William Powell
Encyclopedia
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor.
A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy
in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man
series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles
. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
three times, for The Thin Man
(1934), My Man Godfrey
(1936) and Life with Father
(1947). Despite the same last name, he was not related to Dick Powell
, Eleanor Powell
, or Jane Powell
.
, to an Irish mother, Nettie Manila (née Brady), and Horatio Warren Powell, born Aug. 10, 1865 in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania (where William H. Powell spent his boyhood summers), to William S. and Harriet Powell. He showed an early aptitude for performing. In 1907, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri
, where he graduated from Central High School in 1912. The Powells lived a few blocks away from the Carpenters, whose daughter Harlean evolved into Jean Harlow
, although Powell would not meet her until both were established actors.
at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the AADA, and worked in some vaudeville
and stock companies. After several successful experiences on the Broadway
stage, he began his Hollywood career in 1922, playing a small role as an evil henchman of Professor Moriarty in a production of Sherlock Holmes
with John Barrymore
. His most memorable role in silent movies
was as a bitter film director opposite Emil Jannings
' Academy Award-winning performance as a fallen general in The Last Command (1928), which led to Powell's first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance
in The Canary Murder Case
(1929).
Powell's most famous role was that of Nick Charles
in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man
in 1934. The role provided a perfect opportunity for Powell, with his resonant speaking voice, to showcase his sophisticated charm and his witty sense of humor, and he received his first Academy Award
nomination for The Thin Man. Myrna Loy
played his wife, Nora, in each of the Thin Man films. Their partnership was one of Hollywood's most prolific on-screen pairings, with the couple appearing in 14 films together.
He and Loy also starred in the Best Picture
of 1936, The Great Ziegfeld
, with Powell in the title role and Loy as Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke
. That same year, he also received his second Academy Award nomination, for the comedy My Man Godfrey
.
In 1935, he starred with Jean Harlow
in Reckless
. Soon it developed into a serious romance, but Harlow died at the age of 26 in June 1937, before they could marry. His distress over her death, as well as his own battle with colon cancer around the same time, caused him to accept fewer acting roles.
His career slowed considerably in the 1940s, although in 1947 he received his third Academy Award nomination for his work in Life with Father
. His last film was Mister Roberts in 1955, with Henry Fonda
, James Cagney
, and Jack Lemmon
. Despite numerous entreaties to return to the screen, Powell refused all offers, happy in his retirement.
, before an amicable divorce in 1930. (Powell's son became a television writer and producer before a period of ill health led to his suicide in 1968.)
In 1931, Powell married actress Carole Lombard
. The marriage lasted just over two years. They were divorced in 1933, though they too remained on good terms, even starring together in the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey
three years later.
He had a close relationship with actress Jean Harlow
beginning in 1935, but it was cut short by her untimely death in 1937. It is reported that a single white gardenia with an unsigned note was placed in her hands before she was interred, presumed to have been written by Powell. The note read, "Good night, my dearest darling". He also paid for her final resting place—a $25,000, 9×10-foot private room lined with multicolored imported marble located in the "Sanctuary of Benediction" of the Great Mausoleum, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.
On January 6, 1940, Powell married actress Diana Lewis
, whom he called "Mousie," three weeks after they met. They remained married, residing primarily in Palm Springs, California, until Powell died.
, at the age of 91, some 30 years after his retirement. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park
in Cathedral City, California.
at 1636 Vine Street. He won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
in 1947 for Life with Father
and The Senator Was Indiscreet
.
A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man
The Thin Man (film)
The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel The Thin Man. The characters were later adapted for film in a series of movies between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 1957 through 1959; as a Broadway musical in 1991; and as a...
. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
three times, for The Thin Man
The Thin Man (film)
The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
(1934), My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her...
(1936) and Life with Father
Life with Father (film)
Life with Father is a 1947 American comedy film. It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a stockbroker who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the...
