Customer Reviews

I Love You Again [VHS]

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"I Love You Again" would have to be one of the very best of the legendary screen teamings of William Powell and Myrna Loy. While their screen magic together works wonderfully in this brilliant comedy in reality it is William Powell's show all the way and rarely has he been given such a stunning showcase for his expert comedy talents.

Powell plays Larry Wilson a small town skin flint and penny pincher who through an accident on a cruise ship is knocked on the head, loses his memory, and reverts to his former self of 8 years ago, the confidence trickster George Carey involved in any scheme to earn a fast buck no matter how shady the deal. What develops in the next hour and a half is an absolutely hilarious tale as Powell discovers that his boring other self not only is loaded money wise but is the companion of a totally gorgeous wife who is in the process of divorcing him!

The fun really starts when Powell returns to his sleepy little town to see if he can skim off some of Wilson's money and perhaps get lucky with his "wifey" the luscious Loy!! The scenes of misunderstanding and George pretending to know everything that goes on in Larry's life will have you laughing till your stomach hurts . The scenes of him being greeted by the townsfolk upon his arrival home as a national hero, Doc Ryan's( Frank McHugh in an absolutely hilarious performance) examination of Larry in the bed and, top of all tops, the scouting hike to track mooses or some such are some of the most classic moments you will see in a 1940's comedy. Given a wonderful vechicle like this one can see why William Powell was such a master of this zany type of comedy and the way his delivery makes it seem so effortless is a tribute to his wonderfully developed comedy technique. Myrna Loy , always a great actress in comedy or drama is just right in the role of frustrated wife Kay Wilson who is suddenly amazed to find her totally boring, penny pinching husband has mysteriously transformed into something like the man she dreamed about marrying. The scene in the lingerie store is a riot when the salesgirl automatically brings out the cheapest model when Larry goes shopping with his wife. The beautiful exchanges in this scene will have you convulsing with laughter.

Of course in this production the Powell/Loy team is accompanied by their mentor and pal director W.S (One take Woody) Van Dyke who guided the pair through most of their early "Thin Man" successes. They were a perfect marriage of director and actors and rarely have the two meshed so well together. Van Dyke's rapid style of direction suited this type of witty fast paced comedy to a tee and in this comedy in particular it worked beautifully to keep the action moving at a rapid pace. The film almost has to be viewed a couple of times as so much dialogue is missed in one screening.

"I Love You Again" is without a doubt one of the very best of this teams work. As always with these productions it benefits greatly from the MGM care and attention to detail and it turned out to one of the stunning successes for MGM in 1940.

If you are seeking a healthy dose of comic madness combined with fine writing, direction, superb performances by all involved, you can't go past this classic installment in the Powell and Loy teamings. It's right up there with the original "Thin Man" and "Love Crazy" as a perfect showcase for what great screen acting is all about. Enjoy!!!

Loved it! William Powell and Myrna Loy shine as Larry and Kay Wilson! As usual, they have dynamic chemistry and perfect comedic timing. There are several laugh out loud scenes, such as Larry's antics after Kay refuses to dance with him and the reactions of Larry and his newfound friend "Doc" when Larry is welcomed into his hometown. By today's standards, plotlines involving amnesia are dry and overused, but this movie's storyline is original and thoroughly entertaining. It's a gem! Loy and Powell solidify that they are truely the cinema's greatest screen couple.

Get ready to chuckle and laugh throughout the whole film. Powell is at his comedic best, and Loy is dreamy and gorgeous. Can't think of two people who belonged together professionally more that this enchanting and dynamic duo, with the possible exception of Rogers and Astaire.

The story line is a riot: Powell has had amnesia for some years, and led a stuffy, collective life, much to frustration and ultimate despair of Loy, his wife. A chance blow to the head restores him to his old, true self: it seems he is now a confidence man. A bank book of his former self induces him to return to and try to slip into his forgotten former life. All is laughter and fun from here on.

The deer stalking scene is the comic highlight of the film, as well as a solo trek on the dance floor by Powell. The lines between him and Loy are clever and fascinating, and one just can't say enough about this move except: Relax and Have Fun!

Yes, it's true-- Powell and Loy *are* at their best. "I Love You Again" is a twist on the old amnesia plot, and the twist allows for fun confusion, mugging, and fast talking. Powell shows his breadth of acting capability and Loy's character is smart, coy, and likeable. This movie is fun, snappy, and, unlike some of their other movies, not confusing in the least. Thoroughly likeable.

William Powell and Myrna Loy starred in 14 films together but this is one of their lesser known vehicles. William Powell gets knocked on the head during an ocean cruise. It seems he's had amnesia for the past nine years and was a penny-pinching, thoroughly unlikable man married to Myrna Loy. Now that he's become his real self (which is strong and masculine) he falls in love with Loy. But she's planning to divorce him...so he has to win her all over again. And deal with his past as a gangster.

While not as funny as some of their early Thin Man pairings, Loy and Powell still are fun to watch due to their great chemistry. The movie was Directed by W.S. Van Dyke who also directed the first four Thin Man films and he obviously knew how to get the most out of his two stars.

