The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
2024 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Dick Powell
1904-11-14
•
Mountain View, Arkansas, USA
Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American singer, actor, producer, director and studio boss. Born in Mountain View, the seat of Stone County in northern Arkansas, Powell attended the former Little Rock College in the state capital, before he started his entertainment career as a singer with the Charlie Davis Orchestra, based in the midwest. 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 up Brunswick Records which at that time owned Vocalion. 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 went on to star as a boyish crooner in movie musicals such as 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames, Flirtation Walk, and On the Avenue, often appearing opposite Ruby Keeler and Joan Blondell. Powell desperately wanted to expand his range but Warner Bros. wouldn't allow him to do so, although they did (mis)cast him in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) as Lysander. This was to be Powell's only Shakespearean role and one he did not want to play, feeling that he was completely wrong for the part. Finally, reaching his forties and knowing that his young romantic leading man days were behind him he lobbied to play the lead in Double Indemnity. He lost out to Fred MacMurray, another Hollywood nice guy. MacMurray’s success, however, fueled Powell’s resolve to pursue projects with greater range and in 1944, he was cast in the first of a series of films noir, as private detective Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film was a big hit and Powell had successfully reinvented himself as a dramatic actor. The following year Dmytryk and Powell re-teamed to make Cornered, a gripping, post-WWII thriller that helped define the film noir style. He became a popular "tough guy" lead appearing in movies such as Johnny O'Clock and Cry Danger. But 1948 saw him step out of the brutish type when he starred in Pitfall, a film noir that sees a bored insurance company worker fall for an innocent but dangerous femme fatale, played by Lizabeth Scott. Even when he appeared in lighter fare such as The Reformer and the Redhead and Susan Slept Here (1954) he never sang in his later roles. The latter, his final onscreen appearance in a feature film, did include a dance number with costar Debbie Reynolds. From 1949-1953, Powell played the lead role in the National Broadcasting Company radio theater production Richard Diamond, Private Detective. His character in the 30-minute weekly was a likable private detective with a quick wit. When Richard Diamond came to television in 1957, the lead role was portrayed by David Janssen.
Filmography
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
2013 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
2012 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Gold Diggers: FDR'S New Deal... Broadway Bound
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
No image
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
FDR
1994 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
American Experience
1988 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
That's Dancing!
1985 · Movie
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983 · Movie
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
It's Showtime
1976 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Who Killed Julie Greer?
1961 · Movie
as Host / Inspector Amos Burke
Ricochet
1961 · Movie
as Self - Host
One Must Die
1961 · Movie
The DuPont Show of the Week
1961 · TV Show
as Self
The Dick Powell Show
1961 · TV Show
as Self - Host
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959 · TV Show
as Paul Martin, Dr. Timothy McVey
The All-Star Christmas Show
1958 · Movie
as Self
No image
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957 · TV Show
as Self
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956 · TV Show
as Self - Host
Susan Slept Here
1954 · Movie
as Mark Christopher
Climax!
1954 · TV Show
as Philip Marlowe
The Bad and the Beautiful
1952 · Movie
as James Lee Bartlow
This Is Your Life
1952 · TV Show
as Self
Four Star Playhouse
1952 · TV Show
as Willie Dante, Eddie White, US Marshal Philip Dana, Burt Stroude, Graham, Mike Donegan, Paul, Dan, Dan Hodges, Dave Robinson, Fred, Chris, Eddie, Jeff, Dave, Capt. Avery, Andrew, Will Sonnett, Fleet Mason, Grover Doane, Steve, Priest, Philip Benton, Dan Matson
Cry Danger
1951 · Movie
as Rocky Mulloy
The Tall Target
1951 · Movie
as John Kennedy
You Never Can Tell
1951 · Movie
as Rex Shepherd
The Reformer and the Redhead
1950 · Movie
as Andrew Hale
Right Cross
1950 · Movie
as Rick Garvey
No image
Lux Video Theatre
1950 · TV Show
as Self - Intermission Guest
What's My Line?
