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William Powell

William Powell

Highest Rated: 100% One Way Passage (1932)

Lowest Rated: 52% The Great Gatsby (1926)

Birthday: Jul 29, 1892

Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Known for his breezy sophistication and the crackerjack repartee he so drolly exchanged with frequent co-star Myrna Loy, actor William Powell reigned as one of Hollywood's most urbane leading men for more than 20 years. With his dark features and nattily-trimmed mustache, Powell was usually cast as a villain or henchman in the waning days of silent film. Ultimately, his sonorous, erudite voice, honed to perfection during his years in live theater, allowed Powell's talent to shine through in sound offerings like "The Canary Murder Case" (1929). After moving to MGM and starring in the surprise hit "Manhattan Melodrama" (1934), Powell took on the biggest role of his career opposite Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, respectively, in "The Thin Man" (1934). At the height of his popularity, Powell enjoyed great commercial and critical success for the multiple "Thin Man" films, in addition to revered efforts like "The Great Ziegfeld" (1936) and "My Man Godfrey" (1936), until the sudden death of his lover Jean Harlow and a bout with cancer nearly put an end to it all. Thankfully, he rebounded from both, marrying actress Diana Lewis in 1940 and going on to earn the best notices of his career in the family-comedy, "Life with Father" (1947). Following appearances in "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953) and "Mister Roberts" (1955), the 63-year-old retired peacefully to Palm Springs until his death at the age 91. Suave, debonair and devilishly funny, Powell personified all that was grand about Hollywood's fabled Golden Age.

Highest rated movies

100% 83% Love Crazy
100% 83% I Love You Again
100% 66% The Kennel Murder Case
100% 80% One Way Passage
98% 94% The Thin Man
97% 90% My Man Godfrey
96% 90% After the Thin Man
95% 91% The Last Command

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Henchman's War Executive Producer - 2012
93% 85% Mister Roberts Lt. "Doc" (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 23% The Girl Who Had Everything Steve Latimer (Character) - 1953
82% 78% How to Marry a Millionaire J.D. Hanley (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Treasure of Lost Canyon Homer "Doc" Brown (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 20% Take One False Step Professor Andrew Gentling (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dancing in the Dark Emery Slade (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet 46% Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid Mr. Peabody (Character) - 1948
92% 77% Life With Father Clarence Day, Sr. (Character) - 1947
91% 71% Song of the Thin Man Nick Charles (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet 86% The Senator Was Indiscreet Senator Melvin G. Ashton (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Hoodlum Saint Terence Ellerton "Terry" O'Neill (Character) - 1946
69% 58% Ziegfeld Follies Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (Character) - 1946
75% 79% The Thin Man Goes Home Nick Charles (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 25% The Heavenly Body William S. Whitley (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet 46% Crossroads David Talbot (Character) - 1942
89% 78% Shadow of the Thin Man Nick Charles (Character) - 1941
100% 83% Love Crazy Steve Ireland (Character) - 1941
100% 83% I Love You Again Larry Wilson aka George Carey (Character) - 1940
86% 85% Another Thin Man Nick Charles (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Baroness and the Butler Johann Porok (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 65% Double Wedding Charles Lodge (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 50% The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Charles (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 47% The Emperor's Candlesticks Baron Stephan Wolensky (Character) - 1937
96% 90% After the Thin Man Nick Charles (Character) - 1936
88% 88% Libeled Lady Bill Chandler (Character) - 1936
71% 50% The Great Ziegfeld Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (Character) - 1936
97% 90% My Man Godfrey Godfrey (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet 56% The Ex-Mrs. Bradford Dr. Lawrence Bradford (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet 44% Rendezvous Lt. William "Bill" Gordon/Anson Meridan (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet 44% Reckless Ned Riley (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet 41% Star of Midnight Clay "Dal" Dalzell (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet Escapade Fritz (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet 55% Fashions Sherwood Nash (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet 60% Evelyn Prentice John Prentice (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet 67% The Key Capt. Bill Tennant (Character) - 1934
98% 94% The Thin Man Nick Charles (Character) - 1934
81% 71% Manhattan Melodrama Jim Wade (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet No Score Yet High Peril Capt. Bill Tennant (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet 61% Double Harness John Fletcher (Character) - 1933
100% 66% The Kennel Murder Case Philo Vance (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet 43% Man Killer Donald Free (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet 48% Lawyer Man Anton `'Tony'` Adam (Character) - 1932
100% 80% One Way Passage Dan (Character) - 1932
83% 68% Jewel Robbery The Robber (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet 25% High Pressure Gar Evans (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet 31% Man of the World Michael Trevor (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ladies' Man Jamie Darricott (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Road to Singapore Hugh Dawltry (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet 27% For the Defense William Foster (Character) - 1930
No Score Yet 57% Street of Chance John D. Marsden/"Natural" Davis (Character) - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Behind the Makeup Gardoni (Character) - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Charming Sinners Karl Kraley (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Greene Murder Case Philo Vance (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet 27% The Canary Murder Case Philo Vance (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pointed Heels Robert Courtland (Character) - 1929
95% 91% The Last Command Lev Andreyev (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet Feel My Pulse Her Nemesis (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Dragnet Unknown (Character) - 1928
60% No Score Yet Beau Sabreur Unknown (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet Paid to Love Prince Eric (Character) - 1927
67% No Score Yet She's a Sheik Kada (Character) - 1927
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nevada Clan Dillon (Character) - 1927
No Score Yet No Score Yet Beau Geste Boldini (Character) - 1926
67% No Score Yet Aloma of the South Seas Unknown (Character) - 1926
52% No Score Yet The Great Gatsby George Wilson (Character) - 1926
No Score Yet No Score Yet Too Many Kisses Julio (Character) - 1925
No Score Yet No Score Yet Romola Tito Melema (Character) - 1924
No Score Yet No Score Yet Under the Red Robe Unknown (Character) - 1923
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bright Shawl Unknown (Character) - 1923
No Score Yet No Score Yet When Knighthood Was in Flower Francis (Character) - 1922
78% 35% Sherlock Holmes Unknown (Character) - 1922