Dick Powell
Dick Powell | |
|---|---|
 Dick Powell in 1962 | |
| Born | Richard Ewing Powell November 14, 1904 |
| Died | January 2, 1963(aged 58) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1930–1963 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Richard Powell Jr., Pamela Powell |
| Signature | |
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Richard Ewing Powell(November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963)[1]was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transformed into a hardboiled leading man, starring in projects of a more dramatic nature. He was the first actor to portray private detectivePhilip Marloweon screen.
Early life[edit]
Powell was born the middle of three sons of Ewing Powell and mother Sally Rowena inMountain View,[2][3]the seat ofStone Countyin northernArkansas.His brothers were Howard (the eldest) and Luther (the youngest). The family moved the boys to Little Rock in 1914, where Powell sang in church choirs and with local orchestras and started his own band.[4]Powell attended the formerLittle Rock Collegebefore he started his entertainment career as a singer with the Royal Peacock Band, which toured throughout the Midwest.[citation needed]
During this time, he married Mildred Maund, a model, but she found being married to an entertainer not to her liking. After a final trip to Cuba together, Mildred moved toHemphill, Texas,and the couple divorced in 1932.[4]Later, Powell joinedthe Charlie Davis Orchestra,based inIndianapolis.[4]He recorded a number of records with Davis and on his own for theVocalionlabel in the late 1920s.
Stardom[edit]
Powell moved toPittsburgh,where he found great local success as the master of ceremonies at the Enright Theater and theStanley Theater.[4]
Warner Bros.[edit]
In April 1930,Warner Bros.boughtBrunswick Records,which at that time owned Vocalion. Warner Bros. was sufficiently impressed by Powell's singing and stage presence to offer him a film contract in 1932. He made his film debut as a singing bandleader inBlessed Event.[5]
He was borrowed byFox Filmto supportWill RogersinToo Busy to Work(1932). He was a boyish crooner, the sort of role in which he specialized for the next few years. Back at Warner Bros., he supportedGeorge ArlissinThe King's Vacation,then was in42nd Street(both 1933), playing the love interest forRuby Keeler.The film was a massive hit.
Warner Bros. (WB) got him basically to repeat the role inGold Diggers of 1933,another big success. So too wasFootlight Parade(also 1933), with Keeler and James Cagney.
Powell was upped to star forCollege Coach(1933), then went back to more ensemble pieces including42nd Street,Convention City(both 1933),Wonder Bar,Twenty Million Sweethearts,andDames(all 1934).[4]
Happiness Aheadwas more of a star vehicle for Powell, as wasFlirtation Walk(both 1934). He was top-billed inGold Diggers of 1935andBroadway Gondolier(both 1935), both withJoan Blondell.He supportedMarion DaviesinPage Miss Glory(1935), made forCosmopolitan Pictures,a production company financed by Davies' loverWilliam Randolph Hearst,who released through WB.
WB gave him a change of pace, casting him as Lysander inA Midsummer Night's Dream(1935).
More typical wasShipmates Forever(1935) with Keeler. 20th Century Fox borrowed him forThanks a Million(1935); back at WB, he didColleen(1936) with Keeler and Blondell. Powell was reunited with Marion Davies in another for Cosmopolitan,Hearts Divided(1936), playing Napoleon's brother.
He made three films with Blondell,Broadway Gondolier(1935),Stage Struck(1936) andGold Diggers of 1937.20th Century Fox then borrowed him again forOn the Avenue(1937).
Back at WB, he appeared inThe Singing MarineandVarsity Show(both 1937),Hollywood Hotel,Cowboy from Brooklyn,Hard to Get,Going Places(all 1938), andNaughty but Nice(1939). Fed up with the repetitive nature of these roles, Powell left WB and went to work forParamount Pictures.
Paramount[edit]
At Paramount, Blondell and Powell were cast together again in the dramaI Want a Divorce(1940). Then Powell got a chance to appear in another non-musical,Christmas in July(1940), a screwball comedy which was the second feature directed byPreston Sturges.
Universal borrowed him to supportAbbott and CostelloinIn the Navy(1941), one of the most popular films of 1941. At Paramount he had a cameo inStar Spangled Rhythmand co-starred withMary MartininHappy Go Lucky(both 1943). He supportedDorothy LamourinRiding High(1943).
