It could happen to you..

Myrna Loy

* August 2, 1905 † December 14, 1993

(Death not due to breast cancer.)

Diagnosed with breast cancer twice .

Underwent mastectomies in 1975 and 1979.

Memorable Film And TV Characters (3): Nick and Nora Charles

Why it's Nick Charles and his lovely wife Nora. The ace detective who retired once he married Nora to settle down and enjoy life and all the pleasures that come with it. Namely large quantities of alcohol consumption.

It helped that Nora came from a very rich family and the pair could travel and do whatever they wanted. The couple were wonderfully played by William Powell and Myrna Loy for an amazing six films. I love all the films in the series but the earlier ones are the best.

Nicky, I don't think you should be playing in the house with that....

Nick is the type of guy who doesn't want to get involved but always does before too long. He may be retired but murder and trouble just seems to follow him everywhere. He would like to be left alone to continue to relax and drink but a dead body always seems not far away. He doesn't like it but Nora loves it. She loves nothing better than to be involved in a nice juicy mystery, much to the dismay of Nick. They are both comical and always seem to be having fun no matter how dire the situation may get. 

Ahhhhhh....the loving couple...

Nick is a pretty smart chap as he manages to solve the mystery before the final reel. Nora always look fabulous and shares in her husband's triumph, with some witty remarks of her own. They made one of the silver screen's most entertaining couples. I loved how Nora always called Nick..Nicky. They just seemed so great together as husband and wife. Another trademark of the series was the class of people that Nick used to hang around when he was a full time detective. Nora's interaction with them was always hilarious. As was Nick's meeting her upper crust family members.

 

Hey don't forget me!

So here's to Nick and Nora Charles, my favorite onscreen couple and film's best husband and wife. Oh and Asta too. I can't forget him, now can I?

 

Nora, Asta and Nicky...

Check out the video below for some of Nick and Nora's most witty lines...

 http://youtu.be/PG3NZjRv2nM

"She may be his wife - but she is engaged to me!"

Another picture which is based on a play came up to the silver screen in 1936: LIBELED LADY - directed by Jack Conway.

In a nutshell:

Society girl Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) is falsly accused of stealing another woman's husband. She sues "The Star" - a newspaper, which headlined the wrong story - to pay $ 5 millions damages.

Journalist Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) comes up with an idea to save the newspaper: He engages his ex co-worker and oldtime rival Bill Chandler (William Powell), who suggests that he seduces Connie so Haggerty's fiancée Gladys Benton (Jean Harlow) - acting as Chandler's wife - can catch them red-handed. That way Haggerty would be able to proof that "The Star" didn't tell a lie.

Chandler who learns that Connie's father (Walter Connolly) is fond of trout fishing pretends to be a writer and passionate angler to get near to Connie. Problems appear when Chandler falls for Connie and Gladys decides that she is attracted to Chandler..

Watch out for:

• Hattie McDaniel as the maid in the Grand Plaza Hotel hall.
  

Schmooze:

• Charley Grapewin, who plays Mr. Bane is known (amongst many others) as Uncle Henry in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), Gramp Maple in THE PETRIFIED FOREST (1936) and as Grandpa in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)


• The German titel is LUSTIGE SÜNDER which can be translated "Cheerful sinners".
  
• The four leads became good friends. Allegedly Spencer Tracy used to state jestingly that Myrna Loy broke his heart by marrying producer Arthur Hornblow, jr.. It is said that Tracy reserved a table in the canteen for men who felt that Loy walked out on them - the "I hate Hornblow"-table.
  
• LIBELED LADY was nominated for "Best picture" at the acadamy awards but lost to another movie starring Myrna Loy and William Powell: THE GREAT ZIEGFELD.
  
• Jean Harlow and William Powell were a couple whilst this film was produced so Harlow intended to get the part of Connie so she and Powell could end up together - the studio objected because they felt the audience wanted Powell and Loy to be paired at the end. Harlow gave in and was in the end pleased with her part.


• Walter Connolly (Myrna Loy's father in this picture) played the father of Claudette Colbert in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934).
  
  
• There is a remake called EASY TO WED with Esther Williams as Connie Allenbury, Van Johnson as Bill Chandler, Keenan Wynn as Warren Haggerty and Lucille Ball as Gladys.


• Rosalind Russell was first choice for the Connie Allenbury part.
  


• It was the fith film pairing Myrna Loy and William Powell.
  


• Billy Benedict - one of the original Bowery Boys has an supporting role at the news paper.
  


• Lionel Barrymore was supposed to play Connie Allenbury's father.

Celebrate the celluloid:


Eat pancakes/flapjacks or fish (trout!).

My favourite feature:

I like that raft in the lake. Gosh, won't you love to sit there and watch old movies on a big screen with some friends and splash around with your feet? (just an idea..)

Scenes to see:

William Powell angling and the lovely good-bye -scene with Powell, Harlow and Tracy - please look out for George Chandler's (the bell boy) mimic.

Window shopping:

Gee, I'd like to get that light suit Jean Harlow is wearing.

Quotes corner:

"This is love, not liquor." or "I am just a mug, Gladdie, but I love you." or maybe best known: "Marry your newspaper and become the father of many newslines."

I love the witty lines in this picture especially William Powell suggesting to Jean Harlow how to pass her time: "Maybe you could learn to read." and one I often use myself: "I am awful appealing in blue." This is an awesome screwball comedy and a marvellous cast!

I don't know anything about American eating habits, but I think it is funny to put the flag of the United States into a fish. I don't want to offend anyone but it seems strange to me. I mean: this film doesn't take place on 4th of July - as far as I know. But: Please correct me - I am eager to learn!

Goodbye! I'll go and watch another movie - or this one again? And:

"I like music with my moonlight."