- Vic Oliver
Vic Oliver (born Victor Oliver von Samek
8 July 1898 d.15 August ,1964 ) was anactor andradio comedian .He was born in
Vienna ,Austria , the son of Viktor von Samek, and came toEngland via America.He starred in the
BBC radio showHi, Gang! along withBen Lyon andBebe Daniels , and appeared in many others. He was the first "castaway" onDesert Island Discs . He was a skilled musician and played the violin (badly in his shows). He had aspirations as a conductor and founded the Vic Oliver Concert Orchestra which gave light classical concerts along the South coast. His theme tune was "Prelude to the Stars". He was a regular onHenry Hall 's Guest Night andWorkers Playtime , and has been considered a precursor ofVictor Borge .His name was listed on a Nazi-German blacklist of people to be arrested immediately after a successful invasion of the British isles.
He married
Winston Churchill 's daughter, Sarah, in 1936, but was divorced in 1945.There is an anecdote, possibly apocryphal, that Oliver once asked his father-in-law (who loathed him) who was the most impressive figure in the war. Churchill replied, "Mussolini." When asked why, the former prime minister supposedly replied, "Because he shot his son-in-law!"
He died in
Johannesburg ,South Africa .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
