August 2: Myrna Loy

A few days (and seven years) after the birth of William Powell, Myrna Loy realized if she wanted to star with him in fourteen films, she'd have to be born too. So she was, on Aug. 2, 1905.

Loy spent her childhood switching from Montana and Southern California, permanently settling into Culver City in 1918, after the death of her father. She began playing vampy, exotic roles in less-than-stellar silent films like A Girl in Every Port.

Her big break was her first role with Powell, in The Thin Man. She'd soon become a sought-after actress, starring alongside Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Clifton Webb, and--why not?--Shirley Temple.

She hit the airwaves for a few adaptations of movies she'd starred in, produced by Lux Radio Theatre. On Suspense she starred in "The Library Book," which probably sounded a lot more intriguing in 1945 than it would today, and she was part of an intrepid group of artists appearing on the 1947 special Hollywood Fights Back. This program voiced protest against the Un-American Activities Committee.

Thanks for the memories, Myrna!

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