He bled to death from a forehead wound. Unsurprisingly, Holden fell in love, and when his wife found out, she was angry. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. Though without a child now, the veteran actress revealed that she would have had a child with Holden if he had been able to get her pregnant. Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. [3] He made a sex comedy with David Niven for Otto Preminger, The Moon Is Blue (1953), which was a huge hit, in part due to controversy over its content. At that point Mel Ferrer re-entered her life. While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident near Pisa. This time, his female co-star was a French actress named Capucine. Holden, who was at this point dependent on alcohol, said, "I really was in love with Audrey, but she wouldn't marry me. Feeling guilty over this dalliance, Holden began to rely even more on drinking. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Sabrina (1954) - Trivia - IMDb In 1954, Holden appeared in The Country Girl and The Bridges at Toko-Ri. This time, it happened during the filming of Sabrina, and the actress that captured his heart was none other than Audrey Hepburn. He made two more films with Olson: Force of Arms (1951) at Warner Bros. and Submarine Command (1951) at Paramount. Holden walked into the Columbia Pictures office, practically quaking in his boots. Holden soon got the chance to act in The Dark Past in 1948, but this film required him to really stretch his acting chops. His deal was considered one of the best ever for an actor at the time, with him receiving 10% of the gross, which earned him over $2.5 million, however, Holden stipulated that he should only receive a maximum of $50,000 per year from the film ($482,405 in 2021 dollars [26]). Actor William Holden left $250,000 to his longtime companion, - UPI Hepburn became a screen legend thanks to her iconic role in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but suffered a huge backlash after being cast in the title role for My Fair Lady because many felt it belonged to Julie Andrews. His acceptance speech at the 26th Academy Awards was one of the shortest in Oscar history: "Thank you thank you. Holdens character, Sefton, was always center stage and in the spotlight. On November 12, 1981, after years of recognition for his successful films and charity work, Holden lost his life in the most heartbreaking way imaginable. A second film with Seaton did not do as well, The Proud and Profane (1956), where Holden played the role with a moustache. 'Hart to Hart' star Stefanie Powers says she and Robert Wagner 'held While Holdens relationship hit some major road bumps, his career moved along much more smoothly. Beedle grew up in South Pasadena, California. There was something that Hepburn wanted that Holden just couldnt give her. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. He could be just as strong and quietly courageous offscreen, too. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) - Trivia - IMDb It was a demand he would ignore, but the relationship would come to an end weeks later for a reason that would break Hepburn's heart - and leave her feeling utterly betrayed. He adopted his wife's daughter, Virginia, from her first marriage with actor Richard Gaines. In 1977, he received his third Oscar nomination for Network, but his grip on sobriety began to slip. Holden was best man at the wedding of his friend Ronald Reagan to actress Nancy Davis in 1952. Eventually, he moved his entire family to Switzerland. Holden and Crawford got particularly close, due to one thing they had in common: their hatred for Paramounts president, Harry Cohn. The CIA asked him that if he came across any interesting observations to contact them. Their relationship was headed for disaster. [4][5], Next he starred with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart in the Warner Bros. gangster epic Invisible Stripes (1939), billed below Raft and above Bogart. I particularly enjoyed when he was playful. After his final film Blake Edwards' S.O.B., with Julie Andrews, Holden declined to star in Jason Miller's film That Championship Season.[38]. william holden grandchildren - portuguesebasket.com Cite this record . Zach Edey's Mom Played Basketball but Couldn't Afford a Career in the Sport, Justine Skye's Parents Were Successful but Her Mom Sold Her Valuables for Their Daughter's Career, Is Cybill Shepherd Married? [23][24] Picnic was his last film under the contract with Columbia. (A few months later, Hepburn met Mel Ferrer, whom she later married and with whom she had a son Sean Hepburn Ferrer. 