LOY, MYRNA

born Aug. 2, 1905, Raidersburg, near Helena, Mont., U.S. died Dec. 14, 1993, New York, N.Y. original name Myrna Williams American motion-picture actress. She was the daughter of a rancher and moved to Los Angeles in 1918, working first as a dancer in a chorus line, then as a bit player in the 1925 production of Ben-Hur. Her small role as an exotic mistress fixed her film style for the next decade. In her subsequent and increasingly important roles, Loy personified the foreign vamp for American audiences. It was not until she appeared in the successful comedy/mystery The Thin Man (1934) that she was able to break out of her screen mold. With her performance as Nora Charles she received both critical and popular acclaim, and a number of sequels were made. During World War II Loy worked with the American Red Cross, and following the war she served as a representative to UNESCO. She also served as an officer and adviser of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing. After 1945 she remained active in films, theatre, and television; however, she played mostly character roles after 1960. Her many films included The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), The Red Pony (1949), Lonelyhearts (1958), The April Fools (1969), and Just Tell Me What You Want (1980).