Libeled Lady: A Classic Screwball Comedy Featuring Hollywood’s Golden Quartet

If there’s anything that eases tension, it’s watching a good, classic comedy. And if that’s what you’re looking for, nothing beats Libeled Lady, a film directed by Jack Conway that starred the iconic quartet: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy, and Jean Harlow. Like any great screwball comedy, the film boasts a convoluted plot that would be highly unlikely in real life. Still, I’ll try to explain it for you!

Trying to Explain the Synopsis

Spencer Tracy plays Warren Haggerty, a newspaper editor who lives and breathes his work, often neglecting his fiancée, Gladys (Jean Harlow). After postponing their wedding countless times, he once again leaves her waiting at the altar. The reason? His paper accidentally published fake news involving socialite Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy).

With her name tarnished, Connie decides to sue the newspaper for a whopping $5 million. Desperate, Warren contacts the cunning and charming Bill Chandler (William Powell). The initial plan is to genuinely tarnish Connie’s reputation by implying she’s having an affair with Bill. But, as expected, Bill and Connie fall in love, while the engaged couple, Warren and Gladys, get caught in the midst of this chaotic scheme.

The Magic of the Star-Studded Cast

This lighthearted comedy brought together a quartet of actors who became inseparable in the public eye. Harlow initially wanted to play Connie but didn’t get the role. Audiences adored watching Powell and Myrna Loy on screen together; their on-screen chemistry as a couple was undeniable, so much so that they starred in 15 films together!

Here’s a fascinating tidbit: while the public rooted for a real-life romance or marriage between Loy and Powell, the truth was different. Myrna Loy was married to someone else, and William Powell was actually dating Jean Harlow. The blonde bombshell and Powell truly had plans to marry soon, but their wish couldn’t be fulfilled. In June 1937, Jean Harlow tragically died at the age of 26. She was buried in a dress she wore in Libeled Lady, and in her hands, she held a note from William Powell that read: “Goodnight, my dearest.”

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Carla Marinho Leal

Writer, traveler and above all, curious about many subjects. She has studied cinema since 2002 and is a Specialist in Cinematographic Studies from UNICAP. Founder of the blog Purviance and the website Cinemaclássico. She loves Charles Chaplin, Raj Kapoor and constantly browses films from all over the world.

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