Every Time Ray Milland Was Charming in... Wise Girl
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When he realizes that Susie has been lying to them all the whole time.
And finally, when he goes to thank Susie.
Wise Girl is the story of a spoiled heiress named Susie (played by Miriam Hopkins) who, along with her father, wants custody of her two nieces. Her sister and her husband are dead, and their daughters (Joan and Katie) live with their paternal uncle John (played by Ray Milland).
In order to try and get them into her custody (despite the fact that her late sister was also a bohemian and they gave custody to John), she poses as an out-of-work actress to get dirt on John. Of course, this being a 70-minute romantic comedy, you can imagine what happens, but let's recap it through the lens of every time Ray Milland was charming in this movie.
When he's trying to sell a ladies hat.
When he lays eyes on Susie for the first time and she's teasing him through the window.
When he talks to her for the first time.
When he comes in to repair her shabby apartment while she's in the bath.
When he introduces Susie to Karl Stevens, an alcoholic who lives in the apartment complex.
When he helps carry Karl away.
When he plays with his niece.
When he tries to give Susie a flower but she initially declines it.
When he has a heart-to-heart with Susie.
When he shows off his painting, gets a job, and watches as Susie gets one, too.
When he takes Susie to boxer slash seamstress Mike O'Malley, to fix the oversized dress she has to wear on the job.
When he decides that her make-up is all wrong for the job.
When he's painting at the restaurant and Susie's hiding her face and that atrocious make-up job.
When he watches jealously as Susie dances with one of her old, rich friends (unbeknownst to him that they're already acquainted).
When he grows closer to Susie.
When he hears a suspicious noise in the store and later finds Susie hiding from him.
When he's helping Mike at a boxing match.
When he's looking for a job but has to pretend he's never heard of a few of the offerings because there are children present.
When Susie tells him to just paint.
When he vows he'll get a job.
When he gets a job as a vacuum cleaner salesman...
...gets conned into giving a free demonstration/cleaning job to a busy mother...
...and then has a moment of panic that perhaps he vacuumed the baby, somehow (the baby was actually in the closet).
When Susie proposes to him so that they can have money and he'll have time to paint, but he declines.
When he's been served over his nieces being truants and not properly cared for.
When he sits glumly in court.
When he yells at the judge that Joan and Katie don't need to know all the names of the former US Presidents and that he is teaching them what they need to know.
When he watches as Susie advocates for the girls staying with her and their grandfather.
Later, after it's obvious to Susie that the girls are unhappy, when she goes into the city and lies to John that they're ill.
When the cops (who have been bribed by Susie to pull him over for speeding) pull him over as he's driving the speed limit.
When they visit him in jail and he's told he'll only get out once he paints something.
When he tries to light a fire in his cell so he'll get released, to no avail.
When he finally breaks down and starts to draw something.
When he's drawing.
When he calls everyone to tell them that he's finally done a drawing.
Here's the drawing: a caricature of Susie and her father.
When he's shocked that they all love it and Susie thinks they can find a buyer for it, and he's released from jail.
When he's sprung and starving and fills himself at the Fletcher house.
When buyers call and want his caricature for big money (Susie's on the extension raising the bidding).
When his caricature sells for $1,500.
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If you liked this, read more in the 'Every Time Ray Milland Was Charming in...' series here.
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