I Love You Again

I Love You Again

Theatrical release poster
Directed by W.S. Van Dyke
Produced by Lawrence Weingarten
Written by Charles Lederer
George Oppenheimer
Harry Kurnitz
Story by Leon Gordon
Maurine Watkins
Based on the 1937 novel I Love You Again 
by Octavus Roy Cohen
Starring William Powell
Myrna Loy
Frank McHugh
Music by Franz Waxman
Cinematography Oliver T. Marsh
Edited by Gene Ruggiero
Production
company
Distributed by Loews Inc.
Release dates
  • September 9, 1940 (1940-09-09)
Running time
 99 minutes
Country United States
Language English

I Love You Again is a comedy film released in 1940. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy; all three were prominently involved in the The Thin Man series. The cast also included Frank McHugh, Edmund Lowe and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer.

Plot

In 1940, while on a cruise, stodgy, overly frugal businessman Larry Wilson (William Powell) gets hit on the head with an oar while rescuing a drunk 'Doc' Ryan (Frank McHugh) from the water. He wakes up and remembers that he is actually a suave conman named George Carey. George's last memory is of going to place a large bet in 1931.

When the ship docks at New York, he is met by Kay (Myrna Loy), whom he discovers is his wife. She is in the process of divorcing him to marry Herbert (Donald Douglas). They go home to the small town of Habersville, Pennsylvania. George talks Doc (who is also a con artist) into masquerading as a physician treating him, partly out of curiosity, but mostly because of greed, after seeing the enormous balance in his checking account. That turns out to be a dead end (the money is only held in trust for the Community Chest), so he decides to swindle people using his alter ego's sterling reputation. He sends for Duke Sheldon, who plants oil on a lot George owns.

A complication arises when he falls in love with Kay a second time. She however wants nothing further to do with her boring cheapskate of a husband. George attempts to win back Kay's affections while simultaneously trying to sell the worthless land to several greedy leading citizens of the town.

In the end, he decides to abort the swindle, but Duke will not let him. They fight, and George is knocked out by a punch. When he comes to, he is Larry once more. Duke leaves in disgust. When Doc notes that one knock on the head reversed the effect of another, Kay picks up a vase, but before she can use it, "Larry" proves that he was only faking to get rid of Duke.

Cast

Reception

New York Times critic Bosley Crowther praised the film, writing, "Mr. Powell and Miss Loy, no matter what their names, are one of our most versatile and frisky connubial comedy teams, and, given a script as daffy as the one here in evidence, they can make an hour and a half spin like a roulette wheel."[1]

Radio adaptations

Lux Radio Theatre adapted the film twice, first in 1941 with Loy and Cary Grant, then in 1948 with Powell and Ann Sothern.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Bosley Crowther (August 16, 1940). "I Love You Again (1940) THE SCREEN; William Powell and Myrna Loy Back Together in 'I Love You Again,' at the Capitol". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ "I Love You Again (1940): Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 10, 2015.

External links

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