To Mary - with Love

Memorable lines from movies are often attributed to the actor who delivered them rather than to the original writer. 'To Mary - With Love' actually had three credited writers so the oft-quoted observation that "Everybody says that the movies should be more like life; I think life should be more like the movies" - while it has even made it into dictionaries of quotations under the name of Myrna Loy herself (who certainly beautifully delivered it) - we'll probably never know exactly who originally came up with it.

Largely forgotten today, 'To Mary - With Love' provided Ms Loy with a rare opportunity to demonstrate just what a fine dramatic actress she could be when given the opportunity. Several scenes are included reminiscent of 'The Thin Man' (drunken parties, even Christmas festivities), but in a much darker context.

The action spans ten years - taking in the election of Mayor Walker, the Dempsey-Tunney fight, Lindbergh's arrival in New York, the Wall Street Crash and the repeal of prohibition - but none of the cast age and the fashions are those of 1935 throughout.

John Cromwell - who was later blacklisted - plainly relished the opportunity to expose the dark side of the American Dream; while the eventual fate of Ms Loy, who died childless and alone after four unhappy marriage to alpha males totally unworthy of her adds additional poignancy.