George Sanders - Revision history

Kurt at 16:29, 23 December 2022

2022-12-23T16:29:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:29, 23 December 2022
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	{{Short description\|British actor and singer (1906–1972)}}		{{Short description\|British actor and singer (1906–1972)}}
	~~{{EngvarB\|date=August 2014}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2014}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = George Sanders		\| name = George Sanders
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	\| years_active = 1929–1972		\| years_active = 1929–1972
	\| spouse =		\| spouse =
	*{{marriage\|Susan Larson\|1940\|1949\|~~reason~~=~~divorce~~}}		*{{marriage\|Susan Larson\|1940\|1949\|end=div}}
	*{{marriage\|[[w:Zsa Zsa Gabor\|Zsa Zsa Gabor]]\|1949\|1954\|~~reason~~=~~divorce~~}}		*{{marriage\|[[w:Zsa Zsa Gabor\|Zsa Zsa Gabor]]\|1949\|1954\|end=div}}
	*{{marriage\|[[w:Benita Hume\|Benita Hume]]\|1959\|1967\|~~reason~~=~~died~~}}		*{{marriage\|[[w:Benita Hume\|Benita Hume]]\|1959\|1967\|end=d.}}
	*{{marriage\|[[w:Magda Gabor\|Magda Gabor]]\|1970\|1971\|~~reason~~=~~divorce~~}}		*{{marriage\|[[w:Magda Gabor\|Magda Gabor]]\|1970\|1971\|end=div}}
	\| relatives = [[w:Tom Conway\|Tom Conway]] (brother)		\| relatives = [[w:Tom Conway\|Tom Conway]] (brother)
	\| partner = Lorraine Chanel (~~1968–72; his death~~)		\| partner = Lorraine Chanel (1968–1972)
	}}		}}

Kurt: /* Final years and death */

2022-12-23T16:25:47Z

Final years and death

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	==Final years and death==		==Final years and death==
	[[File:George sanders black swan 2.jpg\|thumb\|~~left~~\|Sanders as Captain Billy Leech in [[The Black Swan (film)\|''The Black Swan'']] (1942)]]		[[File:George sanders black swan 2.jpg\|thumb\|right\|Sanders as Captain Billy Leech in [[The Black Swan (film)\|''The Black Swan'']] (1942)]]
	Even before his dementia, Sanders had grown increasingly reclusive and depressed due to a string of tragedies including the deaths of his third wife, his mother, and his brother Tom in the space of a year, followed by a failed sausage investment, which cost him millions, dementia diagnosis, and a quick divorce from his fourth wife. According to Aherne's biography, he also had a minor stroke. Sanders could not bear the prospect of losing his health or needing help to carry out everyday tasks, and became deeply depressed. About this time, he found that he could no longer play his grand piano, so he dragged it outside and smashed it with an axe. His last girlfriend, Lorraine Chanel, with whom he had an on-off relationship in the last four years of his life, persuaded him to sell his beloved house in Majorca, Spain, which he later bitterly regretted. From then on, he drifted.<ref>Aherne 1979, pp. 183, 190.</ref>		Even before his dementia, Sanders had grown increasingly reclusive and depressed due to a string of tragedies including the deaths of his third wife, his mother, and his brother Tom in the space of a year, followed by a failed sausage investment, which cost him millions, dementia diagnosis, and a quick divorce from his fourth wife. According to Aherne's biography, he also had a minor stroke. Sanders could not bear the prospect of losing his health or needing help to carry out everyday tasks, and became deeply depressed. About this time, he found that he could no longer play his grand piano, so he dragged it outside and smashed it with an axe. His last girlfriend, Lorraine Chanel, with whom he had an on-off relationship in the last four years of his life, persuaded him to sell his beloved house in Majorca, Spain, which he later bitterly regretted. From then on, he drifted.<ref>Aherne 1979, pp. 183, 190.</ref>

Kurt: /* External links */

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External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:25, 23 December 2022
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	==External links==		==External links==
	~~{{portal\|Biography}}~~
	* {{IMDb name\|1695}}		* {{IMDb name\|1695}}
	* {{IBDB name}}		* {{IBDB name}}
	* {{Screenonline name\|494407}}		* {{Screenonline name\|494407}}
	* {{Tcmdb name}}		* {{Tcmdb name}}
	* {{Commons category-inline\|George Sanders}}
	* {{Wikiquote-inline\|George Sanders}}

