William Powell

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins. See more awards »

Known For

The Thin Man Nick Charles

(1934)

My Man Godfrey Godfrey

(1936)

Life with Father Clarence Day - Father

(1947)

After the Thin Man Nick Charles

(1936)

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Filmography

Jump to: Actor | Soundtrack | Self | Archive footage

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Actor (96 credits)

1955 Mister Roberts
Doc

1953 How to Marry a Millionaire
J.D. Hanley

1953 The Girl Who Had Everything
Steve Latimer

1952 The Treasure of Lost Canyon
Homer 'Doc' Brown

1951 It's a Big Country: An American Anthology
Professor

1949 Dancing in the Dark
Emery Slade

1949 Take One False Step
Andrew Gentling

1948 Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid
Mr. Peabody

1947 The Senator Was Indiscreet
Senator Melvin G. Ashton

1947 Song of the Thin Man
Nick Charles

1947 Life with Father
Clarence Day - Father

1946 The Great Morgan
William Powell (voice, uncredited)

1946 The Hoodlum Saint
Terence Ellerton 'Terry' O'Neill

1945 Ziegfeld Follies
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

1944 The Thin Man Goes Home
Nick Charles

1944 The Heavenly Body
William S. Whitley

1943 The Youngest Profession
William Powell

1942 Crossroads
David Talbot

1941 Shadow of the Thin Man
Nick Charles

1941 Love Crazy
Steve Ireland

1940 I Love You Again
Larry Wilson aka George Carey

1939 Another Thin Man
Nick Charles

1938 The Baroness and the Butler
Johann Porok

1937 Double Wedding
Charles Lodge

1937 The Emperor's Candlesticks
Baron Stephan Wolensky

1937 The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
Charles

1936 After the Thin Man
Nick Charles

1936 Libeled Lady
Bill Chandler

1936 My Man Godfrey
Godfrey

1936 The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Dr. Lawrence Bradford

1936 The Great Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

1935 Rendezvous
Lieutenant Bill Gordon

1935 Escapade
Fritz

1935 Reckless
Ned Riley

1935 Star of Midnight
Clay 'Dal' Dalzell

1934 Evelyn Prentice
John Prentice

1934 The Key
Capt. Bill Tennant

1934 The Thin Man
Nick Charles

1934 Manhattan Melodrama
Jim Wade

1934 Fashions of 1934
Sherwood Nash

1933 The Kennel Murder Case
Philo Vance

1933 Double Harness
John Fletcher

1933 Private Detective 62
Free

1932 Lawyer Man
Anton (Tony) Adam

1932 One Way Passage
Dan Hardesty

1932 Jewel Robbery
The Robber

1932 High Pressure
Gar Evans

1931 The Road to Singapore
Hugh Dawltry

1931 Ladies' Man
Jamie Darricott

1931 Man of the World
Michael Trevor

1930 For the Defense
William B. Foster

1930 Shadow of the Law
Jim Montgomery aka John Nelson

1930 Paramount on Parade
Philo Vance (Murder Will Out)

1930 The Benson Murder Case
Philo Vance

1930 Street of Chance
John D. Marsden / 'Natural' Davis

1930 Behind the Make-Up
Gardoni

1929 Pointed Heels
Robert Courtland

1929 Charming Sinners
Karl Kraley

1929 The Greene Murder Case
Philo Vance

1929 The Four Feathers
Capt. William Trench

1929 The Canary Murder Case
Philo Vance

1928 Interference
Philip Voaze

1928 Forgotten Faces
Froggy

1928 The Vanishing Pioneer
John Murdock

1928 The Dragnet
Dapper Frank Trent

1928 Partners in Crime
Smith

1928 Feel My Pulse
Her Nemesis

1928 Beau Sabreur
Becque

1928 The Last Command
Lev Andreyev

1927 She's a Sheik
Kada

1927 Nevada
Clan Dillon

1927 Paid to Love
Prince Eric

1927 Time to Love
Prince Alado

1927 Señorita
Manuel Oliveros

1927 Special Delivery
Harold Jones

1927 Love's Greatest Mistake
Don Kendall

1927 New York
Trent Regan

1926 Tin Gods
Tony Santelli

1926 The Great Gatsby
George Wilson

1926 Beau Geste
Boldini

1926 Aloma of the South Seas
Van Templeton

1926 The Runaway
Jack Harrison

1926 Desert Gold
Snake Landree

1926 Sea Horses
Lorenzo Salvia

1926 White Mice
Roddy Forrester

1925 The Beautiful City
Nick Di Silva

1925 My Lady's Lips
Scott Seldon

1925 Faint Perfume
Barnaby Powers

1925 Too Many Kisses
Julio

1924 Romola
Tito Melema (as William H. Powell)

1924 Dangerous Money
Prince Arnoldo da Pescia

1923 Under the Red Robe
Duke of Orleans (as William H. Powell)

1923 The Bright Shawl
Gaspar De Vaca

1922 Outcast
DeValle

1922 When Knighthood Was in Flower
Francis I (as William H. Powell)

1922 Sherlock Holmes
Foreman Wells (as William H. Powell)

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Soundtrack (10 credits)

