This Is Your Life: Peter Finch

Peter FINCH (1916-1977)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Peter Finch, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at his home in north London.

Peter was born in London but grew up in France and India before settling in Australia, where he initially worked as a journalist before beginning his performing career in variety. After a spell as an award-winning radio actor, he served with the Australian Army during the Second World War. Having co-founded the Mercury Theatre Company in Sydney, he caught the attention of Laurence Olivier, who encouraged him to move to London.

Peter arrived in London in 1947 and quickly established himself as a leading actor on the London stage in such productions as Orson Welles's Othello and films such as The Battle of the River Plate and The Nun's Story. Throughout the 1950s, Peter became one of the top-ranked film stars of British cinema, winning the BAFTA award for best actor for his roles in A Town Like Alice and The Trials of Oscar Wilde.

programme details...

Edition No: 173
Subject No: 174
Broadcast live: Mon 4 Dec 1961
Broadcast time: 7.55-8.30pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 7
Edition: 10

on the guest list...

Edith Evans
Donald Friend
Lynn Foster
Bill Kerr
Sydney John Kay
Michael Ingle Finch - brother
Maxine Audley
Harold Huth
Tony Britton
Sam Savory
Yolande Turner - wife
Bert Le Blanc
Alex MacDonald
Max Osbiston
Norman Johnson
customers of the Old Swan pub, Battersea

production team...

Researcher: John Ralph
Writer: John Sandilands
Director: Yvonne Littlewood
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Tony Britton

Photographs of Peter Finch This Is Your Life

Elaine Dundy recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in her book, Finch, Bloody Finch...

A year before, that popular programme This Is Your Life had as its Christmas subject Peter Finch.

And on came Bill Kerr, his old Australian mate... and on came Tony Britton, his English mate... and they had even flown over Donald Friend from Ceylon!

And Bert le Blanc, the vaudeville comedian was flown in from Australia... And directors he'd worked with, and actors he'd worked with were there... all telling wonderful stories about him, saying wonderful and funny things about him.

It was marvellous! Hilarious! And... "Peter Finch, This Is Your Life!" said Eamonn Andrews amidst studio cheers.

Series 7 subjects