Page 16 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 6, 2013
■ I had the great pleasure of actually seeing Ray Milland onstage in a play titled Hostile Witness at the Princess Theatre in 1967. I had watched Ray Milland in his many films over the years and it was a big thrill to see him ‘in the flesh’. Alfred Reginald Jones was born in Neath, Wales in 1907 and only spoke Welsh until the age of five. Alfred was a very keen sportsman in his teenage years and became an accomplished horseman. At the age of 21 he went to London to become a member of the elite Household Cavalry (guard for the Royal Family). To supplement his income he worked as an actor in films, firstly as an extra and then was gradually promoted to small roles. In 1929 he was cast as a character in a film titled The Flying Scotsman where he used the stage name of Raymond Milland. This led to a nine month contract with the MGM studios and Ray moved to Hollywood to try his luck. He married Muriel Weber in 1932 and they were together throughout his life. In 1934 Ray was cast in We're Not Dressing for Paramount Studios and worked with Bing Crosby and Carole Lombard. His role in Beau Geste in 1939 was a turning point in his career. Ray Milland became a big box office star and was in demand for leading
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Whatever Happened To ... Ray Milland By Kevin Trask of 3AW and 96.5 Inner FM roles. He was a licensed pilot and tried to enlist in the Army when the Second World War began but was rejected due to a hand injury. Ray volunteered as a civilian flight instructor and continued to make films throughout the war years. In 1942 he made a film titled Reap The Wild Wind with John Wayne and in later years stated that his premature baldness was due to the curling of his straight hair during that production. In 1945, Ray Milland became the first Welshman to win a Best Actor Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal of an alcoholic in The Lost Weekend. His notable films included, I Wanted Wings, The Uninvited and The Big Clock.
● Ray Milland
He had his own television series, The Ray Milland Show, in 1953 and played a university professor. Ray Milland is best remembered for the classic film Dial M For Murder. He worked with Alfred Hitchcock and his co-stars included Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings. Another Ray Milland film that has gained ‘cult status’ was titled X but is also known as The Man With The X- Ray Eyes. He starred in many television shows during his career and discarded his toupee in his later years. He played small roles in two classic films, Love Story and Rosemary's Baby. Ray Milland was in more than 126 feature films which must be some sort of a record. He preferred to stay at home with his wife rather than attend Hollywood parties. The couple had two children. Ray Milland passed away from cancer in 1986 at the age of 81. I am so pleased that I got to see him onstage all those years ago - I thought Ray Milland was a wonderful actor. - Kevin Trask The Time Tunnel - with Bruce & PhilSundays at 8.20pm on 3AW That's Entertainment - 96.5FM Sundays at 12 Noon 96.5FM is streaming on the internet. To listen, go to www.innerfm.org.au and follow the prompts.
STORM BREWS OVER WEATHER STATION
■ With protests the world over, one often expects at the worst bloodshed, murder and mayhem; at the best, at least inflamed emotions and harsh words. Not in Tennant Creek. For two days, 30 protesters vented a quiet show of support for their current chosen issue - the Tennant Creek Weather Radar Station. It becamedue for demolition, and locals were up in arms, with tourist operators and politicians from all sides, and even public servants, indignant at the plans, claiming that lives would be endangered. The station has provided information on local storms and rainfall about every 10 minutes, and this, they claim, is vital for the safety of everyone in this desolate region, not the least being the Flying Doctor. The demolition, thanks to the little protest, has been temporarily postponed, whilst more backroom deals are worked upon. Reminds me of when I was Alice I would, as I do here, call the Weather Bureau and talk to a person, rather than a recording. I would be told, by the lone meteorologist on duty at the Airport, what to expect, and when, and where it was coming from. One afternoon, after a mis-forecast by the local media, he blurted out to me in frustration: "People just don't understand clouds!" ■ In 2011, as happens every year along the Stuart Highway, there was the World's Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide. These odd vehicles snake their way down the road at about 50kmh, but can reach up to 100. They get plenty of attention along the way, and attract crowds at every overnight stop. The design winner that particular year was the Solar World Grand Turismo from Germany, and has now just been driven around the world, not just across Australia. It travels about 30 kms each day, having started its global circumnavigation just after the finish of the last race in Adelaide. It then wound up travelling through New Zealand, and across the US, Europe, Eurasia and Russia. Now it's back and Australia, set to shortly finish its journey in Hahndorf. It will be seeking inclusion in the
