Editing Ray Milland (section)

==Career==
===Early acting appearances===
His first appearance on film was as an uncredited extra on the [[Ewald André Dupont|E.A. Dupont]] film ''[[Piccadilly (film)|Piccadilly]]'' (1929). After some unproductive [[extra (actor)|extra]] work, which never reached the screen, he signed with a talent agent named Frank Zeitlin on the recommendation of fellow actor [[Jack Raine]].<ref name="Milland 1974 pp. 78–84"/>

His prowess as a marksman earned him work as an extra at the [[Associated British Picture Corporation|British International Pictures]] studio in [[Arthur Robison]]'s production of ''[[The Informer (1929 film)|The Informer]]'' (1929),<ref>Berry (1996), p. 257</ref> the first screen version of the [[Liam O'Flaherty]] novel. While he was working on ''The Informer'', he was asked to test for a production being shot on a neighbouring stage. Milland made a favourable impression on director [[Castleton Knight]], and was hired for his first acting role as Jim Edwards in ''[[The Flying Scotsman (1929 film)|The Flying Scotsman]]'' (also 1929).<ref>Milland (1974) pp. 93–94</ref> In his autobiography, Milland recalls that on this film set, it was suggested that he adopt a stage name; he chose Milland from the "mill lands" area of his Welsh hometown of Neath.<ref>Milland (1974) p. 95</ref>

His work on ''The Flying Scotsman'' resulted in him being granted a six-month contract over the course of which Milland starred in two more Knight-directed films, ''[[The Lady from the Sea (1929 film)|The Lady from the Sea]]'' and ''[[The Plaything]]'' (both 1929).<ref>Milland (1974) p. 96</ref> Believing that his acting was poor, and that he had won his film roles through his looks alone, Milland decided to gain some stage experience to improve his ability.<ref>Milland (1974) p. 101</ref> After hearing that club owner Bobby Page was financing a touring company, Milland approached him in hopes of work. He was given the role of second lead in a production of Sam Shipman and [[Max Marcin]]'s ''The Woman in Room 13''. Despite being released from the play after five weeks, Milland felt that he had gained valuable acting experience.<ref>Milland (1974) p. 102</ref>

===Move to the US, 1930–1932===

[[File:Mal and Ray Milland 1942.jpg|thumb|Mal and Ray Milland at a Hollywood nightclub in 1942]]
In between plays, Milland was approached by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] vice-president Robert Rubin, who had seen the film ''The Flying Scotsman''.<ref>Milland (1974), p. 109</ref> MGM offered Milland a nine-month contract at $175 a week, based in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]. He accepted, leaving the United Kingdom in August 1930.<ref>Milland (1974), p. 112</ref> MGM used Milland as a 'stock' player, selecting him for small speaking parts in mainstream productions.<ref>Milland (1974), p. 126</ref><ref name="los">Ray Milland Dies of Cancer Actor Won Fame for `Lost Weekend' Role: [Home Edition]
[[Los Angeles Times]] (pre-1997 Fulltext); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif] 11 March 1986: 1.</ref>

Milland's first experience in making a Hollywood film resulted in a humiliating scene on the set of ''[[Son of India (1931 film)|Son of India]]'' (1931), when the film's director [[Jacques Feyder]] berated Milland's acting in front of the entire crew.<ref>Milland (1974), p. 122</ref> Despite this setback, the studio executives talked Milland into staying in Hollywood, and in 1930, he appeared in his first US film ''[[Passion Flower (1930 film)|Passion Flower]]''.<ref>Milland (1974), pp. 124–26</ref> Over the next two years, Milland appeared in minor parts for MGM and a few films for which he was lent to [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros]]; he was often uncredited. His largest role during this period was as [[Charles Laughton]]'s nephew in ''[[Payment Deferred (film)|Payment Deferred]]'' (1932).<ref name="los"/>

While in this first period working in the United States, Milland met Muriel Frances Weber, whom he always called "Mal", a student at the [[University of Southern California]]. Within eight months of first meeting, the two were married. The ceremony took place on 30 September 1932 at the [[The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa|Riverside Mission Inn]].<ref name="marriage">Milland (1974), pp. 139–41</ref> The couple had a son, Daniel, and adopted a daughter, Victoria.

Shortly after making ''Payment Deferred'', Milland found himself out of work when MGM failed to renew his contract. He spent five months in the US attempting to find further acting work, but after little success and a strained relationship with his father-in-law he decided to head back to [[UK|Britain]], hoping that two years spent in Hollywood would lead to roles in British films.<ref>Milland (1974), p. 148</ref> Milland cashed in his contracted first-class return ticket to Britain and found an alternative, cheaper way back home. Muriel remained in the States to finish her studies, and Milland found temporary accommodation in [[Earl's Court]] in London.

===Return to Britain===
Milland found life in Britain difficult, receiving little regular work, although he finally found parts in two British films, ''[[This Is the Life (1933 film)|This Is the Life]]'' and ''[[Orders Is Orders]]'' (both 1933).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b2485fd|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310140403/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b2485fd|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2016|title=Orders Is Orders (1933)|website=BFI Film Forever|access-date=19 August 2016}}. This film was released in the United States in May 1934, which some sources follow.</ref> Neither was a breakthrough role.