(1947). Despite the same last name, he was not related to Dick Powell
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell was an American singer, actor, producer, director and studio boss.Despite the same last name he was not related to William Powell, Eleanor Powell or Jane Powell.-Biography:...
, Eleanor Powell
Eleanor Powell
Eleanor Torrey Powell was an American film actress and dancer of the 1930s and 1940s, known for her exuberant solo tap dancing.-Early life:...
, or Jane Powell
Jane Powell
Jane Powell is an American singer, dancer and actress.After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens...
.
Childhood
Powell, an only child, was born in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, to an Irish mother, Nettie Manila (née Brady), and Horatio Warren Powell, born Aug. 10, 1865 in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania (where William H. Powell spent his boyhood summers), to William S. and Harriet Powell. He showed an early aptitude for performing. In 1907, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, where he graduated from Central High School in 1912. The Powells lived a few blocks away from the Carpenters, whose daughter Harlean evolved into Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde" , Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute...
, although Powell would not meet her until both were established actors.
Film career
After high school, he left home for New York and the American Academy of Dramatic ArtsAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the AADA, and worked in some vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and stock companies. After several successful experiences on the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
stage, he began his Hollywood career in 1922, playing a small role as an evil henchman of Professor Moriarty in a production of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes (1922 film)
Sherlock Holmes is an American silent film starring John Barrymore as Holmes and Roland Young as Watson. The film was titled Moriarty in the UK.-Production background:...
with John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
. His most memorable role in silent movies
Silent Movies
Silent Movies are 13 solo guitar compositions by Marc Ribot released September 28, 2010 on Pi Recordings.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "For those interested in one of the more compelling and quietly provocative and graceful guitar records of 2010,...
was as a bitter film director opposite Emil Jannings
Emil Jannings
Emil Jannings was a German actor. He was not only the first actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, but also the first person to be presented an Oscar...
' Academy Award-winning performance as a fallen general in The Last Command (1928), which led to Powell's first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance
Philo Vance
Philo Vance featured in 12 crime novels written by S. S. Van Dine , published in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, movies, and on the radio. He was portrayed as a stylish, even foppish dandy, a New York bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent...
in The Canary Murder Case
The Canary Murder Case (film)
The Canary Murder Case is a crime/mystery film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Malcolm St. Clair and Frank Tuttle.The screenplay was written by S.S. Van Dine , Albert S. Le Vino and Florence Ryerson, based on novel The Canary Murder Case by S.S...
(1929).
Powell's most famous role was that of Nick Charles
Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel The Thin Man. The characters were later adapted for film in a series of movies between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 1957 through 1959; as a Broadway musical in 1991; and as a...
in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man
The Thin Man (film)
The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
in 1934. The role provided a perfect opportunity for Powell, with his resonant speaking voice, to showcase his sophisticated charm and his witty sense of humor, and he received his first Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for The Thin Man. Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
played his wife, Nora, in each of the Thin Man films. Their partnership was one of Hollywood's most prolific on-screen pairings, with the couple appearing in 14 films together.
He and Loy also starred in the Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
of 1936, The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
, with Powell in the title role and Loy as Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke
Billie Burke
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress. She is primarily known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live...
. That same year, he also received his second Academy Award nomination, for the comedy My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her...
.
In 1935, he starred with Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde" , Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute...
in Reckless
Reckless (1935 film)
Reckless is a 1935 American musical film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Jean Harlow, William Powell and Franchot Tone. The story was based on the scandal of the 1931 marriage between torch singer Libby Holman and tobacco heir Zachary Smith Reynolds and his subsequent alleged...
. Soon it developed into a serious romance, but Harlow died at the age of 26 in June 1937, before they could marry. His distress over her death, as well as his own battle with colon cancer around the same time, caused him to accept fewer acting roles.
His career slowed considerably in the 1940s, although in 1947 he received his third Academy Award nomination for his work in Life with Father
Life with Father (film)
Life with Father is a 1947 American comedy film. It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a stockbroker who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the...
. His last film was Mister Roberts in 1955, with Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
, and Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
. Despite numerous entreaties to return to the screen, Powell refused all offers, happy in his retirement.