	~~{{S-start}}~~
	\|-
	~~!colspan="3" style="background:#C1D8FF;"\| Husband of a Gabor Sister~~
	~~{{s-bef \| before= [[Conrad Hilton]]}}~~
	~~{{s-ttl \| title = [[Zsa Zsa Gabor\|Zsa Zsa]] – Third \| years = 2 April 1949 – 2 April 1954 <br> Divorced}}~~
	~~{{s-aft\| after = [[Herbert Hutner]]}}~~
	~~{{s-bef \| before=Tony Gallucci}}~~
	~~{{s-ttl \| title = [[Magda Gabor\|Magda]] – Fifth \| years = 5 December 1970 – 6 January 1971 <br> Annulled}}~~
	~~{{s-aft\| after =Tibor Heltai}}~~
	~~!colspan="3" style="background:#C1D8FF;"\| Acting roles~~
	\|-
	~~{{Succession box \|~~
	~~before=[[Louis Hayward]] \|~~
	~~title=[[Simon Templar\|Simon Templar Actor]] \|~~
	~~years=1939–1941 \|~~
	~~after=[[Hugh Sinclair (actor)\|Hugh Sinclair]]}}~~
	~~{{Succession box \|~~
	~~before=[[David Farrar (actor)\|David Farrar]] \|~~
	~~title=[[Charles II of England\|Charles II Actor]] \|~~
	~~years=1955\|~~
	~~after=[[Gary Raymond]]}}~~
	~~{{s-new}}~~
	~~{{s-ttl \| title = [[Mr. Freeze\|Mr. Freeze Actor]] \| years = 1966}}~~
	~~{{s-aft \| after = [[Otto Preminger]]}}~~
	~~{{s-end}}~~

	~~{{Academy Award Best Supporting Actor}}~~

	~~{{authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, George}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, George}}
	[[Category:1906 births]]		[[Category:1906 births]]
	[[Category:1972 ~~suicides~~]]		[[Category:1972 deaths]]
	[[Category:20th Century Studios contract players]]		[[Category:20th Century Studios contract players]]
	[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]		[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
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	[[Category:20th-century English non-fiction writers]]		[[Category:20th-century English non-fiction writers]]
	[[Category:alumni of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology]]		[[Category:alumni of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology]]
	~~[[Category:barbiturates-related deaths]]~~
	[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners]]		[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners]]
	[[Category:British expatriate male actors in the United States]]		[[Category:British expatriate male actors in the United States]]
	~~[[Category:drug-related suicides in Spain]]~~
	[[Category:emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom]]		[[Category:emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom]]
	[[Category:English autobiographers]]		[[Category:English autobiographers]]

Kurt at 14:23, 27 October 2022

2022-10-27T14:23:52Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:23, 27 October 2022
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	{{Short description\|British actor and singer (1906–1972)}}		{{Short description\|British actor and singer (1906–1972)}}
	~~{{Other people\|George Sanders}}~~
	{{EngvarB\|date=August 2014}}		{{EngvarB\|date=August 2014}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2014}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2014}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = George Sanders		\| name = George Sanders
	\| image = George Sanders ~~Allan Warren~~.jpg		\| image = George Sanders.jpg
	\| caption = ~~Portrait of~~ Sanders ~~by [[Allan Warren]], 1972~~		\| caption =
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|df=yes\|1906\|7\|3}}		\| birth_name = George Henry Sanders
	\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russian Empire]]}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|df=yes\|1906\|07\|03}}
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age~~\|df=yes~~\|1972\|4\|25\|1906\|7\|3}}		\| birth_place = {{nowrap\|[[w:Saint Petersburg\|Saint Petersburg]], [[w:Russian Empire\|Russian Empire]]}}
	\| death_place = [[Castelldefels]], [[Barcelona]], [[Francoist Spain]]		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1972\|04\|25\|1906\|07\|03\|df=yes}}
	\| alma_mater = [[University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology\|Manchester Technical College]]		\| death_place = [[w:Castelldefels\|Castelldefels]], [[w:Barcelona\|Barcelona]], [[w:Francoist Spain\|Francoist Spain]]
			\| alma_mater = [[w:University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology\|Manchester Technical College]]
	\| occupation = {{hlist\|Actor\|singer\|writer}}		\| occupation = {{hlist\|Actor\|singer\|writer}}
	\| years_active = 1929–1972		\| years_active = 1929–1972
	\| spouse = {{marriage\|Susan Larson\|1940\|1949\|reason=divorce}}~~<br/>~~{{marriage\|[[Zsa Zsa Gabor]]\|1949\|1954\|reason=divorce}}~~<br/>~~{{marriage\|[[Benita Hume]]\|1959\|1967\|reason=died}}~~<br/>~~{{marriage\|[[Magda Gabor]]\|1970\|1971\|reason=divorce}}		\| spouse =
	\| relatives = [[Tom Conway]] (brother)		*{{marriage\|Susan Larson\|1940\|1949\|reason=divorce}}
			*{{marriage\|[[w:Zsa Zsa Gabor\|Zsa Zsa Gabor]]\|1949\|1954\|reason=divorce}}
			*{{marriage\|[[w:Benita Hume\|Benita Hume]]\|1959\|1967\|reason=died}}
			*{{marriage\|[[w:Magda Gabor\|Magda Gabor]]\|1970\|1971\|reason=divorce}}
			\| relatives = [[w:Tom Conway\|Tom Conway]] (brother)
	\| partner = Lorraine Chanel (1968–72; his death)		\| partner = Lorraine Chanel (1968–72; his death)
	}}		}}

