Lord Attenborough was described as a national treasure as stars of stage and screen gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Sir Ben Kingsley, Bryan Forbes, Nanette Newman, Edward Fox and his brother Sir David joined him at the University of Sussex.
Sir Ben, who played Gandhi in Lord Attenborough's Oscar-winning film, said: "I hope we all have an opportunity to thank him and say we love him. He is a national treasure."
The evening was themed on Lord Attenborough's 1969 movie Oh What A Lovely War, shot on the West Pier in Brighton and the South Downs.
Many of the technicians who worked on the film were among the 180 revellers at last night's celebration, as were some former University of Sussex students employed as extras.
Lord Attenborough said tthe money raised during the event would be used to help students from low income and ethnic minority families go to university.
He said: "I never went to university, I went into the air force, so I was denied a university education.
"It is the greatest regret of my life."
Lord Attenborough has been the university's Chancellor since 1999.
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