1947 Life with Father (performer: "Sweet Marie" (1893), "Love's Old Sweet Song (Just a Song at Twilight)" (1884) - uncredited)

1944 The Thin Man Goes Home (performer: "The Old Oaken Bucket", "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" - uncredited)

1941 Love Crazy (performer: "It's Delightful to Be Married" (1907) - uncredited)

1936 After the Thin Man (performer: "Home on the Range" - uncredited)

1936 Libeled Lady ("Wedding March" (1843), "Bridal Chorus" (1850), uncredited)

1936 My Man Godfrey (performer: "Drink a Highball" (1901) - uncredited)

1936 The Great Ziegfeld (performer: "Look for the Silver Lining" (1921) - uncredited)

1934 Evelyn Prentice (performer: "Lullaby (Wiegenlied)" (1868) - uncredited)

1934 The Thin Man (performer: "Drink A Highball" - uncredited)

1933 Double Harness (performer: "The King Kong March" - uncredited)

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Self (5 credits)

1946 Screen Snapshots: The Skolsky Party (Documentary short)
Himself

1933 Hollywood on Parade No. A-13 (Short)
Himself

1932/I Screen Snapshots (Documentary short)
Himself

1930 The Voice of Hollywood No. 12 (Short)
Himself (uncredited)

1927 A Trip Through the Paramount Studio (Documentary short)
Himself

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Archive footage (33 credits)

2005 William Powell: A True Gentleman (Video short)

2004 Ziegfeld Girl Intro (Video documentary short)
Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

2001-2003 Biography (TV Series documentary)
Himself

- Clark Gable: The King of Hollywood (2003) ... Himself

- Carole Lombard: Hollywood's Profane Angel (2001) ... Himself

2003 Great Performances (TV Series)
Himself

- The Great American Songbook (2003) ... Himself

2000 Hollywood Couples (TV Series documentary)
Himself

- William Powell and Jean Harlow ... Himself

1998 Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (TV Movie documentary)
Himself

1995 The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (TV Movie documentary)
Himself

1991 Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home to (TV Movie documentary)
Himself

1987 Moonlighting (TV Series)
Nick Charles

- Tale in Two Cities (1987) ... Nick Charles (uncredited)

1987 James Stewart: A Wonderful Life - Hosted by Johnny Carson (TV Movie)
Nick Charles (clip from After the Thin Man (1936))

1986 The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (TV Special documentary)
Himself

1984 Going Hollywood: The '30s (Documentary)

1983 Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (Documentary)
Himself (uncredited)

1982 Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (TV Movie documentary)
Actor - Unidentified 'Thin Man' Film (uncredited)

1978 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (TV Special documentary)
Lt. 'Doc' (uncredited)

1976 America at the Movies (Documentary)
Clarence 'Father' Day

1976 That's Entertainment, Part II (Documentary)
Nick Charles

1976 It's Showtime (Documentary)
Himself (uncredited)

1975 Brother Can You Spare a Dime (Documentary)
Himself

1971 The Dick Cavett Show (TV Series)
Himself

- Episode dated 17 December 1971 (1971) ... Himself

1969 Hollywood: The Selznick Years (TV Movie documentary)
Jim Wade (uncredited)

1966 Film Preview (TV Series)
Godfrey

- Episode #1.4 (1966) ... Godfrey

1964 The Big Parade of Comedy (Documentary)
Nick Charles

1963-1964 Hollywood and the Stars (TV Series)
Himself / Actor in gangster movies

- The Wild and Wonderful Thirties (1964) ... Himself (uncredited)

- The One and Only Bing (1963) ... Himself (uncredited)

- How to Succeed as a Gangster (1963) ... Actor in gangster movies (uncredited)

1961 Movies Golden Age (TV Movie documentary)
Tito Melema

1951 The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (Documentary)

1944 Twenty Years After (Short)

1940 The Miracle of Sound (Documentary short)
Himself (uncredited)

1940 Hollywood: Style Center of the World (Documentary short)
Himself

1939 From the Ends of the Earth (Documentary short)
Himself

1937 The Romance of Celluloid (Short)
Charles Lodge

1934 Movie Memories #2 (Documentary short)

1933 Hollywood on Parade No. A-12 (Short)
Himself (uncredited)

Personal Details

Other Works:

Stage Appeared (as "Michka"; credited as William H. Powell) in "Bavu" on Broadway. Melodrama. Written / produced / directed by Earl Carroll. Earl Carroll Theatre: 25 Feb 1922-Mar 1922 (closing date unknown/25 performances). Cast: 'Maude Eburne' (qva) (as "Piplete"), Helen Freeman (as "Annia"), Henry Herbert (as "Bavu"), ... See more »

Publicity Listings:

Alternate Names:

William H. Powell

Height:

5' 10½" (1.79 m)

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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[speaking in 1929] "Unfortunately, or perhaps it is fortunate that I have always been forced to stand on my acting ability. I haven't a personality such as Jack Gilbert's, for instance, that attracts women and makes them like me for myself. When I am on the screen I must make them forget me entirely and think only of my acting." See more »