Gavin Millar
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Gavin Millar (11 January 1938 – 20 April 2022) was a Scottish film director, critic and television presenter.


Biography

Millar was born in
Clydebank Clydebank () is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick (with Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Bowling and Milton, West Dunbartonshire, Milton beyond) to the w ...
, near
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, the son of Tom Millar and his wife Rita (née Osborne). The family relocated to the Midlands when he was nine and he was educated at
King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...
. He undertook
national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
and then read English at
Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...
from 1958 to 1961. Millar took a
postgraduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...
film course at the
Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.


Career

Millar was a film critic for '' The Listener'' from 1970 to 1984. He also contributed to ''
Sight and Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...
'' and the ''
London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published bimonthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of Book ...
''. He wrote a new section to
Karel Reisz Karel Reisz (21 July 1926 – 25 November 2002) was a Czech-born British filmmaker and film critic, one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in British cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Two of the best-known films he directed are '' Satur ...
's book ''The Technique of Film Editing'' for the 1968 edition. On television, he wrote, produced and presented ''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
Cinema'' for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
from 1976 to 1980, and wrote and presented numerous other cinema and visual arts documentaries. In 1980, he directed Dennis Potter's '' Cream in My Coffee'' for
London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...
, which received a
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
nomination. His first feature film as director was 1985's '' Dreamchild''. He would later collaborate with ''Dreamchild's'' producer Rick McCallum again on the episode ''Peking, March 1910'', part of
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
's television series ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (sometimes referred to as ''Young Indy'') is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" ...
'' in 1993. It was later re-edited to be part of ''Journey of Radiance'' when the series became ''The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones'' on its DVD release. His 1994 television film '' Pat and Margaret'', featuring
Victoria Wood Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, musician, screenwriter, and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over several decades, and her live comedy act ...
, received a further BAFTA nomination, and '' Housewife, 49'' (2006), a later collaboration with Wood, won the 2007 award.


Marriage and children

Millar married Sylvia Lane in 1966. She died in 2012. The couple had five children.


Death

Millar died of a brain tumour on 20 April 2022, aged 84. He was survived by his five children and by six grandchildren.


Selected works


Feature films

*1985 '' Dreamchild'' *1989 '' Danny, the Champion of the World'' *1995 '' Funny Bones'' (actor only) *1997 '' Journey of Radiance '' *2000 '' Complicity'' *2009 '


TV

*1980 '' Cream in My Coffee'' *1982 ''
Intensive Care Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes p ...
'' *1983 '' Secrets'' *1983 '' The Weather in the Streets'' *1984 '' Unfair Exchanges'' *1985 '' The Russian Soldier''; '' Mr and Mrs Edgehill'' *1987 ''
Scoop Scoop, Scoops or The Scoop may refer to: Artefacts * Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things * Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging * Scoop (theater), a type of wide area l ...
'' *1988 '' Tidy Endings'' *1991 '' A Murder of Quality'' *1991 '' My Friend Walter'' *1992 '' Look at It This Way'' *1993 ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (sometimes referred to as ''Young Indy'') is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" ...
'' *1993 '' The Dwelling Place'' *1994 '' Pat and Margaret''; '' A Case of Coincidence'' *1995 ''
Belle Epoque Belle may refer to: People and fictional characters * Belle (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Belle (surname), a list of people * Southern belle, a stock character representing a young woman of the American South's upp ...
'' *1996 '' The Crow Road'' *1997 ''Sex & Chocolate'' *1998 '' This Could Be the Last Time''; '' Talking Heads 2'' *2000 '' My Fragile Heart'' *2001 '' Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'' *2002 '' Ella and the Mothers'' *2002 '' The Vice'' *2002 '' The Last Detective'' *2004 '' King of Fridges'' *2004-7 '' Foyle's War'' *2005 '' Pickles, the Dog Who Won the World Cup'' *2006 '' Housewife, 49''


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Millar, Gavin 1938 births 2022 deaths People from Clydebank People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art Scottish film critics Scottish film directors