	'''George Henry Sanders''' (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous characters. He is remembered for his roles as Jack Favell in ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)\|Rebecca]]'' (1940), Scott ff<!-- Yes, that really is the character's name, with two f's and in lowercase UPDATE ...and BOTH "f"'s should be lowercase! https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2017/08/ff-names.html-->olliott in ''[[Foreign Correspondent (film)\|Foreign Correspondent]]'' (1940, a rare heroic part), The Saran of Gaza in [[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)\|''Samson and Delilah'']] (1949), the most popular film of the year, Addison DeWitt in ''[[All About Eve]]'' (1950, for which he won an [[Academy Awards\|Oscar]]), Sir Brian De Bois-Guilbert in ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)\|Ivanhoe]]'' (1952), [[Richard I of England\|King Richard the Lionheart]] in ''[[King Richard and the Crusaders]]'' (1954), [[Mr. Freeze]] in a two-parter episode of [[Batman (TV series)\|''Batman'']] (1966), the voice of [[Shere Khan]] in Disney's ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)\|The Jungle Book]]'' (1967), the suave crimefighter [[The Falcon (fictional character)\|The Falcon]] during the 1940s (a role eventually bequeathed to his elder brother, [[Tom Conway]]), and [[Simon Templar]], ''The Saint'', in five films made in the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>George Sanders		'''George Henry Sanders''' (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous characters. He is remembered for his roles as Jack Favell in ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)\|Rebecca]]'' (1940), Scott ff<!-- Yes, that really is the character's name, with two f's and in lowercase UPDATE ...and BOTH "f"'s should be lowercase! https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2017/08/ff-names.html-->olliott in ''[[Foreign Correspondent (film)\|Foreign Correspondent]]'' (1940, a rare heroic part), The Saran of Gaza in [[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)\|''Samson and Delilah'']] (1949), the most popular film of the year, Addison DeWitt in ''[[All About Eve]]'' (1950, for which he won an [[Academy Awards\|Oscar]]), Sir Brian De Bois-Guilbert in ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)\|Ivanhoe]]'' (1952), [[Richard I of England\|King Richard the Lionheart]] in ''[[King Richard and the Crusaders]]'' (1954), [[Mr. Freeze]] in a two-parter episode of [[Batman (TV series)\|''Batman'']] (1966), the voice of [[Shere Khan]] in Disney's ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)\|The Jungle Book]]'' (1967), the suave crimefighter [[The Falcon (fictional character)\|The Falcon]] during the 1940s (a role eventually bequeathed to his elder brother, [[Tom Conway]]), and [[Simon Templar]], ''The Saint'', in five films made in the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>George Sanders The Guardian 26 Apr 1972: 5.</ref>
	The Guardian 26 Apr 1972: 5.</ref>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Sanders was born on 3 July 1906 in [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russian Empire]], at number 6 Petrovski Ostrov, to rope manufacturer Henry Sanders and horticulturalist Margaret (~~''née''~~ Kolbe),<ref>{{Cite ODNB\|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47189\|isbn = 978-0-19-861412-8\|doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/47189\|title = The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography\|year = 2004}}</ref> who was born in Saint Petersburg, of mostly German, but also Estonian and Scottish (Sanders wrote of his mother's descent from "the Thomas Clayhills of Dundee, who went to Estonia in 1626 to establish a business there") ancestry. Sanders referred to his parents as "well-off" and noted his mother's "forebears of solid social position and impeccable respectability", stating that "to the best of (his) knowledge, (his) father came in the mail".<ref>{{cite book \|author=Sanders, George\|title=Memoirs of a Professional Cad\|year=1960\|publisher=Hamish Hamilton\|page=8}}</ref> A biography published in 1990 alleged that family members' "recent disclosures... indicate" that Sanders' father was the out-of-wedlock son of a Russian noblewoman of the Tsar’s court, and a prince of the [[House of Oldenburg]] who was married to a sister of the Tsar.<ref>Although Nicholas II's sister Olga Alexandrovna married Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, he was born in 1868, and therefore could not have been the father of Henry Sanders, born circa 1870- https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47189?rskey=kfCHPc&result=4</ref> At the time of Henry Sanders's birth, the Anglo-Russian Sanders family were living at Saint Petersburg; the mother, Dagmar, was a lady-in-waiting to the Dowager Empress, and it was said to be through this connection Henry came to be adopted by the Sanders family.<ref>{{cite book \|author=VanDerBeets, Richard \|title=George Sanders: An Exhausted Life\|year=1990\|publisher=Madison Books\|isbn=978-0819178060}}</ref>		Sanders was born on 3 July 1906 in [[w:Saint Petersburg\|Saint Petersburg]], [[w:Russian Empire\|Russian Empire]], at number 6 Petrovski Ostrov, to rope manufacturer Henry Sanders and horticulturalist Margaret ({{nee}} Kolbe),<ref>{{Cite ODNB\|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47189\|isbn = 978-0-19-861412-8\|doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/47189\|title = The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography\|year = 2004}}</ref> who was born in Saint Petersburg, of mostly German, but also Estonian and Scottish (Sanders wrote of his mother's descent from "the Thomas Clayhills of Dundee, who went to Estonia in 1626 to establish a business there") ancestry. Sanders referred to his parents as "well-off" and noted his mother's "forebears of solid social position and impeccable respectability", stating that "to the best of (his) knowledge, (his) father came in the mail".<ref>{{cite book \|author=Sanders, George\|title=Memoirs of a Professional Cad\|year=1960\|publisher=Hamish Hamilton\|page=8}}</ref> A biography published in 1990 alleged that family members' "recent disclosures... indicate" that Sanders' father was the out-of-wedlock son of a Russian noblewoman of the Tsar’s court, and a prince of the [[House of Oldenburg]] who was married to a sister of the Tsar.<ref>Although Nicholas II's sister Olga Alexandrovna married Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, he was born in 1868, and therefore could not have been the father of Henry Sanders, born circa 1870- https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47189?rskey=kfCHPc&result=4</ref> At the time of Henry Sanders's birth, the Anglo-Russian Sanders family were living at Saint Petersburg; the mother, Dagmar, was a lady-in-waiting to the Dowager Empress, and it was said to be through this connection Henry came to be adopted by the Sanders family.<ref>{{cite book \|author=VanDerBeets, Richard \|title=George Sanders: An Exhausted Life\|year=1990\|publisher=Madison Books\|isbn=978-0819178060}}</ref>

