Myrna Loy Books

I couldn't put this book down from the moment I started reading it. It's written from Myrna's own point of view, and it's intresting to get in the mind of Ms. Loy just a few years short from when she died. It has great insight on her relationships with such legends as Clark Gable, William Powell, Lionel Barrymore, Jean Harlow, and even Alfred Hitchcock. It's a great read for anyone who is intrested in the Golden Age of film.

I can't say this about the other actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood, but I can say it about Myrna Loy, she was a Lady, anyone who wants to learn how to be a Lady, look at this woman, learn, watch and observe her movies, and read this book. She tells about her life, you can get a picture on what type of person she is. She doesn't tell every private thing of her life, but she tells just enough to get us to love her and see she's a lady, I wish she would of kids, she needs someone to carry on her name and carry on the legend. I have to say in my book, she consider one of the beautifuliest women in Hollywood, she had that rare, exotic beauty, and maintained it for years well into her 50s and 60s, a lot of actresses from that era drinked their beauty away, not Myrna. Myrna didn't want to be a bombshell, not a society type, not a glamour queen, she wanted to be all of it, be a lady, be tough, speak her mind, but still have class, dignity, and be a bombshell, high society type, glamour queen all together. She knew her limits as an actress, which a lot of actresses don't. I loved how I read about how she helped blacks and miniorities, and did it publicly, she was sick of the way blacks were treated, especially in movies, she once said, "Why Does Every Black Person Has To Be A Servant, Why Can't A Black Person Go Up The Stairs with A Briefcase or Doctor's Bag" she use to argue with the studio about this realizing that it could damage her career. She spoke her mind, She tells how she once was shy but overcame it, she was referring that to Greta Garbo, she didn't like the way Greta acted, and she said there was no reason for that, becuse she was once shy but worked on it. She talks about mostly all the Golden Age of Hollywood actors and actresses, tells the truth and tells what type of people they really were. She proved that you can be a legend and star and still be talked about and be good without scandals, without sleeping around, without heavy partying or falling out drunk to get publicity. She certainly is the Queen of Hollywood, and Lady of Hollywood. Rest in Peace Beautiful

The title says it all. Am I biased? Perhaps. But there is no doubt that the person who wrote this book was a true lady, in every way. There is none of the snobbishness, ego, lie and most of all, gossip, that may be expected from autobiographies like these. Myrna Loy was a very straightforward, candid and honest woman and this certainly shows through the pages. The only time she even comes close to "bad-mouthing" someone is when she expresses her disapproval of the person's political views. Yet she makes it clear that just because their views seem distasteful does not mean they are bad people. Some of these were her friends, and she says nothing bad about their characters. If anything, she has at least one positive thing to say about each person that has entered her life. If I had to pick the most remarkable thing about Myrna Loy, it would be her gift of instinct, which was what allowed her to be such a great actress and such an understanding friend to all those who knew her.

The book is a truly fascinating read for anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Myrna Loy was either close or acquainted with all the famous people you hear of - Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, Jeanette MacDonald. She even recounts some stories of Greta Garbo, whose dressing room was next to hers. And that is not all. She was there since the very beginning days of film, and in this book you hear about the famous silent stars - Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, Dolores Costello, Conrad Nagel. Because she worked into the '80s on both film and television, she was also acquainted with some of the later stars like Doris Day, Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Lemmon, and even Catherine Deneuve. All these names can take your breath away and I really enjoyed reading about the whole span of Hollywood from its early years to its modern days. She is right in the midst of it all and the amazing thing is, these names are not evoked in a gossipy tone. It's just simply a part of her life. The names are inevitably there, when she and her first husband Arthur Hornblow lived in the Pacific Palisades, the home of the Hollywood elite, and when in her later years she moved to New York, a gathering place for all the playwrights and stage actors.

Everyone who knows Myrna Loy also knows about her political activism. She was very active - like most other Hollywood stars - during WWII, and was concerned with the suspicion and framing that were prevalent in Hollywood prior to the Red Scare. She was part of the First Amendment Committee, an organization founded to counter the House Un-American Activities Committee, and later became the first actress to work for the UN when she joined UNESCO. Always fighting for justice, she questioned studio heads about the portrayal of African American actors in movies and fought against discrimination in housing. As the wife of a politician, she resided in Georgetown, D.C. where she socialized with other politicians and their wives, many of whom she admired. If the big names of Hollywood doesn't impress you, the big names of Capitol Hill may, for she was well-acquainted with them as well. Whoever thinks Hollywood and Washington cannot work together will be proven wrong in this book. Myrna Loy was a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, a favorite of FDR and well-acquainted with the Kennedys. Her political work was always in her mind, even when she worked in films, because she sought to help others instead of dwelling in her wealth.

