I Love You Again: An Unforgettable Foray of Funny

Amnesia. We’ve seen it hundreds of times as a plot device, but no film used it as well as the 1940 screwball comedy, I Love You Again. An unknown gem buried in the 14-film collection starring Myrna Loy and William Powell, this is their best collaboration outside the famed Thin Man series.

It has the same savory flavor of Nick and Nora, but with a new recipe. In I Love You Again, we get a double dose of William Powell’s masterful delivery of dialogue as he plays two distinct characters. When the film begins, Powell is lackluster cheapskate Larry Wilson, whose wife Kay (Myrna Loy) is ready to divorce him for being a bore. Following a hit on the head, Larry snaps out of nine-year amnesia spell, realizing he is really George Carey, a slick con man.

Right back to his sly old ways, George plans his next big ploy, but comedic chaos ensues when George has to play catch up on Larry’s life. He’s forced to put all the pieces together bit by bit, including figuring out his wife’s name, why she wants to divorce him and how to win her back. It’s a refreshing treat to see Powell pursue Loy since they’re already happily married in most of their other onscreen pairings.

Loy and Powell’s chemistry is in fine form as usual. The sharp script sparkles as much as they do together. While it’s a pretty nonsensical story, they make it laugh-out-loud funny. There’s less slapstick and more cleverness than a standard screwball comedy, specifically in the writing. And very few actors could bring dialogue to life as remarkably as these two.

I Love You Again is a simply irresistible, light-as-air comedy. If you love Loy and Powell together—and let’s face it, who doesn’t—this is one you shouldn’t miss.

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