Miles, Lord (1907-1991), was a British actor, author, and producer. In 1959, he founded the Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars, London, and served as its director. The Mermaid became noted for its lively and often unusual productions.
Bernard Miles was born on Sept. 27, 1907, in Uxbridge, London, and educated at Oxford University. He made his stage debut in 1930 and his motion-picture debut in 1933. Miles developed a popular comedy stage act in which he portrayed a rustic individual who had a Buckinghamshire accent and who recounted stories and experiences with much humor. Miles wrote The British Theatre (1948). His major motion pictures included In Which We Serve (1942), Great Expectations (1946), The Smallest Show on Earth (1957), and Heavens Above (1963). Miles was knighted in 1969 and became a life peer with the title of baron in 1979. He died on June 14, 1991.
