Acting
Dick Powell
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
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
Film · 2024
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
Film · 2013
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
Film · 2012
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Film · 2006
Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound
Film · 2006
Television: The First Fifty Years
Film · 1999
American Experience
Series · 1988
That's Dancing!
Film · 1985
Going Hollywood: The '30s
Film · 1984
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Film · 1983
It's Showtime
Film · 1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Film · 1975
Who Killed Julie Greer?
Film · 1961
Ricochet
Film · 1961
One Must Die
Film · 1961
The DuPont Show of the Week
Series · 1961
The Dick Powell Show
Series · 1961
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Series · 1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Series · 1959
The All-Star Christmas Show
Film · 1958
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Series · 1957
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Series · 1956
Susan Slept Here
Film · 1954
Climax!
Series · 1954
The Bad and the Beautiful
Film · 1952
This Is Your Life
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Cry Danger
Film · 1951
The Tall Target
Film · 1951
You Never Can Tell
Film · 1951
The Reformer and the Redhead
Film · 1950
Right Cross
Film · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
The Jack Benny Program
Series · 1950
Mrs. Mike
Film · 1949
The Emmy Awards
Series · 1949
Pitfall
Film · 1948
Station West
Film · 1948
To the Ends of the Earth
Film · 1948
Rogues' Regiment
Film · 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Series · 1948
Johnny O'Clock
Film · 1947
Blow-Ups of 1947
Film · 1947
Cornered
Film · 1945
Murder, My Sweet
Film · 1944
It Happened Tomorrow
Film · 1944
Meet the People
Film · 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944
Happy Go Lucky
Film · 1943
Riding High
Film · 1943
True to Life
Film · 1943
Three Cheers for the Girls
Film · 1943
Star Spangled Rhythm
Film · 1942
In the Navy
Film · 1941
Model Wife
Film · 1941
Christmas in July
Film · 1940
I Want a Divorce
Film · 1940
Naughty but Nice
Film · 1939
Hollywood Hobbies
Film · 1939
Hollywood Hotel
Film · 1938
Going Places
Film · 1938
Cowboy from Brooklyn
Film · 1938
Hard to Get
Film · 1938
Breakdowns of 1938
Film · 1938
On the Avenue
Film · 1937
Varsity Show
Film · 1937
The Singing Marine
Film · 1937
Breakdowns of 1937
Film · 1937
Gold Diggers of 1937
Film · 1936
Colleen
Film · 1936
Hearts Divided
Film · 1936
Stage Struck
Film · 1936
One And One Is One
Film · 1936
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
Film · 1936
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 5"
Film · 1936
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 1, From beginning"
Film · 1936
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 3, Normie"
Film · 1936
Broadway Gondolier
Film · 1935
Gold Diggers of 1935
Film · 1935
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Film · 1935
Thanks a Million
Film · 1935
Page Miss Glory
Film · 1935
Shipmates Forever
Film · 1935
Things You Never See on the Screen
Film · 1935
A Dream Comes True
Film · 1935
Dames
Film · 1934
Flirtation Walk
Film · 1934
Twenty Million Sweethearts
Film · 1934
Happiness Ahead
Film · 1934
Wonder Bar
Film · 1934
Hollywood Newsreel
Film · 1934
And She Learned About Dames
Film · 1934
Studio Highlights
Film · 1934
Hollywood on Parade No. B-10
Film · 1934
42nd Street
Film · 1933
Gold Diggers of 1933
Film · 1933
Footlight Parade
Film · 1933
The King's Vacation
Film · 1933
College Coach
Film · 1933
The Road Is Open Again
Film · 1933
Just Around the Corner
Film · 1933
Convention City
Film · 1933
Blessed Event
Film · 1932
Too Busy to Work
Film · 1932
Big City Blues
Film · 1932