A Ray Milland double bill

Ray Milland had a long and rather strange Hollywood career.  The Welsh-born former dancer and Guardsman went to the States in the late 30s and immediately had movie success as a light leading man supporting many of the day's top actresses.  He proved his acting chops with an Oscar for the incorrigible drunk in Wilder's "Lost Weekend" (1945), but moved in and out of fine pictures and blatant rubbish for the next three decades.  I recently rewatched two of his movies and admire the fact that he remained ever watchable in all manner of outings:

Golden Earrings (1947):  As one critic wrote, this film defined the concept of "camp cult classic" before such a concept existed in the sense that it is so awful that it is compelling.  Milland plays an British army officer on a mission in Germany just before the outbreak of World War II.  He is captured and tortured, but manages to escape and ends up hiding out with Marlene Dietrich's free-spirited and superstitious gypsy.  She stains his skin, decks him out in garish garb, pierces his ears, and tells him to avert his blue eyes from the inquisitive Germans (the fact that she also has light eyes is studiously ignored).  Despite his growing feelings for her, he completes his mission and returns to Britain -- where the holes in his ears are a constant source of gossip at his Gentleman's club.  After the war, he receives his earrings in the post, so he flies to Paris where, in a nearby wood, her caravan is waiting.  Just like that!

Alias Nick Beal (1949):  Milland was most often a likeable hero, even when in the throes of drink, so his role in this long-forgotten film is a change of pace.  Effectively he plays the devil -- or at least one of his minions -- on a quest to obtain souls in a latter day Faust story.  His quarry here is honest politician Thomas Mitchell whom he manages to tempt with hopes of political glory and the attraction of a young woman -- both to the distress of Mitchell's faithful and sensible wife and upright colleagues.  Milland is nearly perfect as the sly tempter and quite probably enjoyed the opportunity to play against type.  In truth this is certainly a B-movie, but one that is well-conceived and well-acted.