Personal life
In 1915, he married Eileen Wilson, with whom he had his only child, William David PowellWilliam David Powell
William David Powell , an American, was a writer for television.-Early life:Powell was the only child of actor William Powell and actress Eileen Wilson...
, before an amicable divorce in 1930. (Powell's son became a television writer and producer before a period of ill health led to his suicide in 1968.)
In 1931, Powell married actress Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
. The marriage lasted just over two years. They were divorced in 1933, though they too remained on good terms, even starring together in the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her...
three years later.
He had a close relationship with actress Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde" , Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute...
beginning in 1935, but it was cut short by her untimely death in 1937. It is reported that a single white gardenia with an unsigned note was placed in her hands before she was interred, presumed to have been written by Powell. The note read, "Good night, my dearest darling". He also paid for her final resting place—a $25,000, 9×10-foot private room lined with multicolored imported marble located in the "Sanctuary of Benediction" of the Great Mausoleum, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.
On January 6, 1940, Powell married actress Diana Lewis
Diana Lewis
Diana "Mousie" Lewis was an American film actress and a MGM contract star.Born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Lewis began her film career in All the King's Horses and worked steadily over the next few years, usually in minor roles...
, whom he called "Mousie," three weeks after they met. They remained married, residing primarily in Palm Springs, California, until Powell died.
Death
On March 5, 1984, Powell died of heart failure in Palm Springs, CaliforniaPalm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, at the age of 91, some 30 years after his retirement. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park
Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs. It is maintained by the Palm Springs Cemetery District...
in Cathedral City, California.
Academy Awards nominations
- 19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
Best ActorAcademy Award for Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
– The Thin ManThe Thin Man (film)The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress... - 19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
Best Actor – My Man GodfreyMy Man GodfreyMy Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her... - 19481948 in filmThe year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :...
Best Actor – Life with FatherLife with Father (film)Life with Father is a 1947 American comedy film. It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a stockbroker who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the...
Other
William Powell has a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1636 Vine Street. He won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking....
in 1947 for Life with Father
Life with Father (film)
Life with Father is a 1947 American comedy film. It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a stockbroker who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the...
and The Senator Was Indiscreet
The Senator Was Indiscreet
The Senator Was Indiscreet is a 1947 comedy film starring William Powell as a dim-witted U.S. senator who decides to run for president, with Ella Raines as a reporter interested in the detailed diary he has kept about all the political misdeeds of his colleagues...
.
Features
- Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes (1922 film)Sherlock Holmes is an American silent film starring John Barrymore as Holmes and Roland Young as Watson. The film was titled Moriarty in the UK.-Production background:...
(1922) - When Knighthood Was in FlowerWhen Knighthood Was in Flower (1922 film)When Knighthood Was in Flower is a 1922 silent historical film based on the novel by Charles Major and play by Paul Kester. The film was produced by William Randolph Hearst for his 'live-in companion' Marion Davies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The director was veteran Robert G. Vignola...
(1922) - OutcastOutcast (1922 film)Outcast is a 1922 silent film drama directed by Chester Withey. The film starred Elsie Ferguson and David Powell. William Powell has a small supporting part in this which was his third film. The movie is based on the play of the same name by Hubert Henry Davies and had been performed on Broadway...
(1922) - The Bright Shawl (1923)
- Under the Red RobeUnder the Red Robe (1923 film)Under the Red Robe is a 1923 silent historical drama directed by Alan Crosland based upon Stanley J. Weyman's novel Under the Red Robe. The film marks the last motion picture appearance by stage actor Robert B. Mantell who plays Cardinal Richelieu and the only silent screen performance of opera...
(1923) - Dangerous Money (1924)
- RomolaRomola (film)Romola is a 1924 drama film directed by Henry King and shot on location in Italy. The film stars Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, William Powell and Ronald Colman, and is based on the George Eliot novel of the same name...
(1924) - Too Many Kisses (1925)
- Faint Perfume (1925)
- My Lady's Lips (1925)
- The Beautiful City (1925)
- White Mice (1926)
- Sea Horses (1926)
- Desert GoldDesert Gold (1926 film)-Cast:* Neil Hamilton as George Thorne* Shirley Mason as Mercedes Castanada* Robert Frazer as Dick Gale* William Powell as Snake Landree* Josef Swickard as Sebastian Castaneda* George Irving as Richard Stanton Gale* Eddie Gribbon as One-Found Kelley...
(1926) - The Runaway (1926)
- Aloma of the South SeasAloma of the South Seas (1926 film)Aloma of the South Seas is a 1926 silent film starring Gilda Gray as an erotic dancer. It was filmed in Puerto Rico and Bermuda. It was based on a 1925 play of the same title by John B. Hymer and LeRoy Clemens. Grossing US$3 million in the US alone, it was the most successful film of 1926 and the...
(1926) - Beau GesteBeau Geste (1926 film)Beau Geste is a 1926 silent film, based on the novel by P. C. Wren. This version starred Ronald Colman as the title character. -Plot:The plot concerns a valuable gem, which one of the Geste brothers, Beau, is thought to have stolen from his adoptive family.-Cast:*Ronald Colman as Michael 'Beau'...
(1926) - Tin Gods (1926)
- The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby (1926 film)The Great Gatsby is a silent film adaptation of the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Herbert Brenon, produced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky at Famous Players-Lasky, and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is a famous example of a lost film....
(1926) - New York (1927)
- Love's Greatest MistakeLove's Greatest MistakeLove's Greatest Mistake is a 1927 silent American drama film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Evelyn Brent as Jane* William Powell as Don Kendall* James Hall as Harvey Gibbs* Josephine Dunn as Honey McNeil...
(1927) - SenoritaSenorita (film)Señorita is a 1927 silent film comedy drama starring Bebe Daniels. This film is extant with at least two different prints residing in Europe.-Cast:*Bebe Daniels - Señorita Francesca Hernandez*James Hall - Roger Oliveros...
(1927) - Special DeliverySpecial Delivery (1927 film)Special Delivery is a 1927 silent comedy film directed by Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Eddie Cantor - Eddie, The Mail Carrier* Jobyna Ralston - Madge, The Girl* William Powell - Harold Jones* Donald Keith - Harrigan, The Fireman...
(1927) - Time to Love (1927)
- Paid to Love (1927)
- NevadaNevada (1927 film)Nevada is a 1927 movie based upon a Zane Grey novel and starring Gary Cooper, Thelma Todd, and William Powell. This lavish Western film was remade in 1944 as an early Robert Mitchum B-picture, the only time Cooper and Mitchum played the same role.-Cast:...
(1927) - She's a SheikShe's a SheikShe's a Sheik is a 1927 silent film comedy adventure produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures and starring Bebe Daniels. This film is possibly lost...
(1927) - Beau SabreurBeau SabreurBeau Sabreur is a 1928 silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Waters and starred Gary Cooper and Evelyn Brent. The plot was based on a novel by P. C. Wren. Only a trailer exists of this film...
(1928) - The Last Command (1928)
- Feel My PulseFeel My PulseFeel My Pulse is a 1928 silent film about a wealthy hypochondriac, played by Bebe Daniels, who inherits a sanatorium and finds love and adventure...
(1928) - Partners in Crime (1928)
- The Dragnet (1928)
- The Vanishing Pioneer (1928)
- Forgotten Faces (1928)
- InterferenceInterference (film)Interference is an early sound film drama released in 1928 and starring William Powell and Evelyn Brent. This was Paramount Pictures' first ever full talking movie. It was also simultaneously filmed as a silent. The film was based on the play Interference, a Play in Three Acts by Roland Pertwee and...
(1928) - The Canary Murder CaseThe Canary Murder Case (film)The Canary Murder Case is a crime/mystery film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Malcolm St. Clair and Frank Tuttle.The screenplay was written by S.S. Van Dine , Albert S. Le Vino and Florence Ryerson, based on novel The Canary Murder Case by S.S...