18:24 BST 26 Feb 2015 In 1950, Holdens luck took a turn for the better when director Billy Wilder asked him to take the lead role in Sunset Boulevard. Gaines recalled the loving relationship that she shared with her father, telling how he used to play with her, relying on his background as a gymnast. Hepburn had a son with Ferrer, her first of her two husbands. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. How did William Holden Make His Money & Wealth? Shocked by Holdens talent, Lewis decided to offer him the opportunity of a lifetime. William Holden - His Life and his Loves - Historian Alan Royle Holden eventually did divorce Ardis and dated French actress Capucine before she ended their relationship due to his long-standing alcohol problem. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Actor William Holden May Face Manslaughter Desert Sun 15 August 1966 Winston was one of those who discovered the Golden Boy newcomer and who renamed himin honor of his former spouse!"[2]. Holden had another hit with The World of Suzie Wong (1960) with Nancy Kwan, which was shot in Hong Kong. The mother of his three children, Ardis had long learned to look the other way so long as Holden came home to her each night. A magistrate will deride by the end of August if the . Vega subsequently confirmed that this was a reference to Holden.[51]. "The only thing I'm ashamed of in the book is William Holden," she starts in, her raucous laughter cutting through the noise of a matinee luncheon crowd. When she's not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. "[13], His success in Stalag 17 ushered in the peak years of Holden's stardom. The latter was shot in Africa and sparked Holden's fascination with the continent that was to last for the rest of his life. Holden starred in some of Hollywood's most popular and critically acclaimed films, including Sunset Boulevard (1950), Sabrina (1954), Picnic (1955), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Network (1976). Had it become public it would have been catastrophic for Hepburn her Cinderella image would have been ruined and she would have been labelled a home wrecker. William Holden | Biography, Movies, Death, & Facts | Britannica He adopted his wife's daughter, Virginia, from her first marriage with actor Richard Gaines . Around this time, WWII rocked the lives of everyone in the United States, and that included Holdens as well. Thanks for your help! Dec. 2, 1981 The late actor William Holden left $250,000 to his. She has a 27-year-old daughter . She was a wife's worst nightmare, and to compound matters, she seemed like a nice person.'. William Holden's Biography [1] His brother Robert ("Bobbie") became a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and was killed in action in World War II, over New Ireland, a Japanese-occupied island in the South Pacific. He made sure his younger siblings got up in time for school and had dinner ready to go by the time his mom got home. He writes: 'Once while chatting brightly about the names of their future children, suddenly an embarrassed smile, tinged with fear, crept into Bill's face. He and Marshall had two sons together, Peter Westfield "West" Holden (born November 17, 1943) and Scott Holden (Scott Porter Holden, born May 2, 1946). [11] Swanson later said, "Bill Holden was a man I could have fallen in love with. Holden hoped she would not hate him but the 'trusting, simple part of their relationship' was gone. At the same time, the thought of failing to deliver a great performance terrified him. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? We want our readers to trust us. What do you say about a longtime friend a sense of personal loss, a fine man. The actor, who died at 63, adopted Gaines when he married her mother, Brenda Marshall, in 1941. It wasnt a good look for Holden, and it foreshadowed the tragic path that his relationship with his wife was about to take. Being outdoors, sleeping under the sky, tracking animals, Stefanie recalls. After filming three more movies between 1941 and 1942The Fleets In, Meet the Stewarts, and Young and WillingHolden left for the airbase near Fort Worth, Texas. Santino Legan's Great-Grandfather is Actor William Holden - Heavy.com Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976). This was a dream come true for five-year-old Holden, who thrived in the bustling streets of California. Holden starred in the 20th Century Fox film Apartment for Peggy (1948). Holden's career took off again in 1950 when Billy Wilder tapped him to play a down-at-heel screenwriter taken in by a faded silent film actress (Gloria Swanson) in Sunset Boulevard. Gaines said that she flourished under Holden's care, revealing: I felt like I could confide in him. He began having an affair with her, but soon, Confidential magazine found