Miles Mander

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Miles Mander (May 14, 1888–February 8, 1946), born Lionel Henry Mander (and sometimes credited as Luther Miles), was a well-known and versatile English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist.

Miles Mander was the second son of Theodore Mander, builder of Wightwick Manor, of the prominent Mander family, industrialists and public servants of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, in Midland England. But he soon broke away from the predictable mould of business and philanthropy. He was an early aviator, who had spent his 20s in New Zealand farming sheep.

He achieved success with The First Born which he directed and acted in, and which was based on his own novel and play. He is better remembered for his character portrayals of oily villains, many of them English gentlemen or upper-crust cads - such as Cardinal Richelieu in the The Three Musketeers (1939). In his Hollywood debut, he had portrayed King Louis XIII in the 1935 version of that same Alexandre Dumas, père classic. Other famous film credits included Wuthering Heights with Lawrence Olivier and Merle Oberon.

Contents 1 Personal life 2 Film credits, as actor 3 Film credits, as director 4 Film credits, as writer 5 Film credits, as producer 6 External links 7 Sources

[edit] Personal life

His first wife was an Indian princess, Princess Prativa Devi, the daughter of the Maharajah Nripendra Narayan of Cooch Behar. His brother Alan married her sister, Princess Sudhira. He married secondly Kathren ('Bunty') French, of Sydney, Australia, by whom he had a son, Theodore. He wrote a book of memoirs and advice to him, To My Son -- in Confidence (1934). He died suddenly in California aged 57 of a heart attack.

