Editing Peter Finch

{{More citations needed|date=March 2024}}{{Short description|English-Australian actor (1916–1977)}}
{{About|the actor|the poet|Peter Finch (poet)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Peter Finch
| image              = Peter Finch 2.jpg
| caption            = Finch in 1955
| birth_name         = Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1916|9|28|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[London]], England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1977|1|14|1916|9|28|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1934–1977
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Tamara Tchinarova]]<br>|1943|1959|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Yolande Turner]]<br>|1959|1965|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Eletha Barrett<br>|1973}}
}}
| children           = 4; including [[Charles Finch (British businessman)|Charles Finch]]
| awards             = [[#Awards and nominations|See below]]
| module             = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance    = {{Flag|Australia}}
| branch        = [[File:Australian Army Emblem.svg|25px]] [[Australian Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1941–1945
| rank          = [[File:Australian Army OR-6.svg|25px]] [[Sergeant (rank)|Sergeant]]
| unit          = [[2/1st Field Regiment (Australia)]]
| battles       = 
{{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Bombing of Darwin]]
{{tree list/end}}
}}
}}

'''Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch''' (28 September 1916<!--NOT 1912 – see article's talk page-->{{spaced ndash}}14 January 1977) was an English-Australian actor of theatre, film and radio.<ref>Obituary ''[[Variety Obituaries|Variety]]'', 19 January 1977, p. 94.</ref><ref name="ADB2">{{Cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=finch-frederick-george-peter-10179 |first=I.M. |last=Britain |title=Frederick George Peter Finch (1916–1977) |year=1996 |volume=14 |access-date=27 July 2008}}</ref>

Born in [[London]], he emigrated to Australia at the age of ten and was raised in [[Sydney]], where he worked in [[vaudeville]] and radio before becoming a star of Australian films.<ref name=filmref/> Joining the [[Old Vic Company]] after [[World War II]], he achieved widespread critical success in Britain for both stage and screen performances. One of British cinema's most celebrated leading men of the time,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=BFI Screenonline: Finch, Peter (1916–1977) Biography |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/488651/index.html |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> Finch won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]] five times, and won a posthumous [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his portrayal of crazed television [[anchorman]] [[Howard Beale (Network)|Howard Beale]] in the 1976 film ''[[Network (1976 film)|Network]]''.

According to the [[British Film Institute]], "it is arguable that no other actor ever chalked up such a rewarding CV in British films, and he accumulated the awards to bolster this view".<ref name=":1" /> He died only two months before the [[49th Academy Awards]], making him the first person to win a posthumous Oscar in an acting category. As of 2025, the only other person to have done so was fellow Australian [[Heath Ledger]].

==Early life==
===Family===
Finch was born as Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch<ref>{{Cite web |title=Index entry |url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=hbVTz2%2BT91XDvmxrALjuVQ&scan=1 |access-date=6 May 2011 |work=FreeBMD |publisher=ONS}}</ref> in London to Alicia Gladys Fisher. At the time, Alicia was married to [[George Finch (chemist)|George Finch]].<ref name="ADB2" /><ref name="ReferenceA2">Faulkner (1979)</ref><ref name="AMGNYT2">{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Peter Finch |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/23460/Peter-Finch/biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520083108/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/23460/Peter-Finch/biography |archive-date=20 May 2011 |access-date=27 July 2008 |work=[[The New York Times]] |department=Movies & TV Dept.}}</ref>

George Finch was born to British parents in [[New South Wales]], Australia, but was educated in Paris and Zürich. He was a research chemist when he moved to Britain in 1912 and later served during the First World War with the Royal Army [[wiktionary:ordnance|Ordnance]] Depot and the [[Royal Field Artillery]].<ref>{{cite news |date=24 November 1970 |title=Obituary – George Ingle Finch |page=14 |work=The Times}}</ref> In 1915, at [[Portsmouth]], [[Hampshire]], George married Alicia Fisher, the daughter of a [[Kent]] barrister.<ref name="ReferenceA2" /> However, Peter only learned in his mid-40s that Wentworth Edward Dallas "Jock" Campbell, an [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] officer, not George Finch, was his biological father. George Finch divorced his wife in 1920 on the grounds of her adultery with Campbell.<ref name="ADB2" /> Alicia Finch married Jock Campbell in 1922.<ref name="ReferenceA2" />

===Early childhood===
George gained custody of Peter, who was taken from his biological mother and raised by his adoptive paternal grandmother, Laura Finch (formerly Black), in [[Vaucresson]], France. In 1925 Laura took Peter with her to [[Adyar, Chennai|Adyar]], a theosophical community near [[Madras]], India, for a number of months, and the young boy lived for a time in a [[Buddhist]] monastery.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 February 1937 |title=Radio Actor Might Have Become Monk |page=36 |work=The Australian Women's Weekly |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52262928 |access-date=17 December 2011}}</ref> Perhaps as a result of his childhood contact with Buddhism, Finch always claimed to be a Buddhist. He is reported to have said: "I think a man dying on a cross is a ghastly symbol for a religion. And I think a man sitting under a [[Bodhi Tree|bo tree]] and becoming enlightened is a beautiful one."<ref>Paul Croucher, ''Buddhism in Australia: 1848–1988'', New South Wales University Press, 1989, pp. 24–25</ref>

In 1926 he was sent to Australia to live with his great-uncle Edward Herbert Finch at [[Greenwich, New South Wales|Greenwich Point]] in Sydney. For three years he attended the local school, then [[North Sydney Technical High School|North Sydney Intermediate High School]], until 1929.<ref name=filmref>{{Cite web |title=Peter Finch – Actors and Actresses – Films as Actor:, Film as Director:, Publications |url=http://www.filmreference.com/Actors-and-Actresses-El-Ga/Finch-Peter.html |website=www.filmreference.com}}</ref> [[RAF]] pilot and author [[Paul Brickhill]] was a school friend.

