Third Finger, Left Hand
- Myrna Loy: Margot Sherwood Merrick
- Melvyn Douglas: Jeff Thompson
- Raymond Walburn: Mr. Sherwood
- Lee Bowman: Philip Booth
- Bonita Granville: Vicky Sherwood
- Felix Bressart: August angle
- Donald Meek: Mr. Flandrin
- Ann Morriss: Beth Hampshire
- Sidney Blackmer: Hughie Wheeler
Third finger, left hand (OT: Third Finger, Left Hand ) is an American comedy film from 1940 with Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. For Myrna Loy, who had been nicknamed " the perfect wife " due to their recent performances alongside Clark Gable and William Powell, it was one of the few roles in which she played an unmarried woman. The title refers to the American custom of wearing the wedding ring on the middle finger of the left hand.
Action
Margot Sherwood Merrick is also pretty successful as editor in chief of a prestigious fashion magazine. In order to keep the many admirers of the flesh, Margot claims to be married. Their plan, however, threatens to fail, as Jeff Thompson in love with Margot. He reacts very common when he comes to her on the ropes and simply asserts in the New York society, but in reality Margot's reputed to be long -lost husband. Things get even more complicated than with Philip Booth, another rival for the favor of Margot appears on stage. All sorts of misunderstandings later, one of which is a marriage between Margot and Jeff, see the two as very in love.
Background
Myrna Loy was employed since 1925 in Hollywood, but only the change to MGM in 1932, their finally brought the rise to stardom. 1934, and thanks to The Thin Man was from Loy one of the most famous actresses. The actress made with William Powell a popular screen couple and 1938 Loy was elected in a national survey on the " Queen of Hollywood", Clark Gable as "King ." With the end of the decade her career, however, increasingly began to lose momentum. Your traction at the box office were gone and the studio was believed to be secure in roles such as Above and below and the daredevil to Claudette Colbert. Moreover, with Rosalind Russell was a rival for good comedy roles in the same studio under contract.
Third finger, left hand is Loy, which was the perfect wife in the eyes of the public, as an independent, professionally successful business woman, as so-called " Boss Lady ", a, a type that has so far rather with stars like Rosalind Russell and Jean Arthur connection has been made . The actress herself was the abrupt shifting from the classical role of the leading lady for the sole solo star fully aware and said in her biography:
" In most of my films, I supplemented the male character who carried the action in the rule. My role was therefore often subordinate, but that was what I wanted. "
The studio responded to the very subdued reaction from fans and sat Loy in the next two films again as the wife of William Powell one.
The Hollywood production was probably the last MGM movie or the last U.S. film ever made, which was re-released in the German Reich of Adolf Hitler. Again he ran, in spite of the participation of the German - Jewish emigrants Felix Bressart, 1940 and received this German title.