David Niven

March 24, 2009




As requested... David Niven.

David Niven was adept at all kinds of genres, but I prefer him most in comedy. He stars in one of my all-time favorite films, Bachelor Mother. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you seriously have to go rent it right now. Go ahead, I'll wait...

Alright, now that you are familiar with Bachelor Mother you know what I'm talking about. There are tons of fall-off-your-seat-from-laughing-too-hard scenes in this movie. Watch-- when I merely mention some of the scenes, you will find yourself sweetly reminscing and giggling as you picture them in your mind:

Attempting to return the duck incognito.

The flying/disappearing spoons.


The baby that crawls through the wall.


Hilarious phrases in Swedish that don't translate well.

Rubbing what into the navel?


A letter "from a friend."

In fact, I've been giggling so much just typing this that I think I'll stop now and go watch the movie again....

15 comments:

Raquel Stecher said...

I love the part where Ginger Rogers and David Niven realize that Charles Coburn thinks the baby is his grandson. Hilarious!

That's a film I really really really wish were on DVD. I would buy several copies!

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh, I just assumed it was on dvd! How can this movie NOT be on dvd?? It's a crime!

Nicole Newcomb said...

I love the color you chose for the background and awesome job on David Niven. I love Bachelor Mother, it is a crime that movie isn't on dvd. I love that movie, every time it's on I watch it. lol

Unknown said...

Second all the comments on "Bachelor Mother"-- I'm a huge Ginger Rogers fan as well-- didn't know it's not on dvd-- sure glad we taped it from TCM!

Lolita of the Classics said...

Sounds like a movie quite my taste! I'm working hard to get access to it. Tell me - those Swedish lines you mention - are they in real Swedish or just gibberish? I think it will be fun for me to watch! Thanks for one of many great film tips!

Terence Towles Canote said...

Well, actually it is on DVD, but only in Europe. That means Region 2 encoding which means it won't play on most DVD players made in the US or Canada.

Terence Towles Canote said...

Anyway, I was going to add before being so rudely interrupted by the power going off, that I think David Niven was a brilliant comic actor--it's a lot of why Bachelor Mother was so good. Besides Sir Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers, I think he was my favourite British actor when it came to comedies!

elena-lu said...

lovely art!
he and ginger rogers looked soooo lovely in bachelor mother! sorry im such a sucker for good fashion.
but yes it is hilarious!!
i love "i was young once, i lived like you looked like you and then over night i look like this!"
heehee

and the baby wall crawler was sooo cute! i love how at that part when asks 'what did it do, crawl through the wall?' the baby looks up and smiles and coos! perfect baby acting if i ever saw!

Mondo said...

Are you planning any Harold Lloyd posts?

Genevieve said...

I giggled just reading about the scenes from Bachelor Mother. Its up there as one of my favorite Ginger movies. Ginger pretending to be Swedish is absolutely priceless.

I can't wait much longer for it to be out on dvd! I featured it on my Great Films Not on DVD a while back. However, I think I heard a rumor that a dvd was in the works.

Anonymous said...

This is a great painting of DN, Kate! And Bachelor Mother is one of my top favorite films, too. The whole scene of Ginger Rogers pretending to be Swedish is side-splitting. Whenever I watch it, I always wish I could go somewhere and pretend to be foreign. It looks like so much fun! "Ah... sven!"

I'd love to own it on DVD!

Unknown said...

Nicole- Thanks! I watch it every time it's on, too. Luckily I taped it off of TCM so I can watch it in between showings too :)

John- Ginger Rogers is fantastic in Bachelor Mother! I think it's one of my favorite of her films (after the Fred Astaire ones)

Lolita- Since I don't know Swedish, I'm just going to guess that they are gibberish. Still fun, though! I hope you get to see it soon!!

Mercurie- Don't you just hate the Region problem? I swear, I think it's my biggest pet peeve.

elena-lu- Thanks! I'm a sucker for good fashion, too! A lot of the time I remember scenes just for the dresses :) I like the double-take that Charles Coburn does after he looks in the mirror when he says that quote you mentioned. What a great actor!

Planet Mondo- I'll probably do a painting of him soon, mainly because I love his face and those glasses, but I don't know as much about him as I do Chaplin & Keaton.

Genevieve- I love your "not on DVD yet" posts! It's almost like a most wanted list-- it's a crime that these films aren't released yet!!

casey- Thanks! "Ah... sven" -- classic! I love the part with the shoulders, too, when David Niven sort of collapses from laughter in the door.

Terence Towles Canote said...

Oh, I despise the Region problem. Couldn't they have put all of us English speakers on one region? They make DVD players that can play both Region 1 and 2. I have really thought of getting one!

Unknown said...

No way! Where can I find one??? Ahhh! If I had the money, I would buy it this very second.

Lauren said...

AHAHAHA THE NAVEL PART!! He was so sure of himself AHAHAHAHA and the ducks HAHAHHAHA AND the Swedish part!! My favourite line in the whole movie is when Ginger says "You could too with those shoulders." And David is melting with laughter SO FUNNYYYYY!!! I think I want to buy that movie.