Mary Hayley Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Hayley Bell
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| Born | 22 January 1911 Shanghai, China |
| Died | 1 December 2005 (aged 94) Chiltern, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Occupation | Writer, actress |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including Juliet and Hayley Mills |
| Relatives | Mark Weedon (nephew) Crispian Mills (grandson) |
Mary Hayley Bell, also known as Lady Mills, was an English actress and writer. She was born on January 22, 1911, and passed away on December 1, 2005. She was married for 64 years to the famous actor Sir John Mills.
Mary Hayley Bell wrote a well-known novel called Whistle Down the Wind. This book was later made into a movie. Her own daughter, the talented actress Hayley Mills, starred in the film when she was a teenager.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Mary Hayley Bell was born in Shanghai, China. Her father, Colonel Francis Hayley Bell, worked for the Chinese Maritime Customs Service. This service helped manage trade and taxes in different port cities in China.
Her mother's name was Agnes McGowan. Mary's father had served in the Boer War before moving to China. From 1925 to 1928, he was a Customs Commissioner in Kowloon, which is part of Hong Kong.
School Days in Hong Kong
During her time in Hong Kong, Mary went to school there. She often spent her weekends relaxing at her father's official country home. This house was located near the Fan Ling Golf Club.
Later, around 1930, her family moved to Tianjin, another city in China.
Mary Hayley Bell's Acting Career
Mary Hayley Bell traveled to England to study acting. She attended Malvern Girls' College and the RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art).
Her first time acting on stage was in 1932. She performed in a play called The Barretts of Wimpole Street in Shanghai. This was with an American theater company that was touring.
Performing in London and Beyond
Mary then began acting on the London stage. She appeared in Vintage Wine in 1934. She continued to get roles in London's West End theaters.
She also went on a tour of Australia. In 1939, she made her acting debut in New York City. Her acting career ended when she married John Mills in 1941.
Later in her life, she had a small role in a 1993 film called The Big Freeze. She played a resident in a nursing home, appearing alongside her husband. She also was in a documentary about her son, Sir John Mills' Moving Memories, in 2000.
Mary Hayley Bell's Writings
Mary Hayley Bell was a talented writer. She wrote four plays during her career. These plays included Men in Shadow (1942), Angel (1947), Duet for Two Hands (1945), and The Uninvited Guest (1953).
She also wrote the famous novel Whistle Down the Wind in 1958. This book was turned into a movie in 1961. Her daughter, Hayley Mills, starred in the film. The book also inspired an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical in 1996.
Other Writing Projects
Mary Hayley Bell also helped write screenplays for films. She co-wrote the story and screenplay for Sky West and Crooked (1966). This film was known as Gypsy Girl in the United States. She also wrote extra dialogue for the film Scott of the Antarctic (1948).
The title of her novel Whistle Down the Wind is thought to have come from the sound of the wind. It would whistle around the curved windows of The Wick. This was the family's home on Richmond Hill in London.
Her 1962 novel, Far Morning, featured illustrations. These drawings were created by John Mills's niece, Molly Blake.
Marriage and Family Life
Mary Hayley Bell first met John Mills in Tianjin, China. At the time, he was on a theater tour. They met again in London in 1939. Mary was performing in a play called Tony Draws a Horse.
They got married in London on January 16, 1941. John Mills was in the Royal Engineers during World War II. He had a short 48-hour pass for their wedding. Their honeymoon lasted only one night at Duke's Hotel.
A Long-Lasting Marriage
The Mills family's first home was a 16th-century cottage called "Misbourne." They bought it in 1942 and lived there until 1945. Their marriage lasted for 64 years, until John Mills passed away in 2005. This was a very long marriage, especially for people in show business.
John Mills once said he wished Mary could have had a church wedding. This was not possible because he had been divorced from his first wife. To celebrate their long marriage, they renewed their wedding vows. This happened sixty years after they first married, on January 16, 2001. The ceremony took place at St. Mary's Church in Denham, Buckinghamshire.
Their Children
Mary and John Mills had three children:
- Juliet Mills (born in 1941) became an actress. She was the star of the television show Nanny and the Professor.
- Hayley Mills (born in 1946) was a famous Disney child star. She appeared in movies like Pollyanna and the original The Parent Trap. Her son, Crispian Mills, later became a singer in the rock band Kula Shaker.
- Jonathan Mills (born in 1949) is a writer and film producer.
Later Years and Passing
In 1975, the Mills family bought a large house called Hills House in Denham, Buckinghamshire. It was a 17th-century house with a big garden.
By 2003, the house became too large for Sir John and Lady Mills. The stairs were also difficult for them to manage. So, they moved to a smaller home, a bungalow, in the same village.
In her final years, Lady Mills suffered from Alzheimer's disease and used a wheelchair. Sir John Mills passed away on April 23, 2005, at the age of 97. His wife, Mary Hayley Bell, passed away eight months later, on December 1, 2005, at the age of 94.