==Early career in Australia==
After abandoning school at 15, Finch went into various jobs, including as a [[copy boy]] for the Sydney ''[[The Sun (Sydney)|Sun]]''.<ref name="ODNB">{{Cite ODNB|id=57307|title=Finch, (Frederick George) Peter Ingle (1916–1977)}}</ref><ref>Dundy 1980, p.54</ref>

However, he was more interested in acting, and in late 1933 appeared in a play, ''Caprice'', with the New Sydney Repertory Company.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 December 1933 |title=The Repertory Theatre |page=8 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17033328 |access-date=11 February 2012 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>Dundy 1980, p.59</ref>

In 1934–35 he appeared in a number of productions for [[Doris Fitton]] at the Savoy Theatre, some with a young [[Sumner Locke Elliott]]. He also worked as a sideshow [[spruiker]] at the [[Sydney Royal Easter Show]], in [[vaudeville]] with [[Joe Cody]] and as a foil to American comedian Bert le Blanc.<ref>Bert le Blanc's real name Bertram Leon Cohn (1889–1974) ([http://soda.naa.gov.au/item/3439713 National Archives of Australia)]; and Cohn was widely known as either "the Jew Comedian" () or "the Hebrew comedian" ().</ref> At age 19 Finch toured Australia with [[George Sorlie]]'s travelling troupe.

===Radio work===
He did radio acting with [[Hugh Denison]]'s BSA Players (for Broadcasting Service Association, later to become [[Macquarie Network|Macquarie Players]]). He came to the attention of [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Commission]] radio drama producer Lawrence H. Cecil, who was to serve as his coach and mentor throughout 1939 and 1940. He was "Chris" in the [[Argonauts Club|Children's Session]] and the first [[The Muddle-Headed Wombat|Muddle-Headed Wombat]].

He later starred with [[Neva Carr Glyn]] in an enormously popular series by [[Max Afford]] as husband-and-wife detectives ''Jeffery and Elizabeth Blackburn'' as well as other ABC radio plays.<ref name="Lane2">Richard Lane, ''The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama'', Melbourne University Press, 1994</ref>

===First films===
Finch's first screen performance was in the short film ''[[The Magic Shoes (1935 film)|The Magic Shoes]]'' (1935), an adaptation of the ''[[Cinderella]]'' fairy tale, where Finch played Prince Charming.

He made his feature film debut in [[Ken G. Hall]]'s ''[[Dad and Dave Come to Town]]'' (1938), playing a small comic role. His performance was well received and Hall subsequently cast Finch in a larger role in ''[[Mr. Chedworth Steps Out]]'' (1939), supporting [[Cecil Kellaway]].

Finch appeared in a war propaganda film, ''[[The Power and the Glory (1941 film)|The Power and the Glory]]'' (1941), playing a [[Fifth column|fifth columnist]].

==War service==
Finch enlisted in the [[Australian Army]] on 2 June 1941.<ref name="ww2roll.gov.au2">{{cite web |title=World War II Nominal Roll |url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=144578}}</ref> He served in the Middle East and was an anti-aircraft gunner during the [[Bombing of Darwin]].

During his war service Finch was given leave to act in radio, theatre and film. He appeared in a number of propaganda shorts, including ''[[Another Threshold]]'' (1942), ''[[These Stars Are Mine]]'' (1943), ''[[While There is Still Time]]'' (1943) and ''[[South West Pacific (film)|South West Pacific]]'' (1943), the latter for Ken G. Hall. He also appeared in two of the few Australian feature films made during the war, ''[[The Rats of Tobruk (film)|The Rats of Tobruk]]'' (1944) and the less distinguished ''[[Red Sky at Morning (1944 film)|Red Sky at Morning]]'' (1944).

Finch produced and performed Army Concert Party work, and in 1945 toured bases and hospitals with two [[Terence Rattigan]] plays he directed, ''[[French Without Tears]]'' and ''[[While the Sun Shines]]''. He narrated the widely seen documentaries ''[[Whose War Is It? (film)|Whose War Is It?]]'' (1943), ''[[Jungle Patrol (1944 film)|Jungle Patrol]]'' (1944) and ''[[Sons of the Anzacs]]'' (1945).

Finch was discharged from the army on 31 October 1945 at the rank of [[sergeant]].<ref name="ww2roll.gov.au2" />

==Post-war career in Australia==
After the war, Finch continued to work extensively in radio and established himself as Australia's leading actor in that medium, winning Macquarie Awards for best actor in 1946 and 1947.<ref name="Lane2" /> He also worked as a [[Master of ceremonies|compere]], producer and writer.

In 1946, Finch co-founded the [[Mercury Theatre (Australia)|Mercury Theatre Company]], which put on a number of productions in Sydney over the next few years (initially in the diminutive [[St James' Hall, Sydney|St James' Hall]]), as well as running a theatre school.<ref>{{cite web |title=18 Aug 1949 – The Social Round of Events in Sydney Yesterday |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18125473 |work=Trove|date=18 August 1949 }}</ref><ref>Stephen Vagg, 'Finch, Fry and Factories: A History of the Mercury Theatre' ''Australasian Drama Studies'' April 2007 </ref>

Finch continued to appear in the (rare) Australian feature films made around this time including ''[[A Son Is Born]]'' (1946) and ''[[Eureka Stockade (1949 film)|Eureka Stockade]]'' (1949). He was a leading contender to play Sir [[Charles Kingsford Smith]] in ''[[Smithy (1946 film)|Smithy]]'' (1946) but lost out to [[Ron Randell]].

Finch was also involved in some documentaries, narrating ''[[Indonesia Calling]]'' (1946) and helping make ''[[Primitive Peoples]]'' about the people of [[Arnhem Land]].

===Visit of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, and return to Britain===
[[Laurence Olivier]] and [[Vivien Leigh]] toured Australia in 1948 with the [[Old Vic Company]]. They attended the Mercury production of ''[[The Imaginary Invalid (Jenkinson adaptation)|The Imaginary Invalid]]'' on the factory floor of O'Brien's Glass Factory starring Finch. Olivier was impressed with Finch's acting and encouraged him to move to London, his birthplace, which he did that year.

==British career==

===Theatrical success===
When Finch arrived in Britain, success came relatively early. Harry Watt arranged for a screen test at Ealing Studios, which led to Finch being cast as a murderous actor in the movie ''[[Train of Events]]'' (1949) under the direction of [[Basil Dearden]].<ref>{{cite news |date=22 August 1954 |title=The Thames Is Non-Inflammable- But An Australian in London Leapt Up A Stairway To Stardom |page=23 |newspaper=[[The Sun-Herald]] |issue=291 |location=New South Wales, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28662305 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=14 January 1949 |title=Big Role for Peter Finch |page=1 |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=29,241 |location=Victoria, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205354050 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

While making the film, Olivier cast Finch as a Pole in a stage play at [[The Old Vic]], [[James Bridie]]'s ''[[Daphne Laureola]]'' (1949) supporting [[Edith Evans]]. This was a significant critical and commercial success and established Finch in London immediately. Olivier signed Finch to a five-year contract.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 April 1949 |title=Finch, In Films, Plays A Zestful Strangler |page=8 Supplement: Magazine |newspaper=[[The Sunday Herald (Sydney newspaper)|The Sunday Herald]] |location=Sydney |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18466196 |access-date=12 February 2012 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> When ''Train of Events'' was released, critic [[C. A. Lejeune]] praised Finch's work in the London ''[[The Observer|Observer]]'', commenting that he "adds good cheekbones to a quick intelligence and is likely to become a cult, I fear."<ref>{{cite news |author=Lejeune, C. A. |date=21 August 1949 |title=International Manners |page=6 |work=The Observer |location=London}}</ref> ''[[The Scotsman]]'' said Finch "should be regarded as one of the most hopeful recruits to the British screen."<ref>{{cite news |date=22 August 1949 |title=Train of Events": "Star from Platform 13 |page=6 |work=The Scotsman |location=Edinburgh, Scotland}}</ref>

Finch had a small role as an Australian [[prisoner of war]] in the World War two drama ''[[The Wooden Horse]]'' (1950), directed by Jack Lee; this film would be the third-most-popular film at the British box office in 1950.

Finch's performance as a Pole in ''Daphne Laureola'' led to his casting as a Polish soldier in ''[[The Miniver Story]]'' (1950), the British-filmed sequel to the wartime morale boosting film ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]''; unlike its predecessor, it was poorly received critically, but it did give Finch an experience of working for a movie financed by a major Hollywood studio.<ref>''Time'' magazine, 23 October 1950</ref><ref>''The Age'' (Melbourne), 26 February 1951</ref>

