He worked less frequently thereafter, however, needing time to recover first from Harlows unexpected death and then from his own surgery and treatment for cancer. He would go on to play opposite such glamorous Hollywood leading ladies as Kay Francis, Carole Lombard, and Jean Harlow. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. He worked less frequently thereafter, however, needing time to recover first from Harlows unexpected death and then from his own surgery and treatment for cancer. He was an excellent dramatic actor, but his ability to play light comedy was unsurpassed. Edit Search New Search Jump to Filters. I agree that William Powell was an exceptional actor, and tonight, I learned that he was an exceptional man as well. Mother: xxxx xxxxx . He had presence even then. He was a great actor and he got everybody's attention when he was on screen. William Powell did not receive the recognition he deserved, and that's such a shame. Loy also had an uncredited cameo in their 14th and last film together, The Senator Was Indiscreet, which starred Powell. Im watching him now on TCM! Sound freed the actor from the stereotype of the oily scoundrel or social roue. Well said! The marriage lasted just over two years. He started making speeches soon after he could talk, according to his mother, the former Nettie Brady. An american actor, William Powell is paired in many films with Myrna Loy. He worked less frequently thereafter, however, needing time to recover first from Harlows unexpected death and then from his own surgery and treatment for cancer. . Powell & his son were close. William Powell, in full William Horatio Powell, (born July 29, 1892, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.died March 5, 1984, Palm Springs, California), versatile American motion picture and stage actor who played villains in Hollywood silent films and intelligent, debonair leading men in the sound era. Nuff said! WilliamPowell was a fantastic actor and one of the coolest, sexiest,smoothest actors of the 30s and 40s. When William Powell I was born on 12 June 1673, in Somerset, Maryland, British Colonial America, his father, Walter Powell, was 51 and his mother, Margaret Berry, was 28. Not long after he died. 1 (The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man), My Man Godfrey (In Color): William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gregory Lacava, Legend: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Life with Father: William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Edmund Gwenn, The Thin Man: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan, Nat Pendleton: Amazon Digital Services LLC, I Love You Again: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Frank McHugh, Edmund Lowe, Double Wedding (1937): William Powell, Myrna Loy, Florence Rice, John Beal: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Mr. Peabody & The Mermaid: William Powell, Ann Blyth, Irene Hervey, Clinton Sundberg, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937): Joan Crawford, William Powell, Robert Montgomery, Frank Morgan: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Lawyer Man (1933): William Powell, Joan Blondell, David Landau, Helen Vinson: Amazon Digital Services LLC, The Youngest Profession: Virginia Weidler, Edward Arnold, John Carroll, Ann Ayars: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Jewel Robbery (1932): Kay Francis, Helen Vinson, Hardie Albright, Alan Mowbray: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Fashions of 1934 (1934): William Powell, Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Hugh Herbert: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Shadow of the Thin Man: Myrna Loy, William Powell, Barry Nelson, Donna Reed: Amazon Digital Services LLC, The Great Ziegfeld: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan: Amazon Digital Services LLC, After the Thin Man: William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart, Elissa Landi: Amazon Digital Services LLC, The Thin Man Goes Home: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Lucile Watson, Gloria DeHaven: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Sherlock Holmes: John Barrymore, Roland Young, Carol Dempster, Louis Wolheim: Amazon Digital Services LLC, Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, Riverside County, California, United States, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. and My Man Godfrey with Lombard! She knew Hughes to be a prodigious eater and instructed her Swedish cook accordingly. She and his father, Horatio Warren Powell, an accountant, wanted him to become a lawyer, but the boy was drawn early to Pittsburgh's Bijou Theater, where he haunted the gallery, studied the performers and, at home, imitated the actors. His presence alarmed the housekeeper, who ran to Mrs. William Powell, Diana Lewis, to alert her to the intruder. When Lewis arrived at Powells home, he remarked to Lewis that she looked like a little mouse and from that point on he called her, Mousie., MORE:One of the crown jewels of La Quinta. William Powell, in a letter to a friend, after his son's death, said that the hepatitis had become debilitating, causing him to have to leave his job. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1912, William Powell debuted on Broadway, playing three small roles in The Neer-Do-Well (1912). He would become a television writer, whose work was seen on such series . Spouse: Eileen Wilson. I love old Hollywood. Im just 45, but I watch golden oldies more than anything. Most definitely William Powell helped make them that way. Simple theme. Once logged in, you can add biography in the database. Wife of actor William Powell. By 1930 Powell had progressed to playing suave, sophisticated men-about-town in light mysteries and romantic comedies. His career was so outstanding. It makes me forget for a while about the way our world has come to. Although he was once called one of Hollywood's best-dressed men, he paid little attention to clothes. Yep having narcissistic parents will do that to you. These quotes show him to be a rare kind of man. They had class! He married Sarah Francis on 26 February 1690, in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. Mar 10, 2022 - Actor William Powell at work in the kitchen with his wife Diana Lewis. [1] However, they were only good friends. Someone said in the comments that Williams son killed himself because he was the victim of Narcissistic parentswhile this comment doesn't even deserve a reply it is indictive of the writer of such an untruthful comment being the victim and perpetrator himself of narcissism in his life, One comment indicated that in retirement Powell was well regarded in Palm Springs. By 1936 William Powell was among the top 10 male box office attractions, and four of the five films in which he appeared that year received Academy Award nominations (My Man Godfrey, The Great Ziegfeld, Libeled Lady, and After the Thin Man), with Powell himself earning a nomination as best actor for his deft performance in the title role of My Man Godfrey. Nominated for 3 Oscars. I love William Powell. Powell was entranced by the little starlet and arranged to meet her under the guise of a publicity photoshoot. He was also romantically linked with Jean Harlow in the year before her death in 1937. As a boy he was apparently plagued by emotional problems. Actor: The Thin Man. Mr. Powell's wife of 44 years, the former actress Diana Lewis, was at his bedside. William Powell Sr. was born before 1662. All commentators here were delighted by his class.It is a bygone era because we have surrended.Life is full of tragedies.It takes time and hard working to not let what is worthwhile to vanish.Also courage, maybe mainly courage. The affectionate sparring and chemistry between Powell and Loy delighted audiences, and the pair went on to make five more Thin Man movies together. himself repeatedly in the upper body whilst in the shower. He was also very modest, gracious and was very grateful for his fans. This wasn't a rant, it was a very well-considered and well-written tribute to a great actor and a fine man. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. He left a That would not have impacted the extent of Powell's grief at her untimely death. Indeed, Palm Springs during the 1940s, 50s and 60s was populated by the Hollywood set, captains of industry and socially prominent citizens from across the country. Later that year, Mr. Powell made his first talking picture, ''Interference.'' He seemed to have such a rare strength and dignified character. Whether allowing better billing for a newcomer, spending extra time with a teen to help her learn her lines and tips on delivery or having extreme patience with a young actor who kept flubbing his lines. @cc Thank you for your comments concerning Mr. Powell. Such was the interesting Palm Springs life of Lewis, known as Mousie after her movie-star husband dubbed her a little mouse on their first date. He was greatly loved in Hollywood and known for his generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness and so many more wonderful traits. Desert Memorial Park in Riverside County, California. ..he was an extraordinary man!!!! He was so debonair, suave; and the epitome of cool; and a gifted and talented actor! He is so very handsome and seems like a very loving character. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CO8B5ZU/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CRP6AG4/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N3P6M0/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6C3DRQ/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0079HI1TY/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F265CU/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L4I952/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SVZIP8/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L11LPM/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KLCBZ3/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KNV8M7/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CH2YDH4/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012UY598G/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DHH9QJS/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZX9SY0/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K1WI36U/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087YS706/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0199I9M6Q/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N31H6Y/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LJ60FO/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D81R9O2/?tag=2022091-20, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DN9FU3Q/?tag=2022091-20. Powell