	In 1917, at the outbreak of the [[Russian Revolution of 1917\|Russian Revolution]], Sanders and his family moved to Great Britain.<ref>Sanders 1960, pp. 9–10, 13.</ref><ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131494859 \|title=George Sanders \|newspaper=[[The World's News]] \|issue=2004 \|location=New South Wales, Australia \|date=4 May 1940 \|access-date=1 September 2017 \|page=13 \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Like his brother, he attended [[Bedales School]] and [[Brighton College]], a boys' independent school in [[Brighton]], then went on to [[University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology\|Manchester Technical College]], after which he worked in textile research.<ref>Sanders 1960, p. 17.</ref><ref name="new"/>		In 1917, at the outbreak of the [[Russian Revolution of 1917\|Russian Revolution]], Sanders and his family moved to Great Britain.<ref>Sanders 1960, pp. 9–10, 13.</ref><ref>{{cite news \|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131494859 \|title=George Sanders \|newspaper=[[The World's News]] \|issue=2004 \|location=New South Wales, Australia \|date=4 May 1940 \|access-date=1 September 2017 \|page=13 \|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Like his brother, he attended [[Bedales School]] and [[Brighton College]], a boys' independent school in [[Brighton]], then went on to [[University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology\|Manchester Technical College]], after which he worked in textile research.<ref>Sanders 1960, p. 17.</ref><ref name="new"/>

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-10-25T19:02:43Z

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2600:6C40:5400:5E68:F8E0:9B4:5017:684F at 11:55, 10 October 2022

2022-10-10T11:55:32Z

New page

{{Short description|British actor and singer (1906–1972)}}
{{Other people|George Sanders}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = George Sanders
| image = George Sanders Allan Warren.jpg
| caption = Portrait of Sanders by [[Allan Warren]], 1972
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1906|7|3}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|[[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russian Empire]]}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1972|4|25|1906|7|3}}
| death_place = [[Castelldefels]], [[Barcelona]], [[Francoist Spain]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology|Manchester Technical College]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|singer|writer}}
| years_active = 1929–1972
| spouse = {{marriage|Susan Larson|1940|1949|reason=divorce}} {{marriage|[[Zsa Zsa Gabor]]|1949|1954|reason=divorce}} {{marriage|[[Benita Hume]]|1959|1967|reason=died}} {{marriage|[[Magda Gabor]]|1970|1971|reason=divorce}}
| relatives = [[Tom Conway]] (brother)
| partner = Lorraine Chanel (1968–72; his death)
}}

'''George Henry Sanders''' (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous characters. He is remembered for his roles as Jack Favell in ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)|Rebecca]]'' (1940), Scott ffolliott in ''[[Foreign Correspondent (film)|Foreign Correspondent]]'' (1940, a rare heroic part), The Saran of Gaza in [[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)|''Samson and Delilah'']] (1949), the most popular film of the year, Addison DeWitt in ''[[All About Eve]]'' (1950, for which he won an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]), Sir Brian De Bois-Guilbert in ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)|Ivanhoe]]'' (1952), [[Richard I of England|King Richard the Lionheart]] in ''[[King Richard and the Crusaders]]'' (1954), [[Mr. Freeze]] in a two-parter episode of [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'']] (1966), the voice of [[Shere Khan]] in Disney's ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' (1967), the suave crimefighter [[The Falcon (fictional character)|The Falcon]] during the 1940s (a role eventually bequeathed to his elder brother, [[Tom Conway]]), and [[Simon Templar]], ''The Saint'', in five films made in the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>George Sanders
The Guardian 26 Apr 1972: 5.</ref>

