Bernard James Miles, Baron Miles,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(27 September 190714 June 1991) was an English character actor, writer and director. He opened the

Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new the ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1959, the first new theatre that opened in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

since the 17th century. He was known for playing character roles that usually had bucolic backgrounds or links to countrymen. His strong accent was typical of rustic dialects associated with the counties of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. His pleasant rolling bass-baritone voice made him a regular presence on the stage and in films for more than fifty years. In addition to his acting, he was a voice-over artist and published author.

Early life

Miles was educated at Uxbridge County School, Pembroke College, Oxford and the Northampton Institute (later City University of London) in London. He lived for a while in New Road, Hillingdon Heath.

Career

In 1946 his comedy about the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

'' Let Tyrants Tremble!'' was staged at the Scala Theatre in the West End, with Miles in the cast. By the 1950s, he had started to work in television. In 1951 he played

Long John Silver Long John Silver is a Character (arts), fictional character and the main antagonist in the novel ''Treasure Island'' (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular cult ...

in a British TV version of ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

''. A decade later he reprised the role for a performance of ''Treasure Island'' at the

in the winter of 1961–62, where the cast included

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

as Ben Gunn. p.198 Miles was always keen to promote up-and-coming talent. Impressed with the writing of English playwright

John Antrobus John Arthur Antrobus (born 2 July 1933) is an English playwright and screenwriter. He has written extensively for stage, screen, TV and radio, including the epic World War II play, ''Crete and Sergeant Pepper'' at the Royal Court. He authored t ...

, he introduced him to Spike Milligan, which led to the production of the one-act play '' The Bed Sitting Room''. It was later expanded and staged by Miles at Mermaid Theatre on 31 January 1963, with critical and commercial success.Scudamore(1985) pp.200, 203–204 Miles was also known for his comic monologues, often delivered with a rural dialect, which were issued on record albums.

Personal life

Miles married the actress

Josephine Wilson Josephine Wilson, Baroness Miles (5 July 1904 – 7 November 1990) was a British stage and film actress. She was the wife of Bernard Miles andHare p.195 creator of the Molecule Club, which staged scientific shows for children at the Mermaid The ...

, with whom he had two daughters and one son, the racing driver John Miles, in 1931. She co-founded and was involved actively with Miles in the Mermaid Theatre. She predeceased him on 7 November 1990. Miles was made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in 1953, was knighted in 1969, and was created a life peer as Baron Miles, of Blackfriars in the City of London, on 7 February 1979. He was only the second British actor to receive a peerage, after Laurence Olivier.

Death

Miles survived his wife by six months and died in June 1991. He had been born in the same year, and died on the same day, as the actress

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was deter ...

Filmography

Film

*'' Channel Crossing'' (1933) – Passenger (uncredited) *''

The Love Test ''The Love Test'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy film directed by Michael Powell and starring Judy Gunn, Louis Hayward, David Hutcheson, Googie Withers and Thorley Walters. It was made as a Quota quickie. Plot When a woman is made the head ...

'' (1935) – Allan *'' The Guv'nor'' (1935) – Man at Meeting (uncredited) *'' Late Extra'' (1935) – Charlie (uncredited) *'' Twelve Good Men'' (1936) – Inspector Pine *'' Everything Is Thunder'' (1936) – British Officer (uncredited) *'' Crown v. Stevens'' (1936) – Detective Wells (uncredited) *'' Midnight at Madame Tussaud's'' (1936) – Modeller (Kelvin) (uncredited) *'' Strange Boarders'' (1938) – Chemist (uncredited) *'' The Challenge'' (1938) – Villager (uncredited) *''

Convict 99 ''Convict 99'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt and Googie Withers. Plot Incompetent Dr Benjamin Twist (Will Hay) is dismissed from his job as headmaster at St. Mich ...

'' (1938) – Prison Warder (uncredited) *'' 13 Men and a Gun'' (1938) – Schultz *''

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. ...

'' (1938) – Member of Medical Aid Society Committee (uncredited) *'' They Drive by Night'' (1938) – Detective at Billiard Hall (uncredited) *'' The Rebel Son'' (1938) – Polish Prisoner *'' The Spy in Black'' (1939) – Hans – Hotel Receptionist (uncredited) *''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film Productions and ...

'' (1939) – Civilian Observer Controller *''

Band Waggon ''Band Waggon'' was a comedy radio show broadcast by the BBC from 1938 to 1940. The first series featured Arthur Askey and Richard "Stinker" Murdoch. In the second series, Askey and Murdoch were joined by Syd Walker, and the third series added ...

'' (1940) – Saboteur (uncredited) *'' Contraband'' (1940) – Man Lighting Pipe (uncredited) *''

Pastor Hall ''Pastor Hall'' is a 1940 British drama film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Nova Pilbeam, Marius Goring, Seymour Hicks and Bernard Miles. The film is based on the play of the same title by German author Ernst Toller who ...

