This Is Your Life: Peter Ustinov 1

Peter USTINOV CBE (1921-2004)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Peter Ustinov, actor, writer, director and broadcaster, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while filming a scene for the feature film Death on the Nile at Pinewood Studios.

After training as an actor in his late teens Peter made his stage début in 1938 at London's Players' Theatre. During the Second World War he served with the British Army, and later returned to acting, appearing in such films as Quo Vadis and Spartacus, while also writing - his best-known play being Romanoff and Juliet, written in 1956.

Peter also had success with radio comedy with the BBC series In All Directions in the 1950s, while the 1960s saw him directing several operas. On television, as a noted raconteur, he became popular as a guest on several talk shows.

Peter Ustinov was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions - surprised again by Michael Aspel in September 1994 at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

"Never fell into a trap so gracefully!"

programme details...

Edition No: 469
Subject No: 465
Broadcast date: Wed 30 Nov 1977
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 23 Nov 1977 8.20pm
Venue: Euston Road Studios
Series: 18
Edition: 2
Code name: Russian

on the guest list...

Jane Birkin
Simon MacCorkindale
Lois Chiles
Jon Finch
Jack Warden
Olivia Hussey
Angela Lansbury
Mia Farrow
Maggie Smith
Bette Davis
Helene - wife
Igor - son
Tammy - daughter
Pavla - daughter
Andrea - daughter
James Gomme
Leonard Sachs
Michael Anderson
Peter Jones
Petula Clark
John Gielgud
orphan child from Dhaka - via telephone
Leon Davico
Tomchek - uncle
Henry Fonda
Yehudi Menuhin

production team...

Researchers: John Viner, Marilyn Gaunt
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Royston Mayoh, Terry Yarwood
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Peter Ustinov

second tribute

The Glamorous Life

Hollywood in the spotlight

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

The Big Red Book

the programme's icon

The Night We Shocked Petula

TV Times photo feature on Petula Clark's second This Is Your Life surprise

Ratings slump sounds death knell for This Is Your Life

Press speculation on the future of This Is Your Life

Petula Clark

Screenshots of Peter Ustinov This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Hollywood really was in London the night we surprised Peter Ustinov in November 1977. He was playing Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot in the movie Death On The Nile, and the whole cast came along to our studio.

And what a cast: Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin, Angela Lansbury, Lois Chiles, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey and Simon MacCorkindale.

Henry Fonda spoke to Peter from Hollywood, and Sir John Gielgud arrived to put the icing on a very rich cake. But the final scene went to Bette Davis. Displeased with the hub-bub at the play-back she turned from her front-row seat and silenced the room with an imperious glare of those famous eyes, followed by 'Ssshhhussh!'

Series 18 subjects