==Early life==
Sanders was born on 3 July 1906 in [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russian Empire]], at number 6 Petrovski Ostrov, to rope manufacturer Henry Sanders and horticulturalist Margaret (''née'' Kolbe),<ref>{{Cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47189|isbn = 978-0-19-861412-8|doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/47189|title = The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|year = 2004}}</ref> who was born in Saint Petersburg, of mostly German, but also Estonian and Scottish (Sanders wrote of his mother's descent from "the Thomas Clayhills of Dundee, who went to Estonia in 1626 to establish a business there") ancestry. Sanders referred to his parents as "well-off" and noted his mother's "forebears of solid social position and impeccable respectability", stating that "to the best of (his) knowledge, (his) father came in the mail".<ref>{{cite book |author=Sanders, George|title=Memoirs of a Professional Cad|year=1960|publisher=Hamish Hamilton|page=8}}</ref> A biography published in 1990 alleged that family members' "recent disclosures... indicate" that Sanders' father was the out-of-wedlock son of a Russian noblewoman of the Tsar’s court, and a prince of the [[House of Oldenburg]] who was married to a sister of the Tsar.<ref>Although Nicholas II's sister Olga Alexandrovna married Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, he was born in 1868, and therefore could not have been the father of Henry Sanders, born circa 1870- https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47189?rskey=kfCHPc&result=4</ref> At the time of Henry Sanders's birth, the Anglo-Russian Sanders family were living at Saint Petersburg; the mother, Dagmar, was a lady-in-waiting to the Dowager Empress, and it was said to be through this connection Henry came to be adopted by the Sanders family.<ref>{{cite book |author=VanDerBeets, Richard |title=George Sanders: An Exhausted Life|year=1990|publisher=Madison Books|isbn=978-0819178060}}</ref>

In 1917, at the outbreak of the [[Russian Revolution of 1917|Russian Revolution]], Sanders and his family moved to Great Britain.<ref>Sanders 1960, pp. 9–10, 13.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131494859 |title=George Sanders |newspaper=[[The World's News]] |issue=2004 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 May 1940 |access-date=1 September 2017 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Like his brother, he attended [[Bedales School]] and [[Brighton College]], a boys' independent school in [[Brighton]], then went on to [[University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology|Manchester Technical College]], after which he worked in textile research.<ref>Sanders 1960, p. 17.</ref><ref name="new"/>

Sanders travelled to South America, where he managed a tobacco plantation. The Depression sent him back to Britain. He worked at an advertising agency, where the company secretary, aspiring actress [[Greer Garson]], suggested that he take up a career in acting.<ref>Sanders 1960, p. 54.</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Foreign Correspondent trailer 12 Sanders crop.jpg|thumb|In the trailer for [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Foreign Correspondent (film)|Foreign Correspondent]]'' (1940)]]

===Early British work===
Sanders learned how to sing and got a role on stage in ''Ballyhoo'', which only had a short run, but helped establish him as an actor.<ref name="new"/>

He began to work regularly on the British stage, appearing several times with [[Edna Best]]. He co-starred with [[Dennis King]] in ''The Command Performance''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68346240 |title=George Sanders |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)]] |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=25 July 1941 |access-date=1 September 2017 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Sanders travelled to New York to appear on Broadway in a production of [[Noël Coward]]'s ''[[Conversation Piece (musical)|Conversation Piece]]'' (1934), directed by Coward, which only ran for 55 performances.<ref name="new"/>

===Hollywood and 20th Century Fox===
Some of these British films were distributed by [[20th Century Fox]], which was looking for an actor to play a villain in its Hollywood-shot film ''[[Lloyd's of London (film)|Lloyd's of London]]'' (1936). Sanders was duly cast as Lord Everett Stacy, opposite [[Tyrone Power]], in one of his first leads, as the hero; Sanders' smooth, upper-class English accent, his sleek manner, and his suave, superior, and somewhat threatening air made him in demand for American films for years to come.<ref>Sanders 1960, p.117</ref> ''Lloyd's of London'' was a big hit, and in November 1936, Fox placed Sanders under a seven-year contract.<ref>MISSES LOMBARD AND RUSSELL DEBATED FOR "IDIOT'S DELIGHT" Schallert, Edwin. ''Los Angeles Times'' 2 December 1936: 8.</ref>

