Count Theodore Béla Rudolf Zichy de Zich et Vásonkeő (; 13 June 1908 – 30 December 1987) was a British actor, photographer, film director, producer and

playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

of Hungarian descent.

Early life

Born in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

in 1908, the son of Count Béla Mária Rudolf Zichy de Zich et Vásonkeő (1868–1944), a Hungarian aristocrat, and an American mother, Mabel Elizabeth Wright (1865–1926, formerly Mrs.

Fernando Yznaga Fernando Alfonso Yznaga del Valle (October 16, 1850 – March 6, 1901) was a Cuban American banker who was one of the best-known men of New York and foreign society and club life. Described as "one of the most entertaining of men, very clever at e ...

), his brother was Edward George Béla Mária Zichy de Zich et Vásonkeő (1898–1958). A great-nephew of

Mihály Zichy Mihály Zichy (; ; 15 October 1827 – 28 February 1906) was a Hungarian painter and graphic artist. He is considered a notable representative of Hungarian romantic painting. He lived and worked primarily in St. Petersburg and Paris during hi ...

, Theodore Zichy held British and Hungarian citizenship.

Career

In 1928, he started racing Bugattis, which he continued on and off until 1932. He learned to fly at

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

in the late 1930s, owned a de Havilland Puss Moth registered G-AAXY and kept this at Brooklands from 1938 to 1939 and served in the

Air Transport Auxiliary The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between fac ...

as a First Officer from 1940 to 1941. Some forty years later, he recalled his experiences as a ferry pilot in various articles published in Aeroplane Monthly magazine. As a photographer he mainly took pictures of women's legs, feet and shoes. His 1948 photograph portfolio ''Chiaroscuros'' (from the Italian "

chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

") contained images of

foot The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up o ...

and

shoe fetishism Shoe fetishism is the attribution of attractive sexual qualities to shoes or other footwear as a matter of sexual preference, or an alternative or complement to a relationship with a partner. It has also been known as retifism, after the French n ...

. In the mid-1950s he worked as a photographer for Baron Studios in London. His

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

''That Was No Gentleman, That Was Zichy'' was published in 1974.

Film career

As an actor Zichy appeared as 2nd in Command in '' Gasbags'' (1941), Colonel Borg in ''

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'' is a 1943 British romantic-war film written, produced and directed by the British film-making team of Powell and Pressburger, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and ...

'' (1943), as the Duel Referee in the TV movie '' Liebelei'' (1954), and as a German Agent in ''

Private's Progress ''Private's Progress'' is a 1956 British comedy film directed by John Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Terry-Thomas and Ian Carmichael. The script was by John Boulting and Frank Harvey, based on the novel of the same ...

'' (1956).Zichy
on the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

Later, he directed and produced the

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ar ...

''Death Was a Passenger'' (1958), ''Portrait of a Matador'' (1958) and ''Mingaloo'' (1958), also writing the latter, as well as directing and producing the films ''

Night Without Pity ''Night Without Pity'' is a 1961 British crime film directed by Theodore Zichy and starring Sarah Lawson, Neil McCallum, Alan Edwards and Michael Browning. Plot summary Crooks O'Brien and Randall break into Diana Martin's home to steal her ...

'' (1961) and ''

Doomsday at Eleven ''Doomsday at Eleven'' (also known as ''Doomsday at 11'') is a 1962 British film directed by Theodore Zichy and starring Carl Jaffe, Alan Haywood and Stanley Morgan. The screenplay was by Paul Tabori. The film was produced by Jack Parsons. P ...

'' (1963). He produced the film '' Bomb in the High Street'' (1961).

Personal life

On 20 February 1928, he married Xenia V. Howard Johnston (1904–1931) in Paris, France; the couple divorced in 1930. In 1964 he married Daphne Barker (previously of the Jack and Daphne Barker Cabaret duo) in London and stayed married to her until her death in 1987. Count Theodore Zichy died by suicide at home, 8 Sandwich Street,

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

, London WC1 on 30 December 1987. His death certificate was issued in 1988.Zichy on the Golden Era of GP Racing 1934-40 -Drivers website
/ref>"ZICHY count Theodore Bela Rudolf of 8 Sandwich Street London WC1 died 30 December 1987" in ''Wills and Administrations 1988 (England and Wales)'' (1989), p. 9248

References

External links

Examples of Zichy's Fetish Photography – ''Neutral Density Magazine''

Photographs by Zichy for Baron Studios
–

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

Photographic portrait of Zichy (1960)
–

Zichy
on the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

website {{DEFAULTSORT:Zichy, Theodore 1908 births 1987 deaths Suicides in Bloomsbury Theodore English male film actors Photographers from Sussex English film directors English film producers English people of Hungarian descent 20th-century British male actors English people of American descent Male actors from Eastbourne 1987 suicides 20th-century English businesspeople Air Transport Auxiliary pilots