Gavin Millar

Directing

Gavin Millar

Born
Died
(aged 84)
Birthplace
Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK
Credits
55 titles

Biography

Gavin Millar (11 January 1938 – 20 April 2022) was a Scottish film director, critic and television presenter. Millar was born in Clydebank, near Glasgow, 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. He undertook national service in the Royal Air Force and then read English at Christ Church, Oxford from 1958 to 1961. Millar took a postgraduate film course at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Millar was a film critic for The Listener from 1970 to 1984. He also contributed to Sight and Sound and the London Review of Books. He wrote a new section to Karel Reisz's book The Technique of Film Editing for the 1968 edition. On television, he wrote, produced and presented Arena Cinema for the BBC 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, which received a BAFTA 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's television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles 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, received a further BAFTA nomination, and Housewife, 49 (2006), a later collaboration with Wood, won the 2007 award.

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

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 10

YearTitleRole
2004 The Making of Rocky Road to Dublin Film Voiceover Interviewer (Archive Footage)
2004 New Tricks TV Theatre Director (1 ep)
1995 Funny Bones Film Steve Campbell
1990 Creative Process: Norman McLaren Film Self - Interviewer (archive footage)
1986 Made In Ealing: The Story of Ealing Studios Film Narrator
1979 Talking Pictures: Quadrophenia Film Host
1976 Monsieur Hulot's Work Film Self - Interviewer
1970 The Eye Hears, the Ear Sees Film Self
1970 Virginia Woolf: A Night's Darkness, A Day's Sail Film Narrator
1967 Omnibus TV Self (1 ep)

Crew credits 47

YearTitleJob
2009 Albert Schweitzer Film Director
2006 Housewife, 49 Film Director
2006 Pickles: The Dog Who Won the World Cup Film Director
2004 King of Fridges Film Director
2004 Benefit to Mankind Film Director
2003 The Last Detective TV Director (1 ep)
2002 Foyle's War TV Director (4 ep)
2002 Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister Film Director
2000 My Fragile Heart Film Director
2000 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Journey of Radiance Film Director
2000 Complicity Film Director
1999 The Vice TV Director (1 ep)
1998 Talking Heads 2 Film Director
1997 Sex & Chocolate Film Director
1996 The Crow Road TV Director (4 ep)
1995 Belle Époque TV Director (3 ep)
1994 Pat and Margaret Film Director
1994 The Dwelling Place TV Director (3 ep)
1992 Look At It This Way TV Director (3 ep)
1992 My Friend Walter Film Director
1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV Director (1 ep)
1991 A Murder of Quality Film Director
1989 Screen One TV Director (1 ep)
1989 Danny the Champion of the World Film Director
1988 The Most Dangerous Man in the World Film Director
1988 Tidy Endings Film Director
1988 Talking Heads TV Director (1 ep)
1987 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries TV Director (2 ep)
1987 Scoop Film Director
1986 The Russian Soldier Film Director
1985 Mr. and Mrs. Edgehill Film Director
1985 Dreamchild Film Director
1985 Screen Two TV Director (2 ep)
1984 Unfair Exchanges Film Director
1983 The Weather in the Streets Film Director
1983 Secrets Film Director
1982 Intensive Care Film Director
1981 A Pretty British Affair Film Director
1980 Cream in My Coffee Film Director
1979 Talking Pictures: Quadrophenia Film Producer
1975 Arena TV Director (1 ep)
1975 Goodbye Film Director
1973 Wessex Tales TV Director (1 ep)
1972 Full House TV Director (1 ep)
1970 Play for Today TV Director (3 ep)
1970 The Eye Hears, the Ear Sees Film Director
1969 Review TV Director (1 ep)
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