CineScope
Bernard Miles picture

Bernard Miles

Acting
Known For

83 Years Old

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bernard James Miles, Baron Miles, CBE (27 September 1907–14 June 1991) was an English character actor, writer and director. He opened the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1959, the first new theatre opened in the City of London since the 17th century. Miles was born in Uxbridge, Middlesex and attended Bishopshalt School in Hillingdon. While his parents were respectively a farm labourer and a cook, he was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford. He entered the theatre in the 1930s, soon appearing in films. Like many actors, he featured prominently in the patriotic cinema during the Second World War, including classics of the genre such as In Which We Serve and One of Our Aircraft Is Missing. He also had an uncredited role in the WWII classic The First of the Few, released in the US as Spitfire. His typical persona as an actor was as a countryman, with a strong accent typical of the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire counties. He was also, after Robert Newton, the actor most associated with the part of Long John Silver, which he played in a British TV version of Treasure Island, and in an annual performance at the Mermaid commencing in the winter of 1961-62. Actors in the annual theatrical productions included Spike Milligan as Ben Gunn, and, in the 1968 production, Barry Humphries as Long John Silver. It was Miles who, impressed by the talent of John Antrobus originally commissioned him to write a play of some sort. This led to Antrobus collaborating with Milligan to produce a one-act play called The Bed Sitting Room, which was later adapted to a longer play, and staged by Miles at The Mermaid on 31 January 1963, with both critical and commercial success. He had a pleasant rolling bass-baritone voice that worked well in theatre and film, as well as being much in demand for voice-overs. As a performer, he was most well known for a series of comic monologues, often given in a rural dialect. These were recorded and sold as record albums, which were quite popular. Some of his comic monologues are currently available on youtube.com. Miles was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1953, was knighted in 1969, and was granted a life peerage as Baron Miles, of Blackfriars in the City of London in 1979. He was only the second British actor ever to be given a peerage (the first was Laurence Olivier). Miles's written works include "The British Theatre" (1947), "God's Brainwave" (1972), and "Favorite Tales from Shakespeare" (1972). In 1981, he co-authored the book Curtain Calls with J.C. Trewin. He died in Yorkshire. His daughters are the actress Sally Miles and the artist Bridget Miles. His son John Miles was a Grand Prix Driver in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the Lotus team. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bernard Miles, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Born

Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, UK on 27th September 1907

Died

14th June 1991

All Credits

This Is Your Life Image
This Is Your Life
Self
Tales of the Unexpected Image
Tales of the Unexpected
Mr Rummins
No Image
Nathaniel Titlark
No Image
Treasure Island
Moby Dick Image
Moby Dick
The Manxman
The Man Who Knew Too Much Image
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Edward Drayton
Great Expectations Image
Great Expectations
Joe Gargery
The Citadel Image
The Citadel
Medical Aid Society Committee Member (uncredited)
The Magic Box Image
The Magic Box
Cousin Alfred
The Lady and the Highwayman Image
The Lady and the Highwayman
Judge
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life Image
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self (archive footage)
Sapphire Image
Sapphire
Ted Harris
Contraband Image
Contraband
Man Lighting Pipe
In Which We Serve Image
In Which We Serve
Chief Petty Officer Hardy / Walter Hardy
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing Image
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing
Geoff Hickman, Front Gunner in B for Bertie
The Day Will Dawn Image
The Day Will Dawn
McAllister (Irish Soldier)
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Image
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Newman Noggs
The Smallest Show on Earth Image
The Smallest Show on Earth
Old Tom
The Spy in Black Image
The Spy in Black
Hans - Hotel Receptionist
Tom Thumb Image
Tom Thumb
Jonathan
Tunisian Victory Image
Tunisian Victory
British soldier (voice)
The Guinea Pig Image
The Guinea Pig
Mr. Read
The Lion Has Wings Image
The Lion Has Wings
Civilian Observer Controller
Never Let Me Go Image
Never Let Me Go
Joe Brooks
Saint Joan Image
Saint Joan
Master Executioner
Heavens Above! Image
Heavens Above!
Simpson
Zarak Image
Zarak
Hassu the one-eyed
They Drive by Night Image
They Drive by Night
Detective at Billiard Halls (Uncredited)
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Image
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Dr. Thomas
Tiger in the Smoke Image
Tiger in the Smoke
Tiddy Doll the Gang Leader
Freedom Radio Image
Freedom Radio
Capt. Muller
Wuthering Heights Image
Wuthering Heights
Joseph
Fortune Is a Woman Image
Fortune Is a Woman
Mr. Jerome
Crown v. Stevens Image
Crown v. Stevens
Detective Wells
Chance of a Lifetime Image
Chance of a Lifetime
Stevens
Carnival Image
Carnival
Trewhella
The Guv'nor Image
The Guv'nor
Man at Meeting
Pastor Hall Image
Pastor Hall
Heinrich Degan
Late Extra Image
Late Extra
Charlie (uncredited)
Run Wild, Run Free Image
Run Wild, Run Free
Reg
Strange Boarders Image
Strange Boarders
Chemist (uncredited)
Tawny Pipit Image
Tawny Pipit
Colonel Barton-Barrington
The Challenge Image
The Challenge
Villager
The Big Blockade Image
The Big Blockade
Royal Navy Mate
Fame Is the Spur Image
Fame Is the Spur
Tom Hannaway
The Specialist Image
The Specialist
The Common Touch Image
The Common Touch
Cricket Steward
The New Lot Image
The New Lot
Ted Loman
Quiet Wedding Image
Quiet Wedding
PC
No Image
Twelve Good Men
Inspector Pine
Treasure Island Image
Treasure Island
Long John Silver
Band Waggon Image
Band Waggon
Saboteur (uncredited)
No Image
Two Fathers
The Englishman
No Image
The Dawn Guard
Farmer
No Image
The Rebel Son
Polish Prisoner
The Love Test Image
The Love Test
Allan
No Image
The Vision of William Blake
Poems & Narration
Barbara Hepworth Image
Barbara Hepworth
Narrator
No Image
Henry Moore
Narrator
No Image
Sabotage!
Self - Narrator (voice)
No Image
Secrets of Kew Gardens
Narrator (voice)