During one scene in Sunset Boulevard, Holden needed to kiss his co-star, Gloria Swanson. Tragically, Holdens dream of supporting his family through acting began to fall apart. [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. In six of the nine years that we were together, he was sober. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. But his career wasnt all nerves and booze. He was a trained gymnast and we used to do acrobatics together., The actor's relationship with Gaines's mother did, however, not last as the two decided to divorce by 1972. His death certificate makes no mention of cancer. Holden needed to find a film to save him from the financial hole hed dug himself into. I felt like I could confide in him, she says. At the same time, the thought of failing to deliver a great performance terrified him. We want our readers to trust us. Of course, Holdens infidelity, along with what happened next, did nothing to keep their relationship afloat. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. "[12] And Wilder commented "Bill was a complex guy, a totally honorable friend. 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. When Cohn asked Holden if he could act, Holden answered, Im not sure. Luckily, his endearing honesty and good looks won Cohn over. In 1950, Holdens luck took a turn for the better when director Billy Wilder asked him to take the lead role in Sunset Boulevard. During the filming of the movie, his co-star, Lee J. Cobb inadvertently shattered Holdens confidence. We loved it. Hepburn had a son with Ferrer, her first of her two husbands. This was a dream come true for five-year-old Holden, who thrived in the bustling streets of California. 'Sunset Boulevard' Star William Holden's Adopted Daughter Talks about Jackie O tapes to reveal her and JFK's affairs and who she believed was She was Belgian-born and British-raised, the daughter of a Dutch baroness, while Holden was the offspring of a teacher and a chemist. [44] Capucine and Holden remained friends until his death in 1981. Arlene Holden - Biographical Summaries of Notable People - MyHeritage Not only did Holden find Wilders version of Stalag 17 to be much more exciting, but he was especially intrigued by the part he was offered. Holdens next few films struggled at the box office. William Holden Net Worth 2018 - Gazette Review The two starred in the films The Lion (1962) and The 7th Dawn (1964). Even as Holden secured more starring roles, which included Invisible Stripes in the same year he filmed Golden Boy, Holden remained a nervous wreck before he got on movie sets. Prince William and Kate in Wales for second day as they pay respects at Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Holden did a sports film at Columbia, Boots Malone (1952), then returned to Paramount for The Turning Point (1952). Few famous actors are as all-American as William Holden. Things only got worse from here on out. 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? He made two more films with Olson: Force of Arms (1951) at Warner Bros. and Submarine Command (1951) at Paramount. She has a 27-year-old daughter . 18:24 BST 26 Feb 2015 Both his daughter and girlfriend recall his bad drinking habit with Gaines thinking back to her childhood saying: His standard breakfast before leaving for the studio in the morning was a glass of vodka mixed with orange juice.. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. He was a genuine star. Thanks to Stanwycks patience, Holden improved, and his efforts were not in vain. His daughter shared that the glitz and glam were not what Holden was after. Holden eventually did divorce Ardis and dated French actress Capucine before she ended their relationship due to his long-standing alcohol problem. They had two sons, Peter Westfield "West" Holden (1943-2014) and Scott Porter Holden (1946-2005). Something needed to change before Holden really got himself into trouble. I was filming Hart to Hart in Hawaii. Bill was now one of the hottest names in the business, and his career went into overdrive. The rest of his career wouldnt go this smoothly, however. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. She liked Holden and went out of her way to help him succeed, devoting her personal time to coaching and encouraging him, which made them into lifelong friends. Holden starred in the 20th Century Fox film Apartment for Peggy (1948). Born William Franklin Beedle, Jr. in O'Fallon, Illinois on April 17, 1918, he was the eldest of three sons of William Franklin Beedle, Sr., an industrial chemist, and Mary Blanche Ball, a teacher. For television roles in 1974, Holden won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his portrayal of a cynical, tough veteran LAPD street cop in the television film The Blue Knight, based upon the bestselling Joseph Wambaugh novel of the same name.[32][3]. Dec. 2, 1981 The late actor William Holden left $250,000 to his. Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. [1] He had two younger brothers, Robert Westfield Beedle and Richard Porter Beedle. Around this time, WWII rocked the lives of everyone in the United States, and that included Holdens as well. 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. Hepburn was pleased to see the troubled actor and director because his 'attentiveness and sense of romantic urgency' was the perfect tonic to Holden. In 1972, Holden began a nine-year relationship with actress Stefanie Powers and sparked her interest in animal welfare. The adopted daughter of actor William Holden, Virginia married Legan's maternal grandfather, an Iranian-born economics professor. At his behest, Holdens wife retired as an actress, making him the sole breadwinner in the family. UICTA. He was perfection on- and off-screen. Vega subsequently confirmed that this was a reference to Holden.