Screenland ((Jan–Jun 1947))

become an actor and got into the chorus of a London musical show. Then, for three years he played all kinds of tiny parts in unimportant stage productions until he found himself sailing for India with a small-time drama company. During a one-night stand in Colombo, Noel Coward looked into the tiny theater while he was waiting for a homeward boat and noticed Johnny's performance. That was the turning-point of Johnny's career. Back in London months later, Coward sent for him and gave him his first leading part in the new revue which C. B. Cochran was presenting in the West End. Then Johnny was established and a film test soon came along as a matter of course. He had a role in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" under Sam Wood's direction and then in "The Young Mr. Pitt" and received several offers from Hollywood. But that was the summer of 1939 and war broke out in Britain. By the end of the year Johnny was wearing khaki uniform in the Royal Engineers, and characteristically running a vaudeville show for his men in his spare time. Wounded in action, he was honorably discharged in 1941 and then Noel Coward who has always been so closely connected with the Mills career, offered him one of the star parts in his new film, "In Which We Serve." Noel also chanced to introduce Johnny to blonde Mary Hayley-Bell, a young stage actress who was trying to write plays. Johnny helped her with the technical directions and then married her. He has often declared since, it was the wisest thing he ever did. For Mary, calm and capable and essentially understanding, is just the kind of wife Johnny needs. She gives him sympathetic support and self-confidence, dispersing those moods of jitters which he gets whenever he starts on a new film, when he's almost inclined to withdraw because he isn't certain he can do his part full justice. She says that when she sees Johnny come home with the script under his arm and his forehead furrowed, she immediately informs him she is in trouble with her latest play, and will he please come and help her with it at once? Then he gets so immersed in the writing, his own apprehensions pass out of his mind, and when they do return later on, Mary is ready with her practical, commonsense advice to straighten his problems out in turn. That's how she came to finish her play. "Duet for Two Hands," in which Johnny appeared in London. He was as enthusiastic as Mary when it secured Broadway production, too, so excited at its reception he quite forgot to agonize in anticipation of his current film, "October Man." When that's finished this summer, the Millses will come to America again to stay for several months, for Johnny is the latest British star to be lent to Hollywood for a film with American players under J Arthur Rank's "lend-lease" scheme. He is due to start work in California this fall. Since he got married, he has made another British film for Noel Coward, "This Happy Breed," and played in "Johnny in the Clouds," and as Pip in "Great Expectations," the movie of Charles Dickens' classic novel. This was a costume part and Johnny didn't like it very much, for he's so essentially a modern young Englishman he doesn't feel at ease in satins and lace neckwear. But his latest film has delighted him. "It reallv was an honor to be chosen for the part," he says and means it because this picture is being made jointly by the Rank Organization and RKO and so enjoys the much envied distinction of being the first British film to have a complete first-class release in America. It is based on James Hilton's tender story, "So Well Remembered," and Johnny appears as the proprietor of an English small-town newspaper, first as a young man and then steadily adding the years until he becomes a grandfather. It's produced by Hollywood's Adrian Scott and directed by Edward Dmytryk who brought over his own technicians who had worked with him on "Till the End of Time" and "Tender Comrade." Martha Scott postponed a Broadway show in order to come across and play the heroine Olivia while young and promising Richard Carlson was another importation from California, cast as Charles Wiiislow, an air-pilot, just after his own release from the U.S. Navy. Since they all play golf, Johnny was able to give some sporting parties at his home on Sundays, for Mary and he have a spacious modern house which adjoins the Denham Course, just across the fields from the studios. Johnny enjoys all openair games, including tennis and cricket and boxing. He once appeared in a film called "Waterloo Road," with Stewart Granger, in which the script demanded them to have a terrific fight. Since Stewart's keenly athletic, too, they dispensed with stand-ins and had a glorious afternoon together. Johnny finds Sunday relaxation in his garden also, invariably scything the grass and pruning the fruit trees in the orchard himself. Operations are frequently complicated by his lively wire-haired terrier, Becky, and Mary's golden cocker. Ham let, and five-year-old daughter Jacqueline who is alwavs called "Bunch." She's an exceptionally pretty child with long ashblonde hair, highly photogenic, and a born mimic, and already determined to become an actress! Immediately she was introduced to Adrian Scott, she demanded to be allowed to "do something nice" in the new film with her father. Impressed by her delightful personality, Scott altered a juvenile character to fit her so now "Bunch" makes her screen debut with Johnny, whom she so strongly resembles. "Bunch" insists that her parents take her to the movies with them at least once a week, though naturally they won't permit her to watch the gangster films which are Johnny's especial favorites. He will travel miles to see James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart in action. But it needs a firm invitation from Mr. Rank to make him attend the premiere of one of his own films. Having been captured, he sits there in a dim haze, unaware of anything, quite unable to judge the effect of his own acting and only prevented from running oi-t of the theater by Mary, sitting beside him and tightly clasping his hand. When that enthusiastic movie-goer, Queen Mary, once complimented him on his performance, Johnny swallowed hard and then gasped, "I'm glad, Your Majesty, because I really tried my best." Grandest thing about Johnny on the screen is that his best is still improving. He admits he learnt a great deal from making "So Well Remembered," and looks forward to his Hollywood film , because he feels there will be more opportunities for study there. And it's certain Hollywood will be pleased to meet this cheerful bright-eyed actor, who always says, "thank you very much for coming." to the newspaper reporters, and who quietly maintains it must be obvious the director knows best, otherwise he wouldn't have that job. For Johnny's the kind of guy who grows upon you. The more you see of him the more you like him, on the screen and off it. too |chn Mills, new British favorite soon to be seen in "October Man" and "So Well Remembered," helps his successful playwright wife, Mary Hayley Bell, with her script. HH SfREENLAND