Biografie

David's first wife, Mary Lindsay Hiddingh, committed a murder-suicide on December 2, 1943 by taking her two children Michael 8 and John Hiddingh 6 and jumping out of a hotel window in New York. Mary was 34 and had been suffering from depression by the loss of her first husband Armand Guy Hiddingh who was killed in action during World War II. In 1943 she was hoping to join David who had returned to England after his RAF training in Canada, but while in New York City, Mary soon learned it was extremely difficult to get to England during war time which probably led to her murder-suicide.

Upon his death in 2000 British satirical magazine Private Eye published an uncharacteristically warm poem in tribute to him "So farewell David Tomlinson, noted British character actor...'Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height.'. Yes, that was your catchphrase. And where you are going now" .

His son William "Willie" Tomlinson is autistic and lives in a community home in England.

He always acted as his own agent in film and theatre negotiations.

David narrowly survived a plane crash in 1957 flying a Tiger Moth close to his house in Buckinghamshire. Much was made of the incident and he was charged with reckless flying for which he was acquitted. Having been an RAF flying instructor in WW2 this was a huge dent to his confidence. David rarely flew again.

Sometimes I think back to Father's pronouncement that I would never succeed at anything. I remember the variety of schools where I never achieved much - the times of childish despair. I never quite dared dream then that I would actually manage to earn my living in my chosen profession. I may be sentimental but I can't deny that I have been luckier than most.

Professionally, I have lived long enough in the business to have played a wide variety of characters, from heroes and amiable silly asses to dignified old gentlemen. For good measure I have even played a wicked villain, dying with a bullet in my chest in the back of a plane, the only time, as far as I can recall, when I wasn't basically a "nice guy".

It seems to me a remarkably full life that I have to look back on. Though everything is transient there has been so much crammed in to it. It is something to have lived through two world wars, to have served in the Army and the Air Force (and professionally to have completed the cycle by playing naval officers on several occasions). I have weathered major tragedy and have had my triumphs and joys. Most of all I have had the blessings of a wonderful family life.

"You will either be a film star or nothing"! David told his understudy Roger Moore during the run of "The Little Hut" at the Lyric Theatre, London, England.

I think that actors in the theatre invariably are as good on screen, but I think that a film actor who has not such experience will very often come to grief in the theatre.