During this time, Finch continued to appear on stage in various productions while under contract to Olivier. He directed a stage production of ''The White Falcon'' in January 1950.<ref>{{cite news |date=31 January 1950 |title=Peter Finch as Producer |page=2 |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=29,567 |location=Victoria, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187343144 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In February 1950 he toured in a production of ''The Damascus Blade'' by [[Bridget Boland]] under the direction of Olivier, co starring with John Mills.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 February 1950 |title=Role For Peter Finch |page=3 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |issue=34,999 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27582710 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Finch returned to the London stage in ''[[Captain Carvallo]]'' by [[Denis Cannan]], once more directed by Olivier.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 July 1950 |title=Peter Finch Big Star |volume=LXIII |page=2 |newspaper=[[The Barrier Miner]] |issue=17,109 |location=New South Wales, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49581382 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Finch's closeness to the Olivier family led to an affair with Olivier's wife, [[Vivien Leigh]], which began in 1948, and continued on and off for several years, ultimately ending because of Leigh's deteriorating mental condition.<ref name="Brooks2">{{cite news |author=Richard Brooks |date=7 August 2005 |title=Olivier Worn Out by Love and Lust of Vivien Leigh |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |location=London |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article552527.ece |access-date=27 July 2008}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In March 1951 Finch replaced [[Dirk Bogarde]] for six weeks in a production of ''[[Point of Departure (play)|Point of Departure]]'' by [[Jean Anouilh]].<ref>{{cite news |date=14 March 1951 |title=Roles for Peter Finch |volume=25 |page=4 |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |issue=7264 |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2824589 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Later that year he played Iago opposite [[Orson Welles]] in a production of ''[[Othello]]'', directed by Welles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Othello (1951 stage production) Wellesnet |url=http://www.wellesnet.com/othellostage.htm |website=www.wellesnet.com}}</ref>

Despite his stage experience, according to the Sunday Times Finch, like his mentor Olivier, had [[stage fright]],<ref name="Brooks2" /> and as the 1950s progressed he worked increasingly in film.

===Rising film reputation===
Finch's film career received a considerable boost when cast as the [[Sheriff of Nottingham]] in ''[[The Story of Robin Hood (film)|The Story of Robin Hood]]'' (1952) for Walt Disney, opposite Richard Todd.

In 1952 Finch performed at [[St James's Theatre]], King Street, London, in Sir Laurence Olivier's and Gilbert Miller's ''The Happy Time'' a comedy by Samuel Taylor. He played the part of Papa.<ref>From an original theatre programme, printer's date 30 January 1952.</ref> He also did ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' at the Old Vic, playing Mercutio, to strong reviews.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 September 1952 |title=Peter Finch in Limelight |volume=LXV |page=13 |newspaper=[[The Barrier Miner]] |issue=17,257 |location=New South Wales, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61218345 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

He then made two films for [[Alexander Korda]]. In ''[[The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan]]'' (1953) Finch played [[Richard D'Oyly Carte]] opposite Robert Morley and Maurice Evans in the lead; the resulting movie was a box office disappointment. In ''[[The Heart of the Matter (film)|The Heart of the Matter]]'' (1953), from the [[Graham Greene]] novel, Finch played a priest opposite Trevor Howard; his performance was a critical success.

Finch returned to the stage at the Old Vic with an appearance in ''[[Un chapeau de paille d'Italie (play)|An Italian Straw Hat]]'' by [[Eugène Marin Labiche|Eugène Labiche]] and Marc Michel adapted by Thomas Walton. He then received an offer from Paramount to star in ''[[Elephant Walk]]'' (1954), shot in Ceylon and Los Angeles. The part was intended for [[Laurence Olivier]] who turned it down, but [[Vivien Leigh]] agreed to play the female lead; Dana Andrews was the other star. The circumstances of production were turbulent; Leigh had a nervous breakdown during production, leading to her being replaced by [[Elizabeth Taylor]]. The experience helped sour Finch on a Hollywood career and he would only work occasionally there for the rest of his career.

Back in England, Finch was cast as the villain [[Flambeau (character)|Flambeau]] in ''[[Father Brown (film)|Father Brown]]'' (1954), receiving superb reviews opposite [[Alec Guinness]] in the title role. He narrated a documentary ''[[The Queen in Australia]]'' and had his first real star part in the Group 3/British Lion comedy, ''[[Make Me an Offer]]'' (1954), playing an antiques dealer. He was then a villain in the medieval swashbuckler ''[[The Dark Avenger]]'' (1955), opposite another Australian, [[Errol Flynn]], for Allied Artists.

He was much in demand. C.G. Scrimgeour of Associated TV wanted Finch to play a patrol officer in a film based on Colin Simpson's articles about Shangri-La Valley in New Guinea. The Rank organisation wanted him to star in a film directed by Hugh Stewart called ''The Flying Doctor''.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 October 1954 |title=World-wide Film and Theatre News |volume=XV |page=48 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |issue=48 |location=New South Wales, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248943397 |access-date=26 June 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===Under contract to Rank and stardom===
[[File:Diane_Cilento_with_Peter_Finch.jpg|left|thumb|With [[Diane Cilento]] during filming of ''[[Passage Home]]'' (1955)]]
In November 1954 Finch's contract with Olivier (five years extended to six) had expired and he signed a seven-year contract with the [[Rank Organisation]] worth £87,500 to make one film a year for them. "We are going to build Peter into a major British star", said [[Earl St. John]], Rank's head of production, at the time.<ref>{{cite news |date=20 November 1954 |title=Peter Finch Wins £87,500 Contract |page=3 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18460986 |access-date=11 February 2012 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Finch's first roles for Rank under the new arrangement gave him star parts but were, on the whole, undistinguished: ''[[Passage Home]]'' (1955), a drama with Anthony Steel and fellow Australian [[Diane Cilento]]; ''[[Josephine and Men]]'' (1955), a comedy from the Boulting Brothers with [[Glynis Johns]] and [[Donald Sinden]]; and ''[[Simon and Laura]]'' (1955), a comedy with [[Kay Kendall]] based on a hit play. None of these films performed particularly well at the box office.