===Back in the US and ''Bolero''===
Then, in 1933, Roosevelt's reforms to the U.S. banking sector led to a temporary weakness in the dollar, allowing Milland to afford a return to the United States.<ref>Milland (1974), pp. 155–57</ref> He returned to California, and found a small flat on Sunset Boulevard, promising Muriel that he would buy a home once he was financially stable.

With little prospect of finding acting work, Milland took on menial jobs, including working for a [[bookie]]. He decided to find regular employment and through connections made during his time in the UK, he was offered the job of assistant manager of a Shell gas station on Sunset and Clark.<ref>Milland (1974), p. 162</ref>

On his return from his successful Shell interview, he passed by the gates of Paramount Pictures, where he was approached by casting director Joe Egli. Paramount was filming the [[George Raft]] picture ''[[Bolero (1934 film)|Bolero]]'' (released in February 1934), but an injury to another British actor had left the studio looking for an urgent replacement.<ref name="los"/> Egli offered Milland a two-week contract, at ten times the salary the assistant job would pay. Milland took the acting role.

After completing ''Bolero'', Milland was offered a five-week guarantee by [[Benjamin Glazer]] to work on an upcoming screwball comedy starring Bing Crosby and Carole Lombard entitled ''[[We're Not Dressing]]'' (also 1934). During filming, he appeared in a scene with [[George Burns]] and [[Gracie Allen]], which Milland recalls as falling into an "ad-libbed shambles" that he felt was better than the original script. The film's director [[Norman Taurog]] was so impressed, he rang the chief production executive and suggested that Milland be placed on a long-term contract. After a short meeting, Milland was offered a seven-year deal with Paramount starting at $175 a week. The contract gave Milland a secure income, and Muriel and he moved into an apartment on Fountain Avenue.<ref name="los" />

Milland later said "It all happened by luck and I was just there at the right place at the right time."<ref name="cut"/>

===Paramount and ''The Jungle Princess''===
[[File:Dorothy-Lamour-still.JPG|thumb|right|upright|[[Dorothy Lamour]], Milland's [[leading lady]] in ''[[The Jungle Princess]]'' (1936)]]
During his first contract with Paramount, Milland was used as part of the speaking cast, but never as a top-of-the-bill actor. He had a supporting role, for instance, in the original ''[[The Glass Key (1935 film)|The Glass Key]]'' (1935) with George Raft.

Milland was lent to Universal for ''[[Next Time We Love]]'' (1936), with [[Margaret Sullavan]] and [[James Stewart]]. Back at Paramount he was in ''[[The Return of Sophie Lang ]]'' (1936) and ''[[The Big Broadcast of 1937]]'' (1936).

He was contacted by [[Joe Pasternak]], who was looking for an 'English' actor for the lead in his new picture, ''[[Three Smart Girls]]'' (1936). Although Pasternak worked for [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], Paramount had agreed to lend Milland out for the film.<ref>Milland (1974), pp.172–74</ref>

On returning to Paramount after ''Three Smart Girls'' was wrapped, Milland was used as a test actor to find a new starlet for ''[[The Jungle Princess]]'' (1936). When the studio chose [[Dorothy Lamour]] for the lead, Milland wrote in his autobiography that Lamour was confused to find that he was not to be her male lead and she requested Milland to be her co-star. Paramount was not keen, but when ''Three Smart Girls'' was pre-released to rave reviews, they gave Milland the role.<ref>Milland (1974), pp.175–76</ref> By the end of 1936, Milland was being considered for leading roles, and Paramount rewrote his contract, resulting in the tripling of his salary.<ref>Milland (1974), p.178</ref>

===As leading man 1937–1939===
After taking a break in Europe, Milland was cast as [[Bulldog Drummond|Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond]] in ''[[Bulldog Drummond Escapes]]'' (1937).

Milland was then in ''[[Wings over Honolulu]]'' (1937) with Wendy Barrie, and then in ''[[Easy Living (1937 film)|Easy Living]]'' (1937), a classic comedy with [[Jean Arthur]] directed by [[Mitchell Leisen]].

Milland did ''[[Ebb Tide (1937 film)|Ebb Tide]]'' (1937) with [[Frances Farmer]] and was then loaned to RKO for ''[[Wise Girl (film)|Wise Girl]]'' (1937) with [[Miriam Hopkins]].<ref>Ray Milland Signs For Hopkins Film
The Washington Post 30 August 1937: 14.</ref>

Back at Paramount, Milland was reunited with Lamour in ''[[Her Jungle Love]]'' (1938) and ''[[Tropic Holiday]]'' (1938). He then did a military drama for [[William Wellman]], ''[[Men with Wings]]'' (1938), co-starring [[Fred MacMurray]].

