William Powell and Myrna Loy made 14 movies together from 1934 to 1947. The only other pairing of couples in film history that is longer is Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, with 29 films. Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn made nine films together, six of which were comedies. A couple Powell-Loy films were dramas. Ten of them were comedies, including the Thin Man series. Other couples have had very good matches for comedies over the years, but Powell and Loy gave us more laughs than any other duo.
"I Love You Again" is one of the few movies in which Powell really had to pursue Loy. That's because he had amnesia, and had to start life all over again - a third time. We don't see him in his first life before his amnesia. He plays a hardened criminal turned cold and dull task-master, turned starry-eyed smitten crook who wants to reform for love.
Powell plays Larry Wilson (aka, George Carey), Loy plays Kay Wilson, and Frank McHugh plays Doc Ryan. Nella Walker plays Kay's mother, a mother- in-law who likes her son-in-law (whomever he may be). Donald Douglas plays Herbert who has designs on Kay. Edmund Lowe plays a scam artist, Duke Sheldon, from Larry's (i.e., George Carey's) past. All of these and the rest of the cast give excellent performances.
This is a very funny film, with some riotously funny scenes. In the beginning, Powell's Larry Wilson is aboard a ship returning to the U.S. from Europe. He seems chomping at the bit to get out of his Larry Wilson character. He's a real hoot as the penny-pinching, juice-drinking bore who thinks everyone should experience the quality of people and life in Habersville. After a tipsy Ryan falls overboard, Larry tosses him a lifesaver and is knocked into the brink himself. Shouts of "Man overboard" brings the ship to a stop and the crew rows out to rescue the drunk and Larry, whom the passengers think jumped in to save Ryan. The tipsy Ryan appears to be saving Larry in the water, who appears not able to swim. As the lifeboat approaches, an oarsman drops an oar that conks Larry on the head. When he comes to in his cabin, a sober Ryan is beside him, saying that Larry saved his life. Only Larry isn't Larry anymore. He's his real self, George Carey, and the time is 10 years earlier. Ryan and he eventually get straight what has happened, and after finding a checkbook in Larry's belongings with a huge balance in the bank, they decide that George should go on being Larry and they will make off with the dough.
That's when the hilarity picks up. And, George soon finds himself falling for the gal Larry married, Kay Wilson. Only now she wants a divorce. So, he sets out to try to win her heart, while still trying to figure a way to pull off a scam with Doc and Duke of some of the town's wealthy. Will George succeed in one or both? Will he go back to being George? Or, will he stay Larry for life - a new Larry? Well, one can guess the outcome. But, it's in the getting there that we have some wonderful entertainment again from Powell and Loy.
"I Love you Again" also has a best comedy subject on film. One of Larry Wilson's civic activities was leading a local boy's troop of scouts. Powell's antics in the scout hiking scenario make this the funniest scout outing ever filmed for a movie. One can't help but howl with laughter at one after another scenes in this segment alone.
Here are a few of my favorite lines from the film.
Larry to Herbert, "You're taking my wife. The least you could do is give me the Chamber of Commerce."
Kay to Larry, "You're not getting anywhere, and I wish you'd stop." Larry, "Stop not getting anywhere?" Kay, "No. Stop getting me mixed up. I want you to be your old self. You're old stuffy, speech-making, pompous old self."
Larry is leading his junior rangers troop and a neighboring leader is monitoring his methods in the wild. When the visitor asks him why he laid deer tracks the way he did, he replies, "Elementary deer psychology." His trip in the woods is a real hoot.
Larry is going to Duke to call off the scam. Doc says, "Don't get him sore, Larry. I saw you fight once and, honest, you was awful."
Toward the end of the film, Larry knows he has cooed his way into Kay's heart when she lays it on the line. Kay, "Ever since you got off that boat, you've been chasing me like an amorous goat. You've tried your darnedest to make me fall in love with you and now you have. So, from now on I'm going to do the chasing, and believe me, brother, you're going to know you've been chased."
