In Third Finger, Left Hand it is the otherwise stereotypical rail porter who saves the day, turns out he's studying law & provides the leads their happy ending. This when Lena Horne & others would be confined to 1 scene or musical # so they could be edited out in southern states. Family maid saves the day in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, as well.
@@johnfulton4061 - NO, John Fulton. Random specious comments simply will not do. And misrepresenting Myrna Loy's actual sentiments with random claims isn't okay. From "Myrna Loy: Hero On and Off Screen" by Rick Hutchins: "A strong opponent of racism, she lobbied against discrimination in Hollywood. 'Why does every Black person in the movies have to play a servant?' she asked studio executives when she was at MGM. 'How about a Black person walking up the steps of a courthouse carrying a briefcase?' This was in 1934..."
The Thin Man was one of the first movies my husband and I watched together. It was a funny perfect date movie. We where Nick and Nora for Halloween that year, and we still watch those movies on date nights after the kids go to bed, and they still make us laugh. Myrna Loy is just perfect. She’s one of my favorites, and watching this just made me smile. :)
Attended film society showing of Song of the Thin Man several years ago, last & supposedly weakest of the series but it filled the little multiplex theatre. Myrna gives Nick perfect side-eye when he threatens to get her a bullet-proof girdle & of course great MGM supporting cast & production values, even if original directors & writers were long gone after more than a decade. This was around the same time Hitchcock wanted to cast Powell as gigolo serial killer in Shadow of a Doubt, MGM refused so he could play Elizabeth Taylor's father instead, Powell did radio version instead & is brilliant. Later Hitchcock wanted Loy to play Marnie's mother, she refused, despite having played Paul Newman's promiscuous drunk of a mother in From the Terrace & Robert Ryan's adulterous & abused wife in Lonelyhearts - only Hitchcock could look @ Nick & Nora & see a murderer & broken-down old hooker. Myrna would have been heartbreaking in the role, instead she was Doris Day's glamourous comic relief Aunt Bea in Midnight Lace.
1. That eyeroll at 0:40 was immaculate. 2. I've read her autobiography and I highly recommend it as well. 3. One of my favorite quotes by her was something along the lines of "Why does every black actor have to play a servant? Why not show one walking up the steps of a courthouse holding a briefcase?"
Gene Tierney, Myrna Loy and Deborah Kerr will always be the trifecta of best actresses without Oscars for me. (honorable mention to Irene Dunne!) I hope you will give Gene and Irene their moment in the sun for this series!
Deborah Kerr is my all-time favorite. At least she got an honorary Oscar in which she was able to give one of the most charming acceptance speeches. Love her. I love Myrna Loy as well. She had such impeccable comedic timing. She and Irene Dunne were the queens of sophisticated comedy.
Agreed. And honestly I can't think of any actress to ever wear clothes so well. Even though she wasn't super glamorous in her private life, that woman floats in a gown, and her clothes always fit her exquisitely.
Myrna Loy was a WONDERFUL actress. Always a joy to watch and be entertained without having to think. Just let the mind absorb that special time with her on the screen. Also she was fair and stood up for the rights of people. Never wanting to be noticed, just doing her job and being an A number one human being. Thanks Myrna Loy !!!!!.
@@Bunny-ch2ul Trained as dancer from early age, how she broke into the biz, claimed she could stand on her toes from age 3, photo of her in a dance pose @ an early age wearing something diaphanous, also posed for life-size statue in high school, supposedly still standing & visible in opening scenes of Grease.
@@andrew-xr1de She had lifelong career offscreen as activist, it got her banned in Germany, to no avail, she left Hollywood for the War years to work for the Red Cross. Befriended Czech Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk when Nazis invaded, went to work for U.N. & UNESCO post-War, Housing anti-discrimination & American Theatre after moving to NYC. Crawford & Garbo were there, too, but like Dietrich they became recluses, Myrna went onstage, toured the country & made it on Broadway when she was retirement age, 75 when she made her last movie for Sidney Lumet.
@@unowen-nh9ov Yes! I know the statue you're talking about it. It's in LA somewhere. My aunt was part of the campaign to save it. It was found somewhere in the 2000s covered in graffiti, and people wanted to have it cleaned, restored somewhere decent. If memory serves, it's in West Hollywood, but it's been over ten years since I lived out there. My aunt joined the campaign to save the statue because my family is hilariously connected to Mr.Blandings Builds HIs Dreamhouse. My family has been in New Milford, CT for a million years, which is where the story takes place, and as part of the promotion for the film, you could mail in and request blueprints for the house. My grandfather built the house from the movie with a few alterations. LOL.
This is why I love BKR because I learn about actresses who I would have never heard about! It still interesting how Hollywood still haven’t changed much.
@@ericplunder2744 Being able to watch movies for the first time is such an incredible gift. Wish I could wipe [parts of] my memory so I could do it again!
Keep reading darling. There's so much out there to learn. Watch some old movies, see if you still believe Hollywood hasn't gone down, down, down. Movies were the premiere Art Form of the last century. By 2023, they are hardly creeping along, loosing relevance by the hour.
within the space of 37 minutes I've gone from knowing very little about Myrna Loy to being absolutely desperate to watch every movie of hers I can possibly find. and that is why I love this channel. 🥰
She delivered her lines with such heart and honesty in "Best Years of Our Lives" that the first time I watched it with my Grandmother (...also of that greatest generation and a war wife herself) she wept during her scenes. My Grandma was such a stoic and strong figure in my life and upbringing that I'll never forget that moment.
One of my earliest memories as a young child is of an argument between my (probably drunk) Grandfather and (sweet, angelic) Grandmother. I guess he LOVED Myrna Loy and I remember walking into the kitchen and my grandmother walking out yelling "I am so sick of hearing about Myrna Loy this, Myrna Loy that. Will you please just leave me and go find Myrna Loy and bother her now." When I was older I would tease my grandmother many times whispering to her "I am so sick of hearing about Myrna Loy".
Find Janes Thurber's anthology of short stories, "The War Between Men and Women." A blissfully married couple have a serious falling out over who is the greatest actor ever. The husband favors Donald Duck, the wife favors Greta Garbo. The divorce trial is a sensation, with the attorneys arguing over the merits of Garbo versus Duck. I read this over 50 years ago and don't remember how it ends.
Pretty much universal feeling, why Myrna was voted Queen of Hollywood & post-War was cast as ideal wife for veteran Fredric March to return home to in BYOOL (& with 1st billing, yet!).
A more worth star of the Golden Era would be hard to find, and I thank you for your comprehensive and insightful approach to the career of the great Myrna Loy. She made all her co-stars look better on film, what a gift, and made herself look pretty great, too with her cool clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. Her autobiography, which she signed for me, is a wonderful book and I am glad that she lived long enough to received the accolades which escaped her during her heyday.
BKR YOU HAVE SAVED THE DAY! Myrna is my favorite actress and she is so criminally overlooked these days. I am SO happy you covered this! Thank you thank you thank you!
@@keltoumnoury lmao The political beliefs of actors don’t factor into who I choose as a subject at all. I like giving credit to progressive thinkers when there’s an opportunity, but most of the time, I don’t think about it! (Unless there’s an opportunity for a Reagan joke lol)
I think it would be interesting to talk about Pam Grier. I recently watched Jackie Brown and Im shocked she didn’t get a nomination for what was easily one of the best films of 97’
Immediately after this I watched The Thin Man. It was so fun! One of the few old Hollywood movies to actually make me laugh. William and Myrna really did have great chemistry.
As per always; these are more fascinating then I ever could have imagined, in that you really let the viewer not just get to know these golden age stories but get to be fans of these golden age actresses. I had maybe heard of Myrna Loy before watching this- I’m a huge fan now. By realizing her acting career was more of a job than a defining part of her identity, she if anything held a healthier attitude to being a celebrity, in that she could see the artifice of it. Kudos for knowing when to push back for a raise.
Criterion needs to get off their ass and give us a complete Myrna Loy/William Powell box set. She's not wildly well known today, but she's *beloved* by the right people. I like to think of Myrna Loy almost like a pleasant Katharine Hepburn. (No disrespect. Katharine Hepburn is my all time favorite.) The Thin Man movies are ridiculously funny and have aged incredibly well. The later ones are also surprisingly good, because movies with that many sequels aren't. They're literally the exception that proves the rule. The single exception. (Yes, that's a dig at a lot of franchises, and I meant what I said. LOL.)
Oooh do Gene Tierney!! I just finished her autobiography and she was a fascinating woman - a remarkable beauty AND talent, and surprisingly honest in her assessment of her life and career, which wasn’t all roses to be sure (she suffered from manic depressive episodes + contracted rubella from a FAN, leading to her daughter being born with severe disabilities). Not to mention, the movies! Laura is a classic, and Leave Her to Heaven is one of my favorite femme fatale films of all time, in glorious technicolor. Much like Myrna, Gene never received an Oscar and seems to be largely forgotten today, despite being one of Hollywood’s best and brightest. Love you and keep up the amazing work!
@@samanthab1923 I actually found Price a bit distracting cos I couldn't separate his later image from his character in Laura lol. Rebecca is so good too!
Reminds me of Amy Adams. One of the most universally well-liked dependable critically acclaimed and versatile actresses in the world but for some reason HASNT WON A SINGLE OSCAR? The Myrna Loy's and the Amy Adams of this world may get shortchanged by the "established tastemakers" of their day - but time gets the last laugh! Also, your channel is spectacular. AMAZING resource, great analysis. SO glad this exists. Instant subscribe. Cheers! - Soren
the perfect wife concept really reminds me of the "cool girl" gone girl monologue. it's always the same but the execution can vary so much depending on the man you're working with
Specifically with the "Best Years" Oscar love, it's very odd she was omitted come nomination time (BKR makes a good point about Teresa Wright making a big impact in the film, though; maybe she and Loy split nomination votes).
re-watched the best years of our lives yesterday and tangentially thought, surely bkr has myrna lined up for her 'always second best actress' series one of these days. lo and behold!!!!!
Watching your videos over the years feels like I'm in a helicoptor that you're piloting over the landscape of women in film. Sometimes flying in for a closer look, sometimes flying up high for a birds eye view (where I can see the various careers and the interplay), always interesting. Thanks for another winner!
Another outstanding video! I keep asking myself "Who are you!?" I mean that as a high compliment and not asking for a response. I recently retired from the film industry and only now that I have more time have really delved in to classic Hollywood fare. Your videos are just such a wonderful, smart, thoughtful accompaniment to this magical era. Kudos times ten!!!
And a quite lovely person in her private life, from what my mother's family tells me. One of my great grandmothers was a dress and costume maker in St. Louis, and Ms. Loy was one of her regular clients. (I suspect they met when she was traveling so much by train in the mid 30s.). My mother told me it was not unusual to walk into her family's living room to find Myrna Loy standing on a chair while my great grandmother was pinning a seam or hem in place. Ms. Loy even encouraged my great grandmother to relocate her business to California; however, my great grandmother (who was born in the 1880s) did not want to begin her business all over again.
Loved Myrna, understated and underrated - reminds me of what happened to Joan with her Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? snub except more egregious because it happened throughout her entire career. Dame Angela Lansbury would be a wonderful entry into this series - her performance in Manchurian Candidate easily could've and should've got her a win
In my eyes, Angela also deserved a Nomination for her performance as Miss Price in Bedknobs And Broomsticks. A Pity she didn't get nominated like Julie Andrews did for Mary Poppins.
This might get the side eye, but Marilyn did excellent work in Bus Stop, Seven Year Itch, Some Like it Hot, possibly The Misfits, but she was typecast and that became an albatross, in some ways comedy is harder to do than drama.
Myrna is my favorite actress of all time, really. She was so fancy and her acting was moderate and certain, she knew how to make the public laugh with details.
Where do I even begin to say how much I freakin' love this episode... it may be your best one. Myrna Loy is amazing on screen, and your episode is such a celebration of this. But offscreen, she's also INCREDIBLE, which your video also celebrates. So well done. Off to find her autobiography...
SO excited for this!! Myrna Loy is so incredibly talented in all of her movies and deserves so much more recognition!! Would also love to see an introspective on Lauren Bacall some day - who also deserved so much better :)
*sigh* Oh, Myrna. She was something. 💖 Thanks for such an in-depth, sympathetic look at her career. Her modern, unaffected style of acting should be very appreciated by today's audience, should they only be introduced to her. She needs to be rediscovered more broadly.
I was 8 yrs old the first time I ever saw a Nick and Nora movie on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I was hooked. Some 40 plus yrs later. If I see Myrna or William Powell I will watch it every time.
I cannot praise your thorough and professional documentaries enough. They are superb and put TV versions to shame. Your intelligent commentary, excellently chosen stills and clips all betray an enormous amount of hard work and research. I've enjoyed every single one of your videos I've watched, without exception. Thank you so much! I've also always liked Myrna Loy, both as an actor and as a person. She was a good egg, as we say in Britain.
She has a couple of scenes in Best Years that send chills up my spine. One of those scenes: When March comes home, she is doing the dishes, her back to the camera; she hears her 2 grown kids answer the door, March motions to the kids to not say anything, this is a surprise return; she calls out to them Who was at the door? Silence. She is stationery at the sink. Within seconds, it dawns on her: her husband has come home from the war. With her back to the camera, you feel all the pent-up emotion, tension, release, joy. Loy is a marvel. Edward G Robinson is another who was never even nominated! When you think of all the shmoes who have won, it boggles the mind. Politics. Do a piece on Stanwyck when you have a chance.
Just wanted to point out that in one of Loy’s first (problematic) films 13 Women she costars with Peg Entewhistle. An actress known for one, having given a stage performance so powerful it convinced young Bette Davis to become an actress and two, jumping off the Hollywood sign after (but not exclusively because of) being mostly cut out of 13 Women.
So excited to watch this! If you’re interested in requests, I’d love to see your take on Ava Gardner’s 1954 Oscar nomination and the making of Mogambo. Her husband, Frank Sinatra, was nominated that year too and her tumultuous relationship with him was all the talk. Her performance is considered one of the best in her career. ♥️♥️♥️
@@abandonedfragmentofhope5415 yes but only in passing during the acknowledgement of the other nominees. That era in Ava’s life was really intense and it influenced her decision not to even attend the ceremony. There’s a lot to cover: Ava’s feelings that she didn’t deserve the nomination, the affairs and fights that took place on set, Ava’s terminated pregnancy, Frank’s nomination and subsequent win (Ava got him the role and she lost her Oscar.) and Frank couldn’t even celebrate his Oscar because of Ava. It’s like a Greek tragedy.
I adore Myrna Loy and was so excited to see your coverage on her. Love love love the Thin Man Movies and their relationship - shake up that martini for me baby!
I'm glad Myrna Loy had common sense. I was wary of her from your Anna May Wong video and it's good to see her at least acknowledge how racist her roles were when modern day white actresses still don't (see: Scarlett Johansson).
I tend to give actresses who, when they made those movies, weren't big stars then the benefit of the doubt since it is a cutthroat industry and saying no might mean never working in the industry again. Scarlett Johansson, on the other hand, had no such excuse since she was a big star when they offered her the role of Motoko
@@irondragonmaiden yeah. I remember when Anya Taylor-Joy mentioned how she often turns down Latina roles ( despite in her case, she actually is Latina) because she recognizes colorism as a problem. Again, I get that this is the bare minimum of decency and common sense that people should have but in this world its such a relief to hear when many stars I used to stan don't.
My movie group just watched The Best Years of Our Lives (my pick), and we couldn't believe none of the women were nominated! This video is a great illustration of how well you do what you do. I definitely think we need a Myrna Loy shirt in the merch store!
Wonderful video as always. Myrna was an incredible talent and The Best Years of Our Lives is an incredible movie, sadly not as well known now as it should be for the many poignant issues it delves into and the characters it portrays.
I am with you, “what the hell!” I love her work! My favorite Christmas movie is ‘The Thin Man,’ and I have never seen a movie of her’s I didn’t like; although I have never seen her any of yellow/brown face. I have seen and loved 4 of the Thin Man movies and they are epic! She was incredible and deserves more recognition!! This is a well done video and I really enjoyed it! I really need to read her book! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I'm a Myrna Loy fan, too, and never knew that she was not ever nominated for an Oscar. Another favorite of mine who was never nominated was Joseph Cotton. Both of them gave excellent performances in classic movies but were totally overlooked by the Academy. Good reason not to take awards like that too seriously.
I don’t want to bump into anybody’s business anymore but after decades of acting such as Citizen Kane and finally ended all the way through The Survivor, Joseph Cotten did so much work as an legendary Hollywood actor-sadly he passed away in February 1994.
Because of this video, my wife and I have just watched The Thin Man. It was brilliant! Thank you. Now I might be able to watch the rest of your presentation.
One summer when I was a kid my dad for some reason bought the entire Thin Man series and we watched them all as a family. I think they might have been on VHS, I have no idea what happened to them or what inspired him to buy them but they were very enjoyable.
Your videos are sooooo good. Also, after watching almost all of them, I have come to think about how the Oscars are not really a good judge of talent; yes, there have been incredibly talented people who’ve won but one could say there are even more that have never even been considered, because of politics, lack of opportunities (ie a lot of women of color); more and more it feels like a meaningless award, not a true measurement of how talented an actor is
Actually I think you are confusing the trees for the forest. Oscars are primarily commercial, fodder, a tease, a ballyhoo for Hollywood Product. Studios like to put their stuff Out and wait for the money to roll In. If Liz Taylor helped sell their movies, they tossed her a bone to scramble for with other shills from other studios. It is all publicity, advertising, for their stuff. Actors come and go, but Studio Heads stick it out. Their party is Their gift to Their potential ticket buyer's. Liz is fluff, window dressing. If people want to believe the Oscar telecast is about art, let them, the Studios won't get in the way. Just buy tickets.
Some actors and actresses are just so damned good that they make everything just look too easy. Sometimes, when you actually see actors acting, it looks like much more difficult work than when an actor does it effortlessly. Another more recent case was Viola Davis in The Help (which she did so beautifully and effortlessly) vs. Meryl Streep's Margaret Thatcher, which was just a stunt.
Gosh Nick and Nora helped me appreciate the old movies they were so well matched their banter was bright oozing with charm intelligence and sarcastic wit they reminded me of my parents in their interactions ❤❤❤
BKR, thank you so much for this beautiful, professional documentary on Myrna! I learned so much about this wonderful soul an eternal icon and universal legend! Happy New Year! Keep up the fab documentaries, you gifted talent! God bless you!
OHMYGOD SHE IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE AND SOMEONE HAS MADE A VIDEO ABOUT HER!!!!!! YAAAAAY! Seriously, I love her. I have all her films (yep even the bad ones and Asian Myrna ones) and her autobiography in first edition print and the bio that was written about her. She was awesome and a badass. I think she threw Clarke Gable into a bush too…they hated each other before they became friends.
Always fabulous commentary on this channel and I love the way actresses from the past especially are highlighted. The amount of research involved must be incredible
When I remember that The Thin Man is from 1934 (!!) and think about how modern, effortless, and sophisticated her performance is, I'm blown away. Even other great comedians of the era (Lombard/Russell/etc) feel somewhat theatrical and over the top compared to what Loy does in that film. Definitely someone who I would recommend to people turned off the "older" style of acting in Golden Age Hollywood (more prominent in dramas than comedies but Loy stands out even by that standard)
My Mum introduced me to her love of movies and I heartily embraced them all. Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, television was filled with old movies being replayed. I watched them all, everything I could get my eyes upon. I was blessed that one of the local radio stations also had a late night spot for radio shows - The Shadow and many others. One night, I listened to Myrna Loy and William Powell performing a radio version of The Thin Man and I knew I had to see this movie! What a joy when I finally saw it. I was hooked, and overjoyed to find out there were sequels. ♥ The chemistry between Myrna and William was amazing to me but, more than anything, I saw her as always his equal. She gave as good as she got. The trust, honesty and humour shared between them had an effect upon me to know that I wanted an equal in my own life. Having never seen her early pictures, the only Myrna I knew was of a woman who knew her own self worth and carried herself with class and honour. I always had the feeling that she shared a lot of her own persona in her roles. When I finally got to see The Best Years Of Our Lives, seeing how she handled such a strong dramatic role had me enthralled. I can still shed tears every time I see the scene where Frederick March first comes home. Absolutely brilliant how she made me feel exactly how she felt at that moment. Subtle and sublime ♥ Thank you for this tribute, Be Kind Rewind. I don't know why it popped up on my feed, but I am grateful to see it. ♥
She was brilliant in the Thin Man films, her chemistry with William Powell is unmatched in any film before or since. (In real life they loved working together.)
Excellent video as always! I hope that this series gets to cover Rosalind Russell. It's interesting that you brought her up in this video, because I have a feeling she never quite won the oscar for similar reasons. She was primarily a comic actress although she proved she could handle dramatic roles too.
Myrna Loy is one of my favorite actresses, and, to the point of her subtle, non-flashy brilliance, I thought for a while how Sandra Bullock reminded me of her to a degree. She did her work, she was always great, people like her, and she made another movie. While I am glad she won an Honorary Oscar for her work, and tbh, Maureen O'Hara was only the second classic movie actress to win one for not being nominated (and there is a story of the John Ford sabotage to look into for The Quiet Man if that is of interest) for an Oscar before but should've. I would have said that she was more than just William Powell's perfect wife in The Great Ziegfeld, but of course, there was no equal room given to Luise Rainer's Anna Held, whose range was showcased in the film wanting more from the audience, even if her impact in film was as an artifact for the studio system who underserved her talent, but after courting, fell into that too. I think her anti-racist work is amazing though, and I wish it wasn't hard for her to produce a film with those beliefs in action. Anyway, this is perennially wonderful as all your videos/documentary shorts are.
That Loy was snubbed for 'The Best Years of Our Lives' while just about everyone else associated with that glorious film was honoured in some way is absolutely baffling.
Can't wait to see Barbara Stanwyck on this list! Double Indemnity was the first real noir film I'd ever seen and she's mesmerizing in it. I was shocked when I saw that she'd never won an Oscar.
Ms. Loy did not need an Oscar. Her long illustrious career was Oscar enough. It spoke for itself. As for You, Ms. BKR, you are a true talent. I love your smoothie-speak. How ironic that I’ve always pictured you looking like Ms. Loy. May your videos last for many, many years. You’re unique.
I think you're right that "Best Years of Our Lives" was Loy's best shot at the prize. Interestingly, when you mentioned Theresa Wright also deserving a nom for that film ... for some reason I vaguely thought she had gotten an Oscar for it, a mark of how effective she was in the movie for me, I guess. This was really special, this video. Loy fans like myself hope that young people will find and appreciate her and pass the torch.
i am ashamed to confess I had never heard of Myrna Loy before your video and you made me want to watch her filmography. Your essays are so well written and informative, thank you ♥️ Very well researched on a scholarly standpoint and yet your love and passion for your subject are very palpable, I love it.
There was a certain level of show business familiarity which is not conducive to award recognition. Myrna Loy belonged to a class of actress in the industry during the 1930s who had been around for a while (a decade or so) and finally received star billing. Two others in this category would be Jean Arthur and Carole Lombard. And you will notice that they were usually passed over for award recognition. The runaway success of MY MAN GODFREY gave Lombard her shot at award recognition, and, yes, she was nominated. And Jean Arthur finally got her Oscar recognition with THE MORE THE MERRIER (which was a huge box office hit, and she had top billing). With Loy, she had many big hits, but she was not being pushed for award consideration because her studio, MGM, had other fish to fry (as you point on in your video, Norma Shearer and Luise Rainer were being pushed; even Joan Crawford, one of their biggest stars during the 1930s, received no support for award consideration). And what movie would she have been pushed for, among her MGM offerings? Her biggest chance would have been THE THIN MAN (which resulted in a nomination for William Powell) but 1934 was a contentious year, and MGM really hadn't considered her as award-worthy. And Myrna Loy would rarely be the top-billed star, she was usually the co-star with Powell, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable. She never quite had that one big hit which was considered HER hit. So in a sense she was taken for granted and that continued.
Myrna Loy did get top billing in some successful films, but often she was the female support, whereas with Arthur & Lombard, especially later, they were usually the leads of their own movies. I think what probably hurt Loy, which was implied in the video, is that she much more laid-back and restrained, compared to some other actresses with bigger personalities, that, and studio politics of course.
This was so thoroughly researched and so well made that it's far above the usual online offerings and the best thing I've seen on Myrna Loy. I've seen most of her films after the exotic period, read "Being and Becoming" and agree with the assessment here of why she was never nominated - but they weren't always so bright.
I subscribed today. It was after a back-to-back viewing of "Mank" (the section on Marion Davies was wonderful) and this loving tribute to Myrna Loy (all of these years I just assumed Myrna won one of the boatload of Oscars they gave out for "TBYoOL" --i'm so mad right now). But back to you and this channel, I am really happy to have discovered it! It is rare to find anything about Hollywood, especially Hollywood prior to the 21st century, that isn't ancient gossip covered in slime & untrue innuendo; that's even discussing people who we don't already know from the 101 articles written about them 20 years ago. Thank you so much for providing links to books and source information we can use to learn more.
I always had an affection for Myrna Loy, but I could never put my finger on "why." I guess that's why I love BKR so much! Now, I love Myrna on a whole new level - thanks to this video! What an under-appreciated gem she was.
I have been a Myrna Loy can my whole life but always struggled to pinpoint why I love her so much. Your video is the most succinct appraisal of not just her but any actress' appeal I have ever seen.
When she died, she came home to Helena, Montana, to be buried with the rest of her family (her real last name was Williams). She was an amazing actress.
4:00 Okay you got me hooked the first second of this intro, I really can’t wait to see your video on Barbara Stanwyck, it has always perplexed me how she wasn’t nominated for The Lady Eve but instead was nominated for Ball of Fire. While I love her performance in Ball of Fire, her performance in The Lady Eve is one of the best female performances ever! The film itself is undervalued by critics too, it’s much better than other more revered screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby or His Girl Friday
She is magnificent in The Best Years of Our Lives. That was my first introduction to her and I fell in love by the scene of Al getting so drunk he thinks he's overseas again and she plays along that she's 'the other woman'.
Yes! Myrna Loy's seemingly effortless matching of her performance style to her leading men is a major part of why I like her so much. Right up to what has to have been her last film, "The April Fools," where she partners Charles Boyer perfectly. Thank you for that insight. Again, this is an excellently satisfying, richly researched and entertaining video essay. Thank you.
Myrna Loy's facial planes, esp from the side or 45° angle, are exactly like India's Aishwarya Rai, esp eyes and cheekbones. Just goes to show that certain face shapes & bone structures are ideal for lighting, camera, and film - and that doesn't change across geographic boundaries.
Veey nice review of the joyous if overlooked career of my all-time favorite actor. Myrna Loy was a softly shining star. Here's to her witty effervescence and her deeply held and acted upon convictions. I am so sad she didn't get the recognition she deserved.
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Shoutout to Myrna Loy for calling out the racism in the movies when she was working in the early 20th Century. The Self-Awareness is (chef’s kiss)
Myrna always insisted that the black actors that were in films that she starred in be treated with respect
Hell yes!!!
In Third Finger, Left Hand it is the otherwise stereotypical rail porter who saves the day, turns out he's studying law & provides the leads their happy ending. This when Lena Horne & others would be confined to 1 scene or musical # so they could be edited out in southern states. Family maid saves the day in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, as well.
I always admired her. Now I really know why observing this video. Thank you so much. Peace and kindness to all.
@@johnfulton4061 - NO, John Fulton. Random specious comments simply will not do. And misrepresenting Myrna Loy's actual sentiments with random claims isn't okay.
From "Myrna Loy: Hero On and Off Screen" by Rick Hutchins: "A strong opponent of racism, she lobbied against discrimination in Hollywood. 'Why does every Black person in the movies have to play a servant?' she asked studio executives when she was at MGM. 'How about a Black person walking up the steps of a courthouse carrying a briefcase?' This was in 1934..."
The Thin Man was one of the first movies my husband and I watched together. It was a funny perfect date movie. We where Nick and Nora for Halloween that year, and we still watch those movies on date nights after the kids go to bed, and they still make us laugh.
Myrna Loy is just perfect. She’s one of my favorites, and watching this just made me smile. :)
*were
that's so nice
Attended film society showing of Song of the Thin Man several years ago, last & supposedly weakest of the series but it filled the little multiplex theatre. Myrna gives Nick perfect side-eye when he threatens to get her a bullet-proof girdle & of course great MGM supporting cast & production values, even if original directors & writers were long gone after more than a decade. This was around the same time Hitchcock wanted to cast Powell as gigolo serial killer in Shadow of a Doubt, MGM refused so he could play Elizabeth Taylor's father instead, Powell did radio version instead & is brilliant. Later Hitchcock wanted Loy to play Marnie's mother, she refused, despite having played Paul Newman's promiscuous drunk of a mother in From the Terrace & Robert Ryan's adulterous & abused wife in Lonelyhearts - only Hitchcock could look @ Nick & Nora & see a murderer & broken-down old hooker. Myrna would have been heartbreaking in the role, instead she was Doris Day's glamourous comic relief Aunt Bea in Midnight Lace.
Loved her on The Best Years of Our Lives
1. That eyeroll at 0:40 was immaculate.
2. I've read her autobiography and I highly recommend it as well.
3. One of my favorite quotes by her was something along the lines of "Why does every black actor have to play a servant? Why not show one walking up the steps of a courthouse holding a briefcase?"
Nice
@@autumn7809Angela Bassett is number three🥲
Gene Tierney, Myrna Loy and Deborah Kerr will always be the trifecta of best actresses without Oscars for me. (honorable mention to Irene Dunne!) I hope you will give Gene and Irene their moment in the sun for this series!
Deborah Kerr is my all-time favorite. At least she got an honorary Oscar in which she was able to give one of the most charming acceptance speeches. Love her. I love Myrna Loy as well. She had such impeccable comedic timing. She and Irene Dunne were the queens of sophisticated comedy.
might I add Barbara Stanwyck and Rosalind Russell as well ☝🏽
Maureen O'Hara
There’s also Greta Garbo.
@@Garsons-oq4lh Glenn Close as well.
Myrna Loy is one of the most gorgeous actresses to ever step in front of a camera I love Bekind rewind videos so much specially this new series
Agreed. And honestly I can't think of any actress to ever wear clothes so well. Even though she wasn't super glamorous in her private life, that woman floats in a gown, and her clothes always fit her exquisitely.
Myrna Loy was a WONDERFUL actress. Always a joy to watch and be entertained without having to think. Just let the mind absorb that special time with her on the screen. Also she was fair and stood up for the rights of people. Never wanting to be noticed, just doing her job and being an A number one human being. Thanks Myrna Loy !!!!!.
@@Bunny-ch2ul Trained as dancer from early age, how she broke into the biz, claimed she could stand on her toes from age 3, photo of her in a dance pose @ an early age wearing something diaphanous, also posed for life-size statue in high school, supposedly still standing & visible in opening scenes of Grease.
@@andrew-xr1de She had lifelong career offscreen as activist, it got her banned in Germany, to no avail, she left Hollywood for the War years to work for the Red Cross. Befriended Czech Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk when Nazis invaded, went to work for U.N. & UNESCO post-War, Housing anti-discrimination & American Theatre after moving to NYC. Crawford & Garbo were there, too, but like Dietrich they became recluses, Myrna went onstage, toured the country & made it on Broadway when she was retirement age, 75 when she made her last movie for Sidney Lumet.
@@unowen-nh9ov Yes! I know the statue you're talking about it. It's in LA somewhere. My aunt was part of the campaign to save it. It was found somewhere in the 2000s covered in graffiti, and people wanted to have it cleaned, restored somewhere decent. If memory serves, it's in West Hollywood, but it's been over ten years since I lived out there.
My aunt joined the campaign to save the statue because my family is hilariously connected to Mr.Blandings Builds HIs Dreamhouse. My family has been in New Milford, CT for a million years, which is where the story takes place, and as part of the promotion for the film, you could mail in and request blueprints for the house. My grandfather built the house from the movie with a few alterations. LOL.
This is why I love BKR because I learn about actresses who I would have never heard about! It still interesting how Hollywood still haven’t changed much.
How wonderful that you can go and watch Myrna Loy for the first time! The Thin Man series is an absolute delight.
@@ericplunder2744 Don't forget Libeled Lady!
@@ericplunder2744 Being able to watch movies for the first time is such an incredible gift. Wish I could wipe [parts of] my memory so I could do it again!
@@unfabgirl Ooh is that the one with Jean Harlow? If so I’m definitely gonna have to watch!!!
Keep reading darling. There's so much out there to learn. Watch some old movies, see if you still believe Hollywood hasn't gone down, down, down. Movies were the premiere Art Form of the last century. By 2023, they are hardly creeping along, loosing relevance by the hour.
within the space of 37 minutes I've gone from knowing very little about Myrna Loy to being absolutely desperate to watch every movie of hers I can possibly find. and that is why I love this channel. 🥰
Have fun! 👍😁
Time well spent!
She delivered her lines with such heart and honesty in "Best Years of Our Lives" that the first time I watched it with my Grandmother (...also of that greatest generation and a war wife herself) she wept during her scenes. My Grandma was such a stoic and strong figure in my life and upbringing that I'll never forget that moment.
She deserved an Oscar for that role!!!
One of my earliest memories as a young child is of an argument between my (probably drunk) Grandfather and (sweet, angelic) Grandmother. I guess he LOVED Myrna Loy and I remember walking into the kitchen and my grandmother walking out yelling "I am so sick of hearing about Myrna Loy this, Myrna Loy that. Will you please just leave me and go find Myrna Loy and bother her now." When I was older I would tease my grandmother many times whispering to her "I am so sick of hearing about Myrna Loy".
What a sweet story.
That is hysterical!
HAHA oh god, this made me bellow! I very much needed that laugh, thank you!!
Find Janes Thurber's anthology of short stories, "The War Between Men and Women." A blissfully married couple have a serious falling out over who is the greatest actor ever. The husband favors Donald Duck, the wife favors Greta Garbo. The divorce trial is a sensation, with the attorneys arguing over the merits of Garbo versus Duck. I read this over 50 years ago and don't remember how it ends.
Pretty much universal feeling, why Myrna was voted Queen of Hollywood & post-War was cast as ideal wife for veteran Fredric March to return home to in BYOOL (& with 1st billing, yet!).
okay her hatred of Reagan just cemented her as glorious in my eyes now.
What a weird thing to like someone over. Your life must be really shallow and sad.
Izzie, as a Gen Z movie oldie I love your videos! These are a gem of learning about the history of Hollywood! Please do more deeper cuts/obscure gems!
I'm also gen z and I obsessed with bkr
I'm a boomer and am glad to see the next generations love for the movies I grew up with. Good show!
This Millennial agrees with you!!
YESSSSSSS🙌🏾‼️
Here Generation X says: bring it on!
The thin man and libeled lady have been everything for me for the last 15 years. Watch them both
Loy and powell fantastic
A more worth star of the Golden Era would be hard to find, and I thank you for your comprehensive and insightful approach to the career of the great Myrna Loy. She made all her co-stars look better on film, what a gift, and made herself look pretty great, too with her cool clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. Her autobiography, which she signed for me, is a wonderful book and I am glad that she lived long enough to received the accolades which escaped her during her heyday.
BKR YOU HAVE SAVED THE DAY! Myrna is my favorite actress and she is so criminally overlooked these days. I am SO happy you covered this! Thank you thank you thank you!
Didn't think it would be possible for me to love Myrna Loy more than I already did, but it has now increased by several 100%.
Irene Dunne should be next in this series. The most unsung actress ever.
I adore her. She had such an innate, lovely, smooth charm. It never felt like she was acting
she was so great!
YES!
Irene Dunne is hopelessly underrated. I'd love to see a video on her in this series.
WE'RE WINNING! Barbara Stanwyck next please
Followed by Greta Garbo Maybe?
From what i understand, she doesn't like to do videos about Republicans
@@keltoumnoury lmao The political beliefs of actors don’t factor into who I choose as a subject at all. I like giving credit to progressive thinkers when there’s an opportunity, but most of the time, I don’t think about it! (Unless there’s an opportunity for a Reagan joke lol)
@@bkrewind that's why we love and u know it (the Ronald Reagan jokes)
@@user-bt7ix6sw2g speak for yourself; I'm no fan of Reagan, but I come to this channel to ESCAPE woke posturing...
I think it would be interesting to talk about Pam Grier. I recently watched Jackie Brown and Im shocked she didn’t get a nomination for what was easily one of the best films of 97’
And the best Tarantino movie, by far.
Yup that same year j.lo was also snubbed for Selena the academy showed in the 90s that they pick and choose the type of films made by or starring POC
Yes! Pam Grier is a queen of the screen and deserves her moment 💛
I betcha if Madonna or Julia Roberts played Selena they would have received an Oscar nomination
@@Trixtah Too right! Thank You!
Immediately after this I watched The Thin Man. It was so fun! One of the few old Hollywood movies to actually make me laugh. William and Myrna really did have great chemistry.
As per always; these are more fascinating then I ever could have imagined, in that you really let the viewer not just get to know these golden age stories but get to be fans of these golden age actresses. I had maybe heard of Myrna Loy before watching this- I’m a huge fan now.
By realizing her acting career was more of a job than a defining part of her identity, she if anything held a healthier attitude to being a celebrity, in that she could see the artifice of it. Kudos for knowing when to push back for a raise.
Criterion needs to get off their ass and give us a complete Myrna Loy/William Powell box set. She's not wildly well known today, but she's *beloved* by the right people. I like to think of Myrna Loy almost like a pleasant Katharine Hepburn. (No disrespect. Katharine Hepburn is my all time favorite.) The Thin Man movies are ridiculously funny and have aged incredibly well. The later ones are also surprisingly good, because movies with that many sequels aren't. They're literally the exception that proves the rule. The single exception. (Yes, that's a dig at a lot of franchises, and I meant what I said. LOL.)
I have a Thin Man box set....wonderful.
Oooh do Gene Tierney!! I just finished her autobiography and she was a fascinating woman - a remarkable beauty AND talent, and surprisingly honest in her assessment of her life and career, which wasn’t all roses to be sure (she suffered from manic depressive episodes + contracted rubella from a FAN, leading to her daughter being born with severe disabilities). Not to mention, the movies! Laura is a classic, and Leave Her to Heaven is one of my favorite femme fatale films of all time, in glorious technicolor. Much like Myrna, Gene never received an Oscar and seems to be largely forgotten today, despite being one of Hollywood’s best and brightest. Love you and keep up the amazing work!
So beautiful. Love the Ghost & Mrs Muir ⭐️
i watched laura fairly recently and loved it!
The Laura theme song so haunting
@@alisonjane7068 Young Vincent Price & Mrs Danvers from Rebecca 👻
@@samanthab1923 I actually found Price a bit distracting cos I couldn't separate his later image from his character in Laura lol. Rebecca is so good too!
Reminds me of Amy Adams. One of the most universally well-liked dependable critically acclaimed and versatile actresses in the world but for some reason HASNT WON A SINGLE OSCAR? The Myrna Loy's and the Amy Adams of this world may get shortchanged by the "established tastemakers" of their day - but time gets the last laugh!
Also, your channel is spectacular. AMAZING resource, great analysis. SO glad this exists. Instant subscribe. Cheers! - Soren
Agreed. Amy Adams is underrated.
Why do you think Amy Adam's gets overlooked?
I mean, Amy Adams has six Academy noms, two Golden Globe wins and seven addl. Golden Globe noms.
@@WendieMorgan Thank you.
shes been picking terrible projects the past couple of years.
the perfect wife concept really reminds me of the "cool girl" gone girl monologue. it's always the same but the execution can vary so much depending on the man you're working with
Oh that's an interesting comparison! I can see that.
Now there's a thought...
Myrna Loy as Amy Dunne...
What the hell is right! Myrna Loy is an icon & the Academy were morons for not recognizing that.
Specifically with the "Best Years" Oscar love, it's very odd she was omitted come nomination time (BKR makes a good point about Teresa Wright making a big impact in the film, though; maybe she and Loy split nomination votes).
The Best Years of Our Lives is a tremendous film and Myrna Loy’s performance as Millie is exquisite.
One that was definitely worthy of a Supporting Actress Nomination.
re-watched the best years of our lives yesterday and tangentially thought, surely bkr has myrna lined up for her 'always second best actress' series one of these days. lo and behold!!!!!
Watching your videos over the years feels like I'm in a helicoptor that you're piloting over the landscape of women in film. Sometimes flying in for a closer look, sometimes flying up high for a birds eye view (where I can see the various careers and the interplay), always interesting. Thanks for another winner!
SUCH a good metaphor! The ride is a treat from start to finish!
Another outstanding video! I keep asking myself "Who are you!?" I mean that as a high compliment and not asking for a response. I recently retired from the film industry and only now that I have more time have really delved in to classic Hollywood fare. Your videos are just such a wonderful, smart, thoughtful accompaniment to this magical era. Kudos times ten!!!
And a quite lovely person in her private life, from what my mother's family tells me.
One of my great grandmothers was a dress and costume maker in St. Louis, and Ms. Loy was one of her regular clients. (I suspect they met when she was traveling so much by train in the mid 30s.). My mother told me it was not unusual to walk into her family's living room to find Myrna Loy standing on a chair while my great grandmother was pinning a seam or hem in place. Ms. Loy even encouraged my great grandmother to relocate her business to California; however, my great grandmother (who was born in the 1880s) did not want to begin her business all over again.
Myrna is THE fashion icon of 1930s cinema, those thin man dresses 💀❤
Kerr,Stanwick,Loy...they simply made History. Unforgettable, great actresses.
Loved Myrna, understated and underrated - reminds me of what happened to Joan with her Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? snub except more egregious because it happened throughout her entire career.
Dame Angela Lansbury would be a wonderful entry into this series - her performance in Manchurian Candidate easily could've and should've got her a win
In my eyes, Angela also deserved a Nomination for her performance as Miss Price in Bedknobs And Broomsticks.
A Pity she didn't get nominated like Julie Andrews did for Mary Poppins.
This might get the side eye, but Marilyn did excellent work in Bus Stop, Seven Year Itch, Some Like it Hot, possibly The Misfits, but she was typecast and that became an albatross, in some ways comedy is harder to do than drama.
Myrna is my favorite actress of all time, really. She was so fancy and her acting was moderate and certain, she knew how to make the public laugh with details.
Where do I even begin to say how much I freakin' love this episode... it may be your best one. Myrna Loy is amazing on screen, and your episode is such a celebration of this. But offscreen, she's also INCREDIBLE, which your video also celebrates. So well done. Off to find her autobiography...
SO excited for this!! Myrna Loy is so incredibly talented in all of her movies and deserves so much more recognition!! Would also love to see an introspective on Lauren Bacall some day - who also deserved so much better :)
*sigh* Oh, Myrna. She was something. 💖 Thanks for such an in-depth, sympathetic look at her career. Her modern, unaffected style of acting should be very appreciated by today's audience, should they only be introduced to her. She needs to be rediscovered more broadly.
Myrna Loy is one of my favorite actors! So glad you graced her with a video. Fun fact, she was in the original Cheaper by the Dozen.
I was 8 yrs old the first time I ever saw a Nick and Nora movie on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I was hooked. Some 40 plus yrs later. If I see Myrna or William Powell I will watch it every time.
If Myrna Loy had a career today, she’d start her career in problematic Hallmark-adjacent movies but then would go on to do great work.
I cannot praise your thorough and professional documentaries enough. They are superb and put TV versions to shame. Your intelligent commentary, excellently chosen stills and clips all betray an enormous amount of hard work and research. I've enjoyed every single one of your videos I've watched, without exception. Thank you so much! I've also always liked Myrna Loy, both as an actor and as a person. She was a good egg, as we say in Britain.
MYRNA FINAL 2 rules as a title imo, kinda hope it stays like that! xx
lmao i am....a mess
@@bkrewind honestly, who isn't atp in time...I'm 3 mins into it and I already love it btw! your work is always wonderful to witness, hope you're well
She has a couple of scenes in Best Years that send chills up my spine. One of those scenes: When March comes home, she is doing the dishes, her back to the camera; she hears her 2 grown kids answer the door, March motions to the kids to not say anything, this is a surprise return; she calls out to them Who was at the door? Silence. She is stationery at the sink. Within seconds, it dawns on her: her husband has come home from the war. With her back to the camera, you feel all the pent-up emotion, tension, release, joy. Loy is a marvel. Edward G Robinson is another who was never even nominated! When you think of all the shmoes who have won, it boggles the mind. Politics. Do a piece on Stanwyck when you have a chance.
Love Stanwyck. Great call.
I have just finished her memoir and OMG you did not mention how strong of a mom energy she has, lol.
She seemed to be such a great friend ♥️♥️♥️
Just wanted to point out that in one of Loy’s first (problematic) films 13 Women she costars with Peg Entewhistle. An actress known for one, having given a stage performance so powerful it convinced young Bette Davis to become an actress and two, jumping off the Hollywood sign after (but not exclusively because of) being mostly cut out of 13 Women.
And on the day of her suicide, after she was gone, it is written that in that day's post she got a letter offering her another role. Life is cruel.
Myrna Loy is one of my favorite actor and it saddens me that she is not widely recognized nowadays.
A person can tell an actor is very good when you never let go of the memories they brought to you when watching them perform.Myrna Loy is one of many.
I adore Myrna Loy. So ahead of her time. I love that she dragged Reagan in her book. Adding to my list! ❤
So excited to watch this! If you’re interested in requests, I’d love to see your take on Ava Gardner’s 1954 Oscar nomination and the making of Mogambo. Her husband, Frank Sinatra, was nominated that year too and her tumultuous relationship with him was all the talk. Her performance is considered one of the best in her career. ♥️♥️♥️
Yes, that one would be interesting.
Didn’t she talk about it in her Audrey Hepburn episode?
@@abandonedfragmentofhope5415 yes but only in passing during the acknowledgement of the other nominees. That era in Ava’s life was really intense and it influenced her decision not to even attend the ceremony. There’s a lot to cover: Ava’s feelings that she didn’t deserve the nomination, the affairs and fights that took place on set, Ava’s terminated pregnancy, Frank’s nomination and subsequent win (Ava got him the role and she lost her Oscar.) and Frank couldn’t even celebrate his Oscar because of Ava. It’s like a Greek tragedy.
I adore Myrna Loy and was so excited to see your coverage on her. Love love love the Thin Man Movies and their relationship - shake up that martini for me baby!
I'm glad Myrna Loy had common sense. I was wary of her from your Anna May Wong video and it's good to see her at least acknowledge how racist her roles were when modern day white actresses still don't (see: Scarlett Johansson).
I tend to give actresses who, when they made those movies, weren't big stars then the benefit of the doubt since it is a cutthroat industry and saying no might mean never working in the industry again.
Scarlett Johansson, on the other hand, had no such excuse since she was a big star when they offered her the role of Motoko
@@irondragonmaiden yeah. I remember when Anya Taylor-Joy mentioned how she often turns down Latina roles ( despite in her case, she actually is Latina) because she recognizes colorism as a problem.
Again, I get that this is the bare minimum of decency and common sense that people should have but in this world its such a relief to hear when many stars I used to stan don't.
Or Emma Stone
@@stevenstevenson5303 I think emma stone did apologize for what she did (at the golden globes).
@@guyinmink4068 lol yeah she did when Sandra oh was presenting. But she wouldn’t have to if she didn’t take the role 👍🏽🤣
I just realized she is the mom on Cheaper by the Dozen. She is great in that role.
One of The most underrated actresses ever. Shes my absolute favorite.
My movie group just watched The Best Years of Our Lives (my pick), and we couldn't believe none of the women were nominated! This video is a great illustration of how well you do what you do. I definitely think we need a Myrna Loy shirt in the merch store!
Teresa Wright!!!!!!!!!
Wonderful video as always. Myrna was an incredible talent and The Best Years of Our Lives is an incredible movie, sadly not as well known now as it should be for the many poignant issues it delves into and the characters it portrays.
I am with you, “what the hell!” I love her work! My favorite Christmas movie is ‘The Thin Man,’ and I have never seen a movie of her’s I didn’t like; although I have never seen her any of yellow/brown face. I have seen and loved 4 of the Thin Man movies and they are epic! She was incredible and deserves more recognition!! This is a well done video and I really enjoyed it! I really need to read her book! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I'm a Myrna Loy fan, too, and never knew that she was not ever nominated for an Oscar. Another favorite of mine who was never nominated was Joseph Cotton. Both of them gave excellent performances in classic movies but were totally overlooked by the Academy. Good reason not to take awards like that too seriously.
I don’t want to bump into anybody’s business anymore but after decades of acting such as
Citizen Kane and finally ended all
the way through The Survivor,
Joseph Cotten did so much work as an legendary Hollywood actor-sadly he passed away in
February 1994.
Because of this video, my wife and I have just watched The Thin Man. It was brilliant! Thank you. Now I might be able to watch the rest of your presentation.
One summer when I was a kid my dad for some reason bought the entire Thin Man series and we watched them all as a family. I think they might have been on VHS, I have no idea what happened to them or what inspired him to buy them but they were very enjoyable.
Your videos are sooooo good. Also, after watching almost all of them, I have come to think about how the Oscars are not really a good judge of talent; yes, there have been incredibly talented people who’ve won but one could say there are even more that have never even been considered, because of politics, lack of opportunities (ie a lot of women of color); more and more it feels like a meaningless award, not a true measurement of how talented an actor is
Actually I think you are confusing the trees for the forest. Oscars are primarily commercial, fodder, a tease, a ballyhoo for Hollywood Product. Studios like to put their stuff Out and wait for the money to roll In. If Liz Taylor helped sell their movies, they tossed her a bone to scramble for with other shills from other studios. It is all publicity, advertising, for their stuff. Actors come and go, but Studio Heads stick it out. Their party is Their gift to Their potential ticket buyer's. Liz is fluff, window dressing. If people want to believe the Oscar telecast is about art, let them, the Studios won't get in the way. Just buy tickets.
Effervescent is a great word to describe Myrna, she's always such a joy to watch.
Some actors and actresses are just so damned good that they make everything just look too easy. Sometimes, when you actually see actors acting, it looks like much more difficult work than when an actor does it effortlessly. Another more recent case was Viola Davis in The Help (which she did so beautifully and effortlessly) vs. Meryl Streep's Margaret Thatcher, which was just a stunt.
Gosh Nick and Nora helped me appreciate the old movies they were so well matched their banter was bright oozing with charm intelligence and sarcastic wit they reminded me of my parents in their interactions ❤❤❤
Dear Myrna Loy, YOU will always remain an iconic legend! My favored actress!from the great Golden Age! Bless you!!
Myrna's iconic entrance in The Thin Man is legend.
I will never forget watching The Thin Man, and being blown away by how funny it was, Myra Loy was such a talent.
My girl!!! Myrna!!!
Blandings or Best Years should have been Oscar worthy.
She was SO right about Reagan!!!!
BKR, thank you so much for this beautiful, professional documentary on Myrna! I learned so much about this wonderful soul an eternal icon and universal legend! Happy New Year! Keep up the fab documentaries, you gifted talent! God bless you!
I can't wait for Barbara Stanwyck's turn in this category..it's absurd she never won
She got one an honorary award in 1982.
OHMYGOD SHE IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE AND SOMEONE HAS MADE A VIDEO ABOUT HER!!!!!! YAAAAAY!
Seriously, I love her. I have all her films (yep even the bad ones and Asian Myrna ones) and her autobiography in first edition print and the bio that was written about her. She was awesome and a badass.
I think she threw Clarke Gable into a bush too…they hated each other before they became friends.
Always fabulous commentary on this channel and I love the way actresses from the past especially are highlighted. The amount of research involved must be incredible
When I remember that The Thin Man is from 1934 (!!) and think about how modern, effortless, and sophisticated her performance is, I'm blown away. Even other great comedians of the era (Lombard/Russell/etc) feel somewhat theatrical and over the top compared to what Loy does in that film. Definitely someone who I would recommend to people turned off the "older" style of acting in Golden Age Hollywood (more prominent in dramas than comedies but Loy stands out even by that standard)
My Mum introduced me to her love of movies and I heartily embraced them all. Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, television was filled with old movies being replayed. I watched them all, everything I could get my eyes upon. I was blessed that one of the local radio stations also had a late night spot for radio shows - The Shadow and many others. One night, I listened to Myrna Loy and William Powell performing a radio version of The Thin Man and I knew I had to see this movie! What a joy when I finally saw it. I was hooked, and overjoyed to find out there were sequels. ♥ The chemistry between Myrna and William was amazing to me but, more than anything, I saw her as always his equal. She gave as good as she got. The trust, honesty and humour shared between them had an effect upon me to know that I wanted an equal in my own life. Having never seen her early pictures, the only Myrna I knew was of a woman who knew her own self worth and carried herself with class and honour. I always had the feeling that she shared a lot of her own persona in her roles.
When I finally got to see The Best Years Of Our Lives, seeing how she handled such a strong dramatic role had me enthralled. I can still shed tears every time I see the scene where Frederick March first comes home. Absolutely brilliant how she made me feel exactly how she felt at that moment. Subtle and sublime ♥
Thank you for this tribute, Be Kind Rewind. I don't know why it popped up on my feed, but I am grateful to see it. ♥
She was brilliant in the Thin Man films, her chemistry with William Powell is unmatched in any film before or since. (In real life they loved working together.)
