Ray Milland Movies

More ambitious and expensive than ABC's first "novel for television" miniseries QB VII, the eight-episode, 12-hour Rich Man, Poor Man was the one that truly put the genre on the map, its phenomenal success in the ratings making possible the even more spectacular Roots. Adapted from the mammoth novel by Irwin Shaw, the miniseries covers the years from WWII to the 1960s, detailing the vacillating fortunes of the immigrant Jordache brothers. "Rich Man" Rudy Jordache (Peter Strauss) is determined to use his hard-earned education -- and his inherent ruthlessness -- to carve out a business and political empire not unlike that enjoyed by Joseph P. Kennedy and his progeny. "Poor Man" Tom Jordache (Nick Nolte), a quick-fisted hothead, goes an entirely different route, first as a professional boxer, then as a functionary of the evil gangster chieftain Falconetti (William Smith). Naturally, both brothers become entangled in romance along the way, with Julie Prescott (Susan Blakely) ending up as Rudy's benighted spouse. Originally telecast on February 1, 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 1, 8, and 15 in 1976, Rich Man, Poor Man earned 20 Emmy nominations and led to a weekly sequel, Rich Man, Poor Man -- Book 2, in the fall of 1976 (this version necessitated a title change for the original, which was rebroadcast as Rich Man, Poor Man -- Book 1 in the spring of 1977). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Elia Kazan directed this curiously constipated film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished final novel, about Monroe Starr, a brilliant and efficient studio executive (based upon Fitzgerald's experiences with MGM wunderkind Irving Thalberg). Robert De Niro plays Monroe Starr in a cool and detached manner, and as Kazan pans around the Hollywood Dream Factory of the 1930s, Starr juggles several productions, deals with nervous actors and recalcitrant directors, stays afloat in the Hollywood corporate battlefields, and secretly carries on a love affair with an even cooler and more detached English girl, Kathleen Moore (Ingrid Boulting). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Mayday at 40,000 Feet is a regulation crisis-in-the-air TV movie distinguished by the accomplished direction of Robert (Hill Street Blues) Butler. David Janssen pilots a 747 chock full of guest stars, battling a snowstorm in order to find his way back to the airport. The plane develops engine trouble, threatening to dump its celebrity cargo in the icy drink. Adding to Janssen's growing list of problems is a maniac who goes on a shooting rampage in the first-class section. It's doubtful that anyone on November 12, 1976 stayed tuned to Mayday at 40,000 Feet upon discovering that its competition on another network was the John Travolta vehicle The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This interesting made-for-TV period gangster-horror piece -- written by Psycho author Robert Bloch -- stars George Hamilton as a military man in 1930s Chicago who pounds the pavement in search of answers after his brother's wrongful execution. His investigations plunge him into a dark world even more sinister than the gangland circles he is forced to penetrate, leading him to the domain of a diabolical scientist, Varek (Ray Milland), who is plotting to seize control of the entire city with his army of walking dead. Directed by horror veteran Curtis Harrington, this plays very much like a '30s pulp novel come to life with plenty of menacing noir atmosphere, creepy monsters, and some well-mounted shocks. The Dead Don't Die is also enhanced by good uniform performances and the presence of the undeniably spooky Reggie Nalder. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Peter Hunt directed this old fashioned -- if not reactionary -- action film about gold-mining in South Africa. The story concerns a nefarious scheme to control the international price of gold by sabotaging the country's largest gold mine, flooding it with an underground sea. Hurry Hirschfeld (Ray Milland) is a cranky but kind millionaire who owns the gold mine. His granddaughter, Terry Steyner (Susannah York), is a beautiful women suffering from the old ennui. She happens to be married to chief bad-guy Manfred Steyner (Bradford Dillman), who, along with unscrupulous international tycoon Farrell (John Gielgud), hatches the plot to flood Hurry's gold- mine. To the rescue comes Rod Slater (Roger Moore) and his faithful black sidekick Big King (Simon Sabela), ready to right the wrongs and stem the tide in order to make South Africa safe for cheap black labor. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In this mundane, droll horror spoof, British comedian Frankie Howerd plays a washed-up actor who tries to cash in on his newly-discovered ties to the outrageously wealthy Henderson family. His efforts are stymied by the greed of stern patriarch Ray Milland, whose equally-avaricious offspring go to great lengths to bump off the hapless hero, abetted by a convenient household nest of venomous snakes. The producers conceived this film as a star vehicle for Howerd, but it didn't exactly propel him to super-stardom. Though competently filmed, this project is hampered by a lazy pace and unimaginative murder setpieces, leaving viewers with a horror-comedy featuring scarcely a scare or a snicker. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Murder abounds at a wax museum after the owner decides to sell it, and seemingly waxen figures come alive. By the way, are wax images normally supposed to breathe when being filmed? ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Hunt for a Lonely Girl was the opening 90-minute episode of the TV adventure series Cool Million. James Farentino stars as stylish private eye Jefferson Keyes, whose fee for solving mysteries is a flat million dollars. In return, Keyes offers an iron-clad guarantee that his clients will be satisfied. In this opening episode, tycoon Ray Milland faces a murder charge. The only way that Keyes can clear Milland is to find a snapshot taken by an elusive young lady (Kim Darby) at Niagara Falls. Hunt for a Lonely Girl was first telecast October 25, 1972; Cool Million itself lasted until July 11, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The good campy fun in this sci-fi horror movie really begins when the head of a racist mad scientist (Ray Milland) is sewn onto the shoulders of a large black convict (Rosie Grier) and the two heads begin fighting--literally trying to punch each other out--to control their shared body. The whole mess begins because the brain surgeon suffers from terminal cancer. He reasons that he will survive if he can transplant his head onto the shoulders of another. He and his team begin experimenting. First he has his head sewn to a gorilla (featuring a simian created by fledgling make-up artist Rick Baker). Something goes terribly wrong, he goes into a coma and when he wakes up, he finds himself having a permanent tete-a-tete with the wrongfully convicted Grier. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The slimy denizens of the Everglades organize a particularly nasty rebellion in this enjoyable entry from the "nature-run-amok" horror subgenre which favored drive-in venues of the mid-'70s. The story takes place amid the festivities honoring the birthday of crotchety, wheelchair-bound Southern patriarch Jason Crockett (Ray Milland), a chemical-industry magnate whose pesticides are responsible for much of the toxic pollution found in the swamplands. The revelry ends quickly, however, when thousands of local fauna decide to crash the party. Under the apparent telepathic guidance of the less-than-menacing swamp bullfrogs, armies of snakes, insects, and snapping turtles tear their way through the cast. Competent direction, great use of swampland ambience, and spooky sound effects help provide a suitably large dose of the creepy-crawlies. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In this thriller a police detective must find a renegade assassin who is not only wanted by the cops, he is also wanted by his bosses at Murder, Inc. Conspiracy abounds as the hitman controls other assassin's who keep the police preoccupied by their attempts on the life of a multimillionaire. The film climaxes with an exciting car crash. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Dack Rambo and Roger Davis are two handsome young men (as if you didn't know) in search of a sunken treasure. They head to Mexico, where on behalf of several older, less athletically inclined wheeler-dealers, they dive for gold off the Mexican coast. They don't get what they want, and spend ever so long pontificating about it. Among the supporting players is Ray Milland, who in his autobiography made several veiled but pointed comments (along the lines of "how the mighty have fallen") about this misfire adventure. River of Gold was made for ABC's Movie of the Week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this psychological drama, the daughter of a British barrister is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Her bereaved father swears his revenge. When the man's neighbor is killed, the barrister finds himself accused of the death. He begins to wonder if he is not going stark raving mad. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide