Title: Dashing to the End: The Ray Milland Story
By Eric Monder
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
ISBN: 9781496831491 (hardback)
Dashing to the End: The Ray Milland Story offers a carefully researched and engaging look into the life and career of one of Hollywood's most enduring, yet often underrated, leading men. Author Eric Monder navigates Milland's journey with a biographer's eye for detail and a fan's genuine affection. From his early days as a dashing heartthrob to his unexpected second act as a versatile character actor, the book paints a comprehensive picture of a man who was more complex and resilient than his on-screen persona often suggested.
The book spends a good deal of time during Milland's golden
age, particularly his definitive role in Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend.
Monder vividly recounts his preparation for the part of an alcoholic writer, a
performance that earned him a Best Actor Academy Award. This section of the
book is an interesting trip through film history, providing context on the
production and reception of this groundbreaking film. It highlights how
Milland’s commitment to the role cemented his status as a serious dramatic
actor, changing his public image from a charming romantic lead to a performer with
more dramatic range than he was given credit for up to that time.
Milland's post-Oscar life didn’t turn out the way the actor
expected. As his star waned in the studio system, he made a conscious and
strategic pivot to television and B-movies, a move many of his peers would have
scorned. The book treats this period not as a decline, but as a testament to
his adaptability and sheer love for acting. Monder reveals anecdotes from Milland’s
time directing and starring in sci-fi and horror films like The Man with the
X-Ray Eyes. This perspective gives credit to his late-career work,
revealing that he tackled these roles with the same professionalism and
dedication that he brought to his Oscar-winning performance.
In conclusion, Dashing to the End: The Ray Milland Story is
a definitive biography that is a must-read for classic film enthusiasts and
anyone interested in the inner workings of Hollywood's studio era. The biography
will leave the reader with an appreciation for Milland not just as a gifted
actor, but as a shrewd and enduring professional who was "dashing to the
end."
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