Kurt at 17:35, 19 November 2022

2022-11-19T17:35:36Z

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-05T14:35:00Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 09:35, 5 August 2022
(No difference)

en>Jonny Nixon at 06:15, 29 April 2022

2022-04-29T06:15:20Z

New page

{{short description|Austrian-born British actor and radio comedian (1898–1964)}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Vic Oliver
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Actor_Vic_Oliver.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Victor Oliver von Samek
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|07|08|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Vienna]], [[Austria-Hungary]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|08|15|1898|07|08|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Johannesburg]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]]
| death_cause =
| resting_place = [[Golders Green Crematorium]], London, England
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| monuments =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| alma_mater = [[Vienna University]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|radio comedian}}
| years_active =
| employer =
| organization =
| agent =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| style =
| title =
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| party =
| movement =
| opponents =
| boards =
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Sarah Millicent Hermione Churchill]]|1936|1945|end=div}}<br>{{marriage|Natalie Frances Conder|1946}}
| partner =
| children = 1
| parents = Baron Viktor von Samek<br>Charlotte Wallner
| relatives =
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance = Austro-Hungarian Empire
| branch = [[Austro-Hungarian Army]]
| battles = [[First World War]]
| awards =
}}
}}
'''Victor Oliver von Samek''' (8 July 1898 – 15 August 1964) was an Austrian-born British actor and radio comedian.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f6c4b03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722044034/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f6c4b03 |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 July 2012 |title=Vic Oliver |website=BFI |access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref>

==Early life==
He was born in [[Vienna]] into a Jewish family, the son of Baron Viktor von Samek. He studied medicine at [[Vienna University]] but abandoned it for his first love, music. For a time he studied under [[Mahler]]. During the [[First World War]] he served in the Austrian Cavalry. After the war he worked as a banker and a textile manufacturer before returning to music. In 1926 he visited the [[United States]] as a conductor and violinist.

==Acting career==
He discovered his gift for comedy by chance when he had to apologise to his audience for something. A new career as a comedian took him all over the United States. He reached the [[Palace Theatre (New York City)|Palace Theatre]], [[New York City|New York]], in 1929 and the [[London Palladium]] two years later. This established him in the United Kingdom and, with his deferential, modest humour, he became very popular. He was kept busy in musical revues, variety and pantomime.<ref name=Times>Obituary, The Times Online, Monday, 17 August 1964; p. 10, accessed 13 February 2015</ref>

He was [[Roy Plomley]]'s first "castaway" guest on ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', on 29 January 1942.<ref name="bbc"/> This lost broadcast was recalled in 2012 in a BBC radio documentary about Oliver's life in Britain.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b1ljw |title=Vic Oliver: The First Castaway Remembered – BBC Radio 4 Extra |website=BBC |language=en-GB |access-date=17 June 2018}}</ref>

He starred in the [[BBC]] radio show ''[[Hi Gang! (radio series)|Hi, Gang!]]''<ref name=Times/> and appeared in many others, including ''Discord in Three Flats'' (1962) with [[Cicely Courtneidge]] and [[Jack Hulbert]]. He played the violin (deliberately badly in his shows). He had aspirations as a conductor and founded the Vic Oliver Concert Orchestra, which gave light classical concerts as well as complete opera performances.<ref name="bbc"/> In 1953 he established ''[[Variety Playhouse (Radio Show)|Variety Playhouse]]'' as a primetime radio show featuring music, comedy and light drama. The show did not survive him.<ref name=Times/>

He was a regular on ''[[Henry Hall (bandleader)|Henry Hall]]'s Guest Night'' and ''[[Workers' Playtime (radio programme)|Workers' Playtime]]'' and, as a music-based comedian, has been considered a precursor of [[Victor Borge]].

==Personal life==
Oliver played [[tennis]], [[Association football|football]] and [[Field hockey|hockey]] as a youth and became junior tennis champion of Austria in 1914.<ref name="Haynes" /> After arriving in the United Kingdom in 1936, Oliver became a supporter of [[Football League First Division|First Division]] club [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] and was vice-president of the club in the early 1950s.<ref name="Haynes">{{Cite book |title=A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia |last=Haynes |first=Graham |date=1998 |publisher=Yore Publications |isbn=1-874427-57-7 |pages=100–101}}</ref> He later became president of the Brentford Supporters' Club.<ref name="Haynes" />

As a Jew, his name was reportedly listed on a [[Nazi]] [[blacklist]] (known as "[[The Black Book (list)|The Black Book]]") of people to be arrested and killed immediately in the event of a successful German invasion of Britain.<ref name="bbc" />

Oliver married [[Winston Churchill]]'s daughter, [[Sarah Millicent Hermione Churchill|Sarah]], in 1936. They had become secretly engaged when they were appearing together in a [[C.B. Cochran]] revue. Churchill did not approve of him. This was nothing whatever against Oliver's character, but he had been divorced at least once, possibly twice. Some thought there was negativity also towards those involved with music halls.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Winston Churchill |last=Taylor |first=Robert Lewis |date=1952 |publisher=Pocket Books |page=375 |language=en |asin=B000L3RZ72}}</ref>

Oliver and Sarah divorced in 1945.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|title=The castaway who annoyed Churchill|author=Alex Hudson|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16707920|newspaper=BBC News|date=26 January 2012|access-date=30 January 2012}}</ref> It was noted{{who?|date=January 2022}} that Oliver never capitalised on his relationship with Sarah Churchill, despite attractive offers. Oliver married Natalie Frances Conder in 1946 in Westminster, London, and they had one daughter.

==Death==
He died in [[Johannesburg]], [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]], aged 66.<ref name="bbc"/>

==Portrayal==
Oliver is briefly portrayed in the 2002 film [[The Gathering Storm (2002 film)|''The Gathering Storm'']]. He was played by Gerrard McArthur.

==Works==
* {{cite book
|last= Oliver
|first= Vic
|date= 1954
|edition= First
|type= hardcover
|title= Mr. Showbusiness: The autobiography of Vic Oliver
|location= London
|publisher= Harrap
|isbn = 
}}

==Filmography==
* ''[[Rhythm in the Air]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Who's Your Lady Friend?]]'' (1937)
* ''[[Meet Mr. Penny]]'' (1938)
* ''Around the Town'' (1938)
* ''[[Room for Two (film)|Room for Two]]'' (1940)
* ''[[Hi Gang! (film)|Hi Gang!]]'' (1941)
* ''[[He Found a Star]]'' (1941)
* ''[[Give Us the Moon]]'' (1944)
* ''[[I'll Be Your Sweetheart]]'' (1945)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0647027}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Vic}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century British male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Austrian male actors]]
[[Category:British male comedians]]
[[Category:British male film actors]]
[[Category:British Jews]]
[[Category:Austrian emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Austrian Jews]]
[[Category:Austrian comedians]]
[[Category:Austrian male film actors]]
[[Category:Brentford F.C. directors and chairmen]]
[[Category:Male actors from Vienna]]
[[Category:British people of Austrian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:20th-century British comedians]]
[[Category:Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I]]

Vic Oliver - Revision history

Kurt at 17:35, 19 November 2022

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Jonny Nixon at 06:15, 29 April 2022