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.
Photos
William Powell
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Henchman's War | Executive Producer | - | 2012 |
93% |
|
Mister Roberts | Lt. "Doc" (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Girl Who Had Everything | Steve Latimer (Character) | - | 1953 |
82% |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid | Mr. Peabody (Character) | - | 1948 |
92% |
|
Life With Father | Clarence Day, Sr. (Character) | - | 1947 |
91% |
|
Song of the Thin Man | Nick Charles (Character) | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet |
|
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% |
|
Ziegfeld Follies | Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (Character) | - | 1946 |
75% |
|
The Thin Man Goes Home | Nick Charles (Character) | - | 1944 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Heavenly Body | William S. Whitley (Character) | - | 1943 |
No Score Yet |
|
Crossroads | David Talbot (Character) | - | 1942 |
89% |
|
Shadow of the Thin Man | Nick Charles (Character) | - | 1941 |
100% |
|
Love Crazy | Steve Ireland (Character) | - | 1941 |
100% |
|
I Love You Again | Larry Wilson aka George Carey (Character) | - | 1940 |
86% |
|
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 |
|
Double Wedding | Charles Lodge (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney | Charles (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Emperor's Candlesticks | Baron Stephan Wolensky (Character) | - | 1937 |
96% |
|
After the Thin Man | Nick Charles (Character) | - | 1936 |
88% |
|
Libeled Lady | Bill Chandler (Character) | - | 1936 |
71% |
|
The Great Ziegfeld | Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. (Character) | - | 1936 |
97% |
|
My Man Godfrey | Godfrey (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford | Dr. Lawrence Bradford (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet |
|
Rendezvous |
Lt. William "Bill" Gordon/ |
- | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
|
Reckless | Ned Riley (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
|
Star of Midnight | Clay "Dal" Dalzell (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Escapade | Fritz (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
|
Fashions | Sherwood Nash (Character) | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet |
|
Evelyn Prentice | John Prentice (Character) | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Key | Capt. Bill Tennant (Character) | - | 1934 |
98% |
|
The Thin Man | Nick Charles (Character) | - | 1934 |
81% |
|
Manhattan Melodrama | Jim Wade (Character) | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | High Peril | Capt. Bill Tennant (Character) | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet |
|
Double Harness | John Fletcher (Character) | - | 1933 |
100% |
|
The Kennel Murder Case | Philo Vance (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet |
|
Man Killer | Donald Free (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lawyer Man | Anton `'Tony'` Adam (Character) | - | 1932 |
100% |
|
One Way Passage | Dan (Character) | - | 1932 |
83% |
|
Jewel Robbery | The Robber (Character) | - | 1932 |
No Score Yet |
|
High Pressure | Gar Evans (Character) | - | 1932 |
No Score Yet |
|
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 |
|
For the Defense | William Foster (Character) | - | 1930 |
No Score Yet |
|
Street of Chance |
John D. Marsden/ |
- | 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 |
|
The Canary Murder Case | Philo Vance (Character) | - | 1929 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Pointed Heels | Robert Courtland (Character) | - | 1929 |
95% |
|
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% |
|
Sherlock Holmes | Unknown (Character) | - | 1922 |