The British Entertainment History Project

Forename/s:

John

Family name:

Mills

Awards and Honours:

Knighted 1976

BAFTA 1987 (Special Tribute)

BFI Fellowship 1995

Work area/craft/role:

Industry:

Interview Number:

401

Interview Date(s):

5 Mar 1997

Interviewer/s:

Production Media:

Duration (mins):

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Interview

Sir John Mills

Interview notes

BECTU HISTORY PROJECT.
Summary for interview 401, Sir John Mills. Transcript of rough notes. Born Norfolk 1908. Belton Suffolk, Norwich High School. Corn merchants ofﬁce. Stage at 18. Amateur Drama. Sold toilet paper for Sanitas. Dancing lessons. Audition London Hippodrome dancing in chorus. Mr. Cinders. The Quaints. Noel Coward. Lambeth. Audition 1931, Cochrane. "Words and Music" Jessie Matthews. The Midshipmaid. Albert de Cournville. Sidney Gilliat "Waterloo Road" Bob Stephenson. Tudor Rose. Gainsborough Studios. Islington. Cedrick Hardwick. Middle thirties. David Lean. 1942 invalided out of army. Carol Reed. Anthony Asquith. Dilys Powell award. "The Way To The Stars". "Johnnie Head In Air". John Pudney. Ed Dmitrik. "So Well Remembered" "Tudor Glory" W.Wyler. Stanley Kramer. Did not like Hollywood. D. Attenborough. "Oh, What A Lovely War". "Whistle Down The Wind" Location "Scott","Ryan's Daughter" Bernard Miles. Trevor Howard. Hank Fonda. "War and Peace" Eyes not right cannot see well. Anglo-Italian Productions Theatre training necessary. "Tunes of Glory". J.Lee Thompson. Lives in Alexander Korda's old house.Still active with one man shows. Bad patch before "Colditz". Jimmie.Grainger.

Two short interviews with Sir John first where he talks about Sir Anthony Havelock Allan & the second with Sir Sydney Samuelson talking about how he wished he had palyed Hamlet and a comment about the Bectu History Project.

Transcript

Biographical

401, Sir John Mills. Born Norfolk 1908. Belton Suffolk, Norwich High School. Corn merchants ofﬁce. Stage at 18. Amateur Drama. Sold toilet paper for Sanitas. Dancing lessons. Audition London Hippodrome dancing in chorus. Mr. Cinders. The Quaints. Noel Coward. Lambeth. Audition 1931, Cochrane. "Words and Music" Jessie Matthews. The Midshipmaid. Albert de Cournville. Sidney Gilliat "Waterloo Road" Bob Stephenson. Tudor Rose. Gainsborough Studios. Islington. Cedrick Hardwick. Middle thirties. David Lean. 1942 invalided out of army. Carol Reed. Anthony Asquith. Dilys Powell award. "The Way To The Stars". "Johnnie Head In Air". John Pudney. Ed Dmitrik. "So Well Remembered" "Tudor Glory" W.Wyler. Stanley Kramer. Did not like Hollywood. D. Attenborough. "Oh, What A Lovely War". "Whistle Down The Wind" Location "Scott","Ryan's Daughter" Bernard Miles. Trevor Howard. Hank Fonda. "War and Peace" Eyes not right cannot see well. Anglo-Italian Productions Theatre training necessary. "Tunes of Glory". J.Lee Thompson. Livesd in Alexander Korda's old house.