Born Alfred Reginald John Truscott-Jones, Welsh American actor Ray Milland (1907–1986) appeared in more than 135 theatrical releases between 1929 and 1985 and on radio, television, and the stage, while also becoming a film director; Milland’s extensive canon across such a period is remarkable, especially considering his lack of formal training, his belated start in show business in his late twenties, and the fact he only lived to age seventy-nine. Perhaps best remembered for his Oscar-winning performance as the tortured alcoholic in Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend (1945) or his outstanding collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock in Dial M for Murder (1954), there is much more to Milland’s life and career than the few films that elevated him from star to icon. Despite his prolific and successful career, Dashing to the End: The Ray Milland Story is the first comprehensive biography of the star. Milland’s personal and professional trajectory epitomize quintessential Hollywood lore: the British army soldier-turned-actor who went from unknown, struggling bit player to Oscar-winning star to aging, scandal-haunted “has-been” to comeback character actor to present-day cult figure. Using interviews with Milland’s costars and colleagues, as well as research from several major archives, author Eric Monder brings into sharp relief both the positive and negative aspects of the Hollywood film and television industries and paints a well-rounded portrait of this complex man and artist. Perhaps Milland was the ultimate example of being in the right place at the right time. Still, Dashing to the End does an excellent job in recalling his ability to spin a long and Oscar-capped career from his remarkable good luck. -- Phil Hall ― The Epoch Times Fans of Milland will no doubt enjoy Eric Monder’s Dashing to the End: The Ray Milland Story , a well-researched biography and tribute to Milland. Monder examines Milland’s life, career, and key roles in this highly informative book. Monder’s efforts to tell Milland’s story thoroughly and objectively are impressive and supported by quotes and anecdotes from stars who knew him. Perhaps the most moving part of this book occurs near the end when Milland’s legacy is discussed as well as its overall uncertainty as the years go on. ― Hometowns to Hollywood Most reviewers ignore blurbs, but it is hard not to be impressed by renowned film critic Molly Haskell’s endorsement of a book ‘we’ve been waiting for’ of a star who ‘brought a dark shadow self to his matinee idol roles,’ or that of a Tony Award-winning playwright, David Rabe, who lauds an ‘engrossing biography’ that portrays an ‘ambitious, serious, sometimes turbulent’ career, reflective of a ‘rebellious psyche behind a perhaps too placid veneer.’ Mr. Rabe’s comment captures the subtle, sometimes hidden drama of Milland’s roles and his off-screen life, which now have been conjoined in Eric Monder’s splendid achievement. -- Carl Rollyson ― The New York Sun A recommended new book on filmmaking. . .the first comprehensive biography on Milland. -- Christopher Schobert ― www.thefilmstage.com 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.’ ― Classic Movie Man Dashing to the End is the biography of Ray Milland we‘ve been waiting for. The Welsh actor was underserved by his studio and, at the end of his long career, underestimated by critics and the public. He had to wait this long for the full-scale treatment, but luckily he got the biographer he deserved and then some! With tremendous skill and insight, Eric Monder shows how Milland brought a dark shadow self to his matinee idol roles, a self-deprecating humor to his seemingly unflappable protagonists. His skill, charisma, complexity, and career choices (the dark roles he hesitatingly accepted, the juicy ones he turned down) are elucidated with style and easy scholarship in this entertaining work. The introduction alone is a masterpiece of succinct storytelling, drawing us irresistibly onward into what promises to be a classic of its genre. -- Molly Haskell, American film critic and author During my childhood and early adult years in Iowa, Ray Milland occupied a steady place, my window into the larger world. Films like Beau Geste and Reap the Wild Wind , along with The Lost Weekend , were all indelible in my young imagination. And yet Milland, though ever present, remained somehow a secondary figure. Dashing to the End , Eric Monder’s aptly named and engrossing biography, takes us into the ambitious, serious, sometimes turbulent―Milland's career was damaged by a love affair with Grace Kelly―and even rebellious psyche behind a perhaps too placid veneer. -- David