Milland did a comedy, ''[[Say It in French]]'' (1938), and then ''[[Hotel Imperial (1939 film)|Hotel Imperial]]'' (1939) with [[Marlene Dietrich]], during the production of which Milland suffered a near-fatal accident on the set. One scene called for him to lead a cavalry charge through a small village. An accomplished horseman, Milland insisted upon doing this scene himself. As he was making a scripted jump on the horse, his saddle came loose, sending him flying straight into a pile of broken masonry. Milland awoke in hospital, where he remained for a week with a badly damaged left hand, a three-inch gash to his head, and a concussion.<ref>Milland (1974), p.189</ref>

After recovering, he appeared as John Geste in ''[[Beau Geste (1939 film)|Beau Geste]]'' (1939), alongside [[Gary Cooper]] and [[Robert Preston (actor)|Robert Preston]] and directed by Wellman. The film was a huge hit. [[20th Century Fox]] then borrowed him for ''[[Everything Happens at Night]]'' (1939) opposite [[Sonja Henie]].

According to Milland, a second injury to his left hand occurred in 1939. As well as horse-riding, Milland enjoyed piloting aircraft and in his early career would lease single-seater planes.<ref>Milland (1974), pp.170–72</ref> As a contracted starring actor, Paramount had insisted he give up this hobby.<ref name="Milland192">Milland (1974), p.192</ref> Instead, Milland took up woodworking and outfitted a machine shop at the back of his newly built house. While operating a circular saw, he slipped, catching one of his hands on the saw. The injury resulted in Milland losing a part of his thumb and severely damaging his tendons.<ref name="Milland192"/>

Milland believed that the injury left him with only 50% usage of his hand, but within weeks of the incident, he flew to Britain to star in ''[[French Without Tears (film)|French Without Tears]]''.<ref>Milland (1974), p.193</ref> By the time he returned to America, [[World War II|war was declared in Europe]]. The year finished with the news that Muriel was pregnant with their son Daniel.

===World War II===
[[File:Reap the Wild Wind trailer screenshot.jpg|Milland with [[Paulette Goddard]] in ''[[Reap the Wild Wind]]'' (1942)|thumb|right|200px]]
[[File:Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard, and John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind trailer.jpg|Milland, Paulette Goddard and [[John Wayne]] in ''Reap the Wild Wind''|thumb|right|200px]]
In 1940, Milland appeared in a selection of romantic comedies and dramas alongside some of the leading ladies of the time. These included ''[[Irene (1940 film)|Irene]]'' opposite [[Anna Neagle]], ''[[The Doctor Takes a Wife]]'' opposite [[Loretta Young]] at Columbia, ''[[Arise, My Love]]'' opposite [[Claudette Colbert]], and ''[[Untamed (1940 film)|Untamed]]'' opposite [[Patricia Morison]]. He was a last minute replacement for [[Joel McCrea]] on ''Arise'' which meant he had to drop out of another film, ''Virginia''.<ref>SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: [[The New York Times]] 4 June 1940: 19.</ref>

When the United States entered [[World War II]], Milland tried to enlist in the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]], but was rejected because of his impaired left hand. He worked as a civilian flight instructor for the Army, and toured with a United Service Organisation South Pacific troupe in 1944.

As the Second World War continued, Milland found himself now appearing in more action pictures. He starred as a wannabe pilot in ''[[I Wanted Wings]]'' (1941) with [[Brian Donlevy]], [[Veronica Lake]], and [[William Holden]]. This was followed by ''[[Skylark (1941 film)|Skylark]]'' (1942) with Claudette Colbert, and two films with [[Paulette Goddard]]: ''[[The Lady Has Plans]]'' (1942) and [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s ''[[Reap the Wild Wind]]'' (1942) alongside [[John Wayne]], in which he was [[Billing (performing arts)|top billed]] above Wayne.

Milland starred in ''[[Are Husbands Necessary?]]'' (1942) and subsequently [[Billy Wilder]]'s directorial debut, ''[[The Major and the Minor]]'' (1942) opposite [[Ginger Rogers]].

Milland appeared in the all-star musical ''[[Star Spangled Rhythm]]'' (1943), in which he appeared as himself, singing "If Men Played Cards as Women Do," alongside [[Fred MacMurray]], [[Franchot Tone]], and [[Lynne Overman]]. He also made an appearance in the collaborative drama, ''[[Forever and a Day (1943 film)|Forever and a Day]]'' (1943).

He and Goddard then made ''[[The Crystal Ball (film)|The Crystal Ball]]'' (1943); thereafter, he was Ginger Rogers' leading man in ''[[Lady in the Dark (film)|Lady in the Dark]]'' (1944).

In 1944, Milland starred in the supernatural horror film, ''[[The Uninvited (1944 film)|The Uninvited]]'', which was notable for its serious treatment of [[ghost]]s and haunting [[Stella by Starlight|main theme]], and for making a star of [[Gail Russell]]. He then starred in [[Fritz Lang]]'s [[film noir]] production of [[Graham Greene]]'s ''[[Ministry of Fear]]'' (also 1944).

