All results for William Powell. I agree that William Powell was an exceptional actor, and tonight, I learned that he was an exceptional man as well. William also survived the suicide. Unfortunately, his career is underrated. It was a pleasure to read it, along with the above comments. Powell tried very hard to shield his son from Hollywood when he was growing up. Also known as Julie M. Tierney, Julia Tierney, Julie M. Powell, and Jule M. Powell. 1 quote sticks in my mind about him, from Lombard.."the sob was acting, even in his pyjamas!" [1][2] She almost did not get the role. William Powell remains one of the greatest film actors of all time. He then worked in road and stock companies before appearing as the heros rival in the hit Broadway play Spanish Love (1920). He left a four-page note addressed to his father, to whom he was still very close. Hollywood hating nothing quite so much as being caught with its rumors down, wailed several assorted moans to high heaven., Powell had been briefly married to Carole Lombard. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861879&cache=false" He also worked as a story editor and coordinator, later an associate producer at Warner Bros. and Universal Studios, and held an executive position at NBC. Later he wanted to cast Loy as the mother in Marnie (she'd have been heartbreaking). But his most famous pairing was with Myrna Loy, as the witty, wealthy, cocktail-drinking husband-and-wife detective team Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man (1934), based on Dashiell Hammetts novel of the same name. William Powell was engaged to marry Jean Harlow, his co-star in Reckless (1935), until her sudden death in 1937. The marble mausoleum cost him $25,000 and had an additional space . William Powell, the debonair film star who epitomized the suave, cosmopolitan leading man of the 1930s and 1940s, died early Monday of old age at Desert Hospital in Palm Springs, his attending. He served as an associate producer at Warner Brothers Studios and at Universal Studios as well as holding a position at NBC. Violence, nudity and foul language rule today's Hollywood, and that's why I don't bother watching any movies done after the Lord of the Rings and Matrix trilogies. 2023 www.desertsun.com. His father was also his best man. Decades later, he acknowledged that the illness had been rectal cancer. "[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. There's no evidence Powell was a narcissist parent. Write to her atpshstracy@gmail.com. Well said! The nearly six-foot-tall actor came to dislike being described as suave and sophisticated. 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. She appeared on Broadway in supporting rolls between 1917 and 1931. The Brits do, but their actors don't specialize and they do a number of things. ''Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends,'' he said, ''rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances.''. Powell, Cary Grant, and the much underrated supporting actor Edward Everett Horton are my all time favorites. Mr. Powell's ideal foil was the chic and peppery Myrna Loy. Powell petitioned his ex-wife Lombard for the role, saying the dynamic between the two . Seems he and his first wife made many attempts at reconciliation during their time together. I too wish that I could transport myself into the times of real Hollywood, the 30s, 40s and 50s. Powell retired from acting in 1955 and moved to Palm Springs with his third wife, actress Diana Lewis, whom he married in 1940. [2] 2023 www.desertsun.com. and My Man Godfrey with Lombard! Was the short marriage to Carol Lombard a rebound relationship, considering his 3rd marriage lasted for 40+ years? He was laid to rest at Cathedral City's Desert Memorial Park in Riverside County, California. William David Powell was an American writer and associate producer. This story is NOT about William Powell and the kind of actor he may have been, it's about a lonely child who had a tough time growing! Im watching him now on TCM! Diana gave Carole a gold cross in 1938 that she wore for the rest of her life, and was buried wearing. He was also romantically linked with Jean Harlow in the year before her death in 1937. William Powell was born on February 27, 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. What an ignorant comment. Powell's son became a television writer and producer before a period of ill health led to his suicide in 1968.On June 26, 1931, William Powell married actress Carole Lombard. Powell was already a well-established leading man in Hollywood prior to their teaming, dating back to the silent era, but it was the great success of The Thin Man that made Loy a star. In 1907, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri. Louis B. Mayer had already cast her in Stamboul Quest, and only agreed to let her play Nora Charles if the picture could be shot in three weeks. Born the only child of William Powell and his first wife Eileen Wilson nine years into their on again off again marriage during a period of reconciliation between the two. [4], "Bill Powell Jr. Weds Former Child Actress", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_David_Powell&oldid=1114510168, This page was last edited on 6 October 2022, at 21:33. a famous friend overheard this conversation and wrote about it! I appreciate so much your sharing this story about his life. Desert Memorial Park in Riverside County, California. His life was marked by tragedies, yet he retained his dignity and will to live. I couldn't agree more. 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). I read that He dated Norma Shearer (I hope I got that correct); and during their courtship, he gifted her with a beautifully hand-carved mahogany cabinet full of bottles of every exquisite perfume you could think of! src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861887&cache=false" I love William Powell alsoI had an uncle who looked just like him too! He became a star as detective Philo Vance in the talkie The Canary Murder Case (1929), based on a novel by S.S. Van Dine. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861876&cache=false" Initially, they made their home in Beverly Hills so that they could be close to the studio. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861852&cache=false" 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. He lost a very young Jean Harlow in the 1930s. Your tribute was lovely by the way! He then worked in road and stock companies before appearing as the heros rival in the hit Broadway play Spanish Love (1920). 