Excellent video as always! I hope that this series gets to cover Rosalind Russell. It's interesting that you brought her up in this video, because I have a feeling she never quite won the oscar for similar reasons. She was primarily a comic actress although she proved she could handle dramatic roles too.
I can’t say it enough, your assessment is always on point.
Thank you for this. The Thin Man films are a regular watch when a smile is needed and it's so good to see Myrna Loy get some much deserved attention.
Myrna Loy is one of my favorite actresses, and, to the point of her subtle, non-flashy brilliance, I thought for a while how Sandra Bullock reminded me of her to a degree. She did her work, she was always great, people like her, and she made another movie. While I am glad she won an Honorary Oscar for her work, and tbh, Maureen O'Hara was only the second classic movie actress to win one for not being nominated (and there is a story of the John Ford sabotage to look into for The Quiet Man if that is of interest) for an Oscar before but should've. I would have said that she was more than just William Powell's perfect wife in The Great Ziegfeld, but of course, there was no equal room given to Luise Rainer's Anna Held, whose range was showcased in the film wanting more from the audience, even if her impact in film was as an artifact for the studio system who underserved her talent, but after courting, fell into that too. I think her anti-racist work is amazing though, and I wish it wasn't hard for her to produce a film with those beliefs in action. Anyway, this is perennially wonderful as all your videos/documentary shorts are.
We have a theater and a wing at my local college named after her! What a fascinating women. Thank you BKR I’m off to watch all the thin man movies. 🥰
That Loy was snubbed for 'The Best Years of Our Lives' while just about everyone else associated with that glorious film was honoured in some way is absolutely baffling.
Can't wait to see Barbara Stanwyck on this list! Double Indemnity was the first real noir film I'd ever seen and she's mesmerizing in it. I was shocked when I saw that she'd never won an Oscar.
And She's Devastating in the Ending of Stella Dallas.
@@eamonndeane587 yes, that walk of triumph in the rain after watching her daughter's wedding; masterful.
If you've never seen the "Thin Man" movies with Myrna, you really should. Fantastic stuff.
We've just watched the first of them. We loved it.
Ms. Loy did not need an Oscar. Her long illustrious career was Oscar enough. It spoke for itself. As for You, Ms. BKR, you are a true talent. I love your smoothie-speak. How ironic that I’ve always pictured you looking like Ms. Loy. May your videos last for many, many years. You’re unique.
I think you're right that "Best Years of Our Lives" was Loy's best shot at the prize. Interestingly, when you mentioned Theresa Wright also deserving a nom for that film ... for some reason I vaguely thought she had gotten an Oscar for it, a mark of how effective she was in the movie for me, I guess. This was really special, this video. Loy fans like myself hope that young people will find and appreciate her and pass the torch.
i am ashamed to confess I had never heard of Myrna Loy before your video and you made me want to watch her filmography. Your essays are so well written and informative, thank you ♥️ Very well researched on a scholarly standpoint and yet your love and passion for your subject are very palpable, I love it.
Thoroughly enjoyed Being and Becoming - and it was this channel that made me aware of it. Thanks again.
There was a certain level of show business familiarity which is not conducive to award recognition. Myrna Loy belonged to a class of actress in the industry during the 1930s who had been around for a while (a decade or so) and finally received star billing. Two others in this category would be Jean Arthur and Carole Lombard. And you will notice that they were usually passed over for award recognition. The runaway success of MY MAN GODFREY gave Lombard her shot at award recognition, and, yes, she was nominated. And Jean Arthur finally got her Oscar recognition with THE MORE THE MERRIER (which was a huge box office hit, and she had top billing). With Loy, she had many big hits, but she was not being pushed for award consideration because her studio, MGM, had other fish to fry (as you point on in your video, Norma Shearer and Luise Rainer were being pushed; even Joan Crawford, one of their biggest stars during the 1930s, received no support for award consideration). And what movie would she have been pushed for, among her MGM offerings? Her biggest chance would have been THE THIN MAN (which resulted in a nomination for William Powell) but 1934 was a contentious year, and MGM really hadn't considered her as award-worthy. And Myrna Loy would rarely be the top-billed star, she was usually the co-star with Powell, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable. She never quite had that one big hit which was considered HER hit. So in a sense she was taken for granted and that continued.
Studio system have got such cruel hidden rules.
Myrna Loy did get top billing in some successful films, but often she was the female support, whereas with Arthur & Lombard, especially later, they were usually the leads of their own movies. I think what probably hurt Loy, which was implied in the video, is that she much more laid-back and restrained, compared to some other actresses with bigger personalities, that, and studio politics of course.
Unfortunately for them but fortunately for the viewer, there were soo many great films & great actors, all vying for that one award.
Myrna shld have Won an Oscar for The Best Years of our Lives!!! She was wonderful in it, loved her in the Thin Man Series, have all of them. 🌹
This was so thoroughly researched and so well made that it's far above the usual online offerings and the best thing I've seen on Myrna Loy. I've seen most of her films after the exotic period, read "Being and Becoming" and agree with the assessment here of why she was never nominated - but they weren't always so bright.
I subscribed today. It was after a back-to-back viewing of "Mank" (the section on Marion Davies was wonderful) and this loving tribute to Myrna Loy (all of these years I just assumed Myrna won one of the boatload of Oscars they gave out for "TBYoOL" --i'm so mad right now). But back to you and this channel, I am really happy to have discovered it!
It is rare to find anything about Hollywood, especially Hollywood prior to the 21st century, that isn't ancient gossip covered in slime & untrue innuendo; that's even discussing people who we don't already know from the 101 articles written about them 20 years ago. Thank you so much for providing links to books and source information we can use to learn more.
I always had an affection for Myrna Loy, but I could never put my finger on "why." I guess that's why I love BKR so much! Now, I love Myrna on a whole new level - thanks to this video! What an under-appreciated gem she was.
I have been a Myrna Loy can my whole life but always struggled to pinpoint why I love her so much. Your video is the most succinct appraisal of not just her but any actress' appeal I have ever seen.
I've been waiting for Myrna to get her profile on your channel; knew you wouldn't let me down. Thanks for making my night 😊
When she died, she came home to Helena, Montana, to be buried with the rest of her family (her real last name was Williams). She was an amazing actress.
4:00 Okay you got me hooked the first second of this intro, I really can’t wait to see your video on Barbara Stanwyck, it has always perplexed me how she wasn’t nominated for The Lady Eve but instead was nominated for Ball of Fire. While I love her performance in Ball of Fire, her performance in The Lady Eve is one of the best female performances ever! The film itself is undervalued by critics too, it’s much better than other more revered screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby or His Girl Friday
She is magnificent in The Best Years of Our Lives. That was my first introduction to her and I fell in love by the scene of Al getting so drunk he thinks he's overseas again and she plays along that she's 'the other woman'.
I think Asta the dog should have had an Oscar as well, always a highlight
Yes! Myrna Loy's seemingly effortless matching of her performance style to her leading men is a major part of why I like her so much. Right up to what has to have been her last film, "The April Fools," where she partners Charles Boyer perfectly. Thank you for that insight. Again, this is an excellently satisfying, richly researched and entertaining video essay. Thank you.
"Just Tell Me What You Want" (1980) was her last theatrical film.
@@sfinthecity Thank you.
@@sfinthecity Released in August 14, 1980 and distributed by Warner Bros Pictures.
Myrna Loy's facial planes, esp from the side or 45° angle, are exactly like India's Aishwarya Rai, esp eyes and cheekbones.
Just goes to show that certain face shapes & bone structures are ideal for lighting, camera, and film - and that doesn't change across geographic boundaries.
the thin man is just ridiculously enjoyable, and you're so right, i miss powell and loy when they're not in the scene.
Veey nice review of the joyous if overlooked career of my all-time favorite actor. Myrna Loy was a softly shining star. Here's to her witty effervescence and her deeply held and acted upon convictions.
I am so sad she didn't get the recognition she deserved.