Myrna Loy For Supporting Actress
James Wolcott makes the case for nomming long-dead actress Myrna Loy in the supporting-actress Oscar category for her “work” in “Public Enemies“: ‘It’s those dazzling closeup images of Loy on screen that make Dillinger (Johnny Depp) feel even more acutely the loss of his beloved Billie (Marion Cotillard). As he watches Loy, he sees Billie and knows he’s lost what matters most to him. Dillinger quietly smirks at Clark Gable’s Hollywood impersonation of a gangster. But not at Loy. She burns right through the screen for him. She speaks to him. She breaks his heart. When Dillinger leaves that theater, he’s already been shot down. Not by Melvin Purvis’ boys, but by Myrna Loy. It’s a brief, but spellbinding, performance, and one that definitely “supports” the film.’
