Robert Donat is one of the few actors from Manchester who managed to achieve unprecedented fame beyond the city’s borders. His path to success is fascinating and his filmography is incredibly diverse. Donat was a highly respected British actor, known for his versatile and captivating on-stage and on-screen performances. Learn more at manchester-trend.
EARLY YEARS AND PROBLEMS WITH STUTTERING
The future actor, whose full name was Friedrich Robert Donat, was born in Whittington, Manchester in 1905. He grew up in an ordinary family of a civil engineer. At a young age, he attended the Manchester Central Grammar School for Boys.
Donat was a very gifted, witty and purposeful boy. He could achieve success in almost any sphere, but there was one obstacle, as he suffered from a strong stutter. In order to overcome it, Robert took up public elocution lessons by the famous local writer, orator and reader James Bernard. Moreover, Bernard was the best teacher of “dramatic interpretation” in Manchester. Those lessons contributed to Donat’s further career as an actor.
At last, Donat’s lessons with the orator Bernard began to bear fruit. The boy began to stutter less, his speech became clear and expressive. In addition, the boy became more self-confident. Unfortunately, the boy encountered another problem. Donat’s family couldn’t afford to continue his lessons with Bernard. Therefore, the boy was forced to leave school at the age of 15 and start his career as a secretary. However, Robert managed to combine the useful with the pleasant and got a job as secretary to the orator Bernard.
DEVELOPMENT OF ACTING CAREER
Surprisingly, a year later, in 1921, when Donat turned 16, he performed on the theatre stage for the first time. His whole life, the boy had problems with stuttering and couldn’t even dream of being an actor. However, he managed to successfully play Lucius in the play Julius Caesar.
His first role didn’t bring him enormous fame, but at the same time, he became recognisable and in demand in theatrical circles. Donat began to get invited to participate in various plays and performances. Thus, Robert had a grand breakthrough when he became part of the Shakespearean troupe in 1924. He worked there for four long years, developing and improving his acting talents, as well as public speaking.
From 1928, Donat began to receive offers for leading roles. In addition, he tried himself as a director in that period. Donat’s career developed at a rapid pace.
However, Donat achieved real success when he moved to London and performed on the stage of the Ambassadors Theatre in the play Knave and Quean. He received everything a successful actor needed, recognition, critical acclaim and in-demand status. Donat couldn’t even dream of such a thing in his youth, having problems with stuttering.
Despite a successful theatrical career, Robert decided not to stop there and continue developing as a film actor.
ON-SCREEN DONAT
Donat’s career development as a film actor was a bit more difficult. When Robert started this journey in the 1930s, he was known as “screen test Donat”. This nickname was given to him because of numerous failures during auditions with various producers in the UK. Still, Lady Luck smiled at him one day. During his performance in the play Precious Bane, he was noticed by MGM producer Irving Thalberg and offered a role in the film Smilin’ Through. However, Donat refused that attractive offer.
He made his debut appearance in the short film Men of Tomorrow in 1932. In 1932, Donat played the main role in the film That Night in London. He also played a key role in the movie Cash. Thus, his acting career in the film industry began to gradually improve, and already in 1933, he had his first big success in the cinema playing Thomas Culpeper in the film The Private Life of Henry VIII. This movie was a huge success all over the world including Hollywood. Therefore, after 1933, Donat began to receive offers from there.
Donat starred in many films and played many leading roles. One of the most popular ones are
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- The 39 Steps
- The Ghost Goes West
- Knight Without Armour
- The Citadel
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips
- The Young Mr. Pitt
- The Adventures of Tartu
- Perfect Strangers
- Captain Boycott
- The Winslow Boy
- The Cure for Love
- The Magic Box
- Lease of Life
- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.
However, Donat is best remembered for his roles in the films The 39 Steps and Goodbye Mr. Chips. For the latter, Donat won the Best Actor Oscar Award.
Despite his popularity and demand both on the theatre stage and in the film industry, Donat couldn’t realise his full potential. In particular, he suffered from chronic asthma. It significantly affected his career and he lost more than 19 roles because of his illness.
The life of an outstanding and extremely talented actor, who got through a fascinating acting path, ended in 1958 due to a brain tumour. At the time of his death, Donat was 53 years old.
