2-325-740 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Myrna Loy (1905-1993), American actress, 20th century. Signed photograph. Loy began her career playing bit parts in movies, among them the silent version of Ben-Hur (1926). She got her big break when she was cast in The Thin Man (1934), based on American writer Dashiell Hammett's novel. Her husband-and-wife sleuthing team with William Powell proved hugely popular and led to several sequels, and to her pairing with Powell in other films. In a 1936 poll she was voted 'queen of the movies'. Loy devoted the war years to working for the Red Cross, and made a return to the screen, in more matronly guise, in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Her subsequent film appearances were relatively infrequent, as she devoted much of her time to working for the United Nations agency UNESCO. She was presented with an honorary career achievement Academy Award in 1991.