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There are some things about Joan Miller’s career that you might find odd. For example, appearing in made-for-television movies in the late 1930s. Then, there is a long gap in her credits between 1939 and 1947. Joan Miller began her career on stage in Canada but moved to London, England in 1931 to work in theatre there. She landed a role on the newly created BBC television network’s first entertainment show, Picture Page Girl, where she played the role of the Switchboard Girl in 106 episodes between 1936 and 1939. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) became the first broadcaster in the world to provide a regular ‘high definition’ television service. Programmes we would expect to see today such as drama, sports, outside broadcasts, and cartoons filed the schedule. With the outbreak of war in 1939, production of these programmes was brought to a halt. Though Miller continued to perform, primarily on-stage, she also made frequent appearances on radio, television, and in a few films during the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. She was best known for her role as Marilla Cuthbert in the 1952 BBC 6-part production of Anne of Green Gables. For her credits in ongoing “Playhouse” or “Theatre” series, we list her credits as made-for-television movies, but credit the series title after the date.
Features & TV Movies:
VR indicates Direct-to-Video Release
The Tiger (TV-1936)
Turn Round (TV-1937)
The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden (TV-1937)
Take It from Me (1937)
Once in a Lifetime (TV-1937)
Ah, Wilderness! (TV-1938)
Whistling in the Dark (TV-1938)
On the Spot (TV-1939)
Rosmersholm (TV-1947)
The Woman in the Hall (1947)
One Touch of Venus (1948)
Cry of the City (1948)
Criss Cross (1949)
The Queen of Spades (1949)
The Great Sinner (1949)
Caged (1950)
The Green Convertible (TV-1950, Fireside Theatre)
The Jackpot (1950)
Southside 1-1000 (1950)
Something for the Birds (1952)
The Same Sky (TV-1952, BBC Sunday-Night Theatre)
The Story of Three Loves (1953)
I Love Melvin (1953)
The Face of Love (TV-1954)
Guilt (TV-1955, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents)
The Haven (TV-1955, London Playhouse)
The Glorification of Al Toolum (TV-1955, London Playhouse)
Lady Must Sell (TV-1955, London Playhouse)
Two Letters: Yesterday’s Mail/No Other Wine (TV-1956, London Playhouse)
Jane Glegg (TV-1956, London Playhouse)
The Good Luck Kid (TV-1956, Damon Runyon Theater)
More Than Kin (TV-1956, Celebrity Playhouse)
Over-Exposed (1956)
Yield to the Night (1956)
A Question of Character (TV-1956)
Woman in a Dressing Gown (TV-1956, ITV Television Playhouse)
Fire Down Below (1957)
Face in the Night (1957)
Suspect (TV-1958)
Look in Any Window (TV-1958, ITV Television Playhouse)
The Corn is Green (TV-1958, Saturday Playhouse)
Thirty Pieces of Silver (TV-1958, Television Playwright)
No Trees in the Street (1959)
Too Young to Love (1960)
Long Distance (TV-1961)
Till the Day I Die (TV-1961, Armchair Theatre)
North City Traffic Straight Ahead (TV-1962, Armchair Theatre)
Suspect (TV-1962)
Candida (TV-1962)
The Pretender (TV-1962, BBC Sunday-Night Play)
The Shadow of Mart (TV-1963, BBC Sunday-Night Play)
Heavens Above! (1963)
The Last Word on Julie (TV-1964, Armchair Theatre)
Six Characters in Search of an Author (TV-1964, Festival)
TV Series – Cast:
Picture Page (1936-1939)
Anne of Green Gables (1952, mini-series)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965, mini-series)
Emergency-Ward 10 (1966)
TV Series – Guest appearances:
Telecrime (1938)
I Led 3 Lives (1954)
Thirteen Against Fate (1966)
Kate (1971)
Power Without Glory (1976)
Here I Stand (1977)
Northernstars.ca is published by the Canadian Independent Visual
and Digital Media Association – A nonprofit corporation.
Toronto, Ontario, M4X 1X7
First published as Northernstars.net February 1, 1998
ISSN 2563 4895
