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 Powells 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. wouldnt allow him to do so, although they did (mis)cast him in A Midsummer Nights Dream (1935) as Lysander. This was to be Powells 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 OClock 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.
Billy Lawler
Film 1933
Philip Marlowe
Film 1944
Brad Roberts
Film 1933
Jimmy McDonald
Film 1940
Scotty Blair
Film 1933
Laurence Gerard
Film 1945
Lt. John Martin Haven
Film 1948
Bunny Harmon
Film 1932
Richard 'Dick' Purcell, aka Ricardo Purcelli
Film 1935
Ronnie Bowers
Film 1938
Dick Curtis
Film 1935
Jimmy Higgens
Film 1934
Lysander
Film 1935
Mark Christopher
Film 1954
Dick "Canary" Dorcy
Film 1934
Rosmer Peck
Film 1936
William 'Swanee' Swanson
Film 1944
Gary Blake
Film 1937
Dick Powell
Film 1942
Buddy Clayton
Film 1934
Eric Land
Film 1935
Donald Ames
Film 1936
Rex Shepherd
Film 1951
Bob Lane
Film 1934
Tommy
Film 1934
John Kent
Film 1933
Elly Jordan
Film 1938
Charles 'Chuck' Daly
Film 1937
Phil "Sarge" Sargeant
Film 1933
Pete Hamilton
Film 1943
The Songwriter
Film 1933
Jerome Bonaparte
Film 1936
Bingo Nelson
Film 1935
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1983
Rick Garvey
Film 1950
George Randall
Film 1936
Jerry
Film 1933
Steve Baird
Film 1943
Alan MacNally
Film 1940
Professor Donald Hardwick
Film 1939
Bob Brent
Film 1937
Bill Davis
Film 1938
Link Ferris
Film 1943
Jerry Ford
Film 1933
Self (uncredited)
Film 1939
Self (archive footage)
Film 2006
(archive footage)
Film 1984
Self (archive footage)
Film 2013
Frederick "Fred" Chambers
Film 1941
Dan Hardy
Film 1932
Host / Inspector Amos Burke
Film 1961
Self (archive footage)
Film 2024
Self - Host
Film 1961
Himself
Film 1934
Self (archive footage)
Film 1999
Self (archive footage)
Film 2006
Sgt. Mike Flannigan
Film 1949
Himself
Film 1936
Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Film 1932
Elly Jordan (archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1938
Singer (archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1943
Self
Film 1935
Himself (uncredited)
Film 1935
Self
Film 1937
Self
Film 1947
Self (archive footage)
Film 1975
Himself
Film 1934
Self
Film 1936
Self (archive footage)
Film 1976
Film 1985
Self (archive footage)
Film 1934
Self
Tv 1952
Self
Tv 1961
Self
Tv 1949
Self - Intermission Guest
Tv 1950
Self - Host
Tv 1961
Self - Host
Tv 1956
Willie Dante
Tv 1952
Eddie White
Tv 1952
US Marshal Philip Dana
Tv 1952
Burt Stroude
Tv 1952
Paul
Tv 1952
Mike Donegan
Tv 1952
Graham
Tv 1952
Dan
Tv 1952
Dan Hodges
Tv 1952
Dave Robinson
Tv 1952
Fred
Tv 1952
Chris
Tv 1952
Jeff
Tv 1952
Eddie
Tv 1952
Dave
Tv 1952
Capt. Avery
Tv 1952
Andrew
Tv 1952
Will Sonnett
Tv 1952
Fleet Mason
Tv 1952
Grover Doane
Tv 1952
Steve
Tv 1952
Priest
Tv 1952
Philip Benton
Tv 1952
Dan Matson
Tv 1952
Self
Tv 1948
Self - Mystery Guest
Tv 1950
Self
Tv 1957
Self - Panelist
Tv 1950