Finch was then cast as an Australian soldier in ''[[A Town Like Alice (film)|A Town Like Alice]]'' (1956), opposite [[Virginia McKenna]] under the direction of Jack Lee from the novel by [[Neville Shute]]. The World War II drama, mostly set in Malaya and almost entirely shot at Pinewood Studios, became the third-most-popular film at the British box office in 1956 and won Finch a BAFTA for Best Actor.

Finch followed it with another war movie, ''[[The Battle of the River Plate (film)|The Battle of the River Plate]]'' (1956), playing Captain [[Hans Langsdorff]] for the team of Powell and Pressburger. This was also hugely popular at home, and British exhibitors voted Finch the seventh-most-popular British star at the box office for 1956.<ref>"The Most Popular Film Star in Britain." ''The Times'' (London) 7 December 1956: 3. ''The Times'' Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.</ref> In October 1956, John Davis, managing director of Rank, announced him as one of the actors under contract that Davis thought would become an international star.<ref name="davis">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/793929220/?terms=%22john%20davis%22%20%22rank%20film%22&match=1|newspaper=Nottingham Evening Post|date=22 Nov 1956|page= 9|first=Thomas|last=Wiseman|title=Mr Davis Takes on Hollywood}}</ref>

Finch returned to Australia to make ''[[The Shiralee (1957 film)|The Shiralee]]'' (1957), made for Ealing Studios and MGM from the novel by [[D'Arcy Niland]], under the direction of Leslie Norman. It was one of Finch's favourite parts; the resulting movie was critically acclaimed and the tenth-most-popular movie at the British box office that year.

Finch followed it with another Australian story filmed on location, the [[bushranger]] tale ''[[Robbery Under Arms (1957 film)|Robbery Under Arms]]'' (1957), which did less well, despite having the same producer and director as ''A Town Like Alice''. ''Filmink'' argued Finch's "character could be removed from the final movie, and it wouldn’t have affected anything... a character with no romance, no moral core, no purpose in the story, no point."<ref name=“robbery”>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/wrecking-australian-stores-the-1957-film-version-of-robbery-under-arms/|date=7 March 2025|access-date=7 March 2025|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|title=Wrecking Australian stores: the 1957 film version of Robbery Under Arms|magazine=Filmink}}</ref> However, exhibitors still voted Finch the third-most-popular British star of 1957, and the fifth most popular overall, regardless of nationality.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 December 1957 |title=British Actors Head Film Poll: Box-Office Survey |page=3 |work=Manchester Guardian}}</ref>

Finch's next two films for Rank were not particularly successful: ''[[Windom's Way]]'' (1957), where he played a doctor caught up in the [[Malayan Emergency]] (the film was shot in Corsica and London); and ''[[Operation Amsterdam]]'' (1959), a war-time diamond thriller. Finch returned to the stage for the London production of ''[[Two for the Seesaw (play)|Two for the Seesaw]]'' by [[William Gibson (playwright)|William Gibson]], under the direction of [[Arthur Penn]].

==''The Nun's Story'' and international stardom==
Finch's career received a boost when [[Fred Zinnemann]] cast him opposite [[Audrey Hepburn]] in ''[[The Nun's Story (film)|The Nun's Story]]'' (1959). This was an enormous financial and critical success and established Finch's reputation internationally. In August 1959 he said this and ''The Shiralee'' were the only two films he had done that he liked.<ref>{{cite news |author=Howard Thompson |date=2 August 1959 |title=The Local Film Scene |page=X5 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

For Disney he played [[Alan Breck]] in a version of ''[[Kidnapped (1960 film)|Kidnapped]]'' (1960) then went to Hollywood to make ''[[The Sins of Rachel Cade]]'' (shot in 1959, released in 1961), an attempt to repeat the success of ''The Nun's Story'', with [[Angie Dickinson]].

He was much in demand and still owed Rank three films under his contract. They wanted him to appear opposite Dirk Bogarde in ''The Singer Not the Song''. Instead Finch decided to co-write and direct an award-winning short film, ''[[The Day (1960 film)|The Day]]'' (1960). He announced plans to direct a feature – ''Dig'', about Australian exploration – but it did not eventuate.

Then, for a fee of £25,000{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} he played [[Oscar Wilde]] in ''[[The Trials of Oscar Wilde]]'' (1960), winning another BAFTA; the film, however, was not popular.<ref>{{cite news |author=Stephen Watts |date=3 March 1960 |title=Busy Finch |page=X9 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> He played a Labour politician in Rank's ''[[No Love for Johnnie]]'' (1961), and won his third BAFTA for Best Actor – although like ''Oscar Wilde'', the film lost money. Finch's career was generally more successful away from Rank.<ref name="st john">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|date=20 April 2025|access-date=20 April 2025|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-moguls-earl-st-john/|title=Forgotten British Moguls: Earl St John}}</ref>

Finch was originally chosen to play [[Julius Caesar]] in ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]'' (1963) opposite Elizabeth Taylor, and filmed some scenes in London, under the direction of Robert Mamoulian. When the film was postponed Finch withdrew; new director [[Joseph Mankiewicz]] wanted to still use him, but the actor was unable to make his schedule work, and the role was recast with [[Rex Harrison]].