In 1944, he was in a fantasy comedy directed byRené Clair,It Happened Tomorrow,then went over toMGMto appear oppositeLucille BallinMeet the People,which was a box-office flop.
During this period, Powell starred in the musicalCampana Serenade,which was broadcast onNBCradio (1942–1943) andCBSradio (1943–1944).[6]
"Tough guy"[edit]
By 1944, Powell felt he was too old to play romantic leading men anymore, so he lobbied to play the lead inDouble Indemnity.He lost out toFred MacMurray,another Hollywood nice guy.[7]
Powell's career changed dramatically when he was cast in the first of a series offilms noir,as private detective Philip Marlowe inMurder, My Sweet(1944), directed byEdward Dmytrykat RKO. The film was a big hit, and Powell had successfully reinvented himself as a dramatic actor. He was the first actor to play Marlowe – by name – in motion pictures.[7]
In 1945, Dmytryk and Powell reteamed to make the filmCornered,a gripping post-World War II thriller that helped define the film noir style.
For Columbia, he played a casino owner inJohnny O'Clock(1947) and madeTo the Ends of the Earth(1948). Also in 1948, he stepped out of the brutish type when he starred inPitfall,a film noir in which a bored insurance-company worker falls for an innocent but dangerous woman, played byLizabeth Scott.
He broadened his range appearing in a Western,Station West(1948) and a French Foreign Legion tale,Rogues' Regiment(1949). He was a Mountie inMrs. Mike(1950).
From 1949 to 1953, Powell played the lead role in theNBCradio theater productionRichard Diamond, Private Detective.His character in the 30-minute weekly show was a likable private detective with a quick wit. Many episodes ended with Detective Diamond having an excuse to sing a little song to his date, showcasing Powell's vocal abilities. Many of the episodes were written byBlake Edwards.WhenRichard Diamondcame to television in 1957, the lead role was portrayed byDavid Janssen,who did no singing in the series. Prior to theRichard Diamondseries, he starred inRogue's Gallery.He played Richard Rogue, private detective. The Richard Diamond tongue-in-cheek persona developed in theRogueseries.
Powell took a break from tough-guy roles inThe Reformer and the Redhead(1950), opposite wifeJune Allyson.Then he was back to tougher movies:Right Cross(1950), a boxing film with Allyson;Cry Danger(1951), as an ex-convict;The Tall Target(1951), at MGM directed byAnthony Mann,playing a detective who tries to prevent the assassination ofAbraham Lincoln.
He returned to comedy withYou Never Can Tell(1951). Powell had a supporting role in MGM's popular melodramaThe Bad and the Beautiful(1952). His final film performance was in a romantic comedySusan Slept Here(1954) for directorFrank Tashlin.
Even when he appeared in lighter fare such asThe Reformer and the RedheadandSusan Slept Here,he never sang in his later roles. The latter, his final onscreen appearance in a feature film, did include a dance number with co-starDebbie Reynolds.
Director[edit]
By this stage, Powell had turned director. His feature debut wasSplit Second(1953) atRKO Pictures.He followed it withThe Conqueror(1956), coproduced byHoward Hughesand starringJohn WayneasGenghis Khan.The exterior scenes were filmed inSt. George, Utah,downwind of U.S. above-ground atomic tests. The cast and crew totaled 220, and of that number, 91 had developed some form of cancer by 1981, and 46 had died of cancer by then, including Powell and Wayne.[8]
He directed Allyson oppositeJack LemmoninYou Can't Run Away from It(1956). Powell then made two war films at Fox withRobert Mitchum,The Enemy Below(1957) andThe Hunters(1958).
Television[edit]
In the 1950s, Powell was one of the founders ofFour Star Television,[2]withCharles Boyer,David Niven,andIda Lupino.He appeared in and supervised several shows for that company. Shortly before his death, Powell sang on camera for the final time in a guest-star appearance on Four Star'sEnsign O'Toole,singing "The Song of the Marines",which he first sang in his 1937 filmThe Singing Marine.He hosted and occasionally starred in hisDick Powell's Zane Grey Theateron CBS from 1956 to 1961, and his final anthology series,The Dick Powell Showon NBC from 1961 through 1963; after his death, the series continued through the end of its second season (asThe Dick Powell Theater), with guest hosts.
