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Becoming Nick and Nora

The Thin Man and the Films of William Powell and Myrna Loy
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( 26 ratings, 6 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Becoming Nick and Nora traces the evolution of William Powell and Myrna Loy’s iconic screen personas from silent era villains to the beloved, witty couple of the Thin Man film series spanning 1934 to 1947. Author and Hollywood historian Rob Kozlowski explores their journey through numerous films, revealing how studios shaped their images and how they ultimately embodied Hollywood’s happiest married screen pair. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories, this book offers a lively examination of classic cinema and enduring star chemistry.
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Format: Hardback
$7308
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for fans of classic Hollywood, film historians, and lovers of vintage romantic comedies who appreciate in-depth studies of beloved screen icons.

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The lively story at Hollywood's happiest married couple and the film series that defined their careers

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

As Nick and Nora Charles in the six Thin Man movies from 1934 to 1947, the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy showed that marriage didn’t have to mean the end of the romantic comedy. From the comedic delight that was the initial The Thin Man through its five sequels as well as eight other films (including the Oscar-winning The Great Ziegfeld and Manhattan Melodrama), Powell and Loy were cemented in the public imagination as Hollywood’s happiest married couple.

In Becoming Nick and Nora, comedy writer and Hollywood historian Rob Kozlowski follows the winding path that Powell and Loy’s screen personas took over their careers. Studios originally cultivated the two as villains in the silent era: Powell as a mustachioed, swashbuckling fiend and Loy as an “exotic” adversary. With the rise of talkies, the two managed to broaden their range beyond villainous stereotypes, but it took several false starts before they achieved their lasting legacy as Nick and Nora.

Packed with behind-the-scenes details and memorable characters, this is a lively look at two Tinseltown icons and a film series that remains beloved nearly a century later.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Library Journal praises the book as "an efficient, well-researched, and polished biography about Powell and Loy that also offers an astute analysis of the 'Thin Man' series."

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781493062850

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 August 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Applause Theatre Book Publishers

Illustration: 31 b/w photos

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 160.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 560g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Rob Kozlowski is an author, teacher, script reader, and journalist who currently reports for Pensions & Investments newspaper. Kozlowski was a faculty member in the Cinema and Television Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago for nearly twenty years, taught comedy writing at Second City Training Center in Chicago for fourteen years, and has written two other non-fiction books: The Art of Chicago Improv: Short Cuts to Long-Form Improvisation and The Actor’s Guide to the Internet. Rob is based in the suburbs of Chicago.

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