In conclusion, breathtaking - is the word that can sum up this book. Her life was indeed very rich, and today's youngsters could learn much from this lady.

This is an excellent autobiography. Myrna Loy is a woman ahead of her time. She discusses candidly and with amazing detail her life inside and outside the studio. It is refreshing to see a book that is not a scandalous tell all. She was very political and makes no bones about the fact that she is a liberal and she was very vocal in her involvement politically and on social causes.

The difference between her and the "famous" now is she read about the cause or the political issue before getting up and talking to the public. The blithering that goes on now is amazing; Hollywood can take a lesson from Miss Loy on knowing your subject first then opening your mouth in an intelligent, classy manner.

What a lady in the true sense of the word. Sadly she is gone, but her charm, grace and elegance lives on in her movies and her book. Bravo Miss Loy!

Myrna Loy's career spanned the late silient films, through the beginning of talkies, then technicolor, and didn't end till the early 1980's. Anyone with an interest in American cinema will probably enjoy this book. If you are interested in gossip, this is not the book you want. Gossip is not her style.

I was a bit overwhelmed by all the names in the book. She has mixed with so many people, that sometimes the famous names became a sort of mental blur as I read.

My favorite thing about this book is that Myrna Loy expresses her Liberal Democrat point-of-view. She was a very politically active person in the second half of her life, and she uses the book to express her political ideals. People get this notion that everyone who lived through World War II ended up as Republicans. Loy makes it clear that her generation was not all conservative.

Another gem in the Citadel film series, this was originally published in 1980 to coincide with Loy's seventy-fifth birthday. As the author states in the opening passage 'this diamond anniversary is a fitting time to recapitulate her extraordinairy life and her unique contribution to films'; you can tell from this statement that Quirk is an avid admirer of Loy's and that this book will not let her down in any way. The opening chapter is a brief biography charting Loy's childhood in Montana, through her star years at MGM, her UNESCO days and her latter years as a character actress and features many wonderful and candid shots of Myrna dated fronm 1905 to 1980. Then starting on page 31 is a comprehensive list of all her film appearances from 1925 onwards featuring cast and crew listing and the author's own essay (not to mention some great black and white stills). All of her classic roles are here from her days as an extra in 'Pretty Ladies' in 1925 to 'Just Tell Me What You Want' in 1980. Of course the last years of Loy's life are not included - she made her last screen appearance in the 1981 TV film 'Summer Solstice' and published her autobiography in 1987 before she finally won a much deserved special oscar in 1991 less than three years before her death in December 1993. This is a fitting tribute to a lady who became a great Hollywood star and humanitarian.

This gem was originally published by Citadel Press in 1980 to coincide with Loy's 75th birhday. As the author states in the opening passage '...this diamond anniversary is a fitting time to recapitulate her extraordinairy life and her unique contribution to films.'. It is obvious from this statement that Quirk is an avid admireer of Loy's and that this book should not let her down in any way. The opening chapter is a brief biography charting Loy's childhood in Montana, her early years in Hollywood, her star years at MGM, her UNESCO days and her latter years as a character actress and features many wonderful and candid shots of Myrna dated from 1905 to 1980. Then starting on page 31 is a comprehensive list of all of her film appearances from 1925 onwards featuring cast and crew listings and the author's own essay (not to mention some great black and white stills). All of her classic roles are here, from her days as a chorus girl extra in 'Pretty Ladies' to Alan King's long suffering secratery in 1979's 'Just Tell Me What You Want'. Of course the last years of Loy's life are not included - she made her last screen appearance in the 1981 TV film 'Summer Solstice' and had her autobiography published in 1987. She was honored by the Kennedy Center in 1988 and finally won a much deserved special oscar early in 1991, less than three years before her death in December 1993. This makes a fitting tribute to a wonderful lady who became a great Hollywood star and humanitarian.

what i have read the book is well written and informative. so far i like it.

Bryant's book is an outstanding contribution to the literature about classic Hollywood cinema. The author provides an engaging telling of Powell's early life and early stage career. He then embarks on a detailed biographical filmography of one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. It is THE outstanding introduction to the film career of William Powell. Bryant provides insightful and intelligent commentary in his evaluation and critique of Powell's entire film output, including his early silent films. The book is all the more valuable due to the paucity of literature devoted to Powell. An added bonus is the inclusion of several rare photos, including a sweet portrait of Powell taken when he was a mere four years old; a photo that my three-year old daughter is especially taken with. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in classic Hollywood film in general and in the life and work of William Powell in particular.

