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Myrna Loy

Myrna Loy

42 movies on Netflix

Biography

Myrna Loy was an American actress whose career spanned film, television, and stage. Born in Helena, Montana, she moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and trained as a dancer before entering pictures in the silent era. Early in her career she was typecast in exotic roles, but her performance as Nora Charles in The Thin Man (1934) changed that, and she returned to the role in several sequels. She became known for both drama and comedy, with films including The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Libeled Lady (1936), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948). In the 1950s she starred in Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) and appeared in Lonelyhearts. Although she was never nominated for an Academy Award, she received an honorary Academy Award in 1991 for her career, and a Kennedy Center Honor. She retired from acting after appearing in films through 1981.

88years old at death

  • Born Helena
  • Died New York City
  • Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
  • Myrna Adele Williams (birth name)Also credited as Catharina Myrna Adele Williams and The Queen of Hollywood

Movie Career

Films
42
Career span
52 years1926 to 1978

Genres

First and latest

Photos

  • Myrna Loy, photo 1 of 3
  • Myrna Loy, photo 2 of 3
  • Myrna Loy, photo 3 of 3

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  1. Big break

    Director W. S. Van Dyke chose Loy once he saw a wit and sense of humor her earlier films had not revealed. He shoved her into a swimming pool at a Hollywood party, and her aplomb was what he wanted for Nora.

  2. About the name

    Stills of Loy in exotic makeup and costume ran in Motion Picture and brought her a Warner Bros. contract, where her surname went from Williams to Loy. Screenwriter Peter Ruric, who also wrote crime novels as Paul Cain, apparently thought up the new name.

  3. First role

    Loy made her stage debut at age 12, performing a self-choreographed dance based on "The Blue Bird" from the Rose Dream operetta at Helena's Marlow Theater.

  4. Behind the award

    A 1991 Academy Honorary Award for her career achievement went to Loy, following years of lobbying and a letter-writing campaign by screenwriter Michael Russnow, who got support from her former screen colleagues and friends.

Myrna Loy movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. The Thin Man1934 Comedy, Crime, Mysteryas Nora

    IMDb rating 7.936K votes

  2. After the Thin Man1936 Comedy, Crime, Mysteryas Nora

    IMDb rating 7.613K votes

  3. Another Thin Man1939as Nora Charles

    IMDb rating 7.49.0K votes

  4. The Best Years of Our Lives1946as Milly Stephenson

    IMDb rating 8.177K votes

  5. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House1948as Muriel Blandings

    IMDb rating 7.214K votes

  6. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947as Judge Margaret Turner

    IMDb rating 7.210K votes

  7. The Great Ziegfeld1936as Billie Burke

    IMDb rating 6.69.9K votes

  8. Libeled Lady1936as Connie Allenbury

    IMDb rating 7.89.8K votes

Most often with

W.S. Van Dyke directed seven of these films, Jack Conway four and Clarence Brown three. William Powell appears in thirteen of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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William Powell, 13 films togetherSee the 13 films with William PowellClark Gable, 5 films togetherSee the 5 films with Clark GableNat Pendleton, 5 films togetherSee the 5 films with Nat PendletonAsta, 4 films togetherSee the 4 films with AstaIrving Bacon, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Irving BaconWard Bond, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Ward BondW.S. Van DykeDirector, 7 filmsSee the 7 films by W.S. Van DykeJack ConwayDirector, 4 filmsSee the 4 films by Jack ConwayClarence BrownDirector, 3 filmsSee the 3 films by Clarence Brown

Films together

Box office

What Myrna Loy's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$208 million

15 of the 42 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 42 films: 15 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 21 figure not found.

  • 15Worldwide figure
  • 4US gross only
  • 2Never in cinemas
  • 21Figure not found

Top grosser

Airport 19751974as Mrs. Devaney$103 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 94% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Airport 19751974as Mrs. Devaney
    $103M49.5% of the total
  2. 2
    The End1978as Maureen Lawson
    $45M21.6% of the total
  3. 3
    The Best Years of Our Lives1946as Milly Stephenson
    $24M11.4% of the total
  4. 4
    Midnight Lace1960as Aunt Bea
    $7.4M3.6% of the total
  5. 5
    The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947as Judge Margaret Turner
    $5.5M2.7% of the total
  6. 6
    The Great Ziegfeld1936as Billie Burke
    $4.7M2.2% of the total
  7. 7
    After the Thin Man1936as Nora
    $3.2M1.5% of the total
  8. 8
    The Thin Man Goes Home1944as Nora Charles
    $2.8M1.4% of the total
Noah's Ark (1928), $2.3 millionShadow of the Thin Man (1941), $2.3 millionAnother Thin Man (1939), $2.2 millionLove Crazy (1941), $2.0 millionThe Thin Man (1934), $1.4 millionBroadway Bill (1934), $1.4 millionWhen a Man Loves (1927), $1.0 million

$12.7 millionfrom the other 7 films with a worldwide figure, 6% of the total

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1980 to 1990, one of them major.

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Myrna Loy's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Academy Awards
1990Honorary AwardHonorary
Other honors
1988Kennedy Center HonorsWon
1980National Board of Review Award for Career AchievementWon
Star on Hollywood Walk of FameHonored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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