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William Powell(1892-1984)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
William Powell
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer4:07
Mister Roberts (1955)
22 Videos
99+ Photos
William Powell was on the New York stage by 1912, but it would be ten years before his film career would begin. In 1924 he went to Paramount Pictures, where he was employed for the next seven years. During that time, he played in a number of interesting films, but stardom was elusive. He did finally attract attention with The Last Command (1928) as Leo, the arrogant film director. Stardom finally came via his role as Philo Vance in The Canary Murder Case (1929), in which he investigates the death of Louise Brooks, "the Canary." Unlike many silent actors, sound boosted Powell's career. He had a fine, urbane voice and his stage training and comic timing greatly aided his introduction to sound pictures. However, he was not happy with the type of roles he was playing at Paramount, so in 1931 he switched to Warner Bros. There, he again became disappointed with his roles, and his last appearance for Warners was as Philo Vance in The Kennel Murder Case (1933). In 1934 Powell went to MGM, where he was teamed with Myrna Loy in Manhattan Melodrama (1934). While Philo made Powell a star, another detective, Nick Charles, made him famous. Powell received an Academy Award nomination for The Thin Man (1934) and later starred in the Best Picture winner for 1936, The Great Ziegfeld (1936). Powell could play any role with authority, whether in a comedy, thriller, or drama. He received his second Academy Award nomination for My Man Godfrey (1936) and was on top of the world until 1937, when he made his first picture with Jean Harlow, Reckless (1935). The two clicked, off-screen as well as on-screen, and shortly became engaged. One day, while Powell was filming Double Wedding (1937) on one MGM sound stage, Harlow became ill on another. She was finally taken to the hospital, where she died. Her death greatly upset both Powell and Myrna Loy, and he took six weeks off from making the movie to deal with his sorrow. After that he traveled, not making another MGM film for a year. He eventually did five sequels to "The Thin Man," the last one in 1947. He also received his third Academy Award nomination for his work in Life with Father (1947). His screen appearances became less frequent after that, and his last role was in 1955. He had come a long way from playing the villain in 1922.
BornJuly 29, 1892
DiedMarch 5, 1984(91)
BornJuly 29, 1892
DiedMarch 5, 1984(91)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 3 Oscars
    • 33 wins & 3 nominations total

Photos775

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Known for

The Thin Man (1934)
The Thin Man
7.9
  • Nick Charles
  • 1934
Carole Lombard and William Powell in My Man Godfrey (1936)
My Man Godfrey
7.9
  • Godfrey
  • 1936
Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta in After the Thin Man (1936)
After the Thin Man
7.6
  • Nick Charles
  • 1936
Myrna Loy, William Powell, and William A. Poulsen in Another Thin Man (1939)
Another Thin Man
7.3
  • Nick
  • 1939

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor



  • James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)
    Mister Roberts
    7.6
    • Doc
    • 1955
  • How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
    How to Marry a Millionaire
    6.8
    • J.D. Hanley
    • 1953
  • The Girl Who Had Everything (1953)
    The Girl Who Had Everything
    5.6
    • Steve Latimer
    • 1953
  • William Powell, Julie Adams, Charles Drake, and Tommy Ivo in The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952)
    The Treasure of Lost Canyon
    6.2
    • Homer 'Doc' Brown
    • 1952
  • It's a Big Country: An American Anthology (1951)
    It's a Big Country: An American Anthology
    6.0
    • Professor
    • 1951
  • William Powell, Betsy Drake, and Mark Stevens in Dancing in the Dark (1949)
    Dancing in the Dark
    5.3
    • Emery Slade
    • 1949
  • William Powell and Shelley Winters in Take One False Step (1949)
    Take One False Step
    6.4
    • Andrew Gentling
    • 1949
  • William Powell and Ann Blyth in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)
    Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid
    6.3
    • Mr. Arthur Peabody
    • 1948
  • William Powell and Ella Raines in The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947)
    The Senator Was Indiscreet
    6.5
    • Senator Melvin G. Ashton
    • 1947
  • Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta Jr. in Song of the Thin Man (1947)
    Song of the Thin Man
    6.9
    • Nick Charles
    • 1947
  • William Powell, Irene Dunne, Johnny Calkins, Jimmy Lydon, Martin Milner, and Derek Scott in Life with Father (1947)
    Life with Father
    7.1
    • Clarence Day - Father
    • 1947
  • Frank Morgan in The Great Morgan (1946)
    The Great Morgan
    5.1
    • William Powell (voice, uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Angela Lansbury, William Powell, and Esther Williams in The Hoodlum Saint (1946)
    The Hoodlum Saint
    6.1
    • Terence Ellerton 'Terry' O'Neill
    • 1946
  • Lucille Ball in Ziegfeld Follies (1945)
    Ziegfeld Follies
    6.4
    • Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
    • 1945
  • Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta in The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
    The Thin Man Goes Home
    7.3
    • Nick Charles
    • 1944

