Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming [Hardcover]

Myrna Loy (Author), James Kotsilibas-Davis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kotsilibas-Davis (The Barrymores, etc.) and others contribute here to the story of a remarkable woman, but it's told mainly in her own words. Of pioneer ancestry, all-American Myrna Williams was born in 1905 on a Montana farm. As a young dancer, she was cast in "native" vamp roles in films and named Loy to suit the image. It was in the Thin Man series of the 1930s that the actress's quicksilver wit made her the ideal Nora to the late William Powell's Nick Charles. Loy continued to shine in memorable films with Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Gable et al., all of whom she recalls fondly here, as she does her women friends. There are spirited defenses, for instance, of Jean Harlow and Joan Crawford with critical views of the latter's daughter Christina, author of Mommie Dearest. Loy became a political activist during World War II and has kept working for human rights, primarily on UNICEF and UNESCO committees. The reader discovers a great deal in this story of a person who seems to have learned early on what Matthew Arnold too observed: "Life is . . . a being and a becoming." Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

For most of Loy's long Hollywood career she was known as "the perfect wife." On the basis of this memoir, it would seem that she was also pretty nearly "the perfect human being" as well. The narrative emphasizes her political activism working for the United Nations and for several Democratic presidential candidates, but Loy also recalls her early days in Montana, social and working life in Hollywood, and her later stage work. Interspersed throughout are remembrances by friends and co-workers, none of whom have anything but praise for Loy. Some readers may find themselves wishing the authors had been less tasteful and genteel. John Smothers, Monmouth Cty . Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (October 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394555937
• ISBN-13: 978-0394555935
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Hollywood Legend, August 7, 2002

By 

Michelle Urbach (Everett, wa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming (Hardcover)

I couldn't put this book down from the moment I started reading it. It's written from Myrna's own point of view, and it's intresting to get in the mind of Ms. Loy just a few years short from when she died. It has great insight on her relationships with such legends as Clark Gable, William Powell, Lionel Barrymore, Jean Harlow, and even Alfred Hitchcock. It's a great read for anyone who is intrested in the Golden Age of film.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Gem Rich with Details, December 28, 2007

By 

Myrna (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming (Paperback)

The title says it all. Am I biased? Perhaps. But there is no doubt that the person who wrote this book was a true lady, in every way. There is none of the snobbishness, ego, lie and most of all, gossip, that may be expected from autobiographies like these. Myrna Loy was a very straightforward, candid and honest woman and this certainly shows through the pages. The only time she even comes close to "bad-mouthing" someone is when she expresses her disapproval of the person's political views. Yet she makes it clear that just because their views seem distasteful does not mean they are bad people. Some of these were her friends, and she says nothing bad about their characters. If anything, she has at least one positive thing to say about each person that has entered her life. If I had to pick the most remarkable thing about Myrna Loy, it would be her gift of instinct, which was what allowed her to be such a great actress and such an understanding friend to all those who knew her.

The book is a truly fascinating read for anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Myrna Loy was either close or acquainted with all the famous people you hear of - Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, Jeanette MacDonald. She even recounts some stories of Greta Garbo, whose dressing room was next to hers. And that is not all. She was there since the very beginning days of film, and in this book you hear about the famous silent stars - Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, Dolores Costello, Conrad Nagel. Because she worked into the '80s on both film and television, she was also acquainted with some of the later stars like Doris Day, Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Lemmon, and even Catherine Deneuve. All these names can take your breath away and I really enjoyed reading about the whole span of Hollywood from its early years to its modern days. She is right in the midst of it all and the amazing thing is, these names are not evoked in a gossipy tone. It's just simply a part of her life. The names are inevitably there, when she and her first husband Arthur Hornblow lived in the Pacific Palisades, the home of the Hollywood elite, and when in her later years she moved to New York, a gathering place for all the playwrights and stage actors.

Everyone who knows Myrna Loy also knows about her political activism. She was very active - like most other Hollywood stars - during WWII, and was concerned with the suspicion and framing that were prevalent in Hollywood prior to the Red Scare. She was part of the First Amendment Committee, an organization founded to counter the House Un-American Activities Committee, and later became the first actress to work for the UN when she joined UNESCO. Always fighting for justice, she questioned studio heads about the portrayal of African American actors in movies and fought against discrimination in housing. As the wife of a politician, she resided in Georgetown, D.C. where she socialized with other politicians and their wives, many of whom she admired. If the big names of Hollywood doesn't impress you, the big names of Capitol Hill may, for she was well-acquainted with them as well. Whoever thinks Hollywood and Washington cannot work together will be proven wrong in this book. Myrna Loy was a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, a favorite of FDR and well-acquainted with the Kennedys. Her political work was always in her mind, even when she worked in films, because she sought to help others instead of dwelling in her wealth.

If the review seems gushed, astounded, perhaps subjective... it is because I am. Keep in mind that Myrna Loy never fails to impress me; nevertheless, the richness of information in this book is not a lie. All the names and activities I have mentioned above are all in the book. Whether you are a fan or someone who is just curious about the movie industry or the politics of the time, you won't be disappointed. In conclusion, breathtaking - is the word that can sum up this book. Her life was indeed very rich, and today's youngsters could learn much from this lady.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life beyond Hollywood, July 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming (Hardcover)

In this illuminating autobiography, Myrna Loy shares her exhilirating life in a page-turner of rare sophistication. From her early desire to dance, through her struggle to get "through the gates" of the MGM lot, her almost slave-like work at MGM, her transformation into the "perfect wife", and her endless humanitarian work (most notably for UNESCO), Myrna Loy's life was more complex and substantial than that of "just a Hollywood starlet." A fascinating read about an extraordinary woman!