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 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). 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). This success, along with Powells pleasant speaking voice, led to his first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance in the talkie The Canary Murder Case (1929). Powells most famous role was that of Nick Charles in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man in 1934, based upon Dashiell Hammetts novel. The role provided a perfect opportunity for Powell, with his resonant speaking voice, to showcase his sophisticated charm and witty sense of humor, and he received his first Academy Award nomination for The Thin Man. Myrna Loy played his wife, Nora, in each of the Thin Man films. Their on-screen partnership, beginning alongside Clark Gable in 1934 with Manhattan Melodrama, was one of Hollywoods most prolific, and they appeared in 14 films together. Loy and Powell starred in the Best Picture of 1936, The Great Ziegfeld, with Powell in the title role and Loy as Ziegfelds wife Billie Burke. That same year, he also received his second Academy Award nomination, for the comedy My Man Godfrey. In 1935, he starred with Jean Harlow in Reckless. A serious romance developed between them, and in 1936, they were reunited on screen and with Loy and Spencer Tracy in the screwball comedy Libeled Lady. However, Harlow surprisingly and quickly became ill, and died from uremia at the age of 26 in June 1937 before they could marry. His distress over her death, as well as a cancer diagnosis of his own, caused him to accept fewer acting roles. Powells career slowed considerably in the 1940s, although he received his third Academy Award nomination in 1947 for his role as the cantankerous Clarence Day, Sr., in Life with Father. His last film was 1955s Mister Roberts. Powell died in Palm Springs, California, on March 5, 1984, at the age of 91 from heart failure, nearly 30 years after his retirement. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, near his third wife Diana Lewis, and his only child, his son William David Powell.

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How to Marry a Millionaire

J.D. Hanley

Película 1953

I Love You Again

Larry Wilson aka George Carey

Película 1940

Double Wedding

Charles Lodge

Película 1937

Libeled Lady

William 'Bill' Stephens Chandler

Película 1936

The Heavenly Body

William S. Whitley

Película 1944

My Man Godfrey

Godfrey

Película 1936

Manhattan Melodrama

Jim Wade

Película 1934

One Way Passage

Dan Hardesty

Película 1932

Life with Father

Clarence Day Sr.

Película 1947

Shadow of the Thin Man

Nick Charles

Película 1941

Crossroads

David Talbot aka Jean Pelletier

Película 1942

The Great Ziegfeld

Florenz 'Flo' Ziegfeld Jr.

Película 1936

Ziegfeld Follies

Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

Película 1945

The Senator Was Indiscreet

Senator Melvin G. Ashton

Película 1947

High Pressure

Gar Evans

Película 1932

Private Detective 62

Donald Free

Película 1933

The Benson Murder Case

Philo Vance

Película 1930

Jewel Robbery

The Robber

Película 1932

Reckless

Ned Riley

Película 1935

The Last Command

Lev Andreyev

Película 1928

The Canary Murder Case

Philo Vance

Película 1929

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Película 1983

Feel My Pulse

Her Nemesis

Película 1928

When Knighthood Was in Flower

Francis I

Película 1922

Sherlock Holmes

Forman Wells

Película 1922

The Girl Who Had Everything

Steve Latimer

Película 1953

Romola

Tito Melema

Película 1924

Dancing in the Dark

Emery Slade

Película 1949

The Hoodlum Saint

Terence Ellerton 'Terry' O'Neill

Película 1946

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

Charles

Película 1937

The Key

Capt. Bill Tennant

Película 1934

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

Dr. Lawrence 'Brad' Bradford

Película 1936

Evelyn Prentice

John Prentice

Película 1934

The Kennel Murder Case

Philo Vance

Película 1933

Fashions of 1934

Sherwood Nash

Película 1934

The Greene Murder Case

Philo Vance

Película 1929

Man of the World

Michael Trevor

Película 1931

The Four Feathers

Capt. William Trench

Película 1929

Paid to Love

Prince Eric

Película 1927

The Youngest Profession

William Powell

Película 1943

Nevada

Clan Dillon

Película 1927

Lawyer Man

Anton Adam

Película 1932

Interference

Philip Voaze

Película 1928

Street of Chance

John D. Marsden / 'Natural' Davis

Película 1930

Escapade

Fritz

Película 1935

Double Harness

John Fletcher

Película 1933

Beau Geste

Boldini

Película 1926

Charming Sinners

Karl Kraley

Película 1929

The Road to Singapore

Hugh Dawltry

Película 1931

Behind the Make-Up

Gardoni

Película 1930

Pointed Heels

Robert Courtland

Película 1929

For the Defense

William Foster

Película 1930

The Bright Shawl

Gaspar De Vaca

Película 1923

The Great Gatsby

George Wilson

Película 1926

Ladies' Man

Jamie Darricott

Película 1931

Going Hollywood: The '30s

(archive footage)

Película 1984

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Jim Wade (archive footage) (uncredited)

Película 1961

Forgotten Faces

Froggy

Película 1928

The Runaway

Jack Harrison

Película 1926

Partners in Crime

Smith

Película 1928

Shadow of the Law

Jim Montgomery aka John Nelson

Película 1930

Special Delivery

Harold Jones

Película 1927

Paramount on Parade

Philo Vance

Película 1930

Aloma of the South Seas

Van Templeton

Película 1926

The Big Parade of Comedy

Nick Charles (archive footage)

Película 1964

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara

Self

Película 1935

The Voice of Hollywood

Película 1930

Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell

Self (archive footage)

Película 1993

Dangerous Money

Prince Arnoldo da Pescia

Película 1924

Too Many Kisses

Don Julio

Película 1925

Outcast

DeValle

Película 1922

Under the Red Robe

Duke of Orleans

Película 1923

Faint Perfume

Barnaby Powers

Película 1925

My Lady's Lips

Scott Seldon

Película 1925

White Mice

Roddy Forrester

Película 1926

Sea Horses

Lorenzo Salvia

Película 1926

The Beautiful City

Nick Di Silva

Película 1925

Desert Gold

Snake Landree

Película 1926

Tin Gods

Tony Santelli

Película 1926

New York

Trent Regan

Película 1927

Time to Love

Prince Alado

Película 1927

The Drag Net

Dapper Frank Trent

Película 1928

She's a Sheik

Kada

Película 1927

Love's Greatest Mistake

Don Kendall

Película 1927

The Vanishing Pioneer

John Murdock

Película 1928

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Self (archive footage)

Película 1975

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

Self

Película 1940

From the Ends of the Earth

Self

Película 1939

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

Self

Película 1940

The Romance of Celluloid

Self (archive footage)

Película 1937

The Great Morgan

William Powell (voice) (uncredited)

Película 1945

Beau Sabreur

Becque

Película 1928

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn

Self (archive footage)

Película 1986

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To

(archive footage)

Película 1990

William Powell: A True Gentleman

Película 2005

Twenty Years After

(archive footage)

Película 1944

Senorita

Manuel Oliveros

Película 1927

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

Self (archive footage)

Película 1988

It's Showtime

Self (archive footage)

Película 1976

Cinecittà Babilonia: Sex, Drugs and Black Shirts

Self - Actor (archive footage)

Película 2017