George sanders brother

1. Biography of George Sanders
2. Early Life and Career
3. Personal Life
4. Later Years and Death

Biography of George Sanders

George Sanders was a British actor of Russian origin, born in Saint Petersburg. He was known for his portrayal of English villains and complete brutes in numerous films, including "Rebecca" (1940) and "All About Eve" (1950), for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Early Life and Career

Born in 1906, Sanders began his career as a representative for a tobacco company in Argentina. During this time, he immersed himself in Spanish culture and way of life. Eventually, he transitioned to acting and made a name for himself in British and American films.

Personal Life

Sanders had three marriages throughout his life, with his third marriage to Benita Hume being the most significant. However, their happiness was cut short when Hume passed away from cancer in 1967. The loss of his wife and his mother, who died a year later, deeply affected him. He had also experienced the humiliation of bankruptcy after investing his earnings from films into a failed sausage manufacturing business.

Later Years and Death

In 1969, Sanders suffered a stroke, which left him fearing his own helplessness in the future. Seeking comfort, he entered into a relationship with Mexican actress Lorraine Chanel, who accompanied him to Mexico City and Majorca. However, Chanel was shocked when she learned that Sanders had married Magda Gabor, the sister of his second wife.

In the last two years of his life, Sanders struggled to find roles in the film and television industry due to his frequent dizziness and reliance on a cane. A brief and unhappy relationship with writer Helga Moray, who convinced him to sell his beloved home in Majorca, led to a nervous breakdown in early 1972.

On April 23, 1972, Sanders arrived alone in Castelldefels, ten miles south of Barcelona, and checked into a hotel. The weather was cold and rainy. The following day, he was heavily intoxicated and requested to be woken up early. When the hotel staff attempted to reach him by phone, there was no response. Sanders was later found dead in his room, surrounded by five empty sleeping pill containers. The combination of sleeping pills and vodka was sufficient to cause his death.

In a posthumous note, Sanders wrote, "Dear world, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel that I have lived long enough. I leave you with all of your troubles in this sweet cesspool. Goodbye!" While many interpreted these final words literally, those who knew of his events in his later years believed that fear of the future pushed him to make the decision to take his own life. On the night of his suicide, he sent a short message to his sister, saying, "Dear Margolinka! Don't be sad. I've just brought closer what would have inevitably happened in a few years."