William Powell
| William Powell | |
|---|---|
1936 portrait for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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| Born |
July 29, 1892 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 1984 (aged 91) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | heart failure |
| Resting place | Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1911–1955 |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen Wilson (m. 1915–1930; divorced) Carole Lombard (m. 1931–1933; divorced) Diana Lewis (m. 1940–1984; his death) |
| Children | William David Powell (1925–1968) |
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular 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 (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), and Life with Father (1947).
An only child, Powell was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Nettie Manila (née Brady) and Horatio Warren Powell, on July 29, 1892. His father was born in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania (where Powell spent his boyhood summers), to William S. and Harriet Powell. Powell showed an early aptitude for performing. In 1907, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri, where he graduated from Central High School in 1910. The Powells lived just a few blocks away from the Carpenters, whose daughter Harlean also went to Hollywood, under the name Jean Harlow, although Powell and she did not meet until both were established actors.
After high school, he left home for New York and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the AADA, and worked in some vaudeville and stock companies. After several successful experiences on the Broadway stage, he began his Hollywood career in 1922, playing a small role as an evil henchman of Professor Moriarty in a production of Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore. His most memorable role in silent movies was as a bitter film director opposite Emil Jannings' Academy Award-winning performance as a fallen general in The Last Command (1928), which led to Powell's first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance in The Canary Murder Case (1929).
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