William Powell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Powell
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1936 portrait for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by George Hurrell
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| Born |
William Horatio Powell
July 29, 1892 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | March 5, 1984 (aged 91) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1911–1955 |
| Spouse(s) |
Eileen Wilson
(m. 1915; div. 1930)Diana Lewis
(m. 1940) |
| Children | William David Powell |
William Horatio Powell (born July 29, 1892 – died March 5, 1984) was a famous American actor. He was a big star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a major film studio. He often acted with Myrna Loy in 14 movies. Their most famous films were the Thin Man series. In these movies, they played the detective characters Nick and Nora Charles, created by Dashiell Hammett. William Powell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times. These nominations were for his roles in The Thin Man (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), and Life with Father (1947).
Contents
Early Life and Start in Acting
William Powell was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1892. He was the only child of Nettie Manila Brady and Horatio Warren Powell. His father worked as an accountant. In 1907, William and his family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. He finished high school there four years later.
After high school, William Powell went to the University of Kansas. His parents wanted him to study law. But after only one week, he left the university. He moved to New York City to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1912, he left the academy after a year. He then worked in different types of theater shows, including vaudeville.
After acting successfully on Broadway, he started his Hollywood film career in 1922. His first movie role was a small part in Sherlock Holmes. He played a bad guy working for Professor Moriarty. He also played Francis I in When Knighthood Was in Flower. This movie was considered very expensive to make at the time.
Becoming a Star
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For most of the 1920s, William Powell worked for Paramount Pictures. At first, he often played villains in movies. As he gained more experience, he started playing leading roles. He acted alongside famous actresses like Bebe Daniels, Evelyn Brent, and Kay Francis. When Powell left Paramount to join Warner Bros., Kay Francis also moved with him. They made seven movies together. One of their most successful films was One Way Passage.
One of his most famous roles in silent movies was in The Last Command (1928). He played a film director who wanted revenge. This movie was very successful. William Powell also had a clear and pleasant speaking voice. This helped him get his first starring role in a "talkie" (a movie with sound). He played the detective Philo Vance in The Canary Murder Case (1929). He played Philo Vance three more times for Paramount Pictures and once for Warner Bros.
Many people in Hollywood liked William Powell. Actress Marion Shilling worked with him in Shadow of the Law. She said he was "one of the kindest human beings I have ever met." She felt he was very thoughtful and helped her feel comfortable.
The Thin Man Series and Other Hits
William Powell's most famous role was Nick Charles in the Thin Man movies. There were six films in the series, starting with The Thin Man in 1934. These movies were based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett. The role of Nick Charles was perfect for Powell. It allowed him to show off his charming and witty personality. He also had a great speaking voice. He received his first Academy Award nomination for The Thin Man.
Myrna Loy played his wife, Nora, in all the Thin Man films. Their partnership on screen was very popular. They first acted together with Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama in 1934. They appeared in 14 movies together in total.
Loy and Powell also starred in The Great Ziegfeld (1936), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Powell played the main character, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., and Loy played Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke. In the same year, he received his second Academy Award nomination for the comedy My Man Godfrey.
In 1935, he acted with Jean Harlow in Reckless. They became very close. In 1936, they were in another movie together, the comedy Libeled Lady. This film also starred Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy. Sadly, Jean Harlow became very ill and passed away in June 1937 at age 26. William Powell was very sad about her death. He also faced his own health challenges. These events caused him to take on fewer acting roles.
Powell's career slowed down in the 1940s. However, he received his third Academy Award nomination in 1947. This was for his role as Clarence Day Sr. in Life with Father. His last movie was Mister Roberts in 1955. In this film, he played "Doc" alongside Henry Fonda, James Cagney, and Jack Lemmon.
Personal Life
On April 15, 1915, William Powell married Eileen Wilson. They had one son, William David Powell. He was William Powell's only child. William and Eileen divorced in 1930, but they remained friends. Their son, William David Powell, later became a television writer and producer. He passed away in 1968 after a period of illness.
On June 26, 1931, Powell married actress Carole Lombard. Their marriage lasted a little over two years, and they divorced in 1933. However, they also remained on good terms. They even starred together in the comedy My Man Godfrey three years later. William Powell was very upset when Carole Lombard died in an airplane crash in 1942.
He was planning to marry Jean Harlow, his co-star from Reckless (1935). But she passed away suddenly in 1937. On January 6, 1940, William Powell married his third wife, actress Diana Lewis. They had met just three weeks before. He stayed married to Diana Lewis until his death in 1984.
William Powell was a Republican. He supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.
Health and Later Years
In March 1938, William Powell was diagnosed with a type of cancer. He had surgery and special treatments. Within two years, he was completely free of the disease. Because of his own health issues and his sadness over Jean Harlow's death, Powell did not take on any film roles for more than a year during this time.
William Powell passed away in Palm Springs, California, on March 5, 1984. He was 91 years old and died from pneumonia. This was almost 30 years after he retired from acting. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. His third wife, Diana Lewis, and his son, William David Powell, are buried nearby.
Honors and Awards
Academy Awards Nominations
- 1934 Best Actor – The Thin Man
- 1936 Best Actor – My Man Godfrey
- 1947 Best Actor – Life with Father
Other Recognitions
William Powell won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in 1947. This was for his roles in Life with Father and The Senator Was Indiscreet.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1636 Vine Street.
In 1992, a Golden Palm Star was placed on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars to honor him.
Images for kids
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Powell and John Barrymore in Sherlock Holmes (1922)
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Powell, Marion Shilling, Regis Toomey, Natalie Moorhead in Shadow of the Law (1930)
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Lobby card with Carole Lombard in Man of the World (1931)
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Lobby card with Powell, Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy in Libeled Lady (1936)
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Lobby card featuring Myrna Loy and Powell in After the Thin Man (1936)
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Carole Lombard and Powell in My Man Godfrey (1936)
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Irene Dunne and Powell in Life with Father (1947)
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Powell, Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, and Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
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