Ray Milland has been a very successful actor in Hollywood. He has acted in movies such as the movie The Greatest American Hero and was even nominated for an Oscar. His other credits include the movie World War II.
Early life
Ray Milland was born in Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales, on January 3, 1905. He died on March 10, 1986, in Torrance, California, from lung cancer. His father was Alfred Jones and his mother was Elizabeth Annie Truscott.
As a child, Milland was immersed in sports and games. He trained in fencing, boxing and hunting. During World War II, he toured the South Pacific with the USO.
Ray’s early career included work in B-pictures, such as Many Happy Returns with George Burns. He signed a nine-month contract with MGM. After that, he appeared in several television programs. Eventually, he moved to Hollywood and signed a contract with Paramount.
He starred in several films in the 1940s, including Dial M for Murder, The Lost Weekend, and Reap the Wild Wind. He also co-starred with Ginger Rogers and John Wayne in The Major and the Minor. Afterward, he worked in television, including the sitcom The Ray Milland Show.
Milland was the first actor from Wales to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He won the award in 1945 for his performance in Billy Wilder’s noir thriller The Lost Weekend. In addition, he received a number of other honors for the role.
Ray Milland’s autobiography, Wide-Eyed in Babylon, was a best seller. Although Milland did not have an extensive filmography, he was considered an excellent actor and a great raconteur.
Despite the many roles he starred in, he was known for his spontaneity and wit. Besides acting, he was a director. He directed The Thief (1952) and Lisbon (1956).
In later years, he cut back on his film appearances. He had two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was one of the few actors who had both an Oscar and a Cannes Film Festival Award.
For most of his life, Milland was a heavy smoker. Despite this, he had a son named Daniel. Eventually, he married Malvina Webber and they had a daughter, Victoria. They had been married for 54 years.
When he was still young, Milland developed an interest in horses. He trained on his uncle’s horse-breeding estate. He also competed in a Bisley Match with a rifle team.
Paramount stardom
Known for his light-hearted roles and his comedic style, Ray Milland had a long and illustrious career in the films and on television. He died of lung cancer on March 10, 1986, in Torrance, California.
Although he was born in Neath, Wales, Ray Milland moved to Los Angeles in 1930 to pursue an acting career. During his time in the British Army, Milland was a proficient marksman. His natural athleticism allowed him to succeed in films like Bulldog Drummond Escapes and French Without Tears.
He starred in a number of Paramount pictures from the late 1930s to early 1940s. Some of his best-known roles include Bulldog Drummond Escapes, Tropic Holiday, and French Without Tears.
By the mid-1940s, Ray Milland had become Paramount’s most bankable star. Throughout his 20-year contract, he played a series of light-weight leading man roles.
After leaving Paramount, Milland began directing and starring in television. In the 1950s, his image was re-imagined for television and he appeared on shows such as The Loretta Young Show, which won three Emmy awards.
Ray Milland died of lung cancer on March 10, 1986, at the age of 79. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean off Redondo Beach, California.
The Loretta Young Show ran for eight seasons and won three Emmy awards. Milland was nominated for a Golden Globe.
When Hollywood studios started to crumble in the 1950s, Milland ventured into television. Although his screen persona was not very serious, Milland capitalized on his good looks and his natural athleticism.
His work on the Ray Milland Show reflects this. The show centered on adverse childhood experiences and behavioural issues. It also dealt with a challenging child from the local orphanage.
Milland also appeared in several made for television movies from 1963. Among his most memorable films are Sealed Verdict (1948), Rhubarb (1951), Night Into Morning (1951), and Markham (1959-60).
For the most part, Milland’s screen persona is a combination of a bumbling professor and an erotically charged Markham. Unlike the latter, however, Milland appeals to both sexes.
While his Paramount stardom lasted for two decades, Milland never lost his star status. In fact, he was nominated for a second Golden Globe.
World War II
Ray Milland was a veteran of World War II. After the war, he and his wife adopted their daughter Victoria. He also traveled to Sweden and Italy to take photos.
Milland starred in several films during the Second World War. These included The Jungle Princess, Bulldog Drummond Escapes, Reap the Wild Wind, Beau Geste and Dial M for Murder. All of these films emphasized the stress of WWII officers.
During World War II, Allied forces were bombarded with heavy bombing raids. Aircraft were destroyed. However, a group of German spies found out about the secret of the bomb. They were then deployed to the U.S. This made them an important target for the FBI.
During the Second World War, the entertainment industry tended to take up a Halloween theme. Often, these events were a time for fun, but sometimes they became a time for mischief.
In the 1940s, Milland was known for his dramatic roles, particularly in the action-adventure movie, Iwo Jima. The film is based on a book by William L. White. It was one of the best combat movies of the time.
He then directed his first feature in 1955, a good western. His last feature, a grim nuclear quickie, came out in 1962.
In 1945, he won the Academy Award for his role in ‘The Lost Weekend’. In addition to winning the Academy Award, he received numerous other awards.
Toward the end of World War II, Milland was on tour with the United Service Organization South Pacific troupe. At the time, he was also working as a civilian flight instructor for the Army.
When the war ended in Europe, Milland returned to the United States. He continued to act in Hollywood.
Eventually, Milland married Muriel Weber. He also appeared in films with leading ladies such as Ginger Rogers. Together, they had two children, daughter Victoria and son Daniel. Milland died from lung cancer on March 10, 1986.
Before his death, he published an autobiography. He is survived by his daughter and granddaughters.
Among his most acclaimed films are ‘The Jungle Princess’, ‘The Thin Man’ and ‘Beau Geste’.
Death
Ray Milland, who was born in Neath, Wales, was an actor who played numerous character roles. His best-known films include ‘Dial M for Murder’ (1954) and ‘The Lost Weekend’ (1945). He also starred in several low-budget films. In addition to acting, he was a very talented fencer, boxer, and yachtsman.
At a young age, Milland joined the British Household Cavalry. He also worked at his uncle’s horse-breeding estate. Later, he was an Army civilian flight instructor. During the Second World War, he toured the South Pacific with the United Service Organisation.
By age 21, Milland had been selected for a major role in Billy Wilder’s film ‘The Lost Weekend’. As a result, he received an Academy Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe.
He also appeared in “Dial M for Murder” and ‘High Flight’. His last film was ‘The Sea Serpent’.
Sadly, Milland died in 1986 of lung cancer. His wife, daughter, and two grandchildren survived him. Despite his early success, he never reached the heights of screen stardom.
After his death, Milland’s body was cremated. There were no funeral services. All of Milland’s ashes were to be scattered at sea. Neither his wife nor his daughter commented on his death.
His son, Daniel, committed suicide. His body was found in a West Los Angeles duplex. It was discovered with a rifle next to it.
Rowan Milland, the actor who collected his Oscar from Ingrid Bergman, was also plagued by rumors of alcoholic behavior. Although he received an Oscar, he was not very successful.
The Welsh-born actor, who died in January 1986, was a well-rounded actor and was also a talented horseman. Throughout his career, he appeared in dozens of low-budget films, and he worked in both television and movies.
Ray Charles, a longtime friend of Milland, was also a popular interviewer and a veteran of many television series. Charles became a regular guest on the serial drama circuit during the 1980s. But his health eventually deteriorated. Eventually, he died in four days.
During his career, Milland had a number of offbeat direction, such as a grim nuclear quickie in 1962. However, he also starred in a number of light comedies and mysteries.