===The Saint, The Falcon, and character roles===
Sanders returned to Hollywood, where [[RKO]] wanted him to play the hero in a series of B-movies, ''[[Simon Templar|The Saint]]''. ''[[The Saint in New York (film)|The Saint in New York]]'' (1938) had already been made starring [[Louis Hayward]] in the title role, but when he decided not to return to the role, Sanders took over for ''[[The Saint Strikes Back]]'' (1939).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55912665 |title="Saint" George Sanders |newspaper=[[The Mail (Adelaide)]] |volume=27 |issue=1,397 |location=South Australia |date=4 March 1939 |access-date=1 September 2017 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>George Sanders to Play 'Saint' Role Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 15 Nov 1938: A15.</ref>

===A-picture leading man===
Sanders was borrowed by [[United Artists]] to play the lead in an A film, ''[[The Moon and Sixpence (film)|The Moon and Sixpence]]'' (1942), based on the novel by [[W. Somerset Maugham]].<ref>SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: George Sanders to Be Seen in Strickland Role in Maugham's 'Moon and Six Pence' New York Times 21 Feb 1942: 15.</ref>

In July 1942, Fox suspended him for refusing the lead in ''[[The Undying Monster]]'' (1942). "I like to be seen in pictures that at least seem to be slightly worthwhile."<ref name="new">GEORGE SANDERS, OR FROM SINNER TO SAINT By THEODORE STRAUSS. New York Times 27 Sep 1942: X3.</ref> In September, they suspended him again for refusing an "unsympathetic role" in ''The Immortal Sergeant'' (he was replaced by Morton Lowry).<ref>George Sanders Suspended by Fox for Withdrawing From 'The Immortal Sargeant' New York Times 11 Sep 1942: 24.</ref> In November, Fox and Sanders came to terms, with the studio offering him a raise in pay and the lead in a film, ''School for Saboteurs'', which became ''[[They Came to Blow Up America]]''.<ref>Fox Ends Differences With Sanders, Giving Him a Leading Part in 'School for Saboteurs' New York Times 18 Nov 1942: 31.</ref>

RKO called him back for ''[[This Land Is Mine (film)|This Land Is Mine]]'' (1943). They bought an original story for him, ''Nine Lives'', but it does not appear to have been made.<ref>RKO Will Star George Sanders in 'Nine Lives' New York Times 15 July 1943: 25.</ref> He was lent to Columbia for ''[[Appointment in Berlin]]'' (1943).<ref>George Sanders Gets Lead Role in 'Appointment in Berlin' New York Times 6 Feb 1943: 8.</ref>

In February 1943, Fox announced it was developing three film projects for Sanders – ''The Porcelain Lady'', a murder mystery, plus biopics of the [[Earl of Suffolk]] and [[Bethune]].<ref>SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 23 Feb 1943: 25.</ref> Fox originally announced him to play the role of the detective in ''[[Laura (1944 film)|Laura]]'' (1944) alongside Laird Cregar, but neither ended up being in the final film.<ref>SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOODNew York Times 11 June 1943: 23.</ref> In 1947, George Sanders portrayed [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] in Fox's lavish production of the scandalous historical bodice-ripper, ''[[Forever Amber (film)|Forever Amber]]''.

===RKO===
Sanders signed a new three-film contract with RKO, starting with ''[[Action in Arabia]]'' (1944).<ref>Star Profit by His Reputation for 'Cussedness' Parsons, Louella O. The Washington Post 25 Aug 1943: 16.</ref>

===''All About Eve'' and beyond===
[[File:George Sanders in All About Eve trailer.jpg|thumb|As Addison DeWitt in the trailer for ''[[All About Eve]]'' (1950)]]
For his role as the acerbic, cold-blooded theatre critic Addison DeWitt in ''[[All About Eve]]'' (1950), Sanders won an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>McNally 2008, p. 33.</ref>

He was a leading man in ''[[Black Jack (1950 film)|Black Jack]]'' (1950), but was back to supporting/villain roles in ''[[I Can Get It for You Wholesale (film)|I Can Get It for You Wholesale]]'' (1951). He signed a three-picture deal with MGM, for which he did ''[[The Light Touch]]'' (1951) and ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)|Ivanhoe]]'' (1952), playing Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert and dying in a duel with [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] after professing his love for Jewish maiden Rebecca, played by [[Elizabeth Taylor]]. It was a huge success.<ref>George Sanders Slated in Trio of MGM Films Los Angeles Times 27 May 1951: D9</ref>

Sanders went to Italy to appear opposite [[Ingrid Bergman]] in ''[[Journey to Italy]]'' (1954). Back in Hollywood, he made several movies for MGM: ''[[Jupiter's Darling]]'' (1955), ''[[Moonfleet (film)|Moonfleet]]'' (1955), ''[[The Scarlet Coat]]'' (1955), and ''[[The King's Thief]]'' (1955) (again as Charles II).<ref>MGM Reports Schedule of 27 Feature Movies Los Angeles Times 4 Aug 1954: 18.</ref>