Soundtrack



  • William Powell, Irene Dunne, Johnny Calkins, Jimmy Lydon, Martin Milner, and Derek Scott in Life with Father (1947)
    Life with Father
    7.1
    • performer: "Sweet Marie" (1893), "Love's Old Sweet Song (Just a Song at Twilight)" (1884) (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta in The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
    The Thin Man Goes Home
    7.3
    • performer: "The Old Oaken Bucket", "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" (uncredited)
    • 1944
  • Myrna Loy and William Powell in Love Crazy (1941)
    Love Crazy
    7.4
    • performer: "It's Delightful to Be Married" (1907) (uncredited)
    • 1941
  • Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta in After the Thin Man (1936)
    After the Thin Man
    7.6
    • performer: "Home on the Range" (uncredited)
    • 1936
  • Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, and William Powell in Libeled Lady (1936)
    Libeled Lady
    7.8
    • Soundtrack ("Wedding March" (1843), "Bridal Chorus" (1850), uncredited)
    • 1936
  • Carole Lombard and William Powell in My Man Godfrey (1936)
    My Man Godfrey
    7.9
    • performer: "Drink a Highball" (1901) (uncredited)
    • 1936
  • Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Luise Rainer in The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
    The Great Ziegfeld
    6.6
    • performer: "Look for the Silver Lining" (1921) (uncredited)
    • 1936
  • Myrna Loy and William Powell in Evelyn Prentice (1934)
    Evelyn Prentice
    6.9
    • performer: "Wiegenlied (Lullaby) Op. 49 No. 4" (1868) (uncredited)
    • 1934
  • The Thin Man (1934)
    The Thin Man
    7.9
    • performer: "Drink A Highball" (uncredited)
    • 1934

Videos22

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Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • William H. Powell
  • Height
    • 5′ 10½″ (1.79 m)
  • Born
    • July 29, 1892
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Died
    • March 5, 1984
    • Palm Springs, California, USA(cardiac arrest)
  • Spouses
      Diana LewisJanuary 6, 1940 - March 5, 1984 (his death)
  • Children
    • William Powell
  • Parents
      Horatio Warren Powell
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared (credited as William H. Powell; Broadway debut) in "The King" on Broadway. Written by Gaston Arman de Caillavet, Robert de Flers and Emmanuel Arene. George M. Cohan's Theatre: 20 Nov 1917-Mar 1918 (closing date unknown/127 performances). Cast: A.G. Andrews, John Bedouin, Leo Ditrichstein, Jennie Fuld, Wallie Howe [credited as Walter Howe], Ben Johnson, Ruth Kuerth, Almiro Leone, Harry Manners, Robert McWade, Gaston Pollari, William Ricciardi, Henry Richel, Phillips Tead, Arthur Vincent, Fritz Williams. Produced by Cohan & Harris.
  • Publicity listings
    • 5 Print Biographies
    • 4 Portrayals
    • 16 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial
    • 3 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Was in a relationship with Jean Harlow for two years before her death and paid for her funeral, costing $30,000. For many years he made sure fresh flowers were always present at her grave.
  • Quotes
    [when asked how he kept so slim] "I highly recommend worrying. It's much more effective than dieting."
  • Nickname
    • Bill
  • Salaries
      The Kennel Murder Case
      (1933)
      $4,000 /week

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