[51]. How many children did William Holden have with Audrey Hepburn? Hepburn held her head high, gave out one of her killer smiles and said: 'Oh, I'm so happy to meet you'. How Audrey Hepburn cried when lover Bill Holden refused to have He always wished that I would get an Oscar. William Holden | Biography, Movies, Death, & Facts | Britannica Stefanie Powers 'Would Have Had a Child' with William Holden Inside 59 of 60 found this interesting | Share this [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. The actor, who died at 63, adopted Gaines when he married her mother, Brenda Marshall, in 1941. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Brief Synopsis A man visits his daughter on an African wildlife reserve to make sure she's not growing up too wild. In September of 1945, Holden eagerly returned to his acting career. The actor, who died at 63, adopted Gaines when he married her mother, Brenda Marshall, in 1941. The article caused some damage to his career, but it didnt stop him from taking things a step further with his new lady love. Britain's Got Talent fans have been left in shock - Daily Mail [49] He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The 1950s were filled with Cold War intrigue, and Bill was a part of it.. In 1954, Holden was featured on the cover of Life. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? For Holden, who usually acted in Westerns and romantic comedies, this was a huge challengeone that he almost couldnt overcome. As she arrived at the Georgian-style villa in Hollywood designed by noted architect Paul Williams, Audrey Hepburn had good reason to be nervous. Holden felt guilty; he wanted to put his life on the line, like his brother. [40][47] He dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. Hepburn knew she was at a weak point in her life but went along with it anyway, and accepted when he proposed. While Holden was on a publicity trip in New York City, Wilder, the same director that worked with Holden on Sunset Boulevard, invited him to work on a film adaptation of a Broadway play called Stalag 17. But it was too late. Relation: Name: Birth: Father: William Holden: Apr 17 1918: Mother: Eve Farrell: Jan 12 1915: Spotted an error? In 1930, Holdens family faced a crisis. Bogart got $300000, Holden got $150000, and Hepburn only $15000. During The Seventh Dawn, Holdens onset shenanigans increased ten-fold. 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. After the Korean War, there were parts of Southeast Asia Bill was interested in going to, says Stefanie. She married the actor Richard Huston Gaines in 1936, and they had one daughter, Virginia; the couple divorced in 1940. Unexpected: Britain's Got Talent fans have been left in shock after finding out what REALLY happens when the judges press the Golden Buzzer. Being outdoors, sleeping under the sky, tracking animals, Stefanie recalls. Due to his filming schedule and his desire to keep his wedding plans hush-hush, Holden ended up missing his own wedding! A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: THE LAST DAYS OF WILLIAM HOLDEN - Blogger The two Hollywood stars had a significant age gap, but it was overcome by all that they shared and had in common. Neither was The Revengers (1972), another Western. On top of that, he took any excuse he could to avoid being home, leaving his wife and kids behind for long periods of time. Virginia Holden Gaines, William Holden's adopted daughter, shared a side of the famous "Sunset Boulevard" actor that those closest to him knew very well. From the Archives: Actor William Holden Found Dead at Home william holden grandchildren Holden also had a daughter, Arlene, in 1937 with actress Eva May Hoffman. 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.. William Holden - IMDb In 1969, Holden made a comeback when he starred in director Sam Peckinpah's graphically violent Western The Wild Bunch,[3] winning much acclaim. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. 'Unlike many Hollywood beauties away from the camera Audrey even had a beautiful speaking voice! Holden and Crawford got particularly close, due to one thing they had in common: their hatred for Paramounts president, Harry Cohn. When Sunset Boulevard came out in theaters, it proved to the world that Holden wasnt just a pretty leading man; he was a true actor, who could take on complicated characters and bring them to life. [50], His death was noted by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, whose 1987 song "Tom's Diner", about a sequence of events one morning in 1981, included a mention of reading a newspaper article about "an actor who had died while he was drinking". "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. 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. By His standard breakfast before leaving for the studio in the morning was a glass of vodka mixed with orange juice, she says, noting that he joined AA in 1962 and sought sobriety on and off for the rest of his life. But with Hepburn, Ardis sensed something different and she was scared. [9] RKO borrowed him for Rachel and the Stranger (1948) with Robert Mitchum and Loretta Young. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. To put any rumors to bed about her and Holden, Paramount, the studio to which she was signed, decided to stage an evening at Holden's house during which Hepburn would announce her engagement to Ferrer. Adopted his stepdaughter, Virginia Holden (Virginia Gaines), from Ardis Ankerson (actress Brenda Marshall)'s first marriage.