Biography
A romantic singing lead in a number of musicals throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Dick Powell traded in his tenor voice and good guy image to take on a more hard-boiled persona following a career-transforming performance as Phillip Marlowe in the classic film noir "Murder, My Sweet" (1944). Prior to that film, Powell was a bankable star in several big screen extravaganzas like "Footlight Parade" (1933), "42nd Street" (1933) and "Dames (1934). …
Career Milestones
| Became president of the Four Star TV production company | ||
| Hosted and produced "The Dick Powell Show" | ||
| Produced and appeared regularly on TV's "Four Star Playhouse" | ||
| Starring career reached low in the early 1940s; included a couple of romantic lead roles which were actually secondary parts (e.g. "In the Navy" 1941, which spotlighted starring comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello) | ||
1932 | Feature acting debut, "Blessed Event" | |
1933 | Established as star with his appearance in the Busby Berkeley musicals, "42nd Street", "Golddiggers of 1933" and "Footlight Parade" at Warner Brothers, all of which teamed him with Ruby Keeler | |
1933 | First film Powell made which also featured future wife Joan Blondell, "Golddiggers of 1933", in which their characters were not romantically teamed; was first of ten films the two would act in together | |
1935 | Made exhibitors annual poll of top ten boxoffice stars two years in a row, placing 7th and 6th, respectively | |
1936 | Last of seven films made opposite Ruby Keeler, "Colleen" | |
1941 | Last film opposite Joan Blondell, "Model Wife" | |
1944 | Career turnaround began when he starred as Raymond Chandler's detective Philip Marlowe in "Murder, My Sweet" | |
1953 | Feature directorial debut, "Split Second" | |
1956 | Directed his second wife, June Allyson, in the feature, "You Can't Run Away from It", a remake of the classic, "It Happened One Night"; Powell did not act in the film | |
1956 | First feature producing credit, "The Conquerer" | |
1958 | Last feature effort, directing and producing "The Hunters" | |
1963 | Last TV producing credit "Colossus" | |