I Love You Again (1940)
- kbroer
- Jul 12, 2024
- 3 min read
William Powell, Myrna Loy
Directed by W.S. "Woody" Van Dyke
Available to stream on Prime Video
Katie's next pick features one of our favorite onscreen couples, William Powell and Myrna Loy, in one of their non-Thin Man pairings -- I Love You Again, a hilarious romantic comedy that is fun to watch over and over again.
In this classic, William Powell has amnesia, going from one life as a dull businessman whose wife Myrna Loy is divorcing him out of boredom - to another life as a charming con artist who sweeps Myrna off her feet making her fall in love with him.
Why we love it: Because it's hilarious - every time you watch it. William Powell and Myrna Loy are a wonderful team, even when they are not being Nick and Nora Charles. They are always entertaining and believable together. And this is one of their very best.
Fun Facts:
I Love You Again was directed by Woody Van Dyke, who also directed Loy and Powell in several of their other films together, including four of the Thin Man movies. Known as "One Take Woody" he deserves some credit for encouraging their natural acting style together.
Carl "Alfalfa" Spritzer of the Little Rascals plays a boy scout, Leonard Harkspur Jr. This was the 12-year-old's first role after leaving the Our Gang series. He had played Alfalfa in Our Gang since 1935 when he was 7 years old.
William Powell had had some difficult years starting in 1937 when his fiancée Jean Harlow died of kidney failure at the age of 26. Soon after that Powell was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to take a year off from making movies. This film was only his second one back after recovering from cancer. (His first was the 1939 film with Loy -- Another Thin Man.)
Though Powell and Loy were never romantically involved, they were great friends who loved to work together and who obviously had an amazing amount of onscreen chemistry. Loy later said of Powell, "I never enjoyed my work more than when I worked with William Powell. He was a brilliant actor, a delightful companion, a great friend and above all, a true gentleman."
Enjoy the montage below of Loy and Powell from all fourteen of their films:
Powell and Loy worked together on 14 movies together total. Their first was a gangster movie called "Manhattan Melodrama" also directed by Woody Van Dyke. Loy recalled in her autobiography Being and Becoming that she hadn't even met William Powell when they had their first scene together: "My first scene with Bill, a night shot on the back lot, happened before we'd even met. Woody was apparently too busy for introductions. My instructions were to run out of a building, through a crowd, and into a strange car. When Woody called 'Action,' I opened the car door, jumped in, and landed smack on William Powell's lap. He looked up nonchalantly: 'Miss Loy, I presume?' I said, 'Mr. Powell?' And that's how I met the man who would be my partner in fourteen films." (p. 88 Being and Becoming)
Powell remembered, "Even my best friends never fail to tell me that the smartest thing I ever did was to marry Myrna Loy on the screen. And it was the pleasantest, I might add...When we did a scene together, we forgot about technique, camera angles, and microphones. We weren't acting. We were just two people in perfect harmony. Many times I've played with an actress who seemed to be separated from me by a plate-glass window; there was no contact at all. But Myrna, unlike some actresses who think only of themselves, has the happy faculty of being able to listen while the other fellow says his lines. She has the give and take of acting that brings out the best." (p.92 Being and Becoming)
For reviews from the time, go to the Fan Magazine Reviews page.
Featured Cocktail:
Air Mail
This "supercharged daiquiri," dating to the early decades of the 20th century, was named for the post office's fastest mail service at the time. The drink nearly disappeared from bar menus, but in recent years enterprising bartenders have saved it from obscurity.
1 oz (30 ml} golden/dark rum
½ oz (15 ml) lime juice
½ oz (15 ml) honey syrup
1 ½ - 2 oz (45-60 ml) sparkling wine
Shake first 3 ingredients with ice; strain over ice in rocks glass; top with sparkling wine; garnish with mint sprig. Can also be served in champagne glass.
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