Friday, July 2, 2010

William Powell and Myrna Loy - The Movie Couple that everyone thought was a Real Life One

In the 1930s, William Powell and Myrna Loy were one of the most popular screen couples of the day. They are best remembered for their roles as Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man movie series which was produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

Their first film apperance together was in Manhatten Melodrama (1934) opposite Clark Gable followed by Evelyn Prentice that same year. During the years when The Thin Man movies were being made William and Myrna played there roles to such a perfection that the general public at the time actually believed that they were married in real life! So much in fact, that both William and Myrna use to recieve fan mail in which the contents involved suggestions for marital bliss.

In reality, William Powell and Myrna Loy weren't married but they did share a strong and happy friendship. In fact, in the 1930s William Powell was involved with actress Jean Harlow, the original Blonde Bombshell, and they were going to be married in 1937 but those plans changed when Jean suddenly sickened and died from uremic poisoining followed by kidney failure in June of that year. She was only twenty-six years of age.

Myrna Loy was also a friend of Jean's and in 1936 she, William, and Jean starred in a screwball romantic comedy entitled Libeled Lady along with Spencer Tracy in the second male lead. On that note, when the four actors arrived to do the film they were staying at a hotel somewhere in California and when they were getting there rooms figured it out it was discovered that William Powell and Myrna Loy were booked for the bridal suite. William being the gentleman that he was let Jean share the room with Myrna and took a different room.

The Thin Man film series concluded in the late 1940s but even after that William and Myrna remained the closest of friends until his death in 1984; Myrna would die in 1993. Overall, William Powell and Myrna Loy will always be remembered for their charming portrayal as Nick and Nora Charles as well as their colorful chemistry.

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