was the only child of actor William Powell and actress Eileen Wilson,[1] who divorced in 1930. Powell had become a member of the Racquet Club prior to their marriage. They found an ideal place where work could become play. Harlow was engaged to marry the actor William Powell, her co-star in Reckless (1935) and Libeled Lady (1936), . He then worked in road and stock companies before appearing as the heros rival in the hit Broadway play Spanish Love (1920). William Powell was anything but narcissistic. In the mid-1950's he retired to Palm Springs to play golf, oversee his investments and lead a leisurely life with his wife in their desert sanctuary. One of the greatest! With such crushing blows to this man, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had become one of the self-destructive Hollywood sad stories. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. You know absolutely nothing about how he was raised, yet here you are spewing catty, hateful (untrue) comments. As his romantic exploits had been newsworthy and protean, having included the most famous blonde female movie stars of the 1930s, his three-week whirlwind courtship and marriage to the little mouse was astonishing. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Can't think of any role he like the man wasn't great at. Powell had achieved fame playing in the Thin Man movies as well as in the Philo Vance detective series. She was indeed tiny in stature, barely five feet tall, but she had goliath energies and enthusiasm. In 1912, he played three bit parts in a play that closed after two weeks on tour and then he did a vaudeville stint. As she would remember years later, Hughes proceeded to eat 100 pancakes, an entire package of bacon and four cups of coffee. Thank you for taking the time to write it. The private tennis club opened in 1934 and many of the members had connections to the film industry. 1673-1715. Last edited on 28 December 2022, at 21:43, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Powell_and_Myrna_Loy&oldid=1130158920, This page was last edited on 28 December 2022, at 21:43. Van Dyke. Judge people much? [2][3], In 1968, after suffering from depression, hepatitis and kidney problems that had forced him to quit writing, he died by suicide by stabbing himself repeatedly in the upper body while in the shower. He was one of those stars who really reflected the ideals of the golden age of films. It's so amazing that his career started on the stage in the 1910s! Prabook is a registered trademark of World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc. Unlike many silent film actors, he had a fine, resonant baritone speaking voice that allowed for a smooth transition to talkies. sentences ("Things aren't so good here. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861887&cache=false" The Racquet Club became the center of their social life. I have enjoyed classic movies for the first time ever and I am 75 years old. They were close personal friends of my parents in the desert , I was the lucky kid who got to hang out with them ! It was a chance for members of the club to get together and enjoy the game they loved as well as the Palm Springs social scene. Is it why we are in a decayed world? Ambling up the driveway toward the house at 383 W. Vereda Norte was a strange-looking man in tennis shoes holding a cardboard shirt box. Roberts." In 1949, a group was sitting around during the middle of the week trying to figure out what they were going to do that night when Mousiesaid, Why dont we play tennis? They decided that they would play once the sun went down ontennis court one, which would be lit. Born on July 29, 1892, he started his acting career by joining vaudeville and stocks companies. William Powell was on the New York stage by 1912, but it would be ten years before his film career would begin. He and Mousie were both incredible and philanthropic people! Powell was devastated by her death in an airplane crash in 1942. Also, who could forget that 100 plus carat Blue Star Sapphire ring he gave Jean Harlow?!?! Maybe he was more reclusive because of his emotional disability? Mousie and William Powell weresupporters of many charitable events, the professional tennis matches and the weekend parties in the Bamboo Room. I couldn't agree more. The actor was married three times to actresses: Eileen Wilson, briefly to Miss Lombard and in 1940 to Diana Lewis. The Powells were happily married living in Palm Springs for 44 years until his death in 1984. [2] Looking for a job? William Powell, in full William Horatio Powell was a versatile American motion picture and stage actor who played villains in Hollywood silent films and intelligent, debonair leading men in the sound era. You mean like a slug that comments about a man he never knew. Lewis met actor William Powell, who was 27 years her senior, at MGM in 1940. Like Grant, Powell was always suave, sophisticated, graceful, and debonair, even when he was playing wacky slapstick. That success led to his appearance as Professor Moriartys evil henchman in the silent film Sherlock Holmes (1922), starring John Barrymore. He had so much tragedy in his life, but always carried on with such dignity. I love that generation! His quip belied his serious view of his craft. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. One tragedy? Many locals competed as well as celebrities like Dinah Shore and George Montgomery. Theyre a breath of fresh air. Carole Lombard was an American film actress. She was the highest-paid star in Hollywood in the late 1930s. He died in Palm Springs, California, on March 5, 1984, at the age of 91 from heart failure, nearly 30 years after his retirement. I wish it still existed. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1912, Powell debuted on Broadway, playing three small roles in The Neer-Do-Well (1912). In 1937 the actor's career was halted for more than a year by what was then described as a stomach and abdominal ailment, requiring several operations. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1514853&cache=false" The original title was William Powell and His Only Tragedy. Mr. Powell's ideal foil was the chic and peppery Myrna Loy. A nostalgic journey to the past to relive the golden days of entertainment! Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Diana's best friend was Carole Landis. Diana gave Carole a gold cross in 1938 that she wore for the rest of her life, and was buried wearing. The quality of everything he did that year is unbelievable and he even passed on the opportunity to take over John Barrymore's role in Romeo & Juliet. By 1936 Powell was among the top 10 male box office attractions, and four of the five films in which he appeared that year received Academy Award nominations (My Man Godfrey, The Great Ziegfeld, Libeled Lady, and After the Thin Man), with Powell himself earning a nomination as best actor for his deft performance in the title role of My Man Godfrey. I loved William Powell with Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series. How I WISH a time machine would be a reality - Id hightail it back to 1930 and stay. [2] The wedding ceremony which was performed by Judge Eugene Therieau, with his father as best man and Parsons' sister Mrs. Kenneth Zook as matron of honor. She went on to say on her last day on Warner's lot it was just her and some asst carrying all her stuff to her car that night and tere were no farewells or jobs well done or anything like it and she'd basically Warner's main meal ticket some 17 years, so I wasn't surprised reading Powell received little to no recognition. William Powell Height, Weight & Measurements At 92 years old, William Powell height is 5' 11" (1.8 m) . Narcissistic? Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. ""Sure.Then I pick up the morning paper and read that the basic causeof most of the misery and present world depression is overpopulation. Actress Diana Lewis and her husband, actor William Powell, came to spend a long weekend in Palm Springs in 1941 and never left. "[3], Powell was buried at Cathedral City's Desert Memorial Park in Riverside County, California, where his father and his father's last wife, Diana Lewis, are also buried. Also his elevator & drag antics in Love Me Again. He was debonair, handsome and a real gentleman. His son said as a child he was as charmed by his father as everybody else was. Birth: xxx xxxx . Anyone can read what you share. Also starring Teresa Wright from the film cast. I've always had a soft spot for William Powell. His mother died at the young age of 48 in 1942. The actor sought for years to play the individualistic 1880's patriarch in ''Life With Father,'' and reviewers acclaimed it as his finest performance. Spectators began to show up to cheer their favorite players on or just to watch the games. Name on tombstone, Julia M. Powell. William Powell has been one of my very favorites for over 50 years! I think he was a very private man and the pain and loss of his son and his sons struggles were probably more than he want to share. As an adult, William David talked about how, as a child, he acted out and felt more important than he was because he was William Powell's son. So sad. There is a picture of him and his child. Very captivating man, even in his retirement. Among the most popular of his later films are Life with Father (1947), for which he was again nominated for an Academy Award, How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), and Mister Roberts (1955), his final film. In a statement yesterday, Miss Loy recalled, ''I never enjoyed my work more than when I worked with William Powell. It was there that Powell proposed to Lewis in December1939. He is best remembered as Nick Charles in The Thin Man series of films. William Powell was a very caring father. And he is a great musician too! The nearly six-foot-tall actor came to dislike being described as suave and sophisticated. There is some evidence that at the time of her death, Powell and Harlow were no longer in a personal relationship, because he had on several occasions postponed marrying Harlow. In progressing from ''heavies'' to character roles to leading men, he injected subtle comic qualities into his characterizations, transforming even scoundrels into plausible and even somewhat humane characters, no matter how menacing their actions might be. Mousie had a poodle named Lil Darlin at the time and decided the official name of the tournaments winner would be Lil Darlins Mouseburger Tennis Star. The title was a highly sought honor.

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