In 1955, he was announced as hosting and occasionally appearing in ''The Ringmaster'', a TV series about the circus.<ref>GEORGE SANDERS TO BE VIDEO HOST: Cast as Narrator of Filmed Series, 'The Ringmaster.' Built on Circus Stories New York Times 1 Sep 1955: 46.</ref>

Sanders played the lead in ''[[Death of a Scoundrel]]'' (1956) and the TV series ''[[The George Sanders Mystery Theater]]'' (1957).<ref>Drama: MGM and Japan Daiei in Deal for Star, Studio: Zsa Zsa May Face 'Ex' Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 25 Nov 1955: B7.</ref>

He worked one last time with Power on ''[[Solomon and Sheba]]'' (1959); Power died during filming and was replaced by Yul Brynner.<ref>RKO Has New Lease on Life: Teleradio Financing Indies; Newsiest Newsmen Recalled Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 11 Apr 1958: 21.</ref>

Sanders was top-billed in ''[[Cairo (1963 film)|Cairo]]'' (1963), then appeared in ''[[The Cracksman]]'' (1963), ''[[Dark Purpose]]'' (1964), and ''[[The Golden Head]]'' (1964). [[Peter Sellers]] and Sanders appeared together in [[The Pink Panther (1963 film)|''The Pink Panther'']] sequel ''[[A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)|A Shot in the Dark]]'' (1964). Sanders had earlier inspired Sellers's character [[Hercules Grytpype-Thynne]] in the [[BBC]] radio comedy series ''[[The Goon Show]]'' (1951–60).<ref name=Goon>{{cite book |author=Wilmut, Roger and Jimmy Grafton |title=The Goon Show Companion: A History and Goonography|year=1976 |publisher=Robson Books Ltd. |isbn=978-0903895644 | page=90}}</ref>

Sanders declared bankruptcy in 1966 due to some poor investments.<ref>George Sanders The Guardian 26 Apr 1972: 5</ref>

===Final films===
He had a supporting role in [[John Huston]]'s ''[[The Kremlin Letter]]'' (1969), in which his first scene showed him dressed in drag and playing the piano in a gay bar in San Francisco. In 1969, he announced he was leaving show business.<ref>George Sanders' Sneer Mellows Flynn, Betty. Los Angeles Times 6 Sep 1969: a6</ref>

===Novels===
Two ghostwritten crime novels were published under his name to cash in on his fame at the height of his wartime film series. The first was ''Crime on My Hands'' (1944), written in the first person, and mentioning his Saint and Falcon films.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17929119 |title=Hollywood Authors |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |issue=33,361 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 November 1944 |access-date=1 September 2017 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===Singing===
[[File:George Sanders in The Picture of Dorian Gray trailer.jpg|thumb|As Lord Henry Wotton in the trailer for [[The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945 film)|''The Picture of Dorian Gray'']] (1945)]]
During the production of ''The Jungle Book'', Sanders was unavailable to provide the singing voice for his character Shere Khan during the final recording of the song, "[[That's What Friends Are For (The Vulture Song)|That's What Friends Are For]]". According to [[Richard M. Sherman|Richard Sherman]], [[Bill Lee (singer)|Bill Lee]], a member of [[The Mellomen]], was called in to substitute for Sanders.<ref name=commsherman>[[Richard M. Sherman|Sherman, Richard]]. ''The Jungle Book'' [[audio commentary]], Platinum Edition, Disc 1. 2007.</ref>

==Personal life==
On 27 October 1940, Sanders married Susan Larson (born Elsie Poole). The couple divorced in 1949. From later that year until 1954, Sanders was married to [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]], with whom he starred in the film ''[[Death of a Scoundrel]]'' (1956). On 10 February 1959, Sanders married [[Benita Hume]], widow of [[Ronald Colman]]. She died of bone cancer in 1967, aged 60, the same year that Sanders's brother Tom Conway died of liver failure. Sanders had become distant from his brother because of Conway's drinking problem.<ref>Sanders 1960, pp. 106, 110.</ref>

Sanders' autobiography ''[[Memoirs of a Professional Cad]]'' was published in 1960 and gained critical praise for its wit. Sanders suggested the title ''A Dreadful Man'' for his biography, later written by his friend [[Brian Aherne]] and published in 1979.<ref>VanDerBeets 1990, p. xiii.</ref> Sanders's fourth and last marriage on 4 December 1970 was to [[Magda Gabor]], the elder sister of his second wife. This marriage lasted only 32 days, after which he began drinking heavily.<ref>VanDerBeets 1990, pp. 116, 119.</ref><ref>"George Sanders Dies in Spain of Drug Overdose, Leaves Note", ''Los Angeles Times'', 25 Apr 1972: 2.</ref>

