Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Sir John MILLS CBE (1908-2005)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - John Mills, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during the curtain call of the play Little Lies at the Wyndham's Theatre in London.
John made his film debut in 1932, and worked steadily in British films throughout the 1930s. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted in the British Army, with the Royal Engineers, but was invalided out in 1942, and returned to films, becoming a popular leading man, appearing in such box office hits as Great Expectations, This Happy Breed, Hobson's Choice and Scott of the Antarctic.
By the 1960s John had become a popular character actor, and gave memorable performances in such films as Oh What a Lovely War, Young Winston and Ryan's Daughter, in which he played the village idiot, a role which won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
John Mills was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions – previously surprised by Eamonn Andrews in December 1960 at Pinewood Studios.
"No! Well I'll just do the show again!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 626
- Subject No: second timer
- Broadcast date: Wed 26 Oct 1983
- Broadcast time: 8.00-9.00pm
- Recorded: Mon 26 Sep 1983
- Venue: Royalty Theatre
- Series: 24
- Edition: 1
- Code name: Glory
on the guest list...
- Connie Booth
- Paul Hardwick
- Dominic Guard
- Angela Scoular
- Leonard Maguire
- Alison Neil
- Katherine Kath
- Malcolm Sinclair
- Gregory Cox
- Robert Mackintosh
- Joel Spector
- Michael Attenborough
- Mary Hayley Bell - wife
- Jonathan Mills - son
- Henry - grandson
- Hayley Mills - daughter
- Crispian Mills - grandson
- Juliet Mills - daughter
- Maxwell Caulfield - son-in-law
- Sean - grandson
- Molly Blake - niece
- Jimmy Bare
- Richard Murdoch
- James Grant Anderson
- Doris Hare
- Lilli Palmer
- Richard Attenborough - live link
- Elspeth March
- Derek Bond
- Pat Reid
- Lionel Jeffries
- Sylvia Syms
- Harry Andrews
- Dickie Henderson
- John Ferley
- Stewart Granger
- Jason - grandson
- Melissa - granddaughter Filmed tributes:
- James Cagney
- George C Scott
- Bob Hope
- Michael Redgrave
- Rachel Kempson
related appearances...
- Richard Attenborough - Dec 1962
- Lionel Jeffries - Apr 1971
- Hayley Mills - Dec 1973
- Anthony Quayle - Feb 1977
- Lord Mountbatten - Apr 1977
- Noel Barber - Dec 1979
- Douglas Bader - Mar 1982
- Bernard Miles - Jan 1985
- Rachel Kempson - Dec 1986
- Barbara Cartland - Dec 1989
- Peter Cushing - Feb 1990
- Juliet Mills - Oct 1992
- Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray - Apr 1995
- Freddie Young - Oct 1996
- Babs Powell - Nov 2001
- Lloyd Scott - May 2002
production team...
- Researcher: Colin Williams
- Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
- Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
- Associate Producer: Brian Klein
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
first tribute
spotlight on the stars
surprised again!
keeping it in the family
the special editions
Screenshots of John Mills This Is Your Life
Series 24 subjects
John Mills | Norman Parkinson | Chaim Topol | Pat Jennings | Susannah York | Stuart Henry | George Thomas | Richard NobleMatthew Kelly | Gloria Cameron | Geraint Evans | Matthew Lethbridge | Liza Goddard | Terry Lawless | Jim Davidson
Chris Gittins | Bob Todd | Nerys Hughes | Mike Spring | Eddie Macken | Freddie Starr | Kathy Staff
Jenny Pitman | Brian Blessed | Laddie Lucas | Danny La Rue