'' (1940) – Heinrich Degan *''

Freedom Radio ''Freedom Radio'' (a.k.a. ''A Voice in the Night'') is a 1941 British propaganda film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Clive Brook, Diana Wynyard, Raymond Huntley and Derek Farr. It is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World Wa ...

'' (1941) – Capt. Muller *'' Quiet Wedding'' (1941) – PC *'' The Common Touch'' (1941) – Cricket Steward *''

The Big Blockade ''The Big Blockade'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war propaganda film in the style of dramatised documentary. It is directed by Charles Frend and stars Will Hay, Leslie Banks, Michael Redgrave and John Mills. It was produced by Michael Bal ...

'' (1942) – Royal Navy: Mate *'' This Was Paris'' (1942) – Nazi Propaganda Officer *''

One of Our Aircraft Is Missing ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (stylized onscreen as ''......one of our aircraft is missing'') is a 1942 British black-and-white war film, mainly set in the German-occupied Netherlands. It was the fourth collaboration between the British writ ...

'' (1942) – Geoff Hickman – Front Gunner in B for Bertie *''

The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the US as ''The Avengers'', is a 1942 British war film set in Norway during World War II. It stars Ralph Richardson, Deborah Kerr, Hugh Williams and Griffith Jones, and was directed by Harold French from a sc ...

'' (1942) – McAllister (Irish Soldier) *''

The First of the Few ''The First of the Few'' (US title ''Spitfire'') is a 1942 British black-and-white biographical film produced and directed by Leslie Howard, who stars as R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. David Niven co ...

'' (1942) – Lady Houston's Agent (uncredited) *'' In Which We Serve'' (1942) – Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy *'' The New Lot'' (1943) – Ted Loman (uncredited) *'' Tunisian Victory'' (1944) – British soldier (voice) *'' Tawny Pipit'' (1944) – Colonel Barton-Barrington *'' Carnival'' (1946) – Trewhella *'' Great Expectations'' (1946) – Joe Gargery *''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' (1947) – Newman Noggs *'' Fame Is the Spur'' (1947) – Tom Hannaway *'' The Guinea Pig'' (1948) – Mr. Read *'' Chance of a Lifetime'' (1950) – Stevens *'' The Magic Box'' (1951) – Cousin Alfred *'' Never Let Me Go'' (1953) – Joe Brooks *'' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) – Edward Drayton *''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whi ...

'' (1956) – The Manxman *''

Tiger in the Smoke ''Tiger in the Smoke'' is a 1956 British crime film directed by Roy Ward Baker (billed as Roy Baker) and starring Donald Sinden, Muriel Pavlow, Tony Wright, Bernard Miles and Christopher Rhodes. It is based on the 1952 novel '' The Tiger in the ...

'' (1956) – Tiddy Doll the Gang Leader *''

Fortune Is a Woman ''Fortune Is a Woman'' is a 1957 black and white British-American film noir crime film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Jack Hawkins and Arlene Dahl. Its plot concerns an attempted insurance fraud that goes badly wrong. In the United Stat ...

'' (1957) – Mr. Jerome *'' Doctor at Large'' (1957) – Haymaking Farmer (uncredited) *''

The Smallest Show on Earth ''The Smallest Show on Earth'' (US: ''Big Time Operators'') is a 1957 British comedy film, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford. The supporting cast includes Bernard M ...

'' (1957) – Old Tom *'' Saint Joan'' (1957) – Master Executioner *''

Tom Thumb Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. ''The History of Tom Thumb'' was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tan ...

'' (1958) – Jonathan *''

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sa ...

'' (1959) – Ted Harris *'' Heavens Above!'' (1963) – Simpson *''

Baby Love "Baby Love" is a song by American music group the Supremes from their second studio album, '' Where Did Our Love Go''. It was written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland and was released on September 17, 1964 ...

'' (1968) – (voice) *''

Run Wild, Run Free ''Run Wild, Run Free'' is a 1969 British drama film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and starring John Mills. The film was written by David Rook, based on his novel ''The White Colt'', and shot on location in Dartmoor, Devon, England. The film f ...

'' (1969) – Reg *'' The Lady and the Highwayman'' (1989, TV Movie) – Judge

Television

*''Nathaniel Titlark'' (1956–1957, Woodsman, 10 Episodes, BBCTV. Lost) (with Maureen Pryor as Jessie Titlark) – Nathaniel Titlark *''Long-running ITV commercial advertisement'' (1960s) Himself, drinking and recommending Mackeson as a beverage that 'Looks good, tastes good and, by golly, does you good'. Popularly believed to have been the main financial support for the Mermaid Theatre, for many years.Museum of the Moving Image Archives

Publications

*''The British Theatre'' *''God's Brainwave'' *''Favourite Tales from Shakespeare''

References

External links

*
Bernard Miles performances listed at The Theatre Collection, University of Bristol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Bernard 1907 births 1991 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors awarded British peerages Actors awarded knighthoods Alumni of Pembroke College, Oxford Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Knights Bachelor Life peers People from Uxbridge Life peers created by Elizabeth II