He also toured war theatres with USO Shows.<ref>RAY MILLAND FINDS GRIEF AND FUN IN WAR
[[Los Angeles Times]] 30 March 1944: A1.</ref> At one performance a soldier heckled him, asking why he was not in the army. Milland replied, "With a war on? Are you crazy?"<ref>Me Join Army With War On?' Ray Milland Shushes Soldier
[[Los Angeles Times]] 16 April 1944: 1.</ref>

===''The Lost Weekend'', 1945===
The pinnacle of Milland's career and acknowledgment of his serious dramatic abilities came when he starred in ''[[The Lost Weekend]]'' (1945). Milland recalled how after returning from an emcee engagement in Peru, he found a book delivered to his home, with a note from Paramount's head of production [[Buddy DeSylva]] that read, "Read it. Study it. You're going to play it."<ref>Milland, (1974) p.211</ref> Milland found the book unsettling and felt its subject matter, that of an alcoholic writer, to be challenging and alien to him. He was also concerned that it would require 'serious acting', something that he believed he had not undertaken up to that point in his career.<ref>Milland, (1974) p.212</ref> The film was to be produced by [[Charles Brackett]] and directed by [[Billy Wilder]]; the pair were also collaborating to write the screenplay.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-240.html|title=2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates|publisher=loc.gov|access-date=7 July 2013}}</ref> Milland had already worked with both men, having starred in the comedy ''[[The Major and the Minor]]'' (1942), and he was excited by their involvement.

[[File:Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend with El in Background.jpg|Milland in character as Don Birnam in ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945)|left|thumb|200px]]

Milland's main concern with taking on the role of Don Birnam in ''The Lost Weekend'' was that he might overact and look amateurish. After a shambolic attempt to act parts of the script while actually drunk, Milland quickly realized that he needed to understand alcoholism.<ref>Milland, (1974) p.214</ref> After the cast and crew had arrived on location in New York, Milland was allowed to spend a night in a psychiatric ward of [[Bellevue Hospital Center|Bellevue Hospital]], where the patients were suffering from alcoholism and [[delirium tremens]]. He found the experience extremely disturbing and left at three in the morning.<ref>Milland, (1974) pp.216–7</ref> Milland lost eight pounds for the role and spoke with the book's author, [[Charles R. Jackson]], to gain insight into the illness.<ref>Milland, (1974) p.218</ref> After the external shots in New York were complete, in which hidden cameras were used to capture Milland walking the streets, the crew returned to Hollywood. Milland found the set work far more challenging, knowing that the close-ups would give his acting no place to hide. Between the strain of acting and the morbidity of the subject, Milland's home life deteriorated and he left for a period of two weeks.<ref>Milland, (1974) p.219</ref> When the shoot was over, Muriel and he left for a vacation in Canada. He later said that his role in ''The Lost Weekend'' "was the only part [he was] really proud of."<ref name="gold"/>

Returning to filming, Milland was assigned to a Mitchell Leisen-directed historical drama called ''[[Kitty (1945 film)|Kitty]]'' (1945), opposite Paulette Goddard.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/276627|title=Kitty|work=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=30 September 2016|first=Jeremy|last=Arnold}}</ref> He was meant to follow it with ''Olympia''.<ref>SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Paramount Signs Ray Milland for the Lead in 'Olympia' – Three Films Due Today
Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. [[The New York Times]] 7 April 1944: 22.</ref>

Instead, he did a romantic comedy, ''[[The Well-Groomed Bride]]'' opposite [[Olivia de Havilland]]. Many of the crew members on ''The Well-Groomed Bride'' had also worked on ''The Lost Weekend'', and Milland recalled an encounter with a sound mixer, who told him that he had seen a rough cut of ''Weekend'' and thought Milland was not only sure to be nominated for an Academy Award, but that he would probably win. Milland had not considered himself worthy of an award, but over the next few months, he thought of little else, and was desperate to be nominated. After the first preview, reaction was mixed, but Brackett stated that they had produced "something really worthwhile".<ref name="Milland223">Milland, (1974) p.223</ref> Milland found the initial feedback to his role congratulatory but hushed, leading him to feel that the film would bomb as a piece of cinema and would be seen as a social document.<ref name="Milland223"/> When the film was released in New York, the favourable reviews took both Milland and the studio by surprise. Milland was lauded, and he not only won that year's [[Academy Award for Best Actor]], but also the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe Award for Best Actor–Drama]], the [[Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor]], the [[National Board of Review|National Board of Review Award for Best Actor]], and the [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor]]. He was the first Welsh actor to win an Oscar, and when he collected the award from [[Ingrid Bergman]], he gave one of the shortest acceptance speeches of any [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] winner.<ref name="WAEoW">{{cite book |editor1-first=John |editor1-last=Davies|editor1-link=John Davies (historian)|editor2-first=Nigel |editor2-last=Jenkins | editor2-link=Nigel Jenkins| editor3-first=Baines |editor3-last=Menna|editor4-first=Peredur I. |editor4-last=Lynch|title=The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales |year=2008 |publisher=University of Wales Press|page=557 |location=Cardiff |isbn=978-0-7083-1953-6}}</ref> His performance was so convincing, Milland was beleaguered for years by rumours that he actually was an alcoholic.<ref name=obit/> He steadfastly asserted that he was not.

