Vic Oliver
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Vic Oliver (born Victor Oliver von Samek 8 July 1898 d. 15 August 1964) was an actor and radio comedian.
He was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Viktor von Samek, and came to England via America.
He starred in the BBC radio show Hi, Gang! along with Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels, and appeared in many others. He was the first castaway on Desert 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 on Henry Hall's Guest Night and Workers Playtime, and has been considered a precursor of Victor 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.
