Ray Milland has only ever acted on stage.
Ray Milland . His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985 , and he is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend ( 1945 ) , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind ( 1942 ) , the murder-plotting husband in Dial M for Murder ( 1954 ) , and as Oliver Barrett III in Love Story ( 1970 ) . He left the army to follow a career in acting and appeared as an extra in several British productions before getting his first major role in The Flying Scotsman ( 1929 ) . This led to a nine-month contract with MGM and he moved to the United States where he appeared as a stock actor . Milland remained with Paramount for almost 20 years , and as well as his Oscar-winning role in The Lost Weekend , he is remembered for the films The Major and the Minor ( 1942 ) , The Big Clock ( 1948 ) , and The Thief ( 1952 ) , the last of which saw him nominated for his second Golden Globe .