Page 27 - Fujifilm Exposure_17 Africa_ok

TO REMEMBER
TO REMEMBER
flashback
let the protagonists tell their story in a meaningful way. Moving Memories really tells Sir John’s life, through his movie camera and to a certain extent the film camera as well.”
One of the problems Dillistone faced was in editing together very, very short scenes – sometimes as little as two and a half seconds of footage. “I was actually adding frames to the beginning and the end of shot, or using slow-mo to get something useful out of them. I suppose this is because 16mm film stock was very expensive in those days. It was a little clockwork camera, and it was 100 foot loads, and Jonathan recalls the camera was con- stantly running out.”
Taking his camera with him on location all around the world, Sir John shot in all conditions – from the snow- bound to the tropical. All might have been lost had Sir John Mills suc- cumbed, early in his career, to the lure of Hollywood. A reminder of his extra- ordinary longevity is the fact that he was offered a part in a big Hollywood picture, Cavalcade, as long ago as 1933.
“I was in the play in London when
Fox offered me the same part as I was playing, in the film. I was getting £15 a week, and they wanted me to sign a five year deal at £150 a week. Noel Coward – who wrote it – was my men- tor in many ways, and he had supper with me, and spent hours persuading me to turn it down.
“He felt I could play everything if I stayed in the theatre, but if I went to Hollywood I’d be typecast and would end up playing myself all the time. He didn’t think that was good enough for me. At five in the morning I decided to turn the offer down, and that was the best decision I ever made in my life.
“That would have meant cutting my roots, and that’s not me. I love England, and I’d rather be poor and happy than rich and unhappy.”
The fact that he maintained his roots and enjoyed a happy and suc- cessful life can be glimpsed in Moving Memories, as is the fact that Sir John Mills, now 93, remains a consummate entertainer.
“Someone described the film as being a bit like sitting down by the fire, having a chat with John Mills,” Dillistone adds. “They weren’t quite sure whether they meant that as praise or criticism – but what could be better than that?” ■ ANWAR BRETT
The interviews in Moving Memories were shot on Fuji Beta SP VHS copies can be ordered online at www.glory.co.uk
Photos from top left: Mary with the children; with Dickie Attenborough, Rex Harrison and David Niven