(1929) - The Four FeathersThe Four Feathers (1929 film)The Four Feathers is a 1929 war film directed by Merian C. Cooper and starring Fay Wray. It has the distinction of being one of the last major Hollywood pictures of the silent era, although it was also released by Paramount Pictures in a version with a Movietone soundtrack with music and sound...
(1929) - The Greene Murder CaseThe Greene Murder CaseThe Greene Murder Case is a 1928 mystery novel by S. S. Van Dine. It focuses on the murders one by one, of the Greene family: "The holocaust that consumed the Greene family", as detective Philo Vance memorably puts it...
(1929) - Charming Sinners (1929)
- Pointed HeelsPointed Heels__notoc__Pointed Heels is an early sound musical film from Paramount Pictures starring William Powell, Helen Kane, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, and Fay Wray. This movie was originally filmed in color sequences by Technicolor, but today those color sequences only survive in black-and-white...
(1929) - Behind the Make-UpBehind the Make-UpBehind the Make-Up is a 1930 drama film starring Hal Skelly, William Powell, and Fay Wray. It is based on the short story "The Feeder" by Mildred Cram. A vaudeville performer takes advantage of his partner, even to stealing his girlfriend.-Cast:...
(1930) - Street of ChanceStreet of Chance (1930 film)Street of Chance is a 1930 film directed by John Cromwell and starring William Powell, Jean Arthur, Kay Francis and Regis Toomey.- Plot :...
(1930) - The Benson Murder CaseThe Benson Murder CaseThe Benson Murder Case is the first novel in the Philo Vance series of mystery novels by S.S. Van Dine, which became a best-seller.-Plot outline:...
(1930) - Paramount on ParadeParamount on ParadeParamount on Parade is a all-star revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Victor Heerman, Lothar Mendes, Otto Brower, Edwin H...
(1930) - Shadow of the Law (1930)
- For the Defense (1930)
- Man of the World (1931)
- Ladies' Man (1931)
- The Road to Singapore (1931)
- High PressureHigh Pressure (film)High Pressure is a 1932 American comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* William Powell as Gar Evans* Evelyn Brent as Francine Dale* George Sidney as Colonel Ginsburg* John Wray as Jimmy Moore...
(1932) - Jewel RobberyJewel RobberyJewel Robbery is a 1932 comedy film directed by William Dieterle and starring William Powell and Kay Francis. It was based on the play Ekszerrablás a Váci-uccában by Ladislas Fodor and the English adaptation, Jewel Robbery, by Bertram Bloch.-Plot:...
(1932) - One Way PassageOne Way PassageOne Way Passage is a romantic film starring William Powell and Kay Francis as star-crossed lovers, directed by Tay Garnett and released by Warner Bros.It was remade in 1940 as Til We Meet Again, featuring Merle Oberon and George Brent.-Plot:...
(1932) - Lawyer ManLawyer ManLawyer Man is a 1933 Warner Bros. drama film directed by William Dieterle. The story is based on the novel by Max Trell and the film stars William Powell and Joan Blondell....
(1933) - Private Detective 62 (1933)
- Double HarnessDouble HarnessDouble Harness is a film starring Ann Harding and William Powell. It was based on the play of the same name by Edward Poor Montgomery. A young woman maneuvers a lazy playboy into marrying her....
(1933) - The Kennel Murder CaseThe Kennel Murder Case (film)The Kennel Murder Case is a 1933 American film directed by Michael Curtiz starring William Powell as Philo Vance, reprising the role for Warner Brothers after appearing as Vance in three films for Paramount.-Plot:...
(1933) - Fashions of 1934Fashions of 1934-Cast:*William Powell as Sherwood Nash*Bette Davis as Lynn Mason*Frank McHugh as Snap*Reginald Owen as Oscar Baroque*Verree Teasdale as Grand Duchess Alix*Hugh Herbert as Joe Ward*Henry O'Neill as Duryea...
