Editing Ray Milland (section)

===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.