Milland's success in ''The Lost Weekend'' resulted in his contract being rewritten, and he became Paramount's highest-salaried actor. When the film was premiered across Europe, Milland was sent to attend each opening.<ref>Milland, (1974) p.228</ref> When he appeared in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, he was given the keys to the city.<ref>Milland, (1974) p.229</ref>

===1945–1950===
Milland continued working as a leading man after his Oscar win, and stayed contracted to Paramount until the early 1950s. He was teamed with [[Teresa Wright]] in ''[[The Imperfect Lady (1947 film)|The Imperfect Lady]]'' (1946), directed by Lewis Allen. He replaced [[Alan Ladd]] in a Western with [[Barbara Stanwyck]], ''[[California (1947 film)|California]]'' (1947), directed by [[John Farrow]], which was a big hit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/variety169-1948-01|title=Variety (January 1948)|date=4 November 1948|publisher=New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company|access-date=4 November 2021|website=Archive.org}}</ref><ref>RAY MILLAND GETS ROLE OF ALAN LADD: [[The New York Times]] (19 September 1945: 22.</ref><ref>Ray Milland Ends Work on 5 New Movies
Tinee, Mae. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923–1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill] 14 April 1946: E10</ref>

Milland was reunited with Wright in ''[[The Trouble with Women (film)|The Trouble with Women]]'' (1947) and then starred opposite Marlene Dietrich in ''[[Golden Earrings]]'' (1947). He was one of many Paramount stars who made a cameo in ''[[Variety Girl]]'' (1947) then went to England to make ''[[So Evil My Love]]'' (1948), produced by Hal Wallis for director Lewis Allen.

Milland made a second film for Farrow, ''[[The Big Clock (film)|The Big Clock]]'' (1948), which has become one of his most highly regarded films.<ref>PARAMOUNT TO DO FILM ON LUDWIG II: Picture Will Deal With King's Patronage of Wagner—Ray Milland in 'The Big Clock'
By THOMAS F. BBADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES. [[The New York Times]] (1923–current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]17 Jan 1947: 26.</ref><ref name="gold"/> He then did his third film with Allen, ''[[Sealed Verdict]]'' (1948), and a third with Farrow, ''[[Alias Nick Beal]]'' (1949), which Milland later said was his favourite film.<ref name="gold">Ray Milland: Rounding out his persona with a bit of curmudgeon A publicity gala, starring Ray Milland
Cross, Robert. Chicago Tribune 23 August 1985: n1.</ref>

In July 1948, Paramount suspended him for refusing a part in ''The Mark of Lucretia'' (which became ''The Bride of Vengeance''). Milland commented, "it is a part that is out of my normal natural range as an actor."<ref>Ray Milland Suspended
[[Los Angeles Times]] 28 July 1948: A2.</ref>

Milland then went to Fox for the comedy, ''[[It Happens Every Spring]]'' (1949), and then made a fourth film with Farrow, ''[[Copper Canyon (film)|Copper Canyon]]'' (1950).<ref>Jean Peters to Star With Ray Milland
Hopper, Hedda. [[Los Angeles Times]] 13 November 1948: 9.</ref> After this, Milland increasingly freelanced.

===Other studios===
[[File:Disney Oscar 1953.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Jane Wyman]], [[Walt Disney]] and Milland at 1953 [[Academy Awards|Oscars]]]]
[[File:Dial M for Murder (1954) trailer 4.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Milland, [[Robert Cummings]] and [[John Williams (actor)|John Williams]] in ''[[Dial M for Murder]]'' (1954)]]
[[File:Lisbon lobby card 3.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Lobby card for ''[[Lisbon (1956 film)|Lisbon]]'' (1956) with [[Claude Rains]], Milland and [[Maureen O'Hara]]]]
At Columbia, Milland starred opposite Rosalind Russell in ''[[A Woman of Distinction]]'' (1950). Then, at MGM, he was directed by [[George Cukor]] in ''[[A Life of Her Own]]'' (1950) alongside [[Lana Turner]], replacing [[Wendell Corey]], who had quit the film just three days into filming.<ref>RAY MILLAND GETS METRO MOVIE LEAD [[The New York Times]] 18 February 1950: 9</ref>

Milland was directed by [[Jacques Tourneur]] in RKO's ''[[Circle of Danger]]'' (1951); set in the United Kingdom, it was the only time he filmed in his home country of Wales.<ref name="WAEoW"/> At MGM he was in ''[[Night Into Morning]]'' (1951) and then a comedy, ''[[Rhubarb (1951 film)|Rhubarb]]'' (1951).

Milland gave a strong performance in ''[[Close to My Heart]]'' (1951) at Warner Bros, in which he and [[Gene Tierney]] starred as a couple trying to adopt a child. His next film, ''[[Bugles in the Afternoon]]'' (1952), also at Warners, was a Western. He played in ''[[Something to Live For (film)|Something to Live For]]'' (1952), another study of alcoholism at Paramount, with [[Joan Fontaine]].