[edit] Film credits, as actor

• The Imperfect Lady (1947) .... Mr. Rogan ... aka Mrs. Loring's Secret (UK) ... aka They Met at Midnight (USA);
• The Walls Came Tumbling Down (1946) .... Dr. Marko;
• The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946) .... The Sheriff;
• Confidential Agent (1945) .... Mr. Brigstock;
• Week-End at the Waldorf (1945) .... British Secretary;
• Crime Doctor's Warning (1945) .... Frederick Malone ... aka Doctor's Warning (UK);
• The Brighton Strangler (1945) .... Chief Inspector W.R. Allison;
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) .... Sir Robert Bentley;
• Murder, My Sweet (1944) .... Mr. Grayle ... aka Farewell My Lovely (UK);
• Enter Arsene Lupin (1944) .... Charles Seagrave;
• The Pearl of Death (1944) .... Giles Conover;
• The Scarlet Claw (1944) .... Judge Brisson ... aka Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Claw (USA: promotional title);
• The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) (uncredited) .... Major Loring at Hospital;
• The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) (uncredited) .... Man;
• Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) (uncredited) .... Col. Hartley;
• The Return of the Vampire (1944) .... Sir Frederick Fleet;
• Madame Curie (1943) (uncredited) .... Businessman;
• Guadalcanal Diary (1943) (uncredited) .... Weatherby (copra plantation supervisor);
• Phantom of the Opera (1943) .... Pleyel;
• First Comes Courage (1943) (uncredited) .... Col. Wallace;
• Five Graves to Cairo (1943) (uncredited) .... Col. Fitzhume;
• Assignment in Brittany (1943) .... Col. Herman Fournier;
• Secrets of the Underground (1942) .... Paul Panois;
• Lucky Jordan (1942) .... Kilpatrick;
• Journey for Margaret (1942) (uncredited);
• Apache Trail (1942) .... James V. Thorne;
• Somewhere I'll Find You (1942) (uncredited) .... Floyd Kirsten;
• The War Against Mrs Hadley (1942) .... Doctor Leonard V. Meecham;
• Mrs. Miniver (1942) (uncredited) .... German Agent's Voice;
• Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942) .... Portmaster;
• This Above All (1942) .... Major;
• Fingers at the Window (1942) .... Dr. Kurt Immelman;
• To Be or Not to Be (1942) .... Maj. Cunningham;
• Captains of the Clouds (1942) (voice) (uncredited) .... Winston S. Churchill;
• A Tragedy at Midnight (1942) .... Dr Hilary Wilton;
• Fly-By-Night (1942) .... Prof. Langner ... aka Secrets of G32 (UK);
• Secrets of the Underground (1942) .... Paul Panois;
• Lucky Jordan (1942) .... Kilpatrick;
• Journey for Margaret (1942) (uncredited);
• Apache Trail (1942) .... James V. Thorne;
• Somewhere I'll Find You (1942) (uncredited) .... Floyd Kirsten;
• The War Against Mrs Hadley (1942) .... Doctor Leonard V. Meecham;
• Mrs Miniver (1942) (uncredited) .... German Agent's Voice;
• Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942) .... Portmaster;
• This Above All (1942) .... Major;
• Fingers at the Window (1942) .... Dr. Kurt Immelman;
• To Be or Not to Be (1942) .... Maj. Cunningham;
• Captains of the Clouds (1942) (voice) (uncredited) .... Winston S. Churchill;
• A Tragedy at Midnight (1942) .... Dr Hilary Wilton;
• Fly-By-Night (1942) .... Prof. Langner ... aka Secrets of G32 (UK);
• Dr Kildare's Wedding Day (1941) .... Dr. John F. Lockberg ... aka Mary Names the Day (UK);
• They Met in Bombay (1941) (uncredited) .... Doctor;
• That Hamilton Woman (1941) .... Lord Keith ... aka Lady Hamilton (UK);
• Shadows on the Stairs (1941) .... Tom Armitage ... aka Murder on the Second Floor (USA);
• Free and Easy (1941) (scenes deleted) .... Solicitor;
• South of Suez (1940) .... Roger Smythe;
• Captain Caution (1940) .... Lt. Strope;
• Babies for Sale (1940) .... Dr. Rankin;
• Primrose Path (1940) .... Homer Adams;
• Road to Singapore (1940) (uncredited) .... Sir Malcolm Drake;
• The House of the Seven Gables (1940) .... Deacon Arnold Foster;
• Laddie (1940) .... Mr. Pryor;
• The Earl of Chicago (1940) (uncredited) .... Attorney General;
• Tower of London (1939) .... King Henry VI;
• Stanley and Livingstone (1939) .... Sir John Gresham;
• The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) .... Aramis;
• Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939) .... Horace Granville;
• Wuthering Heights (1939) .... Lockwood;
• The Little Princess (1939) .... Lord Wickham;
• The Three Musketeers (1939) .... Cardinal Richelieu ... aka The Singing Musketeer (UK);
• Suez (1938) .... Benjamin Disraeli;
• The Mad Miss Manton (1938) .... Mr. Fred Thomas;
• Kidnapped (1938) .... Ebenezer Balfour;
• Youth on Parole (1937) .... Sparkler (gang leader);
• Wake Up and Live (1937) .... James Stratton;
• Slave Ship (1937) .... Corey;
• Lloyd's of London (1936) .... Jukes;
• The Three Musketeers (1935) .... King Louis XIII;
• Here's to Romance (1935) .... Bert;
• Death Drives Through (1935) .... Garry Ames;
• The Case for the Crown (1934) .... James L. Barton;
• The Battle (1934) .... Feize ... aka Hara-Kiri ... aka Thunder in the East (USA);
• The Four Masked Men (1934) .... Rodney Fraser;
• Don Quixote (1933) .... The Duke aka Adventures of Don Quixote;
• The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) .... Wriothesley;
• Bitter Sweet (1933) .... Captain Auguste Lutte;
• Loyalties (1933) .... Capt. Ronald Dancy, DSO;
• Matinee Idol (1933) .... Harley Travers;
• That Night in London (1932) .... Harry Tresham ... aka Over-Night ... aka Overnight;
• Lily Christine (1932) .... Ambatriadi;
• The Missing Rembrandt (1932) .... Claude Holford ... aka Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Rembrandt (USA);
• Frail Women (1932) .... Registrar;
• Mary (1931) .... Gordon Moore;
• Murder! (1930) .... Gordon Druce;
• Loose Ends (1930) .... Raymond Carteret;
• The Crooked Billet (1929) .... Guy Morrow ... aka International Spy (UK);
• Meineid (1929) ... aka Perjury (International: English title);
• The First Born (1928) .... Sir Hugo Boycott;
• Parisiskor (1928) .... Armand de Marny ... aka Doctors' Women (USA) ... aka Dr. Monnier und die Frauen (Germany) ... aka Women of Paris (USA);
• Balaclava (1928) .... Captain Gardner ... aka Jaws of Hell;
• Faschingskönig, Der (1928);
• The Physician (1928) .... Walter Amphiel;
• Tiptoes (1927) .... Rollo Stevens ... aka Tip Toes;
• As We Lie (1927) .... The Husband;
• The Fake (1927) .... Honourable Gerald Pillick;
• London Love (1926) .... Sir James Daring;
• Riding for a King (1926) .... Lord Steerwell;
• The Pleasure Garden (1925) .... Levett ... aka Irrgarten der Leidenschaft (Germany);
• The Lady in Furs (1925) ... aka Sables of Death (UK);
• The Painted Lady (1925) ... aka Red Lips (UK);
• The Prude's Fall (1924) .... Sir Neville Moreton ... aka Dangerous Virtue (USA);
• Lovers in Araby (1924) .... Derek Fare;
• Half a Truth (1922) .... Marquis Sallast;
• Open Country (1922) .... Honorable William Chevenix;
• The Road to London (1921) (uncredited);
• The Place of Honour (1921) .... Lt. Devereaux;
• The Old Arm Chair (1920);
• The Rank Outsider (1920);
• The Temporary Lady (1920) .... Monckton;
• Testimony (1920).

