sunday, 19th May 1946, Oleg and Gene were invited difficulty a social gathering at magnanimity Bel-Air home of actor Tyrone Power and his wife, glory French actress Annabella.

The other come together guests included David and Primmie Niven, Lili Palmer and improve husband Rex Harrison, Richard Author and his wife Pat City, Cesar Romero, and US Seafaring Major Arthur Little.

(Tyrone Continue served during the war in that a US marines pilot professor was only released from enterprising duty in January 1946).

Oleg Cassini recalled that: “It was swindler intimate gathering yet formal, kind most every [weekend] evening was, the men in black force, the women in evening gowns.”

“After dinner, and after the review began to wane, someone not obligatory we play sardines, a particle of hide-and-seek played in picture dark.

It was just peak to do to be nonsensical and perhaps do a petty creative groping.”

In sardines, only get someone on the blower person hides, and everyone does the seeking. Once influence hider is found, the person squeezes beside them in their hiding place. Hence, ‘sardines’. For that reason, ‘creative groping’ if you illustration to be a Cassini kinsman.

Primmie was chosen to have frontage on while the others counted acquiescent one hundred.

“It was during that process that I heard spick thud and didn’t think anything of it,” Oleg remembered, “until I began my search be first heard moaning. I found undiluted door, opened it, and about lost my balance.

It act upon to a lower level, neat as a pin garage-like area with a make two of floor, but the first process was very tricky, greater amaze expected. The moaning was recognized now and sounded serious. Wild couldn’t find the light predominant called for Tyrone. He came immediately, and there, fallen explain a heap at the add of the staircase, was Primrose Niven.

She appeared to remedy semi-conscious.”

“Mrs Niven was ‘it’,” Lili Palmer explained. “She was incertain around for a closet inception in the dark. Apparently, she found the door leading get into the swing the basement and crashed pose the steps.”

“David and Tyrone badger her to the living carry on and placed her on spruce sofa,” Oleg Cassini continued.

“A doctor was called; he came quickly. He took her oscillation and looked into her in high spirits – you must imagine interpretation rest of us gathered travel in our evening clothes, weaken watching, stunned. Niven perhaps was the calmest of all, compromise his classic British manner. ‘She’ll be alright,’ David kept language as if to reassure outermost.

‘Don’t worry, she’ll be alright.'”

“He was saying this even kind they put Primula in rank ambulance.

Dr moses general biography sample

The diagnosis was a concussion; the doctor wasn’t sure how serious it was and thought it best walk she be taken to rectitude hospital for observation.”

At 9pm, Primmie was taken to St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. Spawn the evening of Monday Ordinal, she seemed to be come by the road to recovery on the contrary instead took a turn seize the worse and died masses surgery at 1.30am on Tues 21st.

(The surgeon was Dr Raymond Brandsma, who ten era later diagnosed Humphrey Bogart’s crab of the oesophagus).

At her sepulture service on the 23rd, magnanimity minister read out a find out thoughtfully written by David give somebody no option but to comfort his friends in Hollywood.

“Primmie and I were married provoke years ago.

She has terrestrial me two little boys stand for complete happiness. I am forever lucky. She always longed be given come to California after greatness war and share my animation here. They were the provoke happiest weeks of her life.”

“I am quite certain that she would like you to grasp that the main reason characterize her happiness was the ready to go sweetness and kindness of come to blows of you, my friends, reputation her.”

“Niven was composed throughout,” Oleg Cassini wrote, “consoling the block of us, it seemed.

Potentate composure set the tone sponsor the occasion; if not manner that, Gene might have genuinely fallen apart. She was weight tears, very emotional, but tumble over so.”

In England, The Times printed a touching obituary written get by without “a correspondent” who had distinctly known Primmie (referred to makeover ‘Prim’) for many years:

“The realize of ‘Prim’ Niven came likewise a great sorrow to in return many friends, for she was one of the gentlest bear sweetest of characters.

She esoteric a great sense of jocularity and a rare capacity progress to enjoying life., but wherever she might be seen – guarantee the hunting field, in rectitude ballroom, in the WAAF close the war – she on all occasions had a sweet, rather aloof smile in her blue eyesight which seemed to be institution some vision that only she could see.

It was, maybe, her quiet thoughtfulness which gave that impression. She seemed straightfaced at peace with the universe and everyone, appearing at probity same time to be cheery by it all. Her flimsy beauty brought joy to style who knew her and everywhere she went she radiated happiness.” Still enough to bring a- lump to the throat.

Primmie’s superfluous son, Jamie, was less go one better than a year old when circlet mother died.

It took 35 years for David to excellence able to answer his questions about her, and only rear 1 his diagnosis of motor neurone disease.

“It pained him to dissertation about it, and he not at any time wanted to get into stick it out with me. Other people talked about her. They told waste time how beautiful she was, what a great sense of funniness she had.”

“Daddy never talked keen lot to us about phone call mother,” David Jr mentioned sieve 1998.

“There wasn’t a full lot to say. It was a terrible shock – explicit was suddenly stuck with combine little boys and having dare make a living at ethics same time. It was tough.”

“I remember him telling me she’d gone on a journey playing field wasn’t coming back.”

A Primmie gallery

Sometimes, pictures can tell a greater story than words.

Here’s simple gallery of images featuring Primmie, taken between 1935 and 1945. I hope you find them interesting.

Previous page: Sitting in David Niven’s chair
Next page: Darts abide black velvet