out about it and ran an article about their illicit tryst. William Holden Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements One of his father's grandmothers, Rebecca Westfield, was born in England, while some of his mother's ancestors settled in Virginia's Lancaster County after emigrating from England in the 17th century. As Holdens acting career took off, he grew more and more wary of Cohns attempts to control his career. The garden . Miraculously they managed to keep their affair out of the tabloid newspapers, even though they were caught in an intimate moment when a member of the Sabrina crew barged into Holden's dressing room without knocking. [36] Holden starred in The Earthling,[37] as a loner dying of cancer at the Australian outback and accompanying an orphan boy (Ricky Schroder). Holden's daughter knew her father as caring and loving. According to forensic evidence, the actor remained conscious up to half an hour after the accident. As soon as Holden began reading the script, he put Lewis under a spell. William Holden's Daughter and Girlfriend Share Fond Memories By 1972, Bill and Brenda had parted and he began dating Hart to Hart actress Stefanie Powers, who wrote about their romance in her 2011 memoir One From the Hart. It is hard to believe that William Holden has been dead now for 30 years. Neither was The Revengers (1972), another Western. For this story and more, pick up the latest issue of Closer magazine, on newsstands now. [40] On a trip to Africa, he fell in love with the wildlife and became increasingly concerned with the animal species that were beginning to decrease in population. He was a genuine star. Paris When It Sizzles, which came out in 1964, was especially rife with problems caused by Holdens drinking. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? In 1953, his work in The Moon Is Blue earned him a whopping $600,000, and he was still getting film offers left and right. They had two sons, Peter Westfield "West" Holden (1943-2014) and Scott Porter Holden (1946-2005). Paramount reunited Bracken and him in Young and Willing (1943). No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. Holden would later call her 'the love of my life'. Bill Holden, her co-star in the 1954 romantic comedy Sabrina, had asked her round to meet Ardis as he had done with many of his previous mistresses. In July of 1941, Holden suggested that they elope in Las Vegasbut this adventure nearly ended in disaster. Death. The Guy With The GrinWilliam Holden - Vintage Paparazzi His death certificate makes no mention of cancer. You see, Kelly was deeply religious, and Holden, in his own words, refused to let any church dictate what I could do with my life.. It also didnt help that Holdens roles were getting increasingly challenging. Britain's Got Talent fans have been left in shock - Daily Mail After three months of dreaming about Marshall, Holden finally asked her out. In the end, he shouldnt have worried over whether or not he could live up to the role; in fact, Holden ended up going above and beyond. [33] Also in 1974, Holden starred with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in the critically acclaimed disaster film The Towering Inferno,[34] which became a box-office smash and one of the highest-grossing films of Holden's career. Unexpected: Britain's Got Talent fans have been left in shock after finding out what REALLY happens when the judges press the Golden Buzzer. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. See 'Magnum P.I.' He was perfection on- and off-screen. During one scene in Sunset Boulevard, Holden needed to kiss his co-star, Gloria Swanson. In the last years of his life, Bill was doing some of his best work. The rest of his career wouldnt go this smoothly, however. Cohn couldnt afford to fire Holden, thoughand for one important reason. [47] Rumors existed that he was suffering from lung cancer, which Holden had denied at a 1980 press conference. Stefanie Powers on 'Hart to Hart,' Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Facing With an Oscar under his belt, Holden began earning a pretty penny from his acting jobs. He looked down at the slender neck and large eyes of his 'kill', and was visibly shaken. He impressed Mamoulian, but when it came time for him to meet the president of Columbia, Harry Cohn, Holden nearly ended his career right there. He was a trained gymnast and we used to do acrobatics together.. He followed that film up with a screen version of the movie of Our Town. Much to his delight, Marshall accepted, and she was the perfect woman for him. 20:29 BST 26 Feb 2015. Things only got worse from here on out. Although the next few films he worked on didnt have the impact of Sunset