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John Meillon

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John Meillon
Meillon in an episode of One Step Beyond (1961)
Born(1934-05-01)1 May 1934
Died11 August 1989(1989-08-11) (aged 55)
Neutral Bay, New South Wales, Australia
OccupationActor
Years active1945–1988
Spouses
(m. 1958; div. 1971)
Bunny Gibson
(m. 1972)
Children2

John Meillon, OBE (/ˈmɛljən/ MEL-yon; 1 May 1934 – 11 August 1989),[1] was an Australian character actor known for dramatic as well as comedy roles. He portrayed Walter Reilly in the films Crocodile Dundee and Crocodile Dundee II. He also voiced advertisements for Victoria Bitter beer.[2] He appeared in several Australian New Wave films including Wake in Fright and The Cars That Ate Paris.

Early life

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Meillon was born in Mosman, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. His younger brother was director Bob Meillon (1943–2012).[3]

Career

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Acting

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Meillon began his acting career at the age of eleven in the ABC's radio serial Stumpy, and made his first stage appearance the following year. He joined the John Alden Shakespeare Touring Company when he was sixteen.

He appeared in a number of early Australian TV plays.[4]

Like many actors of his generation from 1959 to 1965, he worked in England,[5] but while working in Britain he consciously steered away from Australian roles.[6] Meillon claimed that he learned discipline while working in theatre, and that television was not a good medium for training.[7]

Meillon had a recurring role in the television series My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?. In 1968 he featured in the spin off, Rita and Wally. He featured in two episodes of Skippy in 1968 and 1969, appearing as 'Nimble Norris'. In 1976, he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role of 'Casey' in the film The Fourth Wish (1976).

Voiceover

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With his rich baritone, Meillon was used extensively in voice-over work – most famously in his work as the Victoria Bitter narrator who says "you can get it any old how".[8]

Meillon was appointed an OBE in the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, for service to theatre.[9]

Music

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In 1977, Meillon released the single "Tap Tap"/"Picture Show Man", which peaked at number 80 on the Australian singles chart.[10]

Personal life

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Meillon married Australian actress June Salter in 1958 and they had one son, John Meillon, Jr. Meillon and Salter were divorced in 1971. Meillon married actress Bunny Gibson on 5 April 1972; they also had a son.[11]

In June 1980, Meillon's favourite pub, The Oaks at Neutral Bay, opened The John Meillon OBE Bar in his honour.[12] He continued to frequent the bar over the following decade, including visiting in the week before his death.

Death

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Meillon died from cirrhosis at Neutral Bay, Sydney, on 11 August 1989.[13][14][15] Meillon was posthumously awarded the Raymond Longford Lifetime Achievement Award.[16]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Production Role Type
1959: On the Beach Ralph Swain (ashore in San Francisco) Feature film
1960 The Sundowners Bluey Brown Feature film
1961 The Long and the Short and the Tall Private "Smudge" Smith Feature film
1961 Watch It, Sailor! Albert Tufnell Feature film
1961 Offbeat Johnny Remick Feature film
1962 The Valiant Bedford Feature film
1962 Operation Snatch Medical Officer Feature film
1962 Billy Budd Neil Kincaid Feature film
1962 The Longest Day Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk (uncredited) Feature film
1963 Cairo Willy Feature film
1963 The Running Man Jim Jerome Feature film
1964 633 Squadron Flight Lieutenant Gillibrand Feature film
1964 Guns at Batasi Sergeant 'Aussie' Drake Feature film
1965 Dead Man's Chest Johnnie Gordon Feature film
1966 They're a Weird Mob Dennis Feature film
1971 Wake in Fright (aka Outback) Charlie Feature film
1971 Walkabout Man (the father) Feature film
1972 Sunstruck (aka Education of Stanley Adams) Mick Cassidy Feature film
1974 The Dove Tim Feature film
1974 The Cars That Ate Paris The Mayor Feature film
1975 Sidecar Racers Ocker Feature film
1975 Inn of the Damned George Parr Feature film
1975 Ride a Wild Pony Charles Quayle Feature film
1976 The Fourth Wish Casey Feature film
1977 The Picture Show Man Maurice 'Pop' Pym Feature film
1978 Bit Part Tommy TV film
1978 Shimmering Light TV film
1982 Heatwave Freddie Dwyer Feature film
1983 The Wild Duck Old Ackland Feature film
1984 The Camel Boy Voice Animated feature film
1986 Crocodile Dundee Walter Reilly Feature film
1986 The Blue Lightning Feature film
1987 Bullseye Merritt Feature film
1987 Frenchman's Farm Bill Dolan Feature film
1988 The Everlasting Secret Family The Judge Feature film
1988 Crocodile Dundee II Walter Reilly Feature film

Television

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Year Production Role Type
1962 Edgar Wallace Mysteries Ross Williams TV series, episode: "Death Trap'"
1965 Out of the Unknown Dr. Sheffield TV series, episode: "Sucker Bait"
1966-68 My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? Wally Stiller TV series
1969-70 Skippy Nimble Norris TV series
1970 The Link Men Bert Whitman TV series
1972 Lane End Ray Dunlop TV series
1974 The Fourth Wish James Casey TV miniseries
1976 Arena Bernie Gold TV miniseries
1976 The Outsiders TV series
1983 Scales of Justice Barnes TV miniseries
1983 The Dismissal Sir John Kerr TV miniseries
1985 The Dunera Boys Brigadier Templeton TV miniseries

Discography

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Singles

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List of singles, with Australian chart positions
Year Title Peak chart
positions
AUS
[10]
1967 "Hot Pie and Tomato Sauce" -
1977 "Tap Tap"/"Picture Show Man" (with John Ewart) 80
1987 "The One That Got Away" (with Tommy Moeller) -

Awards & honours

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Year Nominated work Award Category Result
1976 The Fourth Wish AACTA Awards AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Won
1979 John Meillon Queen's Birthday Honours OBE for Service to Theatre Honoured
1989 John Meillon AACTA Awards Raymond Longford Lifetime Achievement Award Honoured

References

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  1. ^ Giles, Nigel, "Meillon, John (1934–1989)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 26 September 2015
  2. ^ Sinclair, Lara (13 June 2009). "Victoria Bitter douses 'hard-earned thirst' slogan". The Australian. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  3. ^ "Bob Meillon dies; one of the great characters of the tv industry". mumbrella.com.au. 5 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (7 November 2020). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: A Tongue of Silver". Filmink.
  5. ^ Yates, Kerry (29 July 1964). "He proposes to his wife eight times a week". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. p. 15. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  6. ^ O'Neill, Josephine (3 May 1964). "The actor who won't be typed". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 44. Retrieved 8 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Owen, Wendy (7 September 1975). "Top actor just acts the part". The Age. p. 2. Retrieved 8 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Hornery, Andrew; Malkin, Bonnie, eds. (15 October 2004). "Rest in peace". The Age. Fairfax Media.
  9. ^ "Meillon, John: Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil)", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 2 April 2015
  10. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 196. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ "John Meillon, Outback Character in "Crocodile Dundee" Movies, Dies at 55". AP NEWS. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  12. ^ "John Mellion – now they name a pub after him". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 July 1980. p. 53. Retrieved 8 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "John Meillon farewelled". The Canberra Times. 17 August 1989. p. 5.
  14. ^ "John Meillon dead at 55". The Canberra Times. 12 August 1989. p. 1.
  15. ^ "Obituary: John Meillon: a rare genius for character". The Canberra Times. 12 August 1989. p. 2.
  16. ^ "AACTA LONGFORD LYELL AWARD" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
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