Finch made two unsuccessful Hollywood films with director Robert Stevens at [[MGM]]: ''[[I Thank a Fool]]'' (1962) and ''[[In the Cool of the Day]]'' (1963). While filming the latter he was reported in the ''Los Angeles Times'' as saying that the star system was dead and the future lay in independent films. He also said he would direct a second film ''The Hero''.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 August 1962 |title=Star System Finished, Says British Player |page=D17 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Finch restored his critical reputation with two highly acclaimed British films: ''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]'' (1964) and ''[[Girl with Green Eyes]]'' (1964). He had an uncredited cameo in ''[[First Men in the Moon (1964 film)|First Men in the Moon]]'' (1964), then had a good role in a tough adventure film for [[Robert Aldrich]], ''[[The Flight of the Phoenix (1965 film)|The Flight of the Phoenix]]'' (1965).

Finch's next three films saw him support high-profile female stars: [[Sophia Loren]] in ''[[Judith (1966 film)|Judith]]'' (1966), [[Melina Mercouri]] in ''[[10:30 P.M. Summer]]'' (1966) and [[Julie Christie]] in ''[[Far from the Madding Crowd (1967 film)|Far from the Madding Crowd]]'' (1967). He was reunited with Aldrich for ''[[The Legend of Lylah Clare]]'' (1968). ''[[The Red Tent (film)|The Red Tent]]'' (1970) was an expensive international adventure film, with Finch as [[Umberto Nobile]].

==Later career==
Finch's career received another boost when [[Ian Bannen]] dropped out of the lead in ''[[Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)|Sunday Bloody Sunday]]'' (1971). Finch replaced him and his performance was rewarded with another BAFTA for Best Actor and an Oscar nomination.

The momentum of this was lost somewhat by ''[[Something to Hide (film)|Something to Hide]]'' (1972) and the disastrous musical remake of ''[[Lost Horizon (1973 film)|Lost Horizon]]'' (1973). He played [[Lord Nelson]] in ''[[Bequest to the Nation (film)|Bequest to the Nation]]'' (1973) and an opportunistic financier in ''[[England Made Me (film)|England Made Me]]'' (1973). ''[[The Abdication]]'' (1974) was an unsuccessful historical drama.

===''Network''===
Finch was asked to audition for the part of news presenter [[Howard Beale (Network)|Howard Beale]] in ''[[Network (1976 film)|Network]]'' (1976), written by [[Paddy Chayefsky]] and directed by [[Sidney Lumet]].<ref name="ADB2" /> The movie, with Finch as its star, was his biggest commercial and critical hit in years. His line "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" has become iconic.

He then played [[Yitzhak Rabin]] in ''[[Raid on Entebbe (film)|Raid on Entebbe]]'' (1977).

==Poet==
Finch was also an occasional poet. He was encouraged by [[Kenneth Slessor]], who published Finch's poem "Tell them" in ''Australian Poetry 1945'', of which he was the editor. Slessor also arranged for a volume of Finch's early poems to be published. Finch's biographer [[Trader Faulkner]] reported that Finch told him that "no film award ... ever gave him the sense of fulfillment comparable to seeing a poem he'd written in print".<ref>[[Geoffrey Dutton]], ''Kenneth Slessor'' (1991), ch. 11 'Battlefields of Liberation', pp. 265–6</ref>

==Personal life==
Finch was married three times. In 1943, he married [[Romania|Romanian]]-born French ballerina [[Tamara Tchinarova]]; they worked together on a number of films. They had a daughter, Anita, born in 1950. They divorced in 1959, after she discovered his affair with actress [[Vivien Leigh]] in California.<ref name="inieberega2">{{cite journal |author=Artsvi Bakhchinyan |year=2012 |script-title=ru:Внучка армянского помещика, соперница Вивьен Ли, переводчица балетных звезд |trans-title=Granddaughter of an Armenian landowner; rival of Vivien Leigh, interpreter to ballet stars |url=http://www.inieberega.ru/node/448 |journal=Inie Berega |language=ru |access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Paul Donnelley |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAhtNiAl3YsC&pg=PA249 |title=Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries |publisher=Music Sales Group |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-84938-246-5 |page=240}}</ref><ref name="TT2">''Dancing into the Unknown'', Tamara Tchinarova Finch, 2007; {{ISBN|978-1-85273-114-4}}; accessed 20 August 2014.</ref>

Finch then married South African-born actress [[Yolande Turner]] (née Yolande Eileen Turnbull); they had two children together, Samantha and [[Charles Finch (producer)|Charles Peter]]. During their marriage, Finch had an affair with the singer [[Shirley Bassey]]. Bassey had a daughter, also named Samantha, born in 1963; Bassey's husband at the time, the openly gay film producer Kenneth Hume, believed that Finch was Samantha's biological father.<ref>{{cite web | title=Queer Places - Kenneth Hume | url=http://www.elisarolle.com/queerplaces/klmno/Kenneth%20Hume.html | access-date=19 August 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=23 December 2016 | title=Shirley Bassey reveals secret torment behind glittering 60 year career | website=[[Daily Mirror]] | url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/shirley-bassey-reveals-secret-torment-9508641 | access-date=19 August 2024 }}</ref> Finch and Turner divorced in 1965.<ref name="ADB2" />

