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Myrna Loy (August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. She was originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, but her career prospects improved greatly following her portrayal of Nora Charles in ''The Thin Man'' (1934). Although Loy was never nominated for a competitive Academy Award, in March 1991 she was presented with an Honorary Academy Award with the inscription "In recognition of her extraordinary qualities both on screen and off, with appreciation for a lifetime's worth of indelible performances." In 2014, Maureen O'Hara joined Loy as the only actresses to ever receive an Academy Award for acting without having been previously nominated.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Honorary Award: Myrna Loy )〕 During World War II, Loy served as assistant to the director of military and naval welfare for the Red Cross. She was later appointed a member-at-large of the U.S. Commission to UNESCO. Her acting career by no means ended in the 1940s. She continued to actively pursue stage and television appearances in addition to films in subsequent decades.〔 ==Early life== Loy was born Myrna Adele Williams in Helena, Montana,〔Parish 1974, p. 443.〕 to Adelle Mae (née Johnson) and rancher David Franklin Williams, and raised in nearby Radersburg.〔("Myrna Loy" ), MyrnaLoy.org; retrieved December 24, 2010.〕〔("125 Montana Newsmakers: Myrna Loy Reynolds" ), GreatFallsTribune.com, August 23, 2011; retrieved November 17, 2011.〕 She had a younger brother, David Williams (d. 1982). Loy's paternal grandparents were natives of Wales, and her maternal grandparents were Swedish and Scottish.〔("Myrna Loy, Once And Always; Actress, Activist & American Ideal: The Kennedy Center Honors a Star." ) ''The Washington Post'' via ''HighBeam Research''; retrieved December 24, 2010.〕〔Reed, Rex. ("Myrna's Back – And Boyer's Got Her" ), nytimes.com, April 13, 1969; retrieved December 24, 2010.〕 Her first name was derived from a whistle stop near Broken Bow, Nebraska, whose name her father liked. Her father was also a banker and real estate developer and the youngest man ever elected to the Montana state legislature. Her mother studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. During the winter of 1912, Loy's mother nearly died from pneumonia, and her father sent his wife and daughter to La Jolla, California. Loy's mother saw great potential in Southern California, and during one of her husband's visits she encouraged him to purchase real estate there. Among the properties he bought was land he later sold at a considerable profit to Charlie Chaplin so the filmmaker could construct his studio there. Although her mother tried to persuade her husband to move to California permanently, he preferred ranch life and the three eventually returned to Montana. Soon afterward, Loy's mother needed a hysterectomy and insisted Los Angeles was a safer place to have it done, so she, Loy, and Loy's brother David moved to Ocean Park, where Loy began to take dancing lessons. After the family returned to Montana, Loy continued her dancing lessons, and at the age of 12, Myrna Williams made her stage debut performing a dance she had choreographed based on ''The Blue Bird'' from the ''Rose Dream'' Operetta〔Willis, Gertruce Knox and Mrs. R.R. Forman. W. (''A Rose Dream: A Fairy Operetta for Young People in Two Scenes.'' ) Philadelphia: Theodore Press Co., 1915.〕 at Helena's Marlow Theater. Loy's father died on November 7, 1918, of Spanish influenza,〔("Loy, Myrna." ) ''accuracyproject.org.'' Retrieved: November 17, 2011.〕 and Loy's mother was finally able to realize her dream to permanently relocate her family to California, where they settled in Culver City. Loy attended the exclusive Westlake School for Girls in Holmby Hills and continued to study dance in Downtown Los Angeles. When her teachers objected to her participating in theatrical arts, her mother enrolled her in Venice High School, and at 15, she began appearing in local stage productions. In 1921, Loy posed for Venice High School sculpture teacher Harry Fielding Winebrenner for the central figure "Inspiration" in his allegorical sculpture group ''Fountain of Education''. Completed in 1922, the sculpture group was erected in front of the campus outdoor pool in May 1923 where it stood for decades. Loy's slender figure with her uplifted face and one arm extending skyward presented a "vision of purity, grace, youthful vigor, and aspiration" that was singled out in a ''Los Angeles Times'' story that included a photo of the "Inspiration" figure along with the model's name—the first time her name appeared in a newspaper. A few months later, Loy's "Inspiration" figure was temporarily removed from the sculpture group and transported aboard the battleship ''Nevada'' for a Memorial Day pageant in which "Miss Myrna Williams" participated.〔 ''Fountain of Education'' can be seen in the opening scenes of the 1978 film ''Grease''. After decades of exposure to the elements and vandalism, the original concrete statue was removed from display in 2002, and replaced in 2010 by a bronze duplicate paid for through an alumni-led fundraising campaign.〔〔''Los Angeles Times'', April 11, 2001.〕 Loy left school at the age of 18 to help with the family's finances. She obtained work at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, where she performed in elaborate musical sequences that were related to and served as prologues for the feature film. During this period, she saw Eleonora Duse in the play ''Thy Will Be Done'', and the simple acting techniques she employed made such an impact on Loy that she tried to emulate them throughout her career. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Myrna Loy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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