Bernard Miles
Known for Acting · 63 credits
- Born
- 1907-09-27
- Died
- 1991-06-14
- Place of birth
- Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, UK
- Also known as
- Bernard James Miles
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (4)
Movies (59)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956
as Edward Drayton
Sapphire
1959
as Ted Harris
Moby Dick
1956
as The Manxman
Great Expectations
1946
as Joe Gargery
Closing Ranks
1980
as Sir Alec Ware
Henry Moore
1951
as Narrator
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
1980
as Dr. Thomas
In Which We Serve
1942
as Chief Petty Officer Hardy / Walter Hardy
Run Wild, Run Free
1969
as Reg
The Lady and the Highwayman
1988
as Judge
The Citadel
1938
as Medical Aid Society Committee Member (uncredited)
Sabotage!
1942
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Zarak
1956
as Hassu the one-eyed
Barbara Hepworth
1961
as Narrator
The Guv'nor
1935
as Man at Meeting
Tom Thumb
1958
as Jonathan
The Love Test
1935
as Allan
Saint Joan
1957
as Master Executioner
The Vision of William Blake
1958
as Poems & Narration
Contraband
1940
as Man Lighting Pipe
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
1947
as Newman Noggs
The Spy in Black
1939
as Hans - Hotel Receptionist
Wuthering Heights
1958
as Joseph
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
as Self (archive footage)
Never Let Me Go
1953
as Joe Brooks
The Smallest Show on Earth
1957
as Old Tom
Fortune Is a Woman
1957
as Mr. Jerome
Treasure Island
1982
as Long John Silver
The Magic Box
1952
as Cousin Alfred
Tiger in the Smoke
1956
as Tiddy Doll the Gang Leader
Doctor at Large
1957
as Haymaking Farmer (uncredited)
The Guinea Pig
1948
as Mr. Read
The Big Blockade
1942
as Royal Navy Mate
The Dawn Guard
1941
as Farmer
The Day Will Dawn
1942
as McAllister (Irish Soldier)
The Lion Has Wings
1939
as Civilian Observer Controller
Secrets of Kew Gardens
1937
as Narrator (voice)
Crown v. Stevens
1936
as Detective Wells
Chance of a Lifetime
1950
as Stevens
They Drive by Night
1938
as Detective at Billiard Halls (Uncredited)
Freedom Radio
1941
as Capt. Muller
Quiet Wedding
1941
as PC
Twelve Good Men
1936
as Inspector Pine
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing
1942
as Geoff Hickman, Front Gunner in B for Bertie
Fame Is the Spur
1947
as Tom Hannaway
Pastor Hall
1940
as Heinrich Degan
Heavens Above!
1963
as Simpson
Carnival
1946
as Trewhella
Band Waggon
1940
as Saboteur (uncredited)
Tunisian Victory
1944
as British soldier (voice)
The Rebel Son
1938
as Polish Prisoner
The Challenge
1938
as Villager
Late Extra
1935
as Charlie (uncredited)
The New Lot
1943
as Ted Loman
Tawny Pipit
1944
as Colonel Barton-Barrington
Strange Boarders
1938
as Chemist (uncredited)
The Specialist
1966
The Common Touch
1941
as Cricket Steward
Two Fathers
1944
as The Englishman
About Bernard Miles
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 ma… With 63 credits spanning from 1935 to 1988, Bernard Miles has appeared in 59 films and 4 TV shows.
Fans searching for Bernard Miles movies, Bernard Miles filmography, or the latest projects starring Bernard Miles can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Bernard Miles Movies
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) — as Edward Drayton
- Sapphire (1959) — as Ted Harris
- Moby Dick (1956) — as The Manxman
- Great Expectations (1946) — as Joe Gargery
- Closing Ranks (1980) — as Sir Alec Ware
Where to Watch Bernard Miles Films
Most Bernard Miles movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Bernard Miles, check our movies catalogue and browse page.