On 9 November 1973 in Rome, Finch married Mavis "Eletha" Barrett, who was known as Eletha Finch.<ref name="ADB2" /><ref>{{cite news |date=28 April 1941 |title=Untitled |page=4 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17733006 |access-date=11 February 2012 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> They had a daughter together, Diana.<ref name="TT2" />

==Death==
Shortly after ''Raid on Entebbe'' finished shooting, Finch undertook a promotional tour for ''Network''. On 13 January 1977 he appeared on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''. [[George Carlin]] was also on the show that night; he joked about death. The day after, Finch had a [[heart attack]] in the lobby of [[the Beverly Hills Hotel]] and died at the age of 60.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1977/01/15/actor-peter-finch-60-starring-in-network-dies/1385ecc2-f6fe-44a3-b482-5b074871f3c2/ "Actor Peter Finch, 60, Starring in 'Network,' Dies"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 15 January 1977</ref> He is interred in the [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]].<ref name="ADB2" />

===Oscar===
Finch was nominated for an Oscar for ''Network'' and went on to posthumously win the award, which was accepted by his widow, Eletha Finch. Although [[James Dean]] (twice) and [[Spencer Tracy]] had previously been posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, Finch was the first actor to win the award posthumously, as well as the first Australian actor to win a Best Actor award. He was the only posthumous winner of an Oscar in an acting category until fellow Australian [[Heath Ledger]] won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] in 2009; there were many earlier [[List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees|posthumous Oscar winners]] in non-acting categories.<ref name="Eyewitness2">[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] ''Eyewitness News''; 23 February 2009; Midnight broadcast</ref><ref name="Posthumous2">{{cite web |title='Slumdog Millionaire' fulfills its Oscar destiny |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/slumdog-millionaire-fulfills-its-oscar-destiny-wbna29332714 |work=TODAY.com|date=22 February 2009 }}</ref> Finch also won five Best Actor awards from the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] (BAFTA), including one for ''Network''.

Shortly before he died, Finch told a journalist:<blockquote>We all say we're going to quit occasionally. I'd like to have been more adventurous in my career. But it's a fascinating and not ignoble profession. No one lives more lives than the actor. Movie making is like [[geometry]] and I hated maths. But this kind of jigsaw I relish. When I played Lord Nelson I worked the [[poop deck]] in his uniform. I got extraordinary shivers. Sometimes I felt like I was staring at my own coffin. I touched that character. There lies the madness. You can't fake it.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paul Rosenfield |date=9 January 1977 |title=Peter Finch – Michelin Guide to Show Biz Comes to Rest in Hollywood |page=r29 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref></blockquote>

==Biographies==
In 1954, the Australian journalist and author [[George Johnston (novelist)|George Johnston]] wrote a well-researched series of biographical articles on Finch, his life, and his work, which appeared in the Sydney ''[[The Sun-Herald|Sun-Herald]]'' on four consecutive Sundays, which were certainly the first detailed account of Finch's life to be published. Finch later provided the inspiration for the character Archie Calverton in Johnston's novel, ''[[Clean Straw for Nothing]]''.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 August 1969 |title=From George, With Sadness |page=13 |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43462344 |access-date=10 February 2012 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1980, American author [[Elaine Dundy]] published a biography of Finch titled ''Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch''. That year, his second wife, Yolande Finch, also published a posthumous account of their life together, ''Finchy: My Life with Peter Finch''. Another biography had previously been published by his friend and colleague [[Trader Faulkner]], in 1979.

According to an entry in Brian McFarlane's ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'', republished on the [[British Film Institute]]'s [[Screenonline]] website, Finch "did not emerge unscathed from a life of well-publicised hell-raising, and several biographies chronicle the affairs and the booze, but a serious appraisal of a great actor remains to be written."<ref name="McFarlane2">{{screenonline name|id=488651|name=Finch, Peter (1916–1977)}}. ([[Nota bene|N.B.]]: Miscalculates age at time of death as 61, not 60.).</ref>