William Powell: The Life and Films by Roger Bryant is an elegantly written, intensely researched volume. Bryant painstakingly recounts the production of each and every Powell film (including the "lost" silents), providing a plot summary of each. His engaging text is intelligent, and includes pertinent and informative comments regarding Powell's co-workers, family, and friends without interrupting the flow of narrative.

Bryant is quick to point out that this volume is not a biography, but more a study of Powell's career with some biographical data included to put things into context. It is kind of a cross between Charles Francisco's 1985 Powell biography and Lawrence Quirk's Citadel "Films Of..." effort; less a biography than the former and with fewer photos than the latter.

All told, this well-written, intensely researched volume is right up there with the very best of the genre and definitely worth it's rather hefty cover price.

At long last, a really insightful, nuanced book about one of my favorite actors. Bryant has an istinctive feel for his subject, one of the great film actors from Hollywood's golden age. Powell so deserves a book like this--one that does justice to his real impact on the screen. Bryant has it exactly right: Powell is "captivating good company."

Thank goodness, we are finally getting a new book on the life and career of one of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s greatest stars. There are too few books out about William Powell who made acting look effortless. I loved him in The Thin Man series, My Man Godfrey, Life with Father, The Great Ziefield, Mr. Roberts, and in anything with Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, & Clark Gable. They just don't make them like they used to!!! This is a great book to learn not only about his films, but also about his personal life. If you are interested in the Golden Age of film, don't miss this book!

If you're a film lover and a fan of Myrna Loy and William Powell, you will definitely get a kick out of this book. The way this book works is, George Baxt writes a mystery that takes place in Old Hollywood, and the two screen gems are the main proponents of the story. I enjoyed the murder case as the twist was unexpected, but most of all I loved the feeling of being back in time with all these real people. For instance, there is plenty of the banter between Powell and Loy, which was characteristic of their relationship. The gossip is definitely there too, as notorious columnist Louella Parsons never fails to arrive on the scene. Though largely fictional, Baxt skillfully captures the screen personas of each of the stars - which may or may not be identical to the character off screen - and weaves a tale that is perhaps best described as a witty caricature of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Baxt is back with another addition to his celebrity murder case books. In this one we see Myrna Loy and William Poweell recreating their roles from the movie, "The Thin Man", and joining forces with Herb Villon and his Hazel at yet another celebrity murder case. Like all other books in the series, this one is also a satire, and Baxt does a good job of recreating the glitz and glamour of 1930's Hollywood. If you can get past the wild repartee and the incessant talking of the stars, this isn't that bad a book. A Hollywood madam has let it be known that she is going to publish her little black book, and there are a number of famous names that don't want that to happen. And one at least is prepared to murder in order to avoid having their name appear in print somewhere.

Film buffs and mystery lovers will delight in this wonderful book. George Baxt has written a light mystery that will bring a smile to the face of many who remember fondly William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles.

While some series only try to capitalize on a name from Hollywood's past to entice the reader, Baxt actually delivers the goods with both wit and sophistication. And while other series, even good ones such as Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters, have the star mainly in the background, Baxt has Powell and Loy front and center. This makes for a terric read.

Baxt's regular characters in his series, cops Herb Villon and Jim Mallory, along with Herb's girlfriend and gossip underling of Louella Parsons, Hazel Dickson, have plenty to do also. They also have plenty of interaction with Powell and Loy, which makes the book special.

This is a sweet and nostalgic ride through Hollywood of the 1930's. There is gossip and tidbits film fans will love and recognize as well as a fun mystery. Hollywood is buzzing and Louis B. Mayer is fuming when a former stock player at MGM named Audrey Manners gets word out that she needs money. Since she is now Claire Young, a rather famous madame with a black book full of Hollywood names, such a message can only lead to murder. When her assistant gets killed, it is up to Villon and the gang to get it solved.

To Mayer's consternation, it is Powell and Loy in the news, however, as they are helping with the investigation. Powell is about to marry a sickly "Baby" (Jean Harlow) and Myrna is having marriage trouble as she and Powell get out word they are researching their next "Thin Man" film, giving them the excuse they need to help Villon. Hazel, of course, is delighted at the prospect of a juicy story. Herb, however, is more concerned for Claire, with whom he once was in love.

There is nothing tawdry here despite the storyline, just good clean fun for fans. Powell and Loy discover it may have ties going all the way back to Paul Bern, Baby's former husband. Baxt really makes Powell and Loy come alive again and their friendship and fun exchanges are worthy of many "Thin Man" entries. While it is certainly light reading, that is exactly what it was intended to be.

This is a fun and marvelous book for film lovers and those who enjoy a good mystery. An excellent read for a comfy chair and a big shade try. Give this one a try this summer and you'll find it hard to put down. Riveting the mystery may not be. But fun in the extreme it most definitely is.