William Powell

William Powell

Acting

July 29, 1892 — March 5, 1984
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
119 movies

Biography

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 ...

🎬 William Powell's Filmography

119 movies sorted by popularity

Sea Horses
9.0

Helen Salvia sets sail with her 4-year-old daughter for Panda, an isolated East African port, where she expects to join her Italian husband, Lorenzo, who deserted her a year after their marriage. Cochran, the burly first mate, and Harvey, the youthful third officer, openly vie for her favor, while Captain Glanville remains aloof. In Panda, Helen discovers that her husband has become a drunken derelict and returns to the ship, but Glanville is forced to buy her release from Salvia. Fearful of the implication, Helen returns ashore with her daughter, flees from Lorenzo's attempts to attack her, and is found by Glanville just as a typhoon breaks in all its fury. In regaining possession of the child from Lorenzo, the captain is wounded; and Cochran, covering their retreat, kills Lorenzo. