Hayley Mills - Her Life and Movies Quiz

Answer: Whistle Down the Wind

This 1961 film was based on a story written by Hayley's mother, Mary Hayley Bell. Hayley and her two siblings were the inspiration for the story. Hayley played Kathy, a young girl who thought she had discovered Jesus hiding in a barn. The story lived on in a music video in the 1980s, and also in musical form by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Answer: Loss of Innocence

The 1964 film "The Moon Spinners" was a Disney thriller; Peter McEnery was one of the co-stars, a fellow that Hayley dated in real life. We watched it recently with my kids and it has stayed the test of time, as they all enjoyed it.
"Twisted Nerve" was a 1968 thriller and co-starred Hywel Bennett; unfortunately, I have not seen this one.
"That Darn Cat" was another Disney film from 1965 & co-starred some of the superb stars and characters of the day - Dean Jones, Frank Gorshin and Ed Wynn - to name a few. I prefer it to its modern successor. Of course I am not biased at all!

Answer: The King and I

Hayley starred in the first version of the revival of this story on stage. Her role as Anna brought her good reviews for her acting, but not for her singing - but I still enjoyed it. "The King and I" toured all over the world from 1997 to 1998.

Answer: The Flame Trees of Thika

This early 1980s television mini-series was a chance for North Americans to see Hayley Mills after quite a long spell. I remember being thrilled when it came on. Hayley played Tilly Grant, the mother of Elspeth. It was Elspeth Huxley's memoirs that this coming of age drama was based on.

It told of her growing up on her parents' farm in 1913 East Africa. The family faced the challenges of nature, and the difficulties of dealing with the native population. One of the biggest challenges of the production, filmed in Kenya, was capturing the flame trees on film, which apparently bloom in a haphazard fashion.

Much mileage was covered trying to film them in flower.

Answer: Juliet

Hayley's sister was one of the stars on the U.S. soap "Passions." Juliet played a witch on the show. Hayley and Juliet also have a director brother, Jonathan. Sir John Mills was in the hospital at the time of the unveiling, but the growers brought him a rose which he could smell, but not see. He was blind towards the end of his life. Hayley appeared in several films with her father.

Answer: Deborah Kerr and Dame Edith Evans

Hayley's dad played the caretaker in this film. Hayley played a teenage brat, Laurel, who didn't know how to love or be loved. The television show "Biography" revealed that she received mediocre reviews. It has been years since I have seen it because they just don't seem to play Mills' films on TV any more. I remember it as being a very good film with very good performances.

In researching this favourite film of mine, I was surprised to learn that Joanne Woodward and Sandra Dee were the original stars cast for the roles that Kerr and Mills took. My best friend and I used to recite lines from the film when we were kids!

Answer: novelist/playwright

Sadly, Lady Mills suffered from Alzheimer's. Sir John and Lady Mary were married at a registry office, while John was on leave from the army in 1941. 60 years later they had a church wedding. Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien - named after actress Vivien Leigh - was born in 1946. Several of Hayley's film projects were based on stories that Lady Mills had written. Hayley was born on April 18th, the middle of the three Mills children.

Answer: Brydie

This was a great Hayley Mills piece from 1966. Ian McShane played Roiden, the gypsy boy romantic lead. From what I have read, this film was not received well, not for its direction or performances, but I liked it as a teen - okay, maybe I am just a diehard! I wish they would play it on TV, as they used to when I was a child. I had even planned to name future children after the leads, Brydie and Roiden. My husband wouldn't go for it though!

Answer: Mozart

Nannerl Mozart, the character that Hayley played, was a piano virtuoso like her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus. The theatre was not a late-in-life career move for Hayley. She first appeared on stage in 1969 in the title role of "Peter Pan" in London, and has acted in several dozen theatre productions since that debut.

Answer: The Family Way

The mild nude scene did cause some controversy at the time - childstar Hayley revealing her buttocks! The film tastefully covered a sensitive subject, with humour, as only the Brits can do. It was the first film scored by Paul McCartney. Hywel Bennett was Hayley's co-star, not for the first time.

He and Hayley played newlyweds adjusting to married life. Sir John Mills played their father and father-in-law. This was considered Hayley's first adult role, and in fact received an X rating because of the nude scene.

This was a very sweet and wonderful film and definitely should be getting some air time! Hayley fell in love with the director, Ray Boulting, 33 years her senior, and they married in 1971.