John Mills – man of the people

I was hiking in the Colne river family and we passed through Denham outside of Uxbridge. This is the charming village where one of my favourite actors, John Mills, spent his last years, dying at the ripe old age of 97.

Unlike many of his peers and elders (Olivier, Gielgud, Richardson) Mills had a wide character range and could play many parts from generals and aristocrats to common soldiers and simpletons – though Alec Guinness comes a close second. Who could forget the humble Willy Mossop complete with Lancashire accent or Dickens’ Pip struggling to elevate himself in society?

He starred in a comprehensive array of great films including spirited roles in many world war two movies. His greatest work includes Ryan’s Daughter, Great Expectations, In Which We Serve, Ice Cold in Alex, Dunkirk, The Colditz Story, The History of Mr Polly and Scott of the Antarctic. My favourite however, is a little known film made in 1945 called The Way to the Stars about an airfield used first by the RAF then the Americans and all folk, civilian and military, affected by the war. It looked death in the face and effectively showed the geniune cameraderie during those difficult years. Audiences said the film resonated with how they felt and Mills plays a great part from green newbie to hard-bitten veteran.

So raise a glass to one of our screen greats (who, frankly, should receive far more plaudits than the overly theatrical Olivier), the multi-talented, perennial gentleman, John Mills.