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Horseytalk.net Special Interview
with George Mikell
World Exclusive:
George Mikell’s latest short story
 

George MikellAs both a serious dramatic actor and famous international film star, George Mikell has appeared alongside most Hollywood legends. He has over 30 film roles to his credit and over 100 TV appearances in UK and Australia, to say nothing of numerous major roles in theatre.

In the now cult World War II classic, Guns of Navarone, in which he played the cruel, young, sinister, sadistic SS Officer, his most famous role,he played alongside Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn.

In The Spy who came in from the Cold, he acted alongside Richard Burton.

In his other films, among them The Great Escape, The Sea Wolves, The Tamarin Seed and many others, he was always  appearing  alongside one famous Hollywood star or another. Apart from his mainstream Hollywood pictures, George also co starred with Eva Bartok in an Israeli film ‘ Sabina and her Men’, he took the principal role in an Italian ‘spaghetti’ western ‘I Predoni Del Sahara’ and was an international bank robber in a German film ‘Kommisar Zufall’!

But ask George Mikell today which of all the stars  he remembers most, he will tell you there are only four.

“First, Burt Lancaster. I hope one day when I fall off my perch, we shall be able to continue the conversations we had in London and Vienna while we were shooting Scorpio.

“Second,  George Peppard,  although I feel sure we shall be playing chess more than we shall be talking.”

His other two favourite stars? Both horses.

“The first was Morning Star.  She starred with me in a Western, ‘I Predoni del Sahara’. Some location shots included the Egyptian Pyramids where I learned to ride camels.  Camels are dear animals. At least my camel was. And they don’t smell.  But my true love was Morning Star. She was a lovely horse – especially when we got to know each other.  I think she would have given her life to protect me.  Let me tell you one incident.  Story wise I’ve been riding through the night through the desert to get help. Late next morning I ride up a sand dune and face an army of armed desert marauders waiting for me. They could have killed me easily. But dead I was of no use to them to get the hidden treasure they were after.  I was betrayed. They knew I would be coming this way and were waiting for me spread out in a large circle.  No way could I escape. I was trapped.  A group of their leaders were approaching me.  The film director discussed with me where I should stop, get off the horse, leave my Winchester gun with the saddle and go to meet the approaching menace.  The bunch looked very threatening indeed. I must have walked some 20 metres when I stopped and waited for the group to come to me when I felt somebody touch gently my shoulder.  It was Morning Star came to my rescue. I was very touched.  Luckily the film crew was far enough not to see my tears. 

The scene had to be done again. It took quite a while to prepare it because it had to be virgin sand.  I repeated and all went well. The film crew told me afterwards that Morning Star didn’t follow me. She stood where I left her watching me tensely then looked at the camera, again looked at me. She repeated a couple of times then slowly she walked to the camera and stood there watching the scene. 

Roles played in feature films include:

  • The Great Escape -  SS Capt. Dietrich
  • The Double Man – Max
  • The Guns of Navarone- SS Capt Sessler
  • The Primitives – Claude
  • The Tamarind Seed – Major Stukalov
  • The Sea Wolves –Capt Roefer
  • Kill her Gently – Sven
  • Escape to Victory – Camp Commandant
  • Dateline Diamonds – Paul Verlekt
  • Where the Spies Are – Assassin
  • Highway to Battle- Brauwitz
  • Jackpot –Carl Stock
  • The Spy Who Came in From the Cold- German Checkpoint Guard
  • Attack on the Iron Coast - Capt Strasser
  • Scorpio- Dor

Stars worked with include:

Richard Burton, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Steve McQueen, Burt Lancaster, Yul Brynner, Hardy Kruger, Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, Lana Turner, Katherine Hepburn, Julie Andrews, Britt Ekland, Alain Delon, Anthony Quinn, Max von Sydow, Richard Attenborough, George Peppard, George Hamilton, Roger Moore and Sylvester Stallone.

Hollywood Directors worked with :

John Huston, Andrew MacLaglen, J.Lee Thompson, John Sturges, Blake Edwards, Franklin Schaffner and Guido Maletesta

Leading roles in Theatre:

  • Franz von Gerlach in ‘Altona’ by Jean Paul Sartre
  • Walter Langer in ‘Five Finger Exercise’ by Peter Shaffer
  • The Egyptian Doctor in ‘The Millionaires’ by George Bernard Shaw
  • Bruce Lovell in ‘Love From a Stranger’ by Frank Vosper
  • Benjamin Disraeli in ‘Portrait of a Queen’ by W.Frances
  • Commissioner in ‘Farewell Judas’ by I.Iredynski
  • Count Skriczevinsky in ‘Flare Path’ by Terence Rattig