Myrna Loy - by Emily W Leider (Paperback)

About the Book

From the beginning, Myrna Loy's screen image conjured mystery, a sense of something withheld. This first ever biography of the wry and sophisticated actress, best known for her role as Nora Charles in The Thin Man, offers an unprecedented picture of her life and a career that spanned six decades. Opening with Loy's rough-and-tumble upbringing in Montana, the book takes us to Los Angeles from the 1920s, through the thirties, when Loy became a top box office draw, and to her robust post-World War II career. Throughout, Emily W. Leider illuminates the actress's friendships with luminaries such as Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Joan Crawford and her collaborations with the likes of John Barrymore, David O. Selznick, Sam Goldwyn, and William Wyler, among many others. This biography offers a fascinating slice of studio era history and gives us the first full picture of a woman who has often been overlooked.--From publisher description.

Book Synopsis

From the beginning, Myrna Loy's screen image conjured mystery, a sense of something withheld. "Who is she?" was a question posed in the first fan magazine article published about her in 1925. This first ever biography of the wry and sophisticated actress best known for her role as Nora Charles, wife to dapper detective William Powell in The Thin Man, offers an unprecedented picture of her life and an extraordinary movie career that spanned six decades. Opening with Loy's rough-and-tumble upbringing in Montana, the book takes us to Los Angeles in the 1920s, where Loy's striking looks caught the eye of Valentino, through the silent and early sound era to her films of the thirties, when Loy became a top box office draw, and to her robust post-World War II career. Throughout, Emily W. Leider illuminates the actress's friendships with luminaries such as Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Joan Crawford and her collaborations with the likes of John Barrymore, David O. Selznick, Sam Goldwyn, and William Wyler, among many others. This highly engaging biography offers a fascinating slice of studio era history and gives us the first full picture of a very private woman who has often been overlooked despite her tremendous star power.

From the Back Cover

"Myrna Loy has found an ideal biographer in Emily Leider, a gifted writer who loves film history and knows how to mine the field for the kind of details that help her paint a full and rounded picture of her subject." --Leonard Maltin, film critic/historian

"A masterful tribute to MGM's subtlest star."--David Stenn, author of Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow

"Finally, a biography worthy of Myrna Loy--a smart, fascinating book about a smart, fascinating woman."--Eve Golden, author of Platinum Girl: The Life and Legends of Jean Harlow

"This first biography of Myrna Loy is so conscientiously researched, so closely written in detail and intelligent style that there will be no need for a second. Emily Leider documents both the woman and the actress: the early years in Montana and the multiple and sometimes foolish marriages of the former, and the development of the latter from exotic silent player to sophisticated lead in the Thin Man series to everyone's image of a proud, understanding middle-class wife in the 1940s and beyond."--Anthony Slide, author of Inside the Hollywood Fan Magazine: A History of Star Makers, Fabricators, and Gossip Mongers

Review Quotes

"Leider . . . has penned a thoroughly researched and stylishly written biography of an accomplished actress who was more than just her screen credits."--Thomas Gladysz "San Francisco Examiner" (12/11/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"A well-researched and comprehensive biography. . . . Leider's portrait nicely details Myrna Loy as not only a movie star but also an ardent activist."-- "Publishers Weekly" (8/29/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"I've not wanted to put the book down. It's that good, yes, it is really THAT good. . . . If you're a fan of Myrna Loy and her films, this is a must read."-- "Strictly Vintage Hollywood" (10/18/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"A crisp, smart biography."--Dennis Drabelle "Washington Post" (10/7/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"A top-notch biography of a great performer. . . . Highly recommended."--C. Rollyson "Choice" (2/1/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"An engaging and heartening portrait of the classic movie star who never let the glamour of her impossibly glamorous profession go to her head."--Dennis King "The Oklahoman" (1/4/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"An excellent biography."--Scott Eyman "Palm Beach Post" (1/22/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"Emily W. Leider has managed to give us the biography of an actress that avoids the crass tell-all format of many celebrity biographies--it is well researched, the prose is eminently readable. . . . It is a must read for fans of Myrna Loy, it will interest fans of film in general and classic film in particular, and it is also an interesting read from a purely historical perspective, thanks to the research put into it and its scholarly tone. Pick up the book and revisit these films."--Miguel Rodriguez "Kpbs.org" (3/1/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"In addition to thoroughly documenting each of Loy's films . . .the book describes her activities during the leave she took from filmmaking in the early 1940s."--Betsy Butler "Cbq Communication Booknotes Qtly" (10/5/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"Kudos to author Emily Leider for a brilliant, riveting portrait. . . . 'Myrna Loy' is an encyclopedic, fascinating page-turner for film buffs."--Nada Arnold "Charleston Post & Courier" (1/8/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"Leider's new book is certainly one of the best film books of the year."--Thomas Gladysz "San Francisco Chronicle" (10/24/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"Loy's gifts are easy to enjoy, hard to describe. She's been lucky in attracting an even-tempered sympathetic biographer like Ms. Leider, whose book, like the best of its genre, sends you back to the films."--Alexandra Mullen "Wall Street Journal" (9/24/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"Movie buffs will appreciate the careful research that went into this book, while readers wanting intimacy will delight in hearing Myrna's own voice come through."--Alicea Swett "Portland Book Review " (4/5/2012 12:00:00 AM)

"Reveals the shy, warm, and modest figure behind the image of the cool, chic urbanite. . . . Leider's books are smart and witty trips through the lives of her subjects, and this work is no exception."--Teri Shiel "Library Journal" (9/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"This is a must read for anyone who is a Myrna Loy fan."--Leslie Wolfson "San Francisco Book Review / Sacramento Book Review" (12/7/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"Well-researched and shrewdly conceived."--Robert Fulford "The National Post" (9/13/2011 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Biographer, poet, and memoirist Emily W. Leider is the author of Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino, Becoming Mae West, and Rapid Eye Movement and Other Poems, among other books.