Dick Powell

Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head.

Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transformed into a hardboiled leading man, starring in projects of a more dramatic nature.

He was the first actor to portray private detective Philip Marlowe on screen.

Powell was born the middle of three sons of Ewing Powell and mother Sally Rowena in Mountain View, the seat of Stone County in northern Arkansas.

His brothers were Howard (the eldest) and Luther (the youngest).

The family moved the boys to Little Rock in 1914, where Powell sang in church choirs and with local orchestras and started his own band.

Powell attended the former Little Rock College before he started his entertainment career as a singer with the Royal Peacock Band, which toured throughout the Midwest.

During this time, he married Mildred Maund, a model, but she found being married to an entertainer not to her liking.

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 Brunswick Records, which at that time owned Vocalion.

After a final trip to Cuba together, Mildred moved to Hemphill, Texas, and the couple divorced in 1932.

Later, Powell joined the Charlie Davis Orchestra, based in Indianapolis.

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 was borrowed by Fox Film to support Will Rogers in Too Busy to Work (1932).

He was a boyish crooner, the sort of role in which he specialized for the next few years.

Back at Warner Bros., he supported George Arliss in The King's Vacation, then was in 42nd Street (both 1933), playing the love interest for Ruby Keeler.

The film was a massive hit.

Warner Bros. (WB) got him basically to repeat the role in Gold Diggers of 1933, another big success.

So too was Footlight Parade (also 1933), with Keeler and James Cagney.

Powell was upped to star for College Coach (1933), then went back to more ensemble pieces including 42nd Street, Convention City (both 1933), Wonder Bar, Twenty Million Sweethearts, and Dames (all 1934).

Happiness Ahead was more of a star vehicle for Powell, as was Flirtation Walk (both 1934).

He was top-billed in Gold Diggers of 1935 and Broadway Gondolier (both 1935), both with Joan Blondell.

He supported Marion Davies in Page Miss Glory (1935), made for Cosmopolitan Pictures, a production company financed by Davies' lover William Randolph Hearst, who released through WB.

WB gave him a change of pace, casting him as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935).

More typical was Shipmates Forever (1935) with Keeler.

20th Century Fox borrowed him for Thanks a Million (1935); back at WB, he did Colleen (1936) with Keeler and Blondell.

He made three films with Blondell, Broadway Gondolier (1935), Stage Struck (1936) and Gold Diggers of 1937''.

Powell was reunited with Marion Davies in another for Cosmopolitan, Hearts Divided (1936), playing Napoleon's brother.

20th Century Fox then borrowed him again for On the Avenue (1937).

Back at WB, he appeared in The Singing Marine and Varsity Show (both 1937), Hollywood Hotel, Cowboy from Brooklyn, Hard to Get, Going Places (all 1938), and Naughty but Nice (1939).

Fed up with the repetitive nature of these roles, Powell left WB and went to work for Paramount Pictures.

At Paramount, Blondell and Powell were cast together again in the drama I Want a Divorce (1940).

Then Powell got a chance to appear in another non-musical, Christmas in July (1940), a screwball comedy which was the second feature directed by Preston Sturges.

Universal borrowed him to support Abbott and Costello in In the Navy (1941), one of the most popular films of 1941.

During this period, Powell starred in the musical Campana Serenade, which was broadcast on NBC radio (1942–1943) and CBS radio (1943–1944).

At Paramount he had a cameo in Star Spangled Rhythm and co-starred with Mary Martin in Happy Go Lucky (both 1943).

He supported Dorothy Lamour in Riding High (1943).

In 1944, he was in a fantasy comedy directed by René Clair, It Happened Tomorrow, then went over to MGM to appear opposite Lucille Ball in Meet the People, which was a box-office flop.