Peter Ustinov

Peter Ustinov was a British actor, writer, and narrator born on April 16, 1921, in London. He began his career at the London Theatre Studio and made his stage debut in The Wood Demon in 1938. Ustinov achieved professional recognition in music for narrating classical works and directing operas including The Magic Flute and Gianni Schicchi. His recording career included the studio recording Mock Mozart / Phoney Folk-Lore (1952) and the studio recording Grand Prix of Gibraltar (1960). Ustinov narrated the studio recording Peter and the Wolf (1956) which won a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children in 1959. He also recorded the musical narration The Creatures of Prometheus (2001) and the studio recording Der Burger als Edelmann (1998). Ustinov voiced Prince John and King Richard in the animated movie Robin Hood (1973) and won Academy Awards for his roles in Spartacus (1960) and Topkapi (1964). Ustinov died on March 28, 2004.