Milland had a contract to make one film a year with Paramount (who released Pine-Thomas films). He was wanted by producer Harold Popkin to make ''[[The Thief (1952 film)|The Thief]]'' but Paramount insisted he make ''Jamaica Run'' under their contract instead. The impasse was resolved by the intervention of Milland's agents at MCA and filming for ''Jamaica Run'' was pushed back.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety185-1952-03#page/n96/mode/1up/search/%22jamaica+run%22|website=Variety|date=12 March 1953|page=12|title=Inside Pictures}}</ref> For ''[[The Thief (1952 film)|The Thief]]'' (1952), his role was without dialogue, and he was nominated for a second [[11th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]]. He later remarked that he was proud of the film.<ref>College Student to be Ray Milland's Next Role
Wolters, Larry. Chicago Daily Tribune 15 November 1959: n_a2.</ref>

After ''[[Jamaica Run]]'' (1953), Milland went to Columbia for ''[[Let's Do It Again (1953 film)|Let's Do It Again]]'' (1953) with [[Jane Wyman]].

He then starred opposite [[Grace Kelly]] and [[Robert Cummings]] in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Dial M for Murder]]'' (1954), originally shot in three dimensions. Although never admitted by either, rumours were rife at the time that Kelly and Milland were engaged in an affair, fuelled by notorious gossip columnist [[Hedda Hopper]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/1987-04-24/news/26194454_1_grace-kelly-doubleday-james-spada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218094002/http://articles.philly.com/1987-04-24/news/26194454_1_grace-kelly-doubleday-james-spada|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2013|title=The Private Eyeful Of Grace Kelly The Biographer Telling Tales Of Problems In The Past – And In The Palace|date=24 April 1987|first=Donna| last=Rosenthal|access-date=14 December 2013|publisher=philly.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/grace-kelly-exposed-466617|title=Grace Kelly Exposed |date=14 April 2007|first=Sara| last=Wallis |access-date=14 December 2013|publisher=mirror.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/110262/Grace-Kelly-Innocent-flirt-or-nymphomaniac|title=Grace Kelly; Innocent flirt or nymphomaniac |date=27 June 2009|first=Neil| last=Norman |access-date=14 December 2013|publisher=express.co.uk}}</ref>

He starred with [[Phyllis Avery]] and [[Lloyd Corrigan]] in the [[CBS]] [[situation comedy|sitcom]], ''[[Meet Mr. McNutley]],'' from 1953 to 1955. He appeared in the role of an English and Drama professor at the fictitious Lynnhaven College. The sitcom was renamed ''The Ray Milland Show'' in its second season. Milland directed some episodes, and he soon had ambitions to direct features.<ref>RAY MILLAND'S TV BOW LOOKS LIKE A BIG HIT: Wolters, Larry. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923–1963); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill] 13 September 1953: w_a6.</ref>

At Fox, Milland starred in ''[[The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing]]'' (1955). then starred in a TV adaptation of ''[[Markheim]]'' (1956) directed by [[Fred Zinnemann]].

===Directing===
[[File:Joan Collins Ray Milland The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Joan Collins]] and Milland in ''[[The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing]]'' (1955)]]
After leaving Paramount, Milland concentrated on directing. In his first directorial effort, a [[Western (genre)|Western]] entitled ''[[A Man Alone (film)|A Man Alone]]'' (1955), Milland cast himself in the leading role. His co-stars included [[Mary Murphy (actress)|Mary Murphy]] and [[Ward Bond]]. The story depicts the aftermath of a stagecoach robbery. He did the film for a lesser fee in exchange for a chance to direct and a percentage of the profits<ref>[[Louella Parsons]]: Ray Milland Shines Six-Shooter
The Washington Post and Times-Herald 21 January 1955: 40.</ref>

He then starred in and directed ''[[Lisbon (1956 film)|Lisbon]]'' (1956), alongside [[Maureen O'Hara]] and [[Claude Rains]]. Like ''A Man Alone,'' it was distributed by [[Republic Pictures]] and filmed in [[Trucolor]].<ref>Ray Milland, Director And 'Lisbon' Star By Melvin Maddocks. The Christian Science Monitor 6 September 1956: 11.</ref>

He directed episodes of ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]'' and ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]'' and starred in the features ''[[Three Brave Men]]'' (1956), ''[[The River's Edge]]'' (1957), a Western directed by [[Allan Dwan]] for [[Benedict Bogeaus]], and ''[[High Flight (film)|High Flight]]'' (1957), an air force melodrama for [[Warwick Pictures]] in England.