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). Instead, she was buried in a private vault, paid for by then-boyfriend William Powell, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. His kindness, intelligence, humor, generosity & sweetness was always what you would hear about him. When Palm Springs made their Walk of Stars, William Powell was one of the first ones honored. Powell, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, Myrna Loywe just don't have that variety and depth today. He was 91 years old. Loy also had an uncredited cameo in their 14th and last film together, The Senator Was Indiscreet, which starred Powell. After surviving Harlow & Lombard, he married a starlet, a union that lasted to his death (decades after beating cancer - why he missed starring opposite Garbo in Ninotchka. His movies were hits with the public and brought into the studio coffers much coinage, yet he was never properly thanked for his work by his peers in the industry. Powell had become a member of the Racquet Club prior to their marriage. Altogether, Powell appeared in more than 30 silents, usually playing a dastardly villain, notably in Romola (1924), Beau Geste (1926), and The Last Command (1928). A home at Paramount followed, where Powell primarily played heavies. His partnership with Myrna Loy is among the best comedy ever put on film. Only Hitchcock could look @ Nick & Nora Charles & see a serial killer & broken down old whore! The Thin Man: Directed by W.S. After all, he did work in the industry. It's so amazing that his career started on the stage in the 1910s! Father: xxxxxxx Powell. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861881&cache=false" You'll never see that again. The Mouseburger was its very own social scene. Unlike Lombard, Lewis settled in as Mrs. Powell, giving up her movie career and plunging into life in Palm Springs. A true star of the silver screen. // William Powell is/was one of my favorites. Myrna Loy mentions in her memoirs that Powell Sr. was also prone to depression. He would become a television writer, whose work was seen on such series . [6] They married at a dude ranch in Nevada on January 5, 1940, [7] after a courtship of less than a month. (December 22, 1956 - September 25, 1957) (divorced), (May 10, 1947 - 1953) (divorced, 1 child), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. I was born in the wrong era for sure. By all indications, he had a great relationship with both his father and stepmother. As they group lounged post-play eating, Caroline Hicks,then wife of Harold Hicks the realtor whod sold the Powells their house said, These arent hamburgers, theyre Mouseburgers. The name stuck. In December 1939, just after the photoshoot, the couple spent the weekend at The Desert Inn, where Powell proposed to Lewis. Who Is William Powell's Wife? Im just 45, but I watch golden oldies more than anything. William Powell became a star as detective Philo Vance in the talkie The Canary Murder Case (1929), based on a novel by S.S. Van Dine. The baby pictured with William Powell was not his son. The smoothest, most debonair man who ever graced the screen. William Powell was one of my favourite actors. Hollywood will never be the same. He is truly one of my favorites! As his romantic exploits had been newsworthy and protean, having included the most famous blonde female movie stars of the 1930s, his three-week. "Honest analysis" of a stranger. I have been in love with William Powell and Myrna Loy since I was a child. The role earned Powell his first Academy Award nomination. 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. When he walked into a room, everybody noticed. From the time William Powell brought his ex-wife and son to Hollywood, he kept did his best to keep them out of the public eye. Roberts with Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon. four paged note addressed to his father, of which only the last two He started making speeches soon after he could talk, according to his mother, the former Nettie Brady. After ill health precipitated his resignation, he was diagnosed with hepatitis and kidney ailments. How bitterly ironic that Powell's son should suffer kidney problems. Instead of headingto Yosemite, they headedto Palm Springs and purchased the Mediterranean-style villa in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood. Jr knew how proud his father was. One tragedy? And what actresses during Powell's dayWe can only watch all those wonderful movies and dream about a bygone era. Was the conversation by famous friend (some friend) written in a book or in an interview? I could watch them over and over again. His lifelong struggle with depression deepened, and at the age of 43, he wrote his father a four page farewell stating that he was " going where it's better," stepped into a shower, and stabbed himself to death on March 13, 1968. George Robbins, the food and beverage manager, suggested that after the match they have a hamburger cookout by the pool. They had class! Any insightful stories from your childhood time with the Powells? As a boy he was apparently plagued by emotional problems. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. They were divorced in 1933, though they, too, remained on good terms, even starring together in the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey three years later. When asked why he seldom left the desert at all and almost never visited New York City again, Powell quipped, Why should I? [8] Lewis was a supporter of the LPGA tour. I have enjoyed classic movies for the first time ever and I am 75 years old. Mr.. Also starring Teresa Wright from the film cast. See the article in its original context from. 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. So many stars were there for him and not too many years after resuming his career he lost both his ex-wives, becoming a single parent. This wasn't a rant, it was a very well-considered and well-written tribute to a great actor and a fine man. William Powell was on the New York stage by 1912, but it would be ten years before his film career would begin. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861883&cache=false" Stage Actress who worked under the name of Eileen Wilson. They divorced on September 19, 1957. He knew when to retire, when his sophisticated debonair appearance started declining, William Powell called it quits at age 63 settling in Palm Springs where he enjoyed more then 25 years of blissful life. What a remarkable man! The affectionate sparring and chemistry between Powell and Loy delighted audiences, and the pair went on to make five more Thin Man movies together. I looked for pictures and thought I would be the same if it was possible being so famous! src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861902&cache=false" The one ex was Carole Lombard, who stood by him when he was so ill, and her death was also heartbreaking for him. These were broadcast in front of a live audience and its nice to hear them speak as themselves after the show too. Powell is possibly the only actor to star in a classic comedy with his ex-wife. Family (3) Trivia (4) Only child of actor William Powell. I loved William Powell with Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series. The first two marriages ended in divorce. His mother died at the young age of 48 in 1942. Both are buried at Desert Memorial Park down the way from several of their other famous friends. One of the greatest! In fact, the studio thought that he was away. They would finally divorce five years later. Thanks for posting it. ''I highly recommend worrying,'' he replied. He was a writer and producer, known for. They found an ideal place where work could become play. The actor's wry, winning cynicism brightened such classics as the comedy-murder mystery ''Thin Man'' series, the farce ''My Man Godfrey,'' the musical spectacle ''The Great Ziegfeld'' and the period comedy ''Life With Father.''. 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. By 1930 Powell had progressed to playing suave, sophisticated men-about-town in light mysteries and romantic comedies. He should be mentioned in the same breath as Gable, Grant, Cooper and all the other powerhouse stars of that era.Another actor who I find very underrated is a young Robert Montgomery. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. She had first been introduced to her soon-to-be husband at a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer luncheon for dignitaries. She would be the unofficial queen of the desert, social hostess and chief philanthropist for the next 50 years. THANK YOU for your honest analysis of this very sad situation! He died on March 13, 1968 in the USA. The couple would come down and stay in a bungalow. William Horatio Powell was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the Thin Man series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters created by Dashiell Hammett. I thought that child looked like the one who played Nick Jr in one of the Thin Man movies. If anyone wants to learn what great acting is, these are the ones to study. himself repeatedly in the upper body whilst in the shower. It was, of course, sheer fate that sent young, beautiful, tiny Diana Lewis to William Powells swimming pool to make publicity pictures. No easy answers. Unlike many silent film actors, Powell had a fine, resonant baritone speaking voice that allowed for a smooth transition to talkies. Altogether, Powell appeared in more than 30 silents, usually playing a dastardly villain, notably in Romola (1924), Beau Geste (1926), and The Last Command (1928). One newspaper noted, Hollywood heard the news with open-mouthed surprise. Sheila - Agreed! Unbeknownst to Diana Lewis, a plan for a publicity photo layout at Powells home was concocted with Larry Barbie, a publicity man for the studio. You mean like a slug that comments about a man he never knew. 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. Only three weeks later, they eloped and were married in a grove of trees on the Hidden Well Ranch near Las Vegas just after the new year in 1940. During his last years William Powell had self-conscious of a hearing problem, and he was rarely seen in public. Jobs in the United States >>>, src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1514850&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1514853&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861847&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861852&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861862&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861875&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861876&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861877&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861878&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861879&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861880&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861881&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861882&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861883&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861884&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861885&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861886&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861887&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861888&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861889&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861890&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861891&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861898&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", src="/web/img/loading.gif" data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861902&cache=false" alt="Other photo of William Powell" class="gallery__img" height="167", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1514850&cache=false" William Powell's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. Dont forget his signature Fedoras. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=1861888&cache=false" These quotes show him to be a rare kind of man. He was a great actor and he got everybody's attention when he was on screen. Look at Hugh Laurie's career from goofy prince in Blackadder to "House". In 1949, during the middle of the week, a group of stars were trying to figure out how to amuse themselves after dark when Mousie suggested they play tennis on the one court at the club equipped with lights. I enjoyed him with Kay Francis in One Way passage and a favorite was the great Ziegfeld. Resting place Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California, U.S. It was reported that there was a pregnancy that resulted from his relationship with Jean Harlow that was aborted. Jean Harlow's death devastated him, shortly after he, himself, came so close to death with illness. George Robbins, the food and beverage manager, suggested that after the match was finished they cook hamburgers out by the pool. William Powell was anything but narcissistic. Tracy and Hepburn seemed to like to play at war; Powell and Loy seemed to savor playing at play. When he reached stardom, he also helped polish his scripts. He would go on to play opposite such glamorous Hollywood leading ladies as Kay Francis, Carole Lombard, and Jean Harlow. Good catch!
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