Working with very thin material, Loy and Powell do it again. Proof that their box-office chemistry was no fluke.

William Powell has never been funnier and Myrna Loy has never been more lovely than in W.S. Van Dyke's "I Love You Again." Perhaps only Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, with their style, grace, and easy elegance could viably compete with them with film fans attempting to crown an all-time favorite. Powell and Loy were sophistication with an edge, their "Thin Man" series of "A" pictures as beloved as Fred and Ginger's romantic dance numbers.

Powell and Loy were such a potent combination at the box office that MGM wisely paired the couple in many films outside the "Thin Man" franchise and this is one of their best. Based on a novel by Octavus Roy Cohen, the music of Franz Waxman and art direction of Cedric Gibbons helped give this one a touch of class. A great basic premise and fine supporting cast which even includes Carl "Alfalfa" Harkspur, Jr. add to the fun.

Larry Wilson (William Powell) is sort of a fuddy-duddy, the kind of guy who orders gingerale and grape juice while on a cruise ship. But when he saves a drunk (Duke Sheldon) who falls overboard and is hit in the head with an oar, he realizes he's really a con man named George Carey. Apparently in 1931 he suffered a blow during a con which gave him amnesia. Since he can't remember anything about his current persona but suspects there's some money to be made from it, imagine his surprise when waiting ashore when the ship docks is a delicious wife!

He quickly discovers wife Kay (Myrna Loy) is about to become his ex-wife if he doesn't do something fast, however, so fantically does everything he can to get her back. He does so partly because she's such a cutie and partly to keep up appearances while he and "Doc" (Sheldon) and another pal play out a scam involving oil. Kay, who has been living with a boring and frugal husband more concerned with the Chamber of Commerce than the bedroom chambers begins to enjoy her new man. He begins to wonder if this Larry fella might have a better deal than the one he's trying to swing.

Loy is sweet and an absolute head-turner here and Powell gives another terrific performanc clothed in charm. His moments with Larkspr, Jr. and a dance with himself are worth the price of admission alone. Just a fabulous comedy with some screwball elements thrown in, this is top-tier MGM entertainment from the days when the Lion really did roar.

William Powell and Myrna Loy made many films together, including the Thin Man series, and were always a great team but this one is hard to beat. Powell and Loy play a long unhappily married couple who are about to throw in the towel when Powell gets konked on the head. This brings about amnesia nd he can't remember the last decade or so and he reverts back to his former conman personality. His other personality is one that doesn't drink but don't worry, once he goes back to his conman personality, Powell pours his usual number of cocktails per film. After all, it wouldn't be a William Powell film if he wasn't mixing, pouring, and drinking gallons of booze. The comedy and the plot here work and the leads are perfectly cast and as always show great chemistry. This is one where it'll be very hard to push the pause button on.

Watching a classic screwball comedy like I LOVE YOU AGAIN is a sobering reminder that the truly witty comedy of the pre-WWII era is a lost art. In the world of the screwball, the characters inhabit a universe vastly different from any other. This universe is replete with characters who are witty, memorable, and possessed of a sure sense of timing that makes their entrances and exits seem anything but staged. We who watch the events see tham as improbable but the magic of the genre is that this knowledge does not intrude on our enjoyment of it.

William Powell and Myrna Loy had collaborated on several Thin Man films, all of which occupied a universe of comedy and wit not far removed from that of the screwball. By 1940, the audience had been well primed to accept the unlikely events on the screen in a manner that would seem puzzling to moderns, but only for the first few minutes. After that, the viewer of today and the viewer of then become indistinguishable.

Powell plays Larry Wilson, who is returning home from an ocean voyage. He has been married for nine years and is a boring, thoroughly conventional middle America dullard. He gets whacked on the head by an oar, and gets amnesia, but this amnesia is not the kind that results in lost memory but in memory restored. It seems that nine years ago, he received a similar smack and entered the realm of memory lost. He married Myrna Loy to begin a boring life on every level possible. He has spent this time as a low key Dagwood Bumstead. With the second head hitting, his original self comes out. This self is that of the con man, a suave and smoothtalking rip off artist. He pals up with another con artist, well played by Frank McHugh, and at this point the screwball antics begin. The film is full of scenes that allow Powell to show his deft sense of timing. He alternates between greed and altruism in a manner that leaves one breathless. His wife Kay (Loy) plans to divorce the stuffy shirt she has married, but as Powell sheds his Norman Rockwell skin, she begins to fall in love with him all over again. Though I LOVE YOU AGAIN has numerous scenes of Powell sliding in and out of trouble, he has no more trouble convincing his wife of his "true" nature than he does with the audience. This film, like one of Shakespeare's light comedies, transports both cast and audience into a parallel universe where true evil does not exist, harmless evil does, and the improbable seems increasingly less so with each passing scene. I LOVE YOU AGAIN is a joy where we again can join this universe, even if for only a few precious minutes.

William Powell and Myrna Loy are absolutly wonderful together. They have the same spark as in the "Thin Man" series. I was very happy with this video and will watch it many times over.

I Think this is the funniest movies ever.I love William Powell.