Every Time Ray Milland was Charming in THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR
The Major and the Minor is a top-three favourite movie for me, and this magical gem of a motion picture is 80 years old today.
Ginger Rogers is always perfect, you know that from reading this blog, but today I want to focus on one of the best parts of this movie: Ray Milland's absolutely charming performance as Major Philip Kirby. So let's take a look at every time Ray Milland was charming in The Major and the Minor!
When he meets the 12-year-old SuSu Applegate, an 'unaccompanied minor' on the train stowing away in his room with a stomachache and offers her a berth for the night.
When he comforts SuSu because he thinks she's scared of the thunder and lightning.
When he does his eye exercises so he can strengthen his "bum eye" and go back to active service.
When he's skeptical that a 12-year-old is allowed to drink coffee.
When he lets a 12-year-old treat his bloody nose
When he brings SuSu to the military academy to vouch for his honour...
...and ends up inviting her to stay for the weekend.
When he points out all the 'age-appropriate' boys SuSu will have access to that weekend and Susan has no choice but to play along.
When he gives SuSu a tour of the campus and cares that she's bored by it all.
When he stands his ground with Pamela, his fiancée, over wanting to return to active service.
When he spots SuSu at lunch and checks that she's having a good time.
When he rescues her from an over-amorous cadet.
When he looks out for her when the next cadet comes along (although he does miss the hints that SuSu doesn't want to go with Cadet Osborne).
When he brings SuSu into his office to talk about boys and makes SuSu fall in love with him.
When he's later disappointed in SuSu for being out after hours and playing with the switchboard (unbeknownst to him, she's trying to connect with Washington so she can get him put into active service).
When he watches Cadet Wigton dance away after being caught with SuSu.
When he sees SuSu at the dance and is happy she's having a fun time (though Pamela, who's now suspicious of the tween, is less than impressed by her presence).
When SuSu saves him the third waltz.
When he's worried that SuSu stood him up for the third waltz.
When an urgent telegram from Washington arrives and he asks SuSu if she thinks it's good news inside.
When he cuts back in on his dance with SuSu, disappointing Cadet Osborne in the process. (Side note: his face here never fails to crack me up. He looks at SuSu like, "this effing guy?")
When he talks about his dance lessons as a kid (to Ginger Rogers, of all people) and finally does a reverse.
When he promises to meet SuSu after the dance so that she can reveal a few things before leaving in the morning.
When he tosses rocks at SuSu's window after she stands him up due to a stomachache (when in reality Pamela, who now knows the truth about SuSu, blackmailed her into leaving without revealing her identity to Philip else Pamela will cause a scandal).
When, after some unknown amount of time has passed, he shows up in Stevenson, Iowa, on his way out west to report for duty, and wants to see SuSu once more.
When he shows up at the Applegate house and speaks to SuSu's mother (really SuSu in disguise) about how wonderful of a kid she has, and neatly ties up all the plot points preventing Susan and Philip from being together (namely that Pamela is now married to Cadet Wigton's father and Philip no longer works at the school).
When, at the train station, he spots someone familiar, who's not SuSu, nor is it SuSu's mother.
When he asks if she's who he thinks she is, and she tells him that she's Susan Kathleen Applegate, and that she's going out west, but stopping in Nevada first to marry a solider, thus sparking my favourite movie ending:
And there you have it, every time Ray Milland was charming in The Major and the Minor. Do you love this movie as much as me? Let me know in the comments what part's your favourite!
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