Official MYRNA LOY Fan Site

For five years (1949-54) she served as a film advisor for UNESCO.She served as an advisor to the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing.She made her Broadway debut in the 1973 revival of "The Women".Hobbies: Sculpturing and dancing.One of a handful of great movie stars never nominated for an acting Oscar, she received an honorary Academy Award in 1991.Loy's last film was also the last for Henry Fonda.She became a founder member of the American Place Theatre, a non-profit theatre set up to help new writers develop.'Caterina Williams' is sometimes quoted as her real name.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.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.Men-Must-Marry-Myrna Clubs were formed due to her portrayal as 'The Perfect Wife.'A devout Democrat & feminist, she later dismissed her work in the pre-Civil Rights- era movie Ham and Eggs at the Front (1927) as "shameful".Myrna enrolled at Venice High School -- a school which later named its annual speech and drama awards 'Myrnas'.Spent her early years on a ranch and in the town of Helena, Montana, which was also the home of Gary Cooper.When her father was travelling by train in early 1905, he went through a small station called 'Myrna' - he eventually named her after that station.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.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 1918, her father died in a flu epidemic, and Myrna, her mom, and brother moved to LA.Recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center in 1988.She organized an opposition to the House Unamerican Activities Committee in Hollywood.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.She was a favorite of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Jimmy Stewart.Her father, at age 21 the youngest man ever elected to the Montana State Legislature, owned a small cattle ranch.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.Received a Honorary Academy Award in the same year as Sophia Loren.Her final public appearence 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. When the film 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, and watching intently on her own television. She watched 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. She then responded simply and said, "You've made me very happy, thank you very much," to yet further loud applause and then she disappeared from the screen once more.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.In honor of Myrna Loy, a poem was created called, Montana Women, which was read at the celebration of her 86th birthday.Underwent two mastectomies after being diagnosed with breast cancer twice.Changing last name from Williams to Loy was suggested by legendary pulp writer Paul Cain (AKA Peter Ruric).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, American History X and in Chemical Brothers and Britney Spears music videos ("Elektrobank" and "Baby one more time", respectively).Moved to Manhattan in 1960, where she lived until her death in 1993.Myrna was Co-Chairman of the Advisory Council of the National Committee against discrimination in housing - exposing segregation in federal funded projects.Made her stage debut in 1916.Outspoken against Adolf Hitler in the War, Myrna appeared on his blacklist.Born on a cattle ranch.Her mother, Della Williams, was a talented pianist who encouraged Myrna's interest in the arts.First Actress to work for the UN (UNESCO).Measurements: 35 1/2-26 1/2-33 1/2 (from MGM's designer Adrian), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)Her profile was the most requested in the 1930s by women to their plastic surgeons.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 .. the feature had begun. Myrna appeared in prologues for _Ten Commandments, The (1923)_ and The Thief of Bagdad (1924), among others.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.Was supposedly the favorite star of famed outlaw John Dillinger. He came out of hiding to see Manhattan Melodrama (1934), in which she starred, and was gunned down by police upon leaving the theater.William Powell's nickname for her was 'Minnie'.Subject of the song "Myrna Loy" by The Minus 5.Her Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) co-star, Jeanne Crain, died exactly ten years to the day after Myrna.