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Dick Powell
Acting

Dick Powell
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1904-11-14,Mountain View, Arkansas, USA
Gender
Male
Biography
Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American singer, actor, producer, director and studio boss. Born in Mountain View, the seat of Stone County in northern Arkansas, Powell attended the former Little Rock College in the state capital, before he started his entertainment career as a singer with the Charlie Davis Orchestra, based in the midwest. He recorded a number of records with Davis and on his own, for the Vocalion label in the late 1920s. Powell moved to Pittsburgh, where he found great local success as the Master of Ceremonies at the Enright Theater and the Stanley Theater. In April 1930, Warner Bros. bought up Brunswick 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 in Blessed Event. He went on to star as a boyish crooner in movie musicals such as 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames, Flirtation Walk, and On the Avenue, often appearing opposite Ruby Keeler and Joan Blondell. Powell desperately wanted to expand his range but Warner Bros. wouldn't allow him to do so, although they did (mis)cast him in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) as Lysander. This was to be Powell's only Shakespearean role and one he did not want to play, feeling that he was completely wrong for the part. Finally, reaching his forties and knowing that his young romantic leading man days were behind him he lobbied to play the lead in Double Indemnity. He lost out to Fred MacMurray, another Hollywood nice guy. MacMurray’s success, however, fueled Powell’s resolve to pursue projects with greater range and in 1944, he was cast in the first of a series of films noir, as private detective Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film was a big hit and Powell had successfully reinvented himself as a dramatic actor. The following year Dmytryk and Powell re-teamed to make Cornered, a gripping, post-WWII thriller that helped define the film noir style. He became a popular "tough guy" lead appearing in movies such as Johnny O'Clock and Cry Danger. But 1948 saw him step out of the brutish type when he starred in Pitfall, a film noir that sees a bored insurance company worker fall for an innocent but dangerous femme fatale, played by Lizabeth Scott. Even when he appeared in lighter fare such as The Reformer and the Redhead and Susan Slept Here (1954) he never sang in his later roles. The latter, his final onscreen appearance in a feature film, did include a dance number with costar Debbie Reynolds. From 1949-1953, Powell played the lead role in the National Broadcasting Company radio theater production Richard Diamond, Private Detective. His character in the 30-minute weekly was a likable private detective with a quick wit. When Richard Diamond came to television in 1957, the lead role was portrayed by David Janssen.