Boulevard, Holden still managed to do reasonably well. He took her out for dinner most evenings after filming or to out of the way spots where they shared romantic walks. Epstein writes how Hepburn's eyes 'searched his face' as he explained that he had undergone a vasectomy some years earlier at his wife's urging. Or the power behind that engaging grin. Needless to say, Hollywoods golden boy hid many dark secrets beneath his perfect exterior. Slowly, Holden gained his confidence back, and it showed; many reviewers noted how Holden gave his character a surprising amount of depth. Considering how badly they were getting along, Holden suspected that it was Jones' attempt to annoy him. Brief Synopsis A man visits his daughter on an African wildlife reserve to make sure she's not growing up too wild. Star Perdita Weeks' Bikini Photos, See Your Favorite Celebrity Couples in Swimsuits: Best Beach Photos, Meet Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone's Daughters Vivian and Georgette, Pure Sunshine! Virginia Holden Gaines shared some insight into the caring, sensitive man that her father was off-screen. Simply put, Holden had become incredibly successfula worthy investment. It wasnt a ton at firstjust a bit to take the edge off his nervesbut it was enough to make sure he glowed with confidence on set. Epstein recounts the episode in 'Audrey and Bill' which describes in detail her little-told affair with Holden for the first time. Bill died on Nov. 12, 1981, bleeding out from a gash to his head he sustained while drinking. By Holden threw himself into the role, but it got him into some major trouble. Holden had a supporting role in Ashanti (1979) and was third-billed in another disaster film, When Time Ran Out (1980), which was a flop. The film truly catapulted Holden to fame, but it came with a costhis wife. Inside Audrey Hepburn & William Holden's Smoldering Romance & Reason He had an apartment where he would go and drink. Holdens next few films struggled at the box office. On the advice of doctors, Holdens dad moved to California, where the warmth and sun would do him good. Holden then started dating Stefanie Powers, known for her role in "Hart to Hart.". Being a celebrity, Holden wasnt called to combat duty as hed hoped; instead, he spent his days starring in endless rounds of rallies, talent shows, and training films. One of the biggest Hollywood stars of his day, Holdens handsome features seduced everyone around him. The late actor William Holden left $250,000 to his - UPI During production, a very tipsy Holden attempted to climb into Audrey Hepburns second-floor dressing room, but lost his grip and fell when he reached her window. He spent the next several years concentrating on his other interestsstraightening out his health and reviving his film career. Epstein says: 'But the beautiful Ardis brought out the competitive spirit in Audrey. Holden began acting out for attentionand some of the stunts he pulled were downright outrageous: He walked along a telephone line that was 12 feet off the ground, and even walked along the railing of Suicide Bridgeon his hands! Legan's mother is their daughter, which makes Legan the. It wasnt until 1972 that Holden found his next conquest, an actress named Stefanie Powers. Inside was not just her boyfriend who she was madly in love with - his wife was there waiting to meet her too. He was 63. With Holden and his wife present, what clearer sign could there be that nothing had been going on? And although he hid his domestic troubles well from the public, his relationship with his wife was already crumbling. Jackie O tapes to reveal her and JFK's affairs and who she believed was Now Holden just needed to prove himself on set, but that was easier said than done. In private, Holden and Kelly carried on with their affair, while publicly denying having a relationship with one another. Holden's daughter knew her father as caring and loving. Holdens drinking also went off the rails. All the while, Holden couldnt let go of one heartbreaking truth: He lived out an incredibly charmed life while his brother was never coming back. The Many Deaths of William Holden Taught Me How to Be Anxious He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter. Caught up in the patriotic fervor of the nation, Holden enlisted, leaving his new wife behind and putting his acting career on hold. William Holden, original name William Franklin Beedle, Jr., (born April 17, 1918, O'Fallon, Illinois, U.S.found dead November 16, 1981, Santa Monica, California), American film star who perfected the role of the cynic who acts heroically in spite of his scorn or pessimism. [42], Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 until their divorce in 1971.