Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy Facts
| Sign | Leo |
| Born |
Aug 2, 1905 Radersburg, MT |
| Died |
Dec 14, 1993 New York City, NY |
| Age | Died at 88 |
| Total Facts | 55 |
'Caterina Williams' is sometimes quoted as her real name.
William Powell's nickname for her was 'Minnie'.
A devout Democrat and feminist, she later dismissed her work in the pre-Civil Rights-era movie Ham and Eggs at the Front (1927) as "shameful".
After graduating from high school in 1923, Myrna got a job dancing in the chorus during the prologue for The Ten Commandments at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Appeared in staged prologues at Grauman's Egyptian theater in Los Angeles, before getting her first role in films. The prologues, staged by Fanchon and Marco, were live shows put on before the feature had begun. Myrna appeared in prologues for The Ten Commandments (1923) and The Thief of Bagdad (1924), among others.
Appeared in the first feature film with synchronized sound (Don Juan (1926)) and first feature film with audible dialog (The Jazz Singer (1927)).
At Venice High school, in the middle of a small rose garden, is a larger-than-life-size statue of actress Myrna Loy. And it was made years before Myrna appeared in a single movie. Actually, it isn't a particularly good likeness of Miss Loy. Standing atop a stone pedestal, back arched, the short-haired figure is semi-nude (wearing only a thin gown which leaves little to the imagination), with one arm raised in a dramatic pose. All three statues were modeled by Venice High students, and the trio are meant to depict the "Mental," "Physical" and "Spiritual." According to the bronze plaque on the east side of the pedestal, the statues were erected in 1921, which means that Myrna Loy (then named Myrna Williams) was only 16 years old when she posed for the "Spiritual" statue - long before she became a celebrity.
Attended Venice High School in Los Angeles, where a statue of her stands (on the front lawn). The same school was featured in the original Grease (1978), American History X (1998) and in The Chemical Brothers' and Britney Spears' music videos ("Elektrobank" and "Baby one more time", respectively).
Born on a cattle ranch.
Changing last name from Williams to Loy was suggested by legendary pulp writer Paul Cain (AKA Peter Ruric).
First Actress to work for the UN (UNESCO).
For five years (1949-54) she served as a film advisor for UNESCO.
Good friend of Princess Marina.
Her Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) co-star, Jeanne Crain, died exactly ten years to the day after Myrna.
Her father, at age 21, the youngest man ever elected to the Montana State Legislature, owned a small cattle ranch.
Her final public appearance was in 1991 when she received her lifetime achievement award during _63rd Annual Academy Awards, The (1991) (TV)_ . She was unable to travel to Hollywood to accept the award in person, so the Academy arranged a live satellite link to her Manhattan apartment. Anjelica Huston introduced the film tribute presentation to her, which started with clips from The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and ended with a clip from After the Thin Man (1936) When the tribute finished, there was instantaneous rapturous applause and Huston then said, "Here from her apartment in New York is Miss Loy. Congratulations Myrna." Loy appeared live on a large screen from her beautiful New York apartment smiling, with her Honorary Oscar on a side table next to her. She was seated wearing sparkling purple evening wear and watched intently on her own television. She viewed and smiled at close up shots of fellow same-year Honorary Award recipient Sophia Loren and other audience members applauding. There was unusually no standing ovation, instead audience members remained seated during the applause, this was by no means a snub. There was a short silence after the ap
Her mother, Della Williams, was a talented pianist who encouraged Myrna's interest in the arts.
Her profile was the most requested in the 1930s by women to their plastic surgeons.
Hobbies: Sculpturing and dancing.
In 1918, her father died in the Spanish Flu epidemic, and Myrna, her mom, and brother moved to LA.
In 1923, she was photographed by Henry Waxman, who showed the pictures to Rudolph Valentino. Impressed with Myrna, Valentino arranged for a screen test for his upcoming film, Cobra (1925). She failed it.
In 1936 Myrna was named Queen of the Movies and Clark Gable King in a national poll, winning a crown of tin and purple velvet. in her autobiography, she says that she did not get on with Gable in her earlier films with him. However, in her later films he developed a respect for Loy and they became good friends.
In 1937, Myrna had a narrow escape when her horse bolted during the filming of The Rains Came (1939) with Tyrone Power; she was nearly killed.
In 1960 she campaigned for John F. Kennedy. Later she did battle with Californian Governor Ronald Reagan over open-housing legislation and for years afterward was a vigorous member of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing.
In honor of Myrna Loy, a poem was created called, Montana Women, which was read at the celebration of her 86th birthday.
In Italy, she was dubbed at the beginning of the (talking) career either by Tina Lattanzi or Rosina Galli. Later in her career, Lidia Simoneschi was her official Italian voice. She was once dubbed by the talented Giovanna Scotto in So Goes My Love (1946).
Is the subject of the song "Myrna Loy" by Steel Pole Bathtub (this song is different from and predates the song by The Minus 5).
Loy donned a uniform during the War when she joined the Hollywood Chapter of 'Bundles for Bluejackets' -- helping to run a Naval Auxiliary Canteen and going on fund raising tours.
Loy's last film was also the last for Henry Fonda.
Made her stage debut in 1916.
Measurements: 35 1/2-26 1/2-33 1/2 (from MGM's designer Adrian), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Men-Must-Marry-Myrna Clubs were formed due to her portrayal as The Perfect Wife (The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)).
Moved to Manhattan in 1960, where she lived until her death in 1993.
Myrna enrolled at Venice High School -- a school which later named its annual speech and drama awards 'Myrnas'.
Myrna was Co-Chairman of the Advisory Council of the National Committee against discrimination in housing - exposing segregation in federal funded projects.
Myrna Williams made her stage debut at age twelve at Helena's old Marlow Theater in a dance she choreographed, based on "The Blue Bird" from the Rose Dream Operatta.
One of a handful of great movie stars never nominated for an acting Oscar, she received an honorary Academy Award in 1991.
Outspoken against Adolf Hitler in the War, Myrna appeared on his blacklist.
Profiled in book "Funny Ladies" by Stephen Silverman. [1999]
Received a Honorary Academy Award in the same year as Sophia Loren.
Recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center in 1988.
Robert Montgomery and Myrna Loy were offered the roles of Ellie and Peter in It Happened One Night, but each turned the script down, though Loy later noted that the final story as filmed bore little resemblance to the script that she and Montgomery and been offered for their perusal.
She became a founder member of the American Place Theatre, a non-profit theatre set up to help new writers develop.
She made her Broadway debut in the 1973 revival of "The Women".
She organized an opposition to the House Unamerican Activities Committee in Hollywood.
She served as an advisor to the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing.
She was a favorite of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Jimmy Stewart.
Spent her early years on a ranch and in the town of Helena, Montana, which was also the home of Gary Cooper.
Subject of the song "Myrna Loy" by The Minus 5.
The statue outside Venice High School that bares her likeness is titled 'Inspiration', and has been the target of vandalism and school pranks for decades (Loy mentions in her book that the statue was even decapetated at one point). It is now surrounded by a fence.