[edit] Film credits, as director

• The Flying Doctor (1936)
• The Morals of Marcus (1935)
• Youthful Folly (1934)
• Fascination (1931)
• The Woman Between (1931) U.S. title The Woman Decides
• The First Born (1928)
• As We Lie (1927) short film made in DeForest Phonofilm
• Packing Up (1927) short made in Phonofilm
• The Sentence of Death (1927) U. S. title His Great Moment, short made in Phonofilm
• False Colours (1927) short made in Phonofilm
• The Fair Maid of Perth (1926) short made in Phonofilm
• Knee Deep in Daisies (1926) short made in Phonofilm
• The Sheik of Araby (1926) short made in Phonofilm
• The Whistler (1926) short made in Phonofilm

[edit] Film credits, as writer

• The Flying Doctor (1936);
• The Morals of Marcus (1935);
• The Lodger (1932) ... aka The Phantom Fiend (USA);
• The Mistress of Atlantis (1932) ... aka The Lost Atlantis (USA);
• The Woman Between (1931/I) (also play Conflict) ... aka The Woman Decides (USA);
• The First Born (1928);
• As We Lie (1927) (story);
• Lovers in Araby (1924).

[edit] Film credits, as producer

• The Flying Doctor (1936);
• The First Born (1928);
• Knee Deep in Daisies (1926);
• Watchtower Over Tomorrow (1945) (uncredited).

[edit] External links

• Miles Mander at the Internet Movie Database
• Murder, My Sweet at the Internet Movie Database
• Farewell, My Lovely at the Internet Movie Database
• The Private Life of Henry VIII at the Internet Movie Database

[edit] Sources

• Miles Mander, To my Son -- in Confidence, Faber, 1934
• Miles Mander, Gentleman by Birth, 1933
• Sir Geoffrey Le Mesurier Mander (ed), The History of Mander Brothers, Wolverhampton. 1955
• C. Nicholas Mander, Varnished Leaves: a biography of the Mander Family of Wolverhampton, 1750-1950, Owlpen Press, 2004
• Patricia Pegg, A Very Private Heritage: the private papers of Samuel Theodore Mander, 1853-1900, Malvern, 1996