==Final years and death==
[[File:George sanders black swan 2.jpg|thumb|left|Sanders as Captain Billy Leech in [[The Black Swan (film)|''The Black Swan'']] (1942)]]
Even before his dementia, Sanders had grown increasingly reclusive and depressed due to a string of tragedies including the deaths of his third wife, his mother, and his brother Tom in the space of a year, followed by a failed sausage investment, which cost him millions, dementia diagnosis, and a quick divorce from his fourth wife. According to Aherne's biography, he also had a minor stroke. Sanders could not bear the prospect of losing his health or needing help to carry out everyday tasks, and became deeply depressed. About this time, he found that he could no longer play his grand piano, so he dragged it outside and smashed it with an axe. His last girlfriend, Lorraine Chanel, with whom he had an on-off relationship in the last four years of his life, persuaded him to sell his beloved house in Majorca, Spain, which he later bitterly regretted. From then on, he drifted.<ref>Aherne 1979, pp. 183, 190.</ref>

On 23 April 1972, Sanders checked into a hotel in [[Castelldefels]], a coastal town near Barcelona, where he phoned his friend [[George Mikell]]. He died from [[cardiac arrest]] two days later after swallowing the contents of five bottles of the barbiturate [[Pentobarbital|Nembutal]].<ref>Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,310396,00.html "Bored to Death."] ''[[Entertainment Weekly]],'' 8 May 1992. Retrieved: 30 April 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.freewebs.com/georgesanders/ "George Sanders (July 3, 1906 – April 25, 1972)."] ''George Sanders: Official Site.'' Retrieved: 8 December 2011. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522193139/http://www.freewebs.com/georgesanders/ |date=22 May 2009 }}</ref> He left behind two suicide notes, one of which read:

{{quote|Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgesand162019.html|title=George Sanders Quotes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://classicmoviechat.com/george-sanders-bored-to-death/|title=GEORGE SANDERS — Bored to Death? – ClassicMovieChat.com – The Golden Era of Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/dying3.html|title=famous suicide notes – dying words of famous people}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102212754 |title=George Sanders dead |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=46 |issue=13,109 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=27 April 1972 |access-date=1 September 2017 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>}}

[[David Niven]] wrote in ''[[Bring on the Empty Horses]]'' (1975), the second volume of his memoirs, that in 1937, his friend George Sanders had predicted that he would commit suicide from a [[barbiturate overdose]] when he was 65, and that in his 50s, he had appeared to be depressed because his marriages had failed and several tragedies had befallen him.<ref name=BOTEH>{{cite book |author= Niven, David |title=Bring on the Empty Horses|year=1975 |publisher=Coronet Books/Hodder and Stoughton |isbn=978-0340209158 | page=304}}</ref>

Sanders has two stars on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], for films at 1636 Vine Street and television at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web |title=George Sanders |url=https://walkoffame.com/george-sanders/ |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=26 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626204826/https://walkoffame.com/george-sanders/ |archive-date=26 June 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* Aherne, Brian. ''A Dreadful Man: The Story of Hollywood's Most Original Cad, George Sanders''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979. {{ISBN|0-671-24797-2}}.
* McNally, Peter. ''Bette Davis: The Performances that made her Great''. Jefferson North Carolina: McFarland, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3499-2}}.
* Niven, David. ''The Moon's A Balloon''. London: Dell Publishing, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-440-15806-6}}.
* Sanders, George. ''Memoirs of a Professional Cad: The Autobiography of George Sanders''. London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1960. {{ISBN|0-8108-2579-1}}.
* VanDerBeets, Richard. ''George Sanders: An Exhausted Life''. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Madison Books, 1990. {{ISBN|0-8191-7806-3}}.
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last= Alistair |first= Rupert |title= The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age |chapter= George Sanders |pages= 237–239 |date= 2018 |edition= First |type= softcover |publisher= Independently published |location= Great Britain |isbn = 978-1-7200-3837-5}}

==External links==
{{portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|1695}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Screenonline name|494407}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{Commons category-inline|George Sanders}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline|George Sanders}}

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!colspan="3" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| Husband of a Gabor Sister
{{s-bef | before= [[Conrad Hilton]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Zsa Zsa Gabor|Zsa Zsa]] – Third | years = 2 April 1949 – 2 April 1954 Divorced}}
{{s-aft| after = [[Herbert Hutner]]}}
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{{s-ttl | title = [[Magda Gabor|Magda]] – Fifth | years = 5 December 1970 – 6 January 1971 Annulled}}
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!colspan="3" style="background:#C1D8FF;"| Acting roles
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before=[[Louis Hayward]] |
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years=1939–1941 |
after=[[Hugh Sinclair (actor)|Hugh Sinclair]]}}
{{Succession box |
before=[[David Farrar (actor)|David Farrar]] |
title=[[Charles II of England|Charles II Actor]] |
years=1955|
after=[[Gary Raymond]]}}
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{{s-ttl | title = [[Mr. Freeze|Mr. Freeze Actor]] | years = 1966}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Otto Preminger]]}}
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{{Academy Award Best Supporting Actor}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, George}}
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