The Outback Legend
with Nick Le Souef Lightning Ridge Opals 175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Phone 9654 4444 www.opals.net.au Guinness Book of Records for the longest route driven by a solar car. It's powered by the same amount of energy required to run a hairdryer, Mareike Bautsch, a team member, noted. I know the brief distraction these cars cause as they trundle down the highway, particularly to road trains, but I can just imagine some of the traumas they must have endured and encountered in other, less welcoming, parts of the world. Freeways in the US would have been a nightmare, not to mention the bureaucracy and suspicion as they bounced across Russia. ■ The Alice Springs Women's Shelter has been celebrating its 35th anniversary, and there were a series of events around town to spread the word of opposing violence against women. "Levels of violence in Central Australia are diabolical in comparison to other parts of Australia,"says co-ordinator Dale Wakefield. In fact, Alice Springs has recently kept its title as the place with the most assaults in the NT, according to re-
cent statistics. It also has the highest number of alcohol-fuelled violent and domestic assaults in the NT, both of which I assume mean Australia as a whole. In a recent three month period there were 435 recorded assaults - about five each day. This is indeed diabolical. One just needs to wander the streets of Alice at any time to see who are the most common victims of this violence. So there was an art exhibition to draw attention to this violence issue, displaying works by women and children. There was also White Ribbon Day, which is a male-led campaign to help promote this prevention of violence against women. Russell Goldplan, an ambassador for White Ribbon, said: "If you hear someone screaming for help in the middle of the night, don't roll over and go back to sleep - call the cops!" ■ The owner of three Pitbulls which were put down by the local council late last year has complained that she didn't get the chance to challenge the decision. The dogs had been free roaming off their leads in a local park, and wandered over to a group of kids in a sandpit, who began to throw things at them. Then their shouts apparently unnerved the dogs, and they attacked a six-year-old girl. The council said the attack caused serious injury - the dog's owner said she only saw "two small nips". Two small nips too many, I reckon! Then there are packs of dingoes roaming the outskirts of town, stalking children and killing pet dogs and cats. Linda Rive was ambushed by a pack of six whilst out walking her small black dog. They attacked him, and ate him in seconds, she reported. Pretty gruesome. And Deb Rankin's Steel Point Burmese cat was also killed near her home. And there were further reports of two more pet dogs being mauled to death in front their owners in the same area. Not a good time for walkies around Alice at the moment. ■ I never thought much about salt mines until a visitor to Coober Pedy saw a picture of the local underground Catholic church, which I had labelled
● Tennant Creek Weather Radar Station as the only underground church in the year, generating $4m in tourist revworld. enue. "Wrong!" said this visitor, "there's There are marathons and mounone in Poland!" So I Googled this up tain bike races through the mine; a - quite a place is this Kracow salt ten-pin bowling alley, and a 300 seat mine! music amphitheatre. Now there's to be a salt mine in Salt is carved into fixtures and fitCentral Australia which will turn into tings and furniture underground - salt the region's largest tourist attraction, according to Duncan van der Merwe, lanterns and lights and candlestick of Tellus Holdings, who are about to holders. All this for Alice Springs. excavate. I can hardly wait. He's just come back from Europe, - Nick Le Souef and visited one such mine in Ger‘The Outback Legend’ many, which attracts 20,000 visitors a
From The Outer
Melbourne
Observer
kojak@ mmnet.com.au
With John Pasquarelli
■ The 'silly season' is behind us and we are headed towards the most important federal election since WWII. The Gillard Government has survived with the help of the treacherous 'independents' and has grimly run its agenda of lies and vote buying with hardly a flinch. The media maggots have increased in number, Seven's Sunrise show has become a clone of the ABC and the political polls surge back and forth, making one doubt their authenticity. All sides of politics have their problems - the Coalition continually inflicted Peter Slipper on the electorate while Labor has weirdos like Steve Gibbons from Bendigo performing his swan song. Meanwhile, mainstream Australia suffers on the sidelines and small business, workers sick and tired of the rorting of their union masters, farmers and many others are waiting for polling day. The Coalition must sit down with these people and listen, a task made harder by the fact that too many politicians have never employed another person out of their own pocket and are out of touch. An Abbott Government will be faced by an army of Labor sponsored bureaucrats who will have to be dealt with quickly and firmly. I think the bookies who have Abbott firm favorite are on the money. - John Pasquarelli: kojak@mmnet.com.au