(1934) - Manhattan MelodramaManhattan MelodramaManhattan Melodrama is a 1934 crime melodrama film, produced by MGM, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, and starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy...
(1934) - The Thin ManThe Thin Man (film)The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
(1934) - The Key (1934)
- Evelyn PrenticeEvelyn PrenticeEvelyn Prentice is a 1934 film teaming William Powell and Myrna Loy, with Rosalind Russell in her film debut. The movie was based on the 1933 novel of the same name....
(1934) - Star of MidnightStar of MidnightStar of Midnight is an American mystery-comedy film released by RKO Pictures in 1935. William Powell was loaned out in this movie from MGM to star with Ginger Rogers.-Plot:...
(1935) - RecklessReckless (1935 film)Reckless is a 1935 American musical film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Jean Harlow, William Powell and Franchot Tone. The story was based on the scandal of the 1931 marriage between torch singer Libby Holman and tobacco heir Zachary Smith Reynolds and his subsequent alleged...
(1935) - EscapadeEscapade (1935 film)Escapade is a 1935 romantic comedy film starring William Powell and Luise Rainer. A philandering painter falls in love, but a prior affair with a married woman causes complications.-Cast:*William Powell as Fritz*Luise Rainer as Leopoldine Dur...
(1935) - RendezvousRendezvous (1935 film)Rendezvous is a 1935 spy film set in World War I, starring William Powell as an American cryptologist who tangles with German spies. The film was based on The American Black Chamber, the controversial memoirs of Herbert Yardley, founder and head of MI8....
(1935) - The Great ZiegfeldThe Great ZiegfeldThe Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
(1936) - The Ex-Mrs. BradfordThe Ex-Mrs. BradfordThe Ex-Mrs. Bradford is a mystery film starring William Powell and Jean Arthur as a divorced couple who investigate a murder at a racetrack. This was the last film directed by Stephen Roberts before his untimely death from a heart attack.-Plot:...
(1936) - My Man GodfreyMy Man GodfreyMy Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her...
(1936) - Libeled LadyLibeled LadyLibeled Lady is a 1936 screwball comedy film starring Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy, written by George Oppenheimer, Howard Emmett Rogers, Wallace Sullivan and Maurine Dallas Watkins, and directed by Jack Conway....
(1936) - After the Thin ManAfter the Thin ManAfter the Thin Man is a 1936 American film, starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and James Stewart, that is the sequel to the film The Thin Man. The movie presents Powell and Loy as Dashiell Hammett's characters Nick and Nora Charles. The film was directed by W. S...
(1936) - The Last of Mrs. CheneyThe Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937 film)The Last of Mrs. Cheyney is a 1937 drama/comedy motion picture starring Joan Crawford, William Powell, Robert Montgomery and Frank Morgan. The film tells the story of a chic jewel thief in England, who falls in love with one of her marks....
(1937) - The Emperor's CandlesticksThe Emperor's Candlesticks (film)The Emperor's Candlesticks is a 1937 film starring William Powell and Luise Rainer, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. It was directed by George Fitzmaurice.-Plot:...
(1937) - Double WeddingDouble WeddingDouble Wedding is a 1937 romantic comedy film. A bohemian free spirit helps meek Waldo win back his fiancée and falls in love with her over-controlling sister in the process....
(1937) - The Baroness and the Butler (1938)
- Another Thin ManAnother Thin ManAnother Thin Man is a 1939 American film that is the third film in the six-volume series, The Thin Man. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and is based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. Their son, Nicky Jr., is also introduced in the film. The cast includes...
(1939) - I Love You AgainI Love You AgainI Love You Again is a comedy film released in 1940. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy; all three were prominently involved in the The Thin Man series...
(1940) - Love CrazyLove CrazyLove Crazy is a 1941 screwball comedy film pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy as a couple whose marriage is on the verge of being broken up by the husband's old girlfriend and the wife's disapproving mother.-Plot:...
(1941) - Shadow of the Thin ManShadow of the Thin ManShadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this film their son Nick Jr. is old enough to figure in the comic subplot...
