William powell actor biography

Gentleman: The William Powell Story

November 30,
William Powell was a private man. He was a public figure and yet a complex, private man. Therefore the task before biographer Charles Francisco was a challenging one. Certainly there were plenty of stories in popular Hollywood magazines of the era, tabloid features and interviews, but views into his private life were limited. He married three times and fathered one child, a son, who tragically committed suicide in Aside from his third wife, these significant figures had long departed and there is no indication that wife Diana Lewis chose to reveal the private man. His closest friends, who included Richard Barthelmess and Ronald Colman, had long departed; he outlived almost all of them but Myrna Loy. In fact Powell himself died during Francisco’s research. Yet the author has done a remarkable job in giving us a solid sense of William Powell, the essence of the man and of his life; it was one filled with satisfying successes, occasional frustrations and sometimes all too public tragedies.

If you are a fan of Powell’s, as I am, this book is one to search out and find. The tone is warm and measured, never salacious or engaging in sordid speculation, despite Powell’s romancing and co-starring with some of the most beautiful and sought after women of the early days of Hollywood. Francisco treats his subject, and the numerous Hollywood luminaries and fellow players he encounters, with respect and admiration, pulling from available files, newspaper and magazine articles, archives and Powell’s own writings. In doing so he constructs a portrait of a man who was far from perfect but generally well-intended and truly the gentleman that he hoped to be. Known as a movie star, he was first an actor and an absolute master of his craft.

I was sad to reach this book’s end for to do so was to leave behind a life well-lived. Powell is painted as a man who didn’t always have the answers but who sure as hell tried to find them. Thi
  • How old was william powell when he died

    • William Powell

    American actor (–)

    For other people named William Powell, see William Powell (disambiguation).

    William Powell

    portrait for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by George Hurrell

    Born

    William Horatio Powell


    ()July 29,

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

    DiedMarch 5, () (aged&#;91)

    Palm Springs, California, U.S.

    Resting placeDesert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California, U.S.
    OccupationActor
    Years&#;active–
    Spouses

    Eileen Wilson

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    (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#;

    Carole Lombard

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    (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#;

    Diana Lewis

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    PartnerJean Harlow (–)
    ChildrenWilliam David Powell

    William Horatio Powell (July 29, – March 5, ) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with 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. Powell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times: for The Thin Man (), My Man Godfrey (), and Life with Father ().

    Early life

    Powell was born in Pittsburgh in , the only child of Nettie Manila (née Brady) and Horatio Warren Powell, an accountant. In , young William moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri, where he graduated from Central High School four years later.

    Career

    After high school, Powell enrolled at the University of Kansas to study law, but after a week he relocated to New York City, where he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In , Powell left the AADA, and began working in vaudeville and stock companies. He also appeared on Broadway. Powell began his Hollywood career in , in a production of Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore. He performed as Francis I in When

    Biography

            William Horatio Powell was born on the 29th July, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Nettie Manila and Horatio Warren Powell, who worked as an accountant. In , William and his family moved to Kansas City where he graduated from high school four years later. During this time he had acted in many of the dramatic plays at school and he regularly went to Vaudeville plays with his mother. His parents wanted Bill to become a lawyer (understandably with his great speaking voice) so he enlisted in the University of Kansas in But after only one week, he left and decided to become an actor.

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    For a year, Bill tried to raise money by working by at Kansas City Telephone Company. Unfortunately, this did not work as he was not saving enough money to be able to enrol in the American Acadamy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York. Then he hit upon an idea: he asked his wealthy aunt to loan him enough money and, in , William was enrolled at the AADA. He was classmate to Edward G. Robinson and graduated the following year.

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            After this was a long period of finding jobs. Bill acted in many Vaudeville plays and Stock Companies trying to make a name for himself on the stage. During this time, in , he married his first wife Eileen Wilson, a fellow actress. They had a son together - his only son - William David Powell. Unfortunately, this marriage did not last. They separated shortly after William Jr's birth and finally divorced in After seven years of stage acting, William was finally noticed and given a small part in the film of Sherlock Holmes. Even though he only had the small part of Professor Moriarty's evil accomplice, Bill was noticed for his brilliant performance and so his career in silent films began.

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  • William powell last photo

    • William Powell (–)

    William Horatio Powell was the epitome of the suave, urbane leading man throughout his stage and film career. His most famous role was as the sophisticated detective Nick Charles in Dashiell Hammett’s Thin Man series.

    Powell was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 29, , but the family moved to Kansas City in His accountant father, Horatio Warren, and his mother, Nettie Manila Brady Powell, hoped that he would become a lawyer. Young William, however, was drawn to the theater and worked as an usher at an opera house in order to be around professionals. Powell was active in theater at Central High School, where he landed a supporting role in a school production of The Rivals and was also a cheerleader. He was already determined to become an actor.

    Powell attended the University of Kansas for a short time in , but returned home with the intention of earning enough money to study acting in New York. He worked for a local telephone company and persuaded a wealthy aunt to loan him $ so that he could attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He was a classmate of Edward G. Robinson and Joseph Schildkraut at the school until his money ran out six months later.

    In September , however, Powell was given a walk-on part in the play The Ne’er-Do-Well. In he won a supporting role in Within the Law and toured with the play for nearly two years. In he married Eileen Wilson, a cast member, and they had a son, William David, before they divorced in

    In the s, Powell was one of the movie industry’s leading romantic male performers. He married Carole Lombard, the greatest of the female screwball comedians. Two years later that marriage ended, and he began a much-rumored relationship with Jean Harlow. Lombard in turn married Clark Gable. Powell and Harlow were engaged when she died in Powell’s last marriage, to Diana Lewis in , lasted until his death in

    Although he was a master of romantic comedy, Powell was no stranger to