MYRNA LOY | THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) Exotic portrait

[Los Angeles: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932]. Vintage original 8 x 10″ (20 x 25 cm.) black-and-white glossy silver gelatin photo. There is a bend at the lower right corner, near fine.

Myrna Loy would soon become the woman any man would want to come home to, but her career went through several metamorphoses, including her period of playing what were called “exotic” roles. The epitome of this casting occurred with her role as Fah Lo See in MGM’s entrée in the popular horror genre of the period. Even Boris Karloff visited from Universal to play the title role. Loy and Karloff found that they could only deliver their characterizations tongue in cheek, to make the script believable.

Loy was extravagantly gowned by Adrian and bejeweled by Joseff of Hollywood. Though a posed portrait, the photo is coded 640×4.1. Sepia tint to the image.