Personal life[edit]
Powell was the son of Ewing Powell and Sallie Rowena Thompson.[citation needed]
He married three times:
- Mildred Evelyn Maund (b. 1906, d. 1967). The couple married in 1925, and appear on the 1930 census in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Powell was working in a theater, and on a 1931 passenger list for theSSOriente,returning fromHavana, Cuba.They divorced in 1932, although Mildred retained her married name.[citation needed]
- Joan Blondell (married September 19, 1936, divorced 1944). He adopted her son from a previous marriage,Norman Powell,who later became a television producer; the couple also had one child together, Ellen Powell.[citation needed]
- June Allyson (August 19, 1945, until his death, January 2, 1963), with whom he had two children, Pamela (adopted) and Richard Powell, Jr.[citation needed]
Powell'sranch-style housewas used for exterior filming on the ABC TV series,Hart to Hart.The estate, known as Amber Hills, was on 48 acres (19 hectares) in theMandeville Canyonsection ofBrentwood,Los Angeles.[9]
Powell enjoyed general aviation as a private pilot.[10]
Illness and death[edit]
On September 27, 1962, Powell acknowledged rumors that he was undergoing treatment for cancer. The disease was originally diagnosed as an allergy, with Powell first experiencing symptoms while traveling east to promote his program. Upon his return to California, Powell's personal physician conducted tests and found malignant tumors on his neck and chest.[11]
The marker on Dick Powell's niche in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, incorrectly identifies his year of death as 1962. Powell died at the age of 58 on January 2, 1963.[12]
It is speculated Powell developed cancer as a result of his participation in the filmThe Conqueror,which was filmed at St. George, Utah, near a site used by the U.S. military fornuclear testing.About a third of the actors who participated in the film developed cancer, including Powell, who directed the film,John Wayne,Susan Hayward,Agnes MooreheadandPedro Armendáriz.[13]However, in a 2001 interview withLarry King,Powell's widow June Allyson stated that the cause of death waslung cancerdue to hischain smoking.[14]
During the15th Primetime Emmy Awardson May 26, 1963, the Television Academy presented a posthumous Television Academy Trustee Award to Dick Powell for his contributions to the industry. The award was accepted by two of his former partners in Four Star Television, Charles Boyer and David Niven.
Dick Powell has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6915 Hollywood Boulevard.[15]
Filmography[edit]
As actor[edit]
Features[edit]
Short subjects[edit]
- The Road Is Open Again(1933)
- Just Around the Corner(1933)
- Hollywood on ParadeNo. A-9(1933)
- And She Learned About Dames(1934)
- Hollywood Newsreel(1934)
- A Dream Comes True(1935)
- Hollywood Hobbies(1939)
As director[edit]
- Split Second(1953)
- The Conqueror(1956)
- You Can't Run Away from It(1956)
- The Enemy Below(1957)
- The Hunters(1958)
Radio appearances[edit]
Powell was the first actor to play private detectivePhilip Marloweon radio, in 1945.[7]
Lux Radio Theatreappearances:
| Date | Episode | Cast |
|---|---|---|
| December 21, 1936 | Gold Diggers | Joan Blondell, Dick Powell |
| May 19, 1941 | Model Wife | Dick Powell, Joan Blondell |
| January 18, 1943 | My Gal Sal | Mary Martin, Dick Powell |
| May 22, 1944 | Springtime in the Rockies | Betty Grable, Dick Powell, Carmen Miranda |
| June 26, 1944 | Christmas In July | Dick Powell, Linda Darnell |
| November 20, 1944 | It Started With Eve | Charles Laughton, Dick Powell |
| June 11, 1945 | Murder, My Sweet | Dick Powell, Claire Trevor |
| May 12, 1947 | Johnny O'Clock | Dick Powell, Lee J. Cobb |
| November 8, 1948 | Pitfall | Dick Powell, Jane Wyatt, Lizbeth Scott |
| May 23, 1949 | To The Ends Of The Earth | Dick Powell, Signa Hasso |
| April 24, 1950 | Mrs. Mike | Dick Powell, Gene Tierney |
| June 25, 1951 | The Reformer and the Redhead | Dick Powell, June Allyson |
| January 11, 1955 | Island in the Sky | Dick Powell, Lamont Johnson |
| May 17, 1955 | Little Boy Lost | Dick Powell, Gladys Holland |
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1945–1946 | Rogue's Gallery | played detective Richard Rogue |
| 1949–1953 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | played Richard Diamond (NBC radio theater production) |
| 1948 (Premiere) | Johnny Dollar | played insurance investigator Johnny Dollar |
| 1952 | Stars in the Air | The Bride Goes Wild[16] |
Partial list of recordings[edit]
- "I Only Have Eyes for You"(1934) from the filmDames.
