Bernard James Miles, Baron Miles (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 th ...

in 1959, the first new theatre that opened in the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

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 Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

and

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

. 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 Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

County School,

Pembroke College, Oxford Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located on Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England and VI of Scotland, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale ...

, and the Northampton Institute (later

City University of London City, University of London was a public university from 1966 to 2024 in London, England. It merged with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London in August 2024. The names "City, University of London" and ...

) 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 ...

'' 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 fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1883 novel '' Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing leg ...

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 a ...

''. 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 comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British 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, 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 valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in 1953, was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1969, and was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

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 Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

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 "Peggy" Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991) was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was determined from an early age to become ...

Filmography

Film

*'' Channel Crossing'' (1933) – Passenger (uncredited) *'' The Love Test'' (1935) – Allan *'' The Guv'nor'' (1935) – Man at Meeting (uncredited) *'' Late Extra'' (1935) – Charlie (uncredited) *'' Twelve Good Men'' (1936) – Inspector Pine *''

Everything Is Thunder ''Everything Is Thunder'' is a 1936 British thriller film directed by Milton Rosmer and starring Constance Bennett, Douglass Montgomery and Oskar Homolka. Its plot concerns a British officer who attempts to escape from a German Prisoner of War ca ...

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

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

'' (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 ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-boat 29'') is a 1939 British spy film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy th ...

'' (1939) – Hans – Hotel Receptionist (uncredited) *''

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

'' (1939) – Civilian Observer Controller *'' Band Waggon'' (1940) – Saboteur (uncredited) *''

Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") is any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It comprises goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes of the leg ...

'' (1940) – Man Lighting Pipe (uncredited) *'' Pastor Hall'' (1940) – Heinrich Degan *'' Freedom Radio'' (1941) – Capt. Muller *'' Quiet Wedding'' (1941) – PC *'' The Common Touch'' (1941) – Cricket Steward *''

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

'' (1942) – Royal Navy: Mate *'' This Was Paris'' (1942) – Nazi Propaganda Officer *'' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) – Geoff Hickman – Front Gunner in B for Bertie *''

The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the USA 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 ...

'' (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 (actor), Leslie Howard, who stars as R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter air ...

'' (1942) – Lady Houston's Agent (uncredited) *''

In Which We Serve ''In Which We Serve'' is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean, who made his debut as a director. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information. The screenplay ...

'' (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 Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

'' (1946) – Trewhella *''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...

'' (1946) – Joe Gargery *''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'', or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'', is the third novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839. The character of Nickleby is a young man who must support his ...

'' (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 ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivie ...

'' (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 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'' (1956) – The Manxman *'' Tiger in the Smoke'' (1956) – Tiddy Doll the Gang Leader *'' Fortune Is a Woman'' (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, Margaret Rutherford and Bernard Miles. The screenplay was writ ...

'' (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 known fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, ...

'' (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, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name ''sapphire ...

'' (1959) – Ted Harris *'' Heavens Above!'' (1963) – Simpson *'' Baby Love'' (1968) – (voice) *'' Run Wild, Run Free'' (1969) – Reg *''

The Lady and the Highwayman ''The Lady and the Highwayman'' is a 1989 United Kingdom romantic adventure television film based on Barbara Cartland's 1952 romance novel ''Cupid Rides Pillion''. The working title of the film was ''Dangerous Love''. The film stars Hugh Gr ...

'' (1989, TV Movie) – Judge

Television

*''Nathaniel Titlark'' (1956–1957, Woodsman, 10 Episodes, BBCTV. Lost) (with

Maureen Pryor Maureen St John Pook (23 May 1922 – 5 May 1977), known professionally as Maureen Pryor, was an Irish-born English character actress who made stage, film, and television appearances. ''The Encyclopaedia of British Film'' noted, "she never playe ...

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 Crossbench life peers People from Uxbridge Life peers created by Elizabeth II Actors from the London Borough of Hillingdon