User Reviews

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.

You don't need to have amnesia to find something new every time you see this outstanding film that came at the height of screwball comedy era. It was released during one of the great years with classic gems such as "The Philadelphia Story", "His Girl Friday" and "My Favorite Wife" released the exact same year.

William Powell portrays a boring business man who happens to get amnesia while away on business and when he returns home believing that he is grifter, discovers that he is married to the beautiful Myrna Loy, as well as the owner of one of the town's biggest businesses and the leader of a local boy scout troop. She's on the verge of getting a divorce from him and wants to marry Edmund Lowe, and instantly in love with her, tries to prevent her from going forward with her plans.

It's obvious from the start who she has the chemistry with, and pretty soon she's perplexed by his change in attitude, his willingness to spend money on her, as well as her confusion over her changing feelings. She makes a decision to try to get to know him all over again.

Practically perfect from start to finish, this isn't bogged down by a variety of subplots, including one where oil is discovered on land he owns and the attempt of various townspeople and strangers to con him into selling the property. The supporting cast includes Powell's co- stsr Frank McHugh from the 1932 classic "One Way Passage", once again playing another con-man, Nella Walker as his imperious mother, and "Alfalfa" in a tiny role as a member of one of the local scout troops.

Among the comic highlights are Powell's impetuous decision to dance alone, his attempt to lead scouts on a merit badge hike, and the many attempts to woo Loy with bird calls. Once again directed by W.S. Van Dyke (who directed them in many classics), this isn't the remembered masterpiece that it deserves to be, but that makes this an instant sleeper that new fans can discover deliciously on their own.

William Powell and Myrna Loy were paired together in 14 films. Most notably, "The Thin Man" series stands out, but a little lesser known film, "I Love You, Again", is a gem of a comedy, and the two stars shine brightly.

Larry Wilson (Powell)while saving a stranger's life, receives a blow on the head. This makes him "wake up" from suffering amnesia. In reality, he is George Carey, con man. It seems that nine years earlier, Carey received a blow to the head, which turned him into Wilson.

During those "missing" nine years, Wilson has married Kay (Myrna Loy), worked as the manager of a pottery manufacturer, and been nothing but a cheap, teetotalling, boor, whom everyone in a sleepy Pennsylvania town loves. Except for Kay. She has grown tired of Wilson and wants a divorce.

This scenario is given to you in the first fifteen minutes of the movie, and it's off to the races in this delightful comedy.

Of course it's ridiculous, and of course, everything works out in the end. But who cares, Powell and Loy are superb, and that's all we really care about. Myrna Loy will break your heart with her beauty and grace, and that little up-turned nose. Powell is utterly charming as Carey, and hysterical as Wilson. They are the ultimate dream team.

Expertly directed by W.S. Van Dyke II, with great support from Frank McHugh, Edmund Lowe and Donald Douglas (in what could be called the "Ralph Bellamy" part).

8 out of 10 stars

I can't say I didn't enjoy this flick because for one, it's William Powell and Myrna Loy. But a couple of things that occurred in the early going just didn't make much sense and I'm still wondering about it. The main one has to do with Larry Wilson (Powell) regaining his memory of being a one time con man with a history that included a thieving partner. When George Carey (Powell's alter-ego) decides to go to his hometown of Habersville, Pennsylvania, it's with the intent of stealing his own money! What?!?! Granted, it's later revealed that one of his major bank accounts is a Community Chest fund that requires a host of co-signatures for withdrawal, but still, before he knew that, it was an account in his own name. And on top of that, he was offering to cut 'Doc' Ryan (Frank McHugh) in for twenty five percent!!! To get his own money?!?!

And then there's Wilson's wife Kay (Loy). Disillusioned over a boring and failed relationship with her husband Larry, she's ready to file for divorce, stating that she's engaged to a guy named Herbert (Donald Douglas). Wait, how does that work? Especially back in the 1940's when societal strictures were that much more in force. Both of the items I mentioned kept intruding on my viewing of the story to the point of distraction.

When I wasn't distracted though, I got a kick out of all the players going through their shenanigans. Even on the outs, Powell and Loy display the chemistry that made them screen favorites during the era, while McHugh deftly handles the distractions necessary for anyone who might question Powell's real identity. The Duke Sheldon (Donald Douglas) character probably wasn't even necessary for the story, but did add a touch of menace to the proceedings with the phony oil scam. Little Rascals fans get a treat with 'Alfalfa' Switzer in the story as a young Scout, but little Littlejohn completely threw me when he appeared on screen. I should have recognized the young Robert Blake from all his Little Beaver roles as Red Ryder's sidekick in the Forties. Say, maybe that's what Larry Wilson meant when he made that statement in my summary line above. Nah, I don't think so.

Well anyway, it's a brisk and fun screwball comedy if you overlook some of the looming question marks I mentioned. And just as in an earlier Powell and Loy film from 1937, "Double Wedding", this one managed to squeeze in a scene mentioning another movie in release during the same year as this one. You'd have to be quick to catch it, but there was a brief glimpse of a sandwich board advertising "Northwest Passage".