This is a wonderful film that the whole family should enjoy. The kids should like the antics, especially the trek into the woods with the junior rangers.
"I Love You Again" is one of the few movies in which Powell really had to pursue Loy. That's because he had amnesia, and had to start life all over again - a third time. We don't see him in his first life before his amnesia. He plays a hardened criminal turned cold and dull task-master, turned starry-eyed smitten crook who wants to reform for love.
Powell plays Larry Wilson (aka, George Carey), Loy plays Kay Wilson, and Frank McHugh plays Doc Ryan. Nella Walker plays Kay's mother, a mother- in-law who likes her son-in-law (whomever he may be). Donald Douglas plays Herbert who has designs on Kay. Edmund Lowe plays a scam artist, Duke Sheldon, from Larry's (i.e., George Carey's) past. All of these and the rest of the cast give excellent performances.
This is a very funny film, with some riotously funny scenes. In the beginning, Powell's Larry Wilson is aboard a ship returning to the U.S. from Europe. He seems chomping at the bit to get out of his Larry Wilson character. He's a real hoot as the penny-pinching, juice-drinking bore who thinks everyone should experience the quality of people and life in Habersville. After a tipsy Ryan falls overboard, Larry tosses him a lifesaver and is knocked into the brink himself. Shouts of "Man overboard" brings the ship to a stop and the crew rows out to rescue the drunk and Larry, whom the passengers think jumped in to save Ryan. The tipsy Ryan appears to be saving Larry in the water, who appears not able to swim. As the lifeboat approaches, an oarsman drops an oar that conks Larry on the head. When he comes to in his cabin, a sober Ryan is beside him, saying that Larry saved his life. Only Larry isn't Larry anymore. He's his real self, George Carey, and the time is 10 years earlier. Ryan and he eventually get straight what has happened, and after finding a checkbook in Larry's belongings with a huge balance in the bank, they decide that George should go on being Larry and they will make off with the dough.
That's when the hilarity picks up. And, George soon finds himself falling for the gal Larry married, Kay Wilson. Only now she wants a divorce. So, he sets out to try to win her heart, while still trying to figure a way to pull off a scam with Doc and Duke of some of the town's wealthy. Will George succeed in one or both? Will he go back to being George? Or, will he stay Larry for life - a new Larry? Well, one can guess the outcome. But, it's in the getting there that we have some wonderful entertainment again from Powell and Loy.
"I Love you Again" also has a best comedy subject on film. One of Larry Wilson's civic activities was leading a local boy's troop of scouts. Powell's antics in the scout hiking scenario make this the funniest scout outing ever filmed for a movie. One can't help but howl with laughter at one after another scenes in this segment alone.
Here are a few of my favorite lines from the film.
Larry to Herbert, "You're taking my wife. The least you could do is give me the Chamber of Commerce."
Kay to Larry, "You're not getting anywhere, and I wish you'd stop." Larry, "Stop not getting anywhere?" Kay, "No. Stop getting me mixed up. I want you to be your old self. You're old stuffy, speech-making, pompous old self."
Larry is leading his junior rangers troop and a neighboring leader is monitoring his methods in the wild. When the visitor asks him why he laid deer tracks the way he did, he replies, "Elementary deer psychology." His trip in the woods is a real hoot.
Larry is going to Duke to call off the scam. Doc says, "Don't get him sore, Larry. I saw you fight once and, honest, you was awful."
Toward the end of the film, Larry knows he has cooed his way into Kay's heart when she lays it on the line. Kay, "Ever since you got off that boat, you've been chasing me like an amorous goat. You've tried your darnedest to make me fall in love with you and now you have. So, from now on I'm going to do the chasing, and believe me, brother, you're going to know you've been chased."
This is a wonderful film that the whole family should enjoy. The kids should like the antics, especially the trek into the woods with the junior rangers.