Gavin Millar facts for kids

Gavin Millar (born January 11, 1938 – died April 20, 2022) was a Scottish film director, critic, and television presenter. He was known for his work both behind the camera and for sharing his thoughts on movies with audiences.

Early Life and Education

Gavin Millar was born in Clydebank, a town near Glasgow, Scotland, on January 11, 1938. When he was nine years old, his family moved to the Midlands in England. He went to school at King Edward's School, Birmingham.

After school, he joined the Royal Air Force for a period of national service. Then, from 1958 to 1961, he studied English at Christ Church, Oxford University. Later, he continued his education by taking a special film course at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Career in Film and TV

Gavin Millar had many roles in the world of film and television. He was a film critic for a magazine called The Listener from 1970 to 1984. He also wrote for other well-known magazines like Sight and Sound and the London Review of Books. He even helped update a famous book about film editing called The Technique of Film Editing in 1968.

On television, Gavin Millar was a writer, producer, and presenter for a show called Arena Cinema on the BBC. He worked on this show from 1976 to 1980. He also wrote and presented many other documentaries about movies and visual arts.

Directing Films and TV Shows

In 1980, Gavin Millar directed a TV film called Cream in My Coffee. This film was nominated for a BAFTA award, which is a big award in British television.

His first full-length movie as a director was Dreamchild, released in 1985. He later worked with the producer of Dreamchild, Rick McCallum, on an episode of the TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1993. This episode was later re-edited for the DVD release of the series.

Gavin Millar's 1994 TV film Pat and Margaret, starring Victoria Wood, also received a BAFTA nomination. He worked with Victoria Wood again on the 2006 film Housewife, 49, which won a BAFTA award in 2007.

Personal Life

Gavin Millar married Sylvia Lane in 1966. They had five children together. Sylvia passed away in 2012.

Later Years

Gavin Millar died on April 20, 2022, at the age of 84. He was survived by his five children and six grandchildren.

Selected Works

Here are some of the films and TV shows Gavin Millar worked on:

Feature Films

• 1985 Dreamchild
• 1989 Danny, the Champion of the World
• 1995 Funny Bones (he acted in this film)
• 2000 Complicity
• 2009 Albert Schweitzer [de]

Television Shows

• 1980 Cream in My Coffee
• 1982 Intensive Care
• 1983 Secrets
• 1983 The Weather in the Streets
• 1984 Unfair Exchanges
• 1985 The Russian Soldier
• 1985 Mr and Mrs Edgehill
• 1987 Scoop
• 1988 Tidy Endings
• 1991 A Murder of Quality
• 1991 My Friend Walter
• 1992 Look at It This Way
• 1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
• 1993 The Dwelling Place
• 1994 Pat and Margaret
• 1994 A Case of Coincidence
• 1995 Belle Epoque
• 1996 The Crow Road
• 1998 This Could Be the Last Time
• 1998 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
• 2004-2007 Foyle's War
• 2005 Pickles, the Dog Who Won the World Cup
• 2006 Housewife, 49