# David Niven **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 27, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778 "2015-11-27T23:27:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![admin\_mostlycocoa.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@admin\_mostlycocoa.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/admin_mostlycocoa.com)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/1 "2015-11-27T23:27:13Z")
I’d like to see some response to what the gentleman wrote about David Niven being kind of a butler or valet to Glenn Miller. From what I’ve read, it appears that Niven had a rather distinguished war record. Can you comment on this? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/2 "2015-11-28T01:25:07Z")
The column is [Did band leader Glenn Miller die in a French brothel?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1905/did-band-leader-glenn-miller-die-in-a-french-brothel), written by SDSTAFF **John Corrado**. Since the “information” you refer to was in the original question and not John Corrado’s report, it is possible that the information is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/3 "2015-11-28T01:29:15Z")
\*\*John Corrado \*\*may have simply ignored the questioner’s reference to Niven’s role vis-a-vis Miller (that his primary job was setting up Miller’s band appearances, NOT that he was his “valet” – Niven and Miller were both ranked Major at the time of Miller’s death IIRC) because it had no substance or bearing on the question being asked. The facts, of course, \*\*\*do \*\*\*explain the reason the questioner found no mention of it in Niven’s book: it was NOT his job. Niven did propaganda filmwork before D-Day and worked with setting up various troop-morale activities, but held a commission as an infantry officer and after the invasion actually went into the fight on the continent. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/4 "2015-11-28T02:34:22Z")
Niven had been a commissioned officer in the British Army pre his Hollywood career, and he rejoined in 1939. How on earth could he have possibly ended up being a lackey for Glenn Miller? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/5 "2015-11-28T17:39:37Z")
Johnny, who wrote the question, says that setting up Miller’s appearances was Niven’s sole job job in the military. Perhaps a job job has a different meaning in the military from an ordinary job, and would require a commissioned officer to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/6 "2015-11-28T20:52:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Johnny, who wrote the question, says that setting up Miller’s appearances was Niven’s sole job job in the military. > > Perhaps a job job has a different meaning in the military from an ordinary job, and would require a commissioned officer to do it. Does it matter if it was Yo-Yo Ma and Boutros Boutros-Ghali having mahi mahi? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/7 "2015-11-28T21:08:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Does it matter if it was Yo-Yo Ma and Boutros Boutros-Ghali having mahi mahi? Only if they did it in Walla Walla, Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/8 "2015-11-28T21:30:51Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Only if they did it in Walla Walla, Washington. Best couscous I ever had was in Walla Walla. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-niven/738778/9 "2015-11-29T00:00:51Z")
The batman bit may be a conflation of the fact that Peter Ustinov served as David Niven’s batman. [linky](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1458039/Sir-Peter-Ustinov.html)