A profile of Finch at Screenonline asserts that "it is arguable that no other actor ever chalked up such a rewarding [[Curriculum vitae|CV]] in British films."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=BFI Screenonline: Finch, Peter (1916–1977) Biography |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/488651/ |website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{main|Peter Finch on stage, screen and radio}}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
!Institution
!Year
!Category
!Film
!Result
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Academy Awards]]
|[[44th Academy Awards|1971]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|''[[Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)|Sunday Bloody Sunday]]''
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[49th Academy Awards|1976]]
|''[[Network (1976 film)|Network]]''
| {{won|Won<br>{{small|(Posthumously)}}}}
|-
| rowspan="7" |[[BAFTA Awards]]
|[[10th British Academy Film Awards|1956]]
| rowspan="5" |[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best British Actor]]
|''[[A Town Like Alice (1956 film)|A Town Like Alice]]''
| {{Won}}
|-
|[[11th British Academy Film Awards|1957]]
|''[[Windom's Way]]''
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[13th British Academy Film Awards|1959]]
|''[[The Nun's Story (film)|The Nun's Story]]''
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[14th British Academy Film Awards|1960]]
|''[[The Trials of Oscar Wilde]]''
| {{won}}
|-
|[[15th British Academy Film Awards|1961]]
|''[[No Love for Johnnie]]''
| {{won}}
|-
|[[25th British Academy Film Awards|1971]]
| rowspan="2" |[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|''Sunday Bloody Sunday''
| {{won}}
|-
|[[31st British Academy Film Awards|1977]]
|''Network''
| {{won|Won<br>{{small|(Posthumously)}}}}
|-
|[[Berlin International Film Festival]]
|[[11th Berlin International Film Festival|1961]]
|[[Silver Bear for Best Actor|Best Actor]]<ref name="berlinale 19612">{{cite web |title=Berlinale 1961: Prize Winners |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1961/03_preistr_ger_1961/03_Preistraeger_1961.html |access-date=23 January 2010 |work=berlinale.de |archive-date=22 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322181439/https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1961/03_preistr_ger_1961/03_Preistraeger_1961.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|''[[No Love for Johnnie]]''
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Golden Globe Awards]]
|[[29th Golden Globe Awards|1971]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
|''Sunday Bloody Sunday''
| {{Nom}}
|-
|[[34th Golden Globe Awards|1976]]
|''Network''
| {{won|Won<br>{{small|(Posthumously)}}}}
|-
|[[Moscow International Film Festival]]
|1961
|Best Actor<ref name="Moscow19612">{{cite web |title=2nd Moscow International Film Festival (1961) |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1961 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116210653/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1961 |archive-date=16 January 2013 |access-date=2012-11-04 |work=MIFF}}</ref>
|''The Trials of Oscar Wilde''
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[National Board of Review]]
|[[National Board of Review Awards 1967|1967]]
|[[National Board of Review Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|[[Far from the Madding Crowd (1967 film)|''Far from the Madding Crowd'']]
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[National Society of Film Critics]]
|[[1971 National Society of Film Critics Awards|1971]]
|[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="2" |''Sunday Bloody Sunday''
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[New York Film Critics Circle]]
|[[1971 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|1971]]
|[[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|{{Nom}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
|[[29th Primetime Emmy Awards|1977]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy]]
|''[[Raid on Entebbe (film)|Raid on Entebbe]]''
| {{nom|Nominated<br>{{small|(Posthumously)}}}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*[[Elaine Dundy|Dundy, Elaine]]. ''Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch''. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1980. {{ISBN|0-03-041796-1}} (10). {{ISBN|978-0-03-041796-2}} (13).
*Faulkner, Trader. ''Peter Finch: A Biography''. London: Angus & Robertson, 1979. {{ISBN|0-207-95831-9}} (10). {{ISBN|978-0-207-95831-1}} (13).
*Finch, Yolande. ''Finchy: My Life with Peter Finch''. London: Arrow Books, 1980. {{ISBN|0-09-924190-0}} (10). {{ISBN|978-0-09-924190-4}} (13).
*[[George Johnston (novelist)|Johnson, G.]], [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28663892 "The Success Story of Peter Finch"], ''The Sun-Herald'' (Sydney) (Sunday, 8 August 1954), pp.&nbsp;21–23
*Johnson, G., [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12644720 "The Long Road to London"] (Sunday, 15 August 1954), pp.&nbsp;23–25
*Johnson, G., [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12644742 "Dad and Dave, and then the War."] ''The Sun-Herald'' (Sydney) 15 Aug 1954: 23
*Johnson, G., [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28662305 "The Thames is Non-Inflammable- But an Australian in London Leapt Up a Stairway To Stardom."] ''The Sun-Herald'' (Sydney) 22 Aug 1954: 23
*Johnson, G., [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12643896 "The Threat and the Promise"]. ''The Sun-Herald'' (Sydney) 29 Aug 1954: 47

==External links==
{{Commons category|Peter Finch}}
{{Portal|Biography|Film}}
*{{screenonline name|id=488651|name=Finch, Peter (1916–1977)}}. ([[Nota bene|N.B.]]: Miscalculates age at time of death as 61, not 60.)
*{{IMDb name|2075}}
*[http://www.ausstage.edu.au/indexdrilldown.jsp?xcid=59&f_contrib_id=228157&f_event_id=12674 Peter Finch Australian theatre credits] at [[AusStage]]
*[https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/finch-frederick-george-peter-10179 Peter Finch] at ''[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]]''
*[http://www.abc.net.au/rn/replay/stories/2011/3306905.htm Audio interview with Peter Finch from 1973 discussing Australia]
*[http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4885533 Documentation relating to Peter Finch's war service] at [[National Archives of Australia]]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Peter Finch
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestActor 1961–1980}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor 1952–1959}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorMotionPictureDrama 1961–1980}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actor}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor}}
{{Silver Bear for Best Actor}}
}}
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