A still from the movie Bachelor Father (1931). Let's see, that's Ralph Forbes on the far left, Marion Davies sharing the center of the photo with C. Aubrey Smith, and the young man sitting on the couch is .....
Egads, it's Ray Milland!
Yes, indeed, a twenty-four-year-old Ray. I'm not sure why he has a bouquet of daisies.
Okay, Ray Milland's birthday is January 3rd. I began doing this post and realized today is the 4th. I'm late once again. I did remember it last year. The year before I was a week late. I really, really thought I'd get it right this year. Updated my calendar for his birthday a month ago. Have noted that reminder numerous times. Aaarrghh!
Anyway, love those blue-eyed men!
I'd say Ray is doing a very good impersonation of me. Champagne and Jack Daniels eggnog are both delicious drinks, but they do take their toll. Ah, well, the extended weekend was quite good otherwise.
Ray was born January 3, 1907, in Wales, with the name Alfred Reginald Jones. Sure glad he changed his name ... Alfie Jones ... just doesn't work for an incredibly handsome movie star.
Realized my Milland folder was rather full of photographs I have not used on the blog, so decided to do this post. Hey, as good a reason as any, right?!
Ray was quite the horseman, did his own riding in his films. Haven't any information re the movie being filmed below.
Ray portrays a pilot in the movie Men With Wings (1938). Why does he look so much better in a pilot's cap than does Mr. Montgomery?
And, when given the chance to be the bad guy, Ray did quite well. He is a rogue and attempted blackmailer in the movie, So Evil My Love (1948), a movie with some great cinematography.
It's 1941 and Paramount, like all of Hollywood, was in a big hurry to make some war movies before they lost all their youngish stars to the war effort. For I Wanted Wings they gathered Ray Milland, William Holden and Wayne Morris to play the young pilots. In real life, both Milland and Morris were actually pilots. Morris would later become a certified war hero, a flying ace, etc. Do check him out on IMDB, interesting guy. Holden served three years in the service, doing PR and making training films ... that's heroic duty as well! Mr. Milland was turned down for service, being 4F because of a crippled hand, although they would later hire him to train pilots as a civilian.
I Wanted Wings was a so-so movie, but they had one imaginative still photographer on board. Below, Ray and Constance Moore are shown looking off to the sky while holding up a section of a plane.
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INSIDE HOLLYWOOD by Nat Dallinger, week ending June 8, 1956: Ray Milland and his wife, Mal (Muriel) attend a cocktail party at the Beverly Hills Hotel. One of the screen's most popular stars and more recently a top favorite with television fans, Ray made his Hollywood film debut in 1931. In that same year he and Mal were married, making this year (1956) their 25th wedding anniversary.
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Mal was definitely a classic beauty who stayed married to Ray for 54 years, until he passed in 1986. Hats off to her for achieving that, particularly in Hollywood. And hats off to Ray for appearing in public sans toupee. He's still the handsome gent. A really classy 1950s couple, for sure!
Starting the new year off in usual form ... Ray's birthday was yesterday. Sigh. Anyway, love the lobby card for Ambassador Bill (1931), a Will Rogers vehicle with a young Ray (24) in a featured role. I'm glad he didn't stay with the mustache.
Yes, Mr. Milland's birthday is the 3rd of January. I hope he would understand my not working on the blog on a weekend. He seemed a basically good guy, the forgiving type.
This photo was taken by Wide World Photos for their morgue file for Ray. All the news services would try to have their own photos of news makers, kept without doing any touch up work. Ray is still a handsome lad at 41, even with the blemishes and a few wrinkles under the eyes.
Would love to have a 11"x14" photo of this clipping. It would be hanging on the wall above my desk (on a rotating basis with the Bob portrait that now claims that space). Just look at those troopers working hard so as not to embarrass themselves too much at the upcoming Friar's Frolic of 1949. I gather boys' choruses were always popular at these events, the current lucky dancers looking forward to laughing at next year's group. I wonder if anyone filmed these events. I guess not, probably wouldn't pass the censors!
I added the heights to the list of names. Looks like they got the lineup right. Van Johnson is the only dancer in the group. Walter Pidgeon started off as a singer on the stage, may have had some dancing experience. The rest, well, raw talent! Bob looks, well, a little stressed. Hope he made it through the performance without stepping on Van's foot.
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