- "Roses in December" (1937) words and music byHerb Magidson,Ben OaklandandGeorge Jessel.(The song first appeared inThe Life of the Party.)ISWC:T-070127274-3
- "Over There"/" Captains of the Clouds "(1942–Decca4174) Issued early in World War II, the A side brought back a patriotic song that had been popular in World War I. The B side came from aJames Cagneyfilmof the same name.[17]
- "Susan Slept Here" (Jack Lawrence)/"Hold My Hand"(Richard Myers-Jack Lawrence),Bell Records1048. Both songs were sung (not by Powell) in the filmSusan Slept Here(1954).[18][19]
References[edit]
- ^"Death Takes Dick Powell".The Desert Sun.January 3, 1963. p. 1.RetrievedFebruary 18,2024– via University of California/Riverside Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research (CBSR).
- ^ab"Film World Mourns Dick Powell; Jack Carson".St. Petersburg Times.January 4, 1963.RetrievedAugust 22,2012.
- ^"Dick Powell".Turner Classic Movies.RetrievedSeptember 12,2012.
- ^abcde"Richard Ewing Powell."Dictionary of American Biography(1981) Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
- ^"Dick Powell."International Dictionary of Films and FilmmakersVol. 3. (2000) Gale, Detroit
- ^Dunning, John(1998).On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio(Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 133.ISBN978-0-19-507678-3.RetrievedSeptember 7,2019.
- ^abcShutt, Mike (April 13, 2022)."Finding Double Indemnity's Leading Man Was A Painful Process".Slashfilm.RetrievedFebruary 18,2024.
- ^Olson, James (2002)Bathsheba's Breast: Women, Cancer and History,Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MarylandISBN0-8018-6936-6
- ^Beale, Lauren (September 12, 2014)."Onetime ranch of Dick Powell, June Allyson sells at auction".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedFebruary 18,2024.
- ^"A Plane Crazy America".AOPA Pilot:79. May 2014.
- ^"Powell acknowledges cancer treatments"(PDF).Broadcasting:9. October 1, 1962.
- ^Pathé, British."U.S.A.: Dick Powell's Funeral".www.britishpathe.com.RetrievedJanuary 9,2023.
- ^"The Children of John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Dick Powell Fear That Fallout Killed Their Parents".People.RetrievedMarch 26,2018.
- ^"Transcripts".CNN.RetrievedOctober 4,2021.
- ^"hollywoodusa.co.uk".Archived fromthe originalon June 7, 2012.RetrievedApril 15,2012.
- ^Kirby, Walter (February 24, 1952)."Better Radio Programs for the Week".The Decatur Daily Review.The Decatur Daily Review. p. 38.RetrievedMay 28,2015– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^Orodenker, M.H. (March 7, 1942). "On the Records". Billboard. p. 66.
- ^Grudens, Richard (1998).The Music Men: The Guys who Sang with the Bands and Beyond.celebrity profiles publilshing.ISBN978-1-57579-097-8.
- ^Nash, Jay Robert; Connelly, Robert; Ross, Stanley Ralph (1987).The Motion Picture Guide.Cinebooks.ISBN978-0-933997-00-4.
External links[edit]
- Dick Powellat theAmerican Film Institute Catalog
- Dick PowellatIMDb
- Dick Powellat theTCM Movie Database
- Dick PowellatFind a Grave
- Dick Powell Photo Gallery
- Photographs and literature
- Cinderella's Boyfriend– 1934 article about Powell fromRadio Mirror
- What's My Line?appearances:
| International | |
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