Filmography

6.9

42nd Street
1933-03-11

Murder, My Sweet

7.2

Murder, My Sweet
1944-12-14

It Happened Tomorrow

6.7

It Happened Tomorrow
1944-03-31

Gold Diggers of 1933

7.2

Gold Diggers of 1933
1933-05-27

The Bad and the Beautiful

7.3

The Bad and the Beautiful
1952-12-25

6.8

Pitfall
1948-08-11

6.7

Cry Danger
1951-02-23

6.3

In the Navy
1941-05-30

The Tall Target

6.9

The Tall Target
1951-08-17

Christmas in July

7

Christmas in July
1940-10-25

Footlight Parade

6.9

Footlight Parade
1933-10-21

6

Cornered
1945-11-23

6.1

Station West
1948-09-01

6.5

Blessed Event
1932-09-10

Broadway Gondolier

5.4

Broadway Gondolier
1935-07-27

Hollywood Hotel

5.4

Hollywood Hotel
1938-01-15

Gold Diggers of 1935

6.426

Gold Diggers of 1935
1935-03-15

6.3

Dames
1934-09-01

The Reformer and the Redhead

6.3

The Reformer and the Redhead
1950-05-05

6

Going Places
1938-12-31

To the Ends of the Earth

5.6

To the Ends of the Earth
1948-02-07

6.1

Johnny O'Clock
1947-01-07

A Midsummer Night's Dream

6.4

A Midsummer Night's Dream
1935-10-09

Susan Slept Here

6.1

Susan Slept Here
1954-07-28

Flirtation Walk

5.3

Flirtation Walk
1934-12-01

Gold Diggers of 1937

5.8

Gold Diggers of 1937
1936-12-28

Meet the People

5

Meet the People
1944-06-01

6.7

On the Avenue
1937-02-12

Star Spangled Rhythm

5.9

Star Spangled Rhythm
1942-03-05

Twenty Million Sweethearts

6

Twenty Million Sweethearts
1934-05-26

Thanks a Million

5.8

Thanks a Million
1935-11-13

5.3

Colleen
1936-03-21

You Never Can Tell

6.4

You Never Can Tell
1951-09-23

Happiness Ahead

6

Happiness Ahead
1934-10-27

6.2

Wonder Bar
1934-03-31

The King's Vacation

5

The King's Vacation
1933-02-25

5.75

Varsity Show
1937-09-04

Cowboy from Brooklyn

4

Cowboy from Brooklyn
1938-07-09

4.3

College Coach
1933-11-04

4

Happy Go Lucky
1943-01-04

The Road Is Open Again

0

The Road Is Open Again
1933-01-30

5

Hearts Divided
1936-06-20

Page Miss Glory

6.3

Page Miss Glory
1935-09-07

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

6.5

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983-02-25

Shipmates Forever

6.5

Shipmates Forever
1935-10-12

6.6

Right Cross
1950-10-06

4

Stage Struck
1936-09-12

Just Around the Corner

6

Just Around the Corner
1933-01-17

4

Riding High
1943-11-11

I Want a Divorce

0

I Want a Divorce
1940-09-20

Naughty But Nice

6.2

Naughty But Nice
1939-06-23

The Singing Marine

4

The Singing Marine
1937-07-03

6

Hard to Get
1938-11-05

6

True to Life
1943-12-24

Rogues' Regiment

6.5

Rogues' Regiment
1948-12-28

Convention City

3.5

Convention City
1933-12-14

Hollywood Hobbies

5.6

Hollywood Hobbies
1939-05-03

42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

6

42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
2006-03-21

Going Hollywood: The '30s

10

Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984-01-01

Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored

5.5

Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
2013-01-29

0

Model Wife
1941-04-17

Too Busy to Work

4

Too Busy to Work
1932-12-02

Who Killed Julie Greer?

0

Who Killed Julie Greer?
1961-09-26

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

0

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
2024-06-28

0

Ricochet
1961-10-03

Hollywood Newsreel

4

Hollywood Newsreel
1934-03-24

Television: The First Fifty Years

0

Television: The First Fifty Years
1999-01-01

Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound

5.5

Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound
2006-03-21

2

Mrs. Mike
1949-12-23

One And One Is One

5

One And One Is One
1936-01-01

5.3

Big City Blues
1932-09-18

Breakdowns of 1938

5

Breakdowns of 1938
1938-12-31

Three Cheers for the Girls

6.2

Three Cheers for the Girls
1943-05-08

Things You Never See on the Screen

5

Things You Never See on the Screen
1935-12-01

A Dream Comes True

5.5

A Dream Comes True
1935-12-31

Breakdowns of 1937

6

Breakdowns of 1937
1937-12-31

Blow-Ups of 1947

6.3

Blow-Ups of 1947
1947-12-31

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

5.7

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975-08-06

And She Learned About Dames

6

And She Learned About Dames
1934-03-27

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

6

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936-09-11

The Love Goddesses

6.3

The Love Goddesses
1965-03-03

7

It's Showtime
1976-03-31

That's Dancing!

7

That's Dancing!
1985-01-18

Studio Highlights

0

Studio Highlights
1934-08-01

This Is Your Life

6.4

This Is Your Life
1952-10-01

2.7

Climax!
1954-10-07

The DuPont Show of the Week

6

The DuPont Show of the Week
1961-09-17

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

6.3

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959-09-21

The Emmy Awards

7.5

The Emmy Awards
1949-01-25

Lux Video Theatre

5.5

Lux Video Theatre
1950-10-02

The Dick Powell Show

4.2

The Dick Powell Show
1961-09-26

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

5.5

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956-10-05

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

6.3

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959-09-21

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

Four Star Playhouse

5.7

Four Star Playhouse
1952-09-25

The Ed Sullivan Show

6.5

The Ed Sullivan Show
1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show

6.5

The Ed Sullivan Show
1948-06-20

What's My Line?

6.6

What's My Line?
1950-02-02

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

5.7

Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957-07-29

What's My Line?

6.6

What's My Line?
1950-02-02