Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Billie Burke

The Great Ziegfeld (1936) was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and boasted a fantastic cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan, Fanny Bryce, Reginald Owen, Virginia Bruce, and Ray Bolger.

Myrna Loy portrayed the lovely Billie Burke and was a wonderful choice for the role. William Powell was also great in his role as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Then again… these two were never anything but extraordinary in anything they ever did, were they?

I also love Luise Rainer in the role of Anna Held – two very under-appreciated actresses, ironically.

Billie Burke and Myrna Loy

Something I have often noticed when looking at pictures of the delicate beauty of Billie Burke is how much she reminds me of Carole Lombard. The coloring is obviously very similar and they were both petite but there’s also something unique in the eyes, a mix of softness and strength that’s difficult to pull yourself away from.

The fact that Myrna Loy, honestly, resembled Billie Burke very, very little (if any at all) and yet made the role and movie work is a huge testament to Myrna Loy. I always respected her as an actress and, yet, this role in one of her less-popular films really brought it home to me – she was extraordinary.

Myrna Loy and William Powell