William Powell
French postcard by Viny, no. 6. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
William Powell (1892-1984) was an American actor, whose career began in silent film. He is best known for the Thin Man film series in which he starred opposite Myrna Loy. Powell was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor a total of three times.
William Horatio Powell was born in Pittsburgh in 1892. He always wanted to act. When he was 18, he started studying drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He graduated in 1912. He then went to Broadway. In 1922 he began a career in Hollywood with a role alongside Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (Robert G. Vignola, 1922). In 1924 he signed a studio contract with Paramount Pictures and went on to star in numerous productions, including the now-lost 1926 premiere of The Great Gatsby (Herbert Brenon, 1926), starring Warner Baxter and Lois Wilson. In the silent era, he primarily played sinister characters such as thieves, blackmailers, and bad husbands. He finally attracted attention as Leo, the arrogant film director in Josef von Sternberg's The Last Command (1928) alongside Emil Jannings. The big success for Powell came with the advent of the talkies in the late 1920s, which also showcased his pleasant voice. The crime film The Canary Murder Case (Malcolm St. Clair, Frank Tuttle, 1929), in which he portrayed Philo Vance, the private detective best known from the novels of S. S. Van Dine, who investigates the death of Louise Brooks, "the Canary." It established him in more positive roles. Together with Kay Francis, Powell formed an on-screen pair in six films from 1930 to 1932. In 1931, he married actress Carole Lombard, whom he divorced in 1933.
In 1934, William Powell went to MGM, where he was teamed with Myrna Loy in Manhattan Melodrama (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934). While Philo Vance made Powell a star, another detective, Nick Charles, made him famous. Powell received an Academy Award nomination for the role of the wealthy amateur detective Nick Charles in the crime comedy The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934) with Myrna Loy as his wealthy wife Nora. Between 1934 and 1947 he appeared in 14 films as Loy's partner. In 1935, he had a relationship with Jean Harlow and they got engaged. However, they never married. Harlow died in 1937. Powell starred in the Best Picture winner for 1936, The Great Ziegfeld (Robert Z. Leonard, 1936). He received his second Academy Award nomination for My Man Godfrey (1936) and his third for his work in Life with Father (Michael Curtiz, 1947) with Irene Dunne and Elizabeth Taylor. His screen appearances became less frequent after that, and his last role was in Mister Roberts (John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, 1955). William Powell died of natural causes in Palm Springs in 1984. He was married three time. His wives were Eileen Wilson (1915-1930), Carole Lombard (1931-1933) and Diana Lewis (1940-1984 - his death). With Wilson, he had a son, William Powell. His son stabbed himself to death while taking a shower. He left a four-page good-bye letter to his father, with whom he was very close.
Sources: Tony Fontana (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
William Powell
French postcard by Viny, no. 6. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
William Powell (1892-1984) was an American actor, whose career began in silent film. He is best known for the Thin Man film series in which he starred opposite Myrna Loy. Powell was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor a total of three times.
William Horatio Powell was born in Pittsburgh in 1892. He always wanted to act. When he was 18, he started studying drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He graduated in 1912. He then went to Broadway. In 1922 he began a career in Hollywood with a role alongside Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (Robert G. Vignola, 1922). In 1924 he signed a studio contract with Paramount Pictures and went on to star in numerous productions, including the now-lost 1926 premiere of The Great Gatsby (Herbert Brenon, 1926), starring Warner Baxter and Lois Wilson. In the silent era, he primarily played sinister characters such as thieves, blackmailers, and bad husbands. He finally attracted attention as Leo, the arrogant film director in Josef von Sternberg's The Last Command (1928) alongside Emil Jannings. The big success for Powell came with the advent of the talkies in the late 1920s, which also showcased his pleasant voice. The crime film The Canary Murder Case (Malcolm St. Clair, Frank Tuttle, 1929), in which he portrayed Philo Vance, the private detective best known from the novels of S. S. Van Dine, who investigates the death of Louise Brooks, "the Canary." It established him in more positive roles. Together with Kay Francis, Powell formed an on-screen pair in six films from 1930 to 1932. In 1931, he married actress Carole Lombard, whom he divorced in 1933.
In 1934, William Powell went to MGM, where he was teamed with Myrna Loy in Manhattan Melodrama (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934). While Philo Vance made Powell a star, another detective, Nick Charles, made him famous. Powell received an Academy Award nomination for the role of the wealthy amateur detective Nick Charles in the crime comedy The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934) with Myrna Loy as his wealthy wife Nora. Between 1934 and 1947 he appeared in 14 films as Loy's partner. In 1935, he had a relationship with Jean Harlow and they got engaged. However, they never married. Harlow died in 1937. Powell starred in the Best Picture winner for 1936, The Great Ziegfeld (Robert Z. Leonard, 1936). He received his second Academy Award nomination for My Man Godfrey (1936) and his third for his work in Life with Father (Michael Curtiz, 1947) with Irene Dunne and Elizabeth Taylor. His screen appearances became less frequent after that, and his last role was in Mister Roberts (John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, 1955). William Powell died of natural causes in Palm Springs in 1984. He was married three time. His wives were Eileen Wilson (1915-1930), Carole Lombard (1931-1933) and Diana Lewis (1940-1984 - his death). With Wilson, he had a son, William Powell. His son stabbed himself to death while taking a shower. He left a four-page good-bye letter to his father, with whom he was very close.
Sources: Tony Fontana (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.