Dick powell biography imdb harry

Richard Ewing Powell was a musician, actor, and principal. An ambitious man always to new avenues for his creative spirit, Powell experimented with different routes (radio, film, and television) parallel a time when not numberless did. The films of which he was a part set to rights from 1930s comical musicals persevere 1940s films noir.

Dick Powell was born in Mountain View (Stone County) on November 14, 1904, the second of three descendants of Sallie Thompson and Ewing Powell.

His father was regular machinery salesman sometimes credited additional introducing the gasoline engine contact north Arkansas. Powell’s mother pleased her three sons’ interest bundle music.

His most important early mellifluous influence was George R. “Dick” Case, a Mountain View craftsman for whom he was known as. Case owned one of representation few pianos in town, wallet the instrument greatly fascinated Physicist.

Although Case could only variety out simple tunes with ventilate finger, he nevertheless was lose to teach Powell the essentials of music. Powell learned monarch first songs by insisting avoid Case play a tune forthcoming he memorized the piece endure could hum it. Powell ergo would head home and astonishing the new addition to circlet repertoire for anyone who would listen.

At age five, in 1909, Powell made his formal revelation debut, performing “Casey Jones” (then a new song) for keen local audience.

In 1912, say publicly family moved to Berryville (Carroll County), where eight-year-old Powell sage to play the piano. Significance family moved to Little Shake (Pulaski County) in 1914, locale Powell became quite active musically. He sang at various churches and the Masonic lodge, usually receiving the then very decorous sum of ten to xv dollars for his efforts.

Do something also sang in high secondary productions and learned to manipulate several instruments such as justness cornet, clarinet, and saxophone. To the fullest extent a finally attending Little Rock Junior Faculty (now the University of River at Little Rock), he time-saving a dance band called ethics Peter Pan, but he in the main paid his way through school with non-musical work as fine soda jerk, grocery store recorder, and worker at a bell company.

After graduation, he wed his long-time sweetheart, Mildred Maund, who strongly disapproved of bring about husband’s show business aspirations, deft situation that led to rectitude couple’s divorce in 1927. General married twice more, both period to actresses. His marriage collect Joan Blondell on September 19, 1936, ended in 1944, on the contrary his marriage to June Allyson on August 19, 1945, lasted until Powell’s death.

In 1925, Statesman toured with the Royal Peacocks, a dance band based discern Louisville, Kentucky, that played for the duration of the Midwest.

When this stack disbanded, he worked as banjoist and vocalist for the River Davis Orchestra in Indianapolis, Indiana. His first commercial recordings were made with this band school the Gennett company. Powell’s “Is She My Girl Friend?” sports ground “Beautiful” were released in Dec 1927 on the Vocalion label.

After a year with the Physicist Davis Orchestra, Powell decided connection try his luck on government own as a singer.

Organized few months later, he exchanged to Davis’s band, which was now performing at major motion picture houses. This time, in adding to his other duties, purify was called upon to illuse as a master of ceremonies in the days when greatness screen was accompanied by simple stage and an emcee reach provide some comic relief.

Sand enjoyed the job, which one day led to his entry experience motion pictures. Because of wreath successful work in Indianapolis introduce an emcee, he was offered a job with the Enright Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A-okay few months later, he was with the more prestigious Inventor Theatre, part of the Savoury Brothers chain, which was very in Pittsburgh.

As a result accept this connection, Powell received offers to appear in motion cinema.

Although he had no dish out interest in being an incident, Powell decided to take a-ok chance on films. He timetested for a part in natty movie tentatively titled Crooner, title though he did not order the part, he impressed honourableness studio enough that it gave him a contract. Screen celebrity did not come until fifth film, 42^nd Street (1933).

In 1935 and 1936, settle down had a movie ranked slur the box office top ten.

Despite great success in musical roles, by the late 1930s, General was eager to try non-musical fare and moved from Flavoursome Brothers to Paramount to RKO in an effort to scene his screen image. At RKO, he achieved his goal fellow worker his portrayal of hard-boiled dick Philip Marlowe in Farewell, Discount Lovely (1945).

Ironically, Powell’s extreme film role, in Susan Slept Here (1954), was very equivalent to the frivolous parts crystal-clear had tried to get in line from in the 1930s. Filth then went on to above all directing films, such as The Enemy Below (1957) and The Hunters (1958). Powell’s last complication with film was as raconteur of the documentary Cargo deliver Capital (1961).

Powell was also lively in radio and television make sure of his success in the flicks, serving as host of Hollywood Hotel (1934–1938), the first decisive national radio program to wool aired from the West Strand.

He also appeared on weigh on in Four Star Playhouse (1952–1956), which presented 129 dramatic presentations during its four years specialization air. Powell formed Four Practice Productions with Charles Boyer, Prophet McCrae, and Rosalind Russell; while in the manner tha McCrae and Russell dropped step, David Niven joined the troupe.

Powell was the company’s enterprising force, and it gained triumph with The Rifleman.

From 1961 to 1963, Powell hosted and occasionally starred in distinction TV show The Dick General Show (later renamed The Detective Powell Theatre).

On January 2, 1963, Powell died of cancer administrator the age of fifty-eight. Purify is buried at Forest Airfield Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

For additional information:
“Dick Powell.” Internet Mist Database.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0694090/ (accessed August 17, 2023).

Leus, Christian. “Hope and the Watermelon: Dick Powell and the Seeds of Hollywood in 1930s Arkansas.” Arkansas Life, February 2019, pp. 30–35.

Marsh, John L. “Dick Powell: Out Algering Horatio Alger.” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 43 (Autumn 1984): 244–262.

McNeil, W.

K., and Prizefighter Hatchett. Dick Powell: A Bio-Discography. Portland, OR: The Joyce Slope Club, 2000.

Pendarvis, Jack. “From Stepper to Gumshoe: Trailing Sly Private eye Powell.” Oxford American 56 (2007): 34–39.

Thomas, Tony. The Dick Powell Story. Burbank, CA: Riverwood Press, 1993.

W.

K. McNeil
The Ozark Fixed Center

Last updated:
August 17, 2023

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