First Name:  Last Name: 
[Advanced Search]  [Surnames]

Michael Charles Gauntlet WILDING

Female 1912 - 1979  (66 years)


Personal Information    |    PDF

  • Name Michael Charles Gauntlet WILDING 
    Birth 23 Jul 1912  Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Death 8 Jul 1979  Chichester, Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • (1) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

      Michael Wilding (actor)

      Michael Charles Gauntlet Wilding (23 July 1912 - 8 July 1979) was an English stage, television and film actor.

      Early life

      Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, Wilding was a successful commercial artist when he joined the art department of a London film studio in 1933. He soon embarked on an acting career.

      Career

      He appeared in numerous British films, often opposite Anna Neagle, but had a less productive career in Hollywood. His screen performances included Sailors Three (1940), In Which We Serve (1942), Undercover (1943), Piccadilly Incident (1946), Spring in Park Lane (1948), Stage Fright (1950), Torch Song (1953) and The World of Suzie Wong (1960).

      In 1952, British exhibitors voted him the fourth most popular star at the local box office.

      His last appearance was in an uncredited, non-speaking cameo in Lady Caroline Lamb (1972), which co-starred his last wife, Margaret Leighton.

      He also appeared on television, including the title role in the 1957 episode "The Trial of Colonel Blood" of NBC's anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show.

      Box-office ranking

      At the peak of his career, British exhibitors voted him among the most popular stars in the country:

      • 1947 - seventh most popular British star
      • 1948 - fifth most popular star
      • 1949 - second most popular star
      • 1950 - sixth most popular British star
      • 1951 - tenth most popular star
      • 1952 - fourth most popular British star

      Personal life

      Wilding had four wives, Kay Young (married 1937, divorced 1951), actress Elizabeth Taylor (married 1952, divorced 1957), Susan Nell (married 1958, divorced 1962), and actress Margaret Leighton (married 1964 until her death in 1976).

      He and Taylor had two sons, Michael Howard Wilding (born 1953) and Christopher Edward Wilding (born 1955). In 1957, he had a short-lived romance with actress Marie McDonald, who was nicknamed "The Body".

      In the 1960s, he was forced to cut back on his film appearances because of illness related to his lifelong epilepsy.

      Death

      Wilding died in Chichester, West Sussex, as a result of head injuries suffered from a fall down a flight of stairs during an epileptic seizure. His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered.
    Person ID I36082  Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

    Family Dame Elizabeth Rosemond TAYLOR,   b. 27 Feb 1932, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Middlesex, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 23 Mar 2011, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 79 years) 
    Marriage 21 Feb 1952 
    Divorce 26 Jan 1957 
    Family ID F15604  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024