(1941) - CrossroadsCrossroads (1942 film)Crossroads is a 1942 mystery film directed by Jack Conway, starring William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, Claire Trevor and Basil Rathbone. Powell plays a diplomat whose amnesia about his past comes back to trouble him...
(1942) - The Youngest Profession (1943) (cameo)
- The Heavenly BodyThe Heavenly BodyThe Heavenly Body is a 1944 romantic comedy film starring William Powell and Hedy Lamarr. A neglected wife turns to an astrologer, who tells her she will meet and fall in love with a handsome stranger, much to the dismay of her astronomer husband.- Cast :...
(1943) - The Thin Man Goes HomeThe Thin Man Goes HomeThe Thin Man Goes Home is a 1945 motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six Thin Man films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper private detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora.-Plot:...
(1945) - The Great MorganThe Great MorganThe Great Morgan is an American musical-comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film is considered one of the more unusual in the MGM canon in that it is a compilation film built around a slight plot line, with a running time of less than 60 minutes.The film was produced for overseas The...
(1946) (voice) - Ziegfeld FolliesZiegfeld Follies (film)Ziegfeld Follies is a 1945 Hollywood musical comedy film directed by Lemuel Ayers, Roy Del Ruth, Robert Lewis, Vincente Minnelli, Merrill Pye, George Sidney and Charles Waters...
(1946) - The Hoodlum Saint (1946)
- Life with FatherLife with Father (film)Life with Father is a 1947 American comedy film. It tells the true story of Clarence Day, a stockbroker who wants to be master of his house, but finds his wife and his children ignoring him, until they start making demands for him to change his own life. In keeping with the autobiography, all the...
(1947) - Song of the Thin ManSong of the Thin ManSong of the Thin Man is a 1947 comedy-crime film directed by Edward Buzzell, the last of the six Thin Man films. Like the others, it stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Nick Jr. is played by Dean Stockwell...
(1947) - The Senator Was IndiscreetThe Senator Was IndiscreetThe Senator Was Indiscreet is a 1947 comedy film starring William Powell as a dim-witted U.S. senator who decides to run for president, with Ella Raines as a reporter interested in the detailed diary he has kept about all the political misdeeds of his colleagues...
(1947) - Mr. Peabody and the MermaidMr. Peabody and the MermaidMr. Peabody and the Mermaid is a 1948 fantasy film starring William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. Irene Hervey played Mr. Peabody's wife.- Plot :...
(1948) - Take One False Step (1949)
- Dancing in the DarkDancing In the Dark (1949 film)Dancing In the Dark is a 1949 Technicolor musical comedy film directed by Irving Reis, starring William Powell and Mark Stevens.-Plot:This musical comedy stars William Powell as Emery Slade, an unlikeable actor who was once a major film star, but who has not worked in ten years...
(1949) - It's a Big Country (1951)
- The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952)
- The Girl Who Had EverythingThe Girl Who Had EverythingThe Girl Who Had Everything is a 1953 film directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Armande Deutsch for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film features William Powell in his last MGM feature and one of his last film roles before retirement. The screenplay was written by Art Cohn, based upon a play by...
(1953) - How to Marry a MillionaireHow to Marry a MillionaireHow to Marry a Millionaire is a 1953 romantic comedy film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Jean Negulesco and produced and written by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays The Greeks Had a Word for It by Zoe Akins and Loco by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. The music score...
(1953) - Mister Roberts (1955)
Short subjects
- Screen Snapshots (1932)
- Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 (1933)
- Screen Snapshots: The Skolsky Party (1946)
Further reading
- Bryant, Roger, William Powell: The Life and Films, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2006. ISBN 0-7864-2602-0
- Francisco, Charles, Gentleman: The William Powell Story , New York: St Martins Press, 1985. ISBN 0-312-32103-1
- Christensen, Lawrence O., et al. Dictionary of Missouri Biography. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press ISBN 0-8262-1222-0