1950 · TV Show
as Self, Self - Panelist
The Jack Benny Program
1950 · TV Show
as Dick Powell
Mrs. Mike
1949 · Movie
as Sgt. Mike Flannigan
The Emmy Awards
1949 · TV Show
as Self
Pitfall
1948 · Movie
as John Forbes
Station West
1948 · Movie
as Lt. John Martin Haven
To the Ends of the Earth
1948 · Movie
as Commissioner Michael Barrows
Rogues' Regiment
1948 · Movie
as Whit Corbett
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · TV Show
as Self
Johnny O'Clock
1947 · Movie
as Johnny O'Clock
Blow-Ups of 1947
1947 · Movie
as Self
Cornered
1945 · Movie
as Laurence Gerard
Murder, My Sweet
1944 · Movie
as Philip Marlowe
It Happened Tomorrow
1944 · Movie
as Lawrence 'Larry' Stevens
Meet the People
1944 · Movie
as William 'Swanee' Swanson
Golden Globe Awards
1944 · TV Show
as Self - Host
Happy Go Lucky
1943 · Movie
as Pete Hamilton
Riding High
1943 · Movie
as Steve Baird
True to Life
1943 · Movie
as Link Ferris
Three Cheers for the Girls
1943 · Movie
as Singer (archive footage) (uncredited)
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942 · Movie
as Dick Powell
In the Navy
1941 · Movie
as Thomas Halstead
Model Wife
1941 · Movie
as Frederick "Fred" Chambers
Christmas in July
1940 · Movie
as Jimmy MacDonald
I Want a Divorce
1940 · Movie
as Alan MacNally
Naughty but Nice
1939 · Movie
as Professor Donald Hardwick
Hollywood Hobbies
1939 · Movie
as Self (uncredited)
Hollywood Hotel
1938 · Movie
as Ronnie Bowers
Going Places
1938 · Movie
as Peter Mason
Cowboy from Brooklyn
1938 · Movie
as Elly Jordan
Hard to Get
1938 · Movie
as Bill Davis
Breakdowns of 1938
1938 · Movie
as Elly Jordan (archive footage) (uncredited)
On the Avenue
1937 · Movie
as Gary Blake
Varsity Show
1937 · Movie
as Charles 'Chuck' Daly
The Singing Marine
1937 · Movie
as Bob Brent
Breakdowns of 1937
1937 · Movie
as Self
Gold Diggers of 1937
1936 · Movie
as Rosmer Peck
Colleen
1936 · Movie
as Donald Ames
Hearts Divided
1936 · Movie
as Jerome Bonaparte
Stage Struck
1936 · Movie
as George Randall
One And One Is One
1936 · Movie
as Himself
Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)
1936 · Movie
as Self
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 5"
1936 · Movie
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 1, From beginning"
1936 · Movie
Dick Powell and Joan Blondell home movies: "No. 3, Normie"
1936 · Movie
Broadway Gondolier
1935 · Movie
as Richard 'Dick' Purcell, aka Ricardo Purcelli
Gold Diggers of 1935
1935 · Movie
as Dick Curtis
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1935 · Movie
as Lysander
Thanks a Million
1935 · Movie
as Eric Land
Page Miss Glory
1935 · Movie
as Bingo Nelson
Shipmates Forever
1935 · Movie
as Richard 'Dick' Melville III
Things You Never See on the Screen
1935 · Movie
as Self
A Dream Comes True
1935 · Movie
as Himself (uncredited)
Dames
1934 · Movie
as Jimmy Higgens
Flirtation Walk
1934 · Movie
as Dick "Canary" Dorcy
Twenty Million Sweethearts
1934 · Movie
as Buddy Clayton
Happiness Ahead
1934 · Movie
as Bob Lane
Wonder Bar
1934 · Movie
as Tommy
No image
Hollywood Newsreel
1934 · Movie
as Himself
And She Learned About Dames
1934 · Movie
as Himself
No image
Studio Highlights
1934 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood on Parade No. B-10
1934 · Movie
as Self
42nd Street
1933 · Movie
as Billy Lawler
Gold Diggers of 1933
1933 · Movie
as Brad
Footlight Parade
1933 · Movie
as Scotty
The King's Vacation
1933 · Movie
as John Kent
College Coach
1933 · Movie
as Phil "Sarge" Sargeant
The Road Is Open Again
1933 · Movie
as The Songwriter
Just Around the Corner
1933 · Movie
as Jerry
Convention City
1933 · Movie
as Jerry Ford
Blessed Event
1932 · Movie
as Bunny Harmon
Too Busy to Work
1932 · Movie
as Dan Hardy
Big City Blues
1932 · Movie
as Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Crew Credits
Paper Moon
1973 · Movie
Thanks
Ghostbreakers
1967 · Movie
Executive Producer
The Losers
1963 · Movie
Executive Producer
Who Killed Julie Greer?
1961 · Movie
Executive Producer
Ricochet
1961 · Movie
Executive Producer
The Dick Powell Show
1961 · TV Show
Producer, Executive Producer
No image
Woman on the Run
1959 · Movie
Director
The Hunters
1958 · Movie
Director, Producer
The Enemy Below
1957 · Movie
Director, Producer
The Conqueror
1956 · Movie
Director, Producer
You Can't Run Away from It
1956 · Movie
Director
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956 · TV Show
Creator
Split Second
1953 · Movie
Director
Cry Danger
1951 · Movie
Director
One And One Is One
1936 · Movie
Director
