Mills, John

John Mills, née Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was born in North Elmham, Norfolk , February 22, 1908 . He spent his childhood in Philistow , Suffolk . He attended a high school for boys in Norwich . He played the first role in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream .

After graduation, he went to London. Debuting in one of London's theaters in 1929 , Mills throughout the 1930s performed in numerous revisions, musicals, and full-fledged theater plays. Then he met the famous playwright, actor and screenwriter Noel Coward , speaking in his review of “Words and Music”.

His film debut took place in 1932 . Starting with pass-through roles in low-budget films, he pretty soon became a leading actor. Among his most significant pre-war paintings are the historical film The Rose of the Tudors (1934) and the melodrama Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), along with Robert Donat . In 1939 he was drafted into the army, but in 1942 he was commissioned due to a duodenal ulcer. Subsequently, the actor played a lot of different military ranks and military branches. One of these roles was the sailor Shorty in the film “ In Which We Serve ” (1942), which was directed by his friend Noel Coward and the future classic of British cinema, David Lin . In the same year, he starred with Carol Reed in "Young Mr. Pitt."

In 1946, he played a major role in the film adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel, Great Expectations , and then the national hero, polar explorer, Captain Robert Scott in the film Scott from the Antarctic (1948). Over the next ten years, he played mainly in military films such as The History of Golditz (1954), Waves Above Us (1955), and The Hard Way to Alexandria (1958). During this period, his hero was formed: an ordinary, ordinary person, who, nevertheless, under the pressure of circumstances, demonstrates the best qualities of his nature: courage, endurance and devotion.

Mills was able to show the inconsistency of human nature. One of the best roles of this kind was the battalion commander Basil Barrow in the psychological drama "Melodies of Glory" (1960). Mills' partner in this film was the illustrious Alec Guinness . For this role, Mills was honored with the Best Actor Award at the 1960 Venice Festival .

No less interesting were his supporting roles: the cobbler Will Mossop in the romantic comedy “ Chobson’s Choice ” (1953), private detective Albert Parkis in the romantic drama “End of the Novel” (1955) based on the novel by Graham Green , Platon Karataev in the film adaptation of Tolstoy’s novel “ War and Peace ”(1956) and many others.

In the early 60s, Mills starred in several films with his youngest daughter Haley : in the crime drama Tiger Bay (1959), the family comedy Trap for Parents (1961), and the adventure film Truth About Spring (1966) , the drama Chalk Garden (1964) and the comedy drama Family Matters (1966).

In 1970, Mills played one of his most famous roles - the village fool Michael in the historical drama “ Daughter of Ryan ”, for which he was awarded the Academy Award for best supporting actor.

For all subsequent years, the actor starred mainly in small characteristic roles and episodes. Among the most famous films with his participation: “ Oh, what a wonderful war ” (1969), “ Lady Carolina Lam ” (1972), “Oklahoma as it is” (1973), “ Gandhi ” (1982).

Mills also starred in television series, the most famous among them was the fantastic series Quatermass (1979), as well as in the movie version of the famous musical Cats in 1998.

In 2002, director Marcus Dillistone shot the documentary Memoirs of John Mills, including an interview with Mills himself, his children and director Richard Attenborough , as well as stories and scenes from his films The Hard Way to Alexandria and Dunkirk. Mills' friends and colleagues also participate in the film: actors Laurence Olivier , Walt Disney , David Niven , Dirk Bogard , Rex Harrison and others.

Despite the deteriorating health (in 1992, he was practically blind and hard of hearing), the actor continued to appear on the screen until his death.

In the professional environment, he enjoyed great authority - he was a member of the Council of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, for his long creative life he was awarded the highest awards.

In 1960, Mills received the Order of the Commander of the British Empire , and in 1976 he was awarded the noble title by Queen Elizabeth II . The actor has repeatedly won BAFTA's attention: nominated for Best Actor in 1955 (“Hobson's Choice”) and in 1961 (“Melodies of Glory”), as well as for Best Supporting Actor in 1971 (“Ryan's Daughter”). For " Ryan 's Daughter ", the actor also received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and Golden Globe in 1971.

In 1960, the Venice Film Festival award for best actor for the film “Melodies of Glory”.

In 2002, he received the Honorary Award of the British Film Academy - the highest award given by the Academy, and was elected its honorary academician, as well as the title "Disney Legend" from The Walt Disney Company .

John Mills lived for many years in a mansion in Richmond, London. His sister, Annette Mills, was known on the BBC television series Muffin the Mule (1946–1955).

Mills' first wife was actress Aileen Raymond. They married in 1927 and divorced in 1941.

The second wife of the actor was the playwright Mary Haley Bell . Their marriage, concluded during the war in 1941, lasted 64 years, until the death of Mills in 2005. In 2001, at the age of 89 and 92, a happy couple finally decided to get married in a church. The Mills had three children: two daughters: Juliet Mills and Hayley Mills , both famous British actresses, and son Jonathan Mills. Mills grandson, Crispian Mills - musician, founder of the indie rock band Kula Shaker .

He died at the age of 97 on April 23, 2005 in Chiltern, Buckinghamshire from a pulmonary infection. His wife died a few months after her husband, December 1, 2005.

• Cats (1998)
• Goodbye Mr. Chips
• About mice and humans

• John Mills on Find a Grave
• John Mills on the Internet Movie Database
• Air Force News. Actor Sir John Mills dies (inaccessible link)