He appeared in episodes of ''[[Suspicion (American TV series)|Suspicion]]'' and ''[[General Electric Theater]]'', directing episodes of both. His third feature as director was ''[[The Safecracker]]'' (1958), which was shot in England.<ref>MOVIELAND EVENTS: British Personnel Aiding Ray Milland
[[Los Angeles Times]] 10 August 1957: B2.</ref>

===Retirement and ''Markham''===
Milland then retired for six months before deciding to go back to work, commenting, "my wife told me I'd better get a job of some kind because I was making her a nervous wreck ... hanging around the house."<ref name="mark">Ray Milland Wants to Resume College
Hyams, Joe. [[Los Angeles Times]] 4 September 1959: 27.</ref>

From 1958 to 1960, Milland starred in the CBS detective series, ''[[Markham (TV series)|Markham]]'', originally called ''Crisis''.<ref>Series for Ray Milland
[[The New York Times]] 6 February 1959: 51.</ref>

During the making of the show Milland remarked, "it's becoming more and more of an effort to go on acting. I know it's a wonderful way to make a living but any job you don't like becomes difficult and I just don't like acting. I never have. I do it because I can't make a living any other way. Standing in front of a crew playing love scenes embarasses me. I'm as self conscious as hell and I want to get it over with. You get up too early and you finish too late and you feel like a lackey."<ref name="mark"/>

The show failed to capture the expected significant audience, even though it followed the western ''[[Gunsmoke]]''.
{{Quote box
| quote = Do what you can with what you've got. I know actors from my generation who sit at home and cry, 'Why don't they send me any scripts?' I tell them, 'Because you still think of yourself as a leading man. You're 68, not 28. Face it.'<ref name=obit/>
| source = – <small>Milland explaining his philosophy on becoming a character actor towards the end of his career.</small>
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He retired again, this time to the French Riviera in 1960. However, he soon became bored and started acting again.<ref name="new">RAY MILLAND DIES; WON OSCAR FOR 'LOST WEEKEND': [OBITUARY]
Flint, Peter B. [[The New York Times]] 11 March 1986: D.30.</ref>

===AIP===
Milland appeared in two [[Roger Corman]] [[American International Pictures|AIP]] pictures. The first was ''[[The Premature Burial (film)|The Premature Burial]]'' (1962) – the third of Corman's 'Poe Cycle'. He then portrayed Dr. Xavier in the well-received ''[[X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes]]'' (1963).

Also for AIP, he starred in the self-directed, apocalyptic science-fiction drama, ''[[Panic in Year Zero!]]'' (1962).

He continued to guest star on shows like ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]],'' and he appeared in ''[[Quick, Let's Get Married ]]''(1964).

===Broadway===
Milland decided to return to the stage and in 1964 appeared as Higgins in a touring version of ''My Fair Lady'', with mezzo soprano [[Marilyn Savage]] as Eliza Doolittle. He enjoyed the experience and in 1966 took the lead role as Simon Crawford [[Queen's Counsel|QC]] in the Broadway play, ''Hostile Witness'', directed by [[Reginald Denham]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Lost Weekend' Irks the 'Witness'|first=William |last=Glover|date=9 January 1966|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=G2}}</ref><ref>Ray Milland Hates Acting, But He Works Hard at It
Chicago Tribune 2 October 1966: i11.</ref>

The play ran in New York from February until July of that year, after which Milland took the play on the road. In 1968, he reprised the role in a [[Hostile Witness|film of the same title]], which he also directed. It was the last feature film he directed.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kabatchnik|first=Amnon|title=Blood on the Stage, 1950–1975: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection |year=2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REMTpknTAQYC&q=%22Simon+Crawford%22+QC&pg=PA424|location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=Scarecrow Press |pages=424–426 |isbn=9780810877849}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Barbra's Husband to Debut|last=Martin|first=Betty|date=31 August 1967|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=c13}}</ref>

===Character actor===
He returned as a [[character actor]] in the late 1960s and the 1970s, appearing in such films as ''[[Daughter of the Mind]]'' (1969), a television film that reunited him with [[Gene Tierney]].

In the late 1960s, Milland hosted rebroadcasts of certain episodes of the [[Television syndication|syndicated]] Western [[anthology series]], ''[[Death Valley Days]],'' under the title ''Trails West''; the series' original host had been [[Ronald Reagan]]. He also guest-starred on ''[[Bracken's World]]'' and ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]'' as well as in TV movies like ''[[Company of Killers]]'' (1970), ''[[River of Gold (1971 film)|River of Gold]]'' (1971) and ''[[Black Noon]]'' (1971).<ref>Ray Milland to Star
[[Los Angeles Times]] 21 February 1970: a3.</ref>

Milland had his biggest box office success in many years when he played Oliver Barrett III in ''[[Love Story (1970 film)|Love Story]]'' (1970).<ref>{{cite web |title=Ray Milland – Box Office |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/person/99160401-Ray-Milland#tab=summary |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=The Numbers}}</ref> In 1978 Milland reprised his role as Oliver Barrett III in ''[[Oliver's Story]]'', also written by [[Erich Segal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Oliver's Story (1978) |website=[[AFI Catalog]] |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56955 |accessdate=14 December 2023}}</ref>

He was then in ''[[Embassy (1972 film)|Embassy]]'' (1972), a British spy thriller.

In 1970, he said he worked only two to three months a year acting and spent the rest of the year relaxing, although he admitted that he had suffered some financial troubles since the sale of his yacht in 1964.<ref>Yacht Woes Still Plague Ray Milland: RAY MILLAND
Rood, W B. [[Los Angeles Times]] 3 April 1970: c2.</ref>

===Horror and action movies; focus on television===
In 1972, Milland starred in two horror films. One was ''[[Frogs (film)|Frogs]]'', co-starring [[Sam Elliott]] and [[Joan Van Ark]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://glitternight.com/2017/07/05/the-frogs-1972-fourth-of-july-bad-movie/|title = The Frogs (1972): Fourth of July Bad Movie|date = 5 July 2017}}</ref> in which Milland played a wealthy, cantankerous plantation owner who dumps waste materials in a swamp, causing an enormous disruption of nature. The second, ''[[The Thing with Two Heads]]'', a blaxploitation film directed by Lee Frost, is considered a cult classic; Milland plays a brain surgeon with a terminal illness who transplants his head onto the healthy body of an American prisoner. The following year he was in ''[[The House in Nightmare Park]]'' (1973), a comedy chiller, and had the lead in the TV movie, ''[[Terror in the Wax Museum]]'' (1973).

He also turned in an appearance as a hand surgeon in the ''[[Night Gallery]]'' episode, "The Hand of Borgus Weems". He guest-starred in two episodes of ''[[Columbo]]'', as a grieving widower in "Death Lends a Hand" (1971) and as a suspect in "The Greenhouse Jungle" (1972).

Milland was in such action films as: ''[[The Big Game (1973 film)|The Big Game]]'' (1974), ''[[The Student Connection]]'' (1974), and ''[[Gold (1974 film)|Gold]]'' opposite [[Roger Moore]] (1974). Then he did another TV horror film, ''[[The Dead Don't Die (1975 film)|The Dead Don't Die]]'' (1975). He appeared in ''[[Escape to Witch Mountain (1975 film)|Escape to Witch Mountain]]'' (1975) for [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Disney]] and guest starred on shows like ''[[Cool Million]]'' and ''[[Ellery Queen (TV series)|Ellery Queen]]''.<ref name="guard">Olden boldy: BART MILLS meets Ray Milland, latest Hollywood favourite to enter the autobiography stakes
The Guardian 5 April 1975: 8.</ref>

Around this time, Milland said that he planned on moving to Europe and that he accepted "the parts I figure I can get some enjoyment out of."<ref name="cut">Ray Milland Cuts to a New Scene
Hall, William. [[Los Angeles Times]] 10 March 1974: o24.</ref>

In 1975, Milland was the subject of an episode of the British biographical TV series, ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]''.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Milland had a significant success with the TV miniseries, ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man (miniseries)|Rich Man, Poor Man]]'' (1976), receiving an [[Emmy Award|Emmy]] nomination for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series|Best Supporting Actor]].

He also had roles in ''[[The Swiss Conspiracy]]'' (1976), ''[[Aces High (film)|Aces High]]'' (1976), ''[[Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby]]'' (1976), ''[[Mayday at 40,000 Feet!]]'' (1976), ''[[The Last Tycoon (1976 film)|The Last Tycoon]]'' (1976), ''[[Seventh Avenue (miniseries)|Seventh Avenue]]'' (1976), ''[[Cuibul salamandrelor|Oil]]'' (1977), ''[[Testimony of Two Men]]'' (1977), ''[[The Uncanny (film)|The Uncanny]]'' (1977), ''Slavers'' (1977), and ''[[The Pyjama Girl Case]]'' (1978), an Italian giallo set in Australia.

He starred in ''[[Cruise Into Terror]]'' (1978), ''[[The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries]]'', ''Blackout'' (1978), and ''[[The Darker Side of Terror]]'' (1979).

He guest-starred as Sire Uri in ''[[Saga of a Star World]]'' (1978'')'', the pilot episode of the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' television series.<ref>{{cite book|title=An Analytical Guide to Television's Battlestar Galactica|page=54|first=John Kenneth|last=Muir|publisher=McFarland|year=2005|isbn=9781476606569}}</ref> He reprised his role as Ryan O'Neal's father in ''[[Oliver's Story]]'' (1978) and appeared in some action films, including ''Spree'' (1979) and ''[[Game for Vultures]]'' (1979).

Milland guest-starred on several [[Aaron Spelling]]-produced shows such as ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'' and ''[[Hart to Hart]]''. In the latter, he appeared twice as Jennifer Hart's father.

He was top billed in ''[[The Attic (1980 film)|The Attic]]'' (1980), but usually had supporting roles in TV movies like ''[[The Dream Merchants (miniseries)|The Dream Merchants]]'' (1980), ''[[Our Family Business]]'' (1981), ''[[The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana]]'' (1982), ''[[Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land]]'' (1983), ''[[Cave In!]]'' (1983), and ''[[Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death|The Masks of Death]]'' (1984), a Sherlock Holmes adventure starring [[Peter Cushing]] and [[John Mills]].

His last appearances were in ''The Sea Serpent'' (1985) and ''[[The Gold Key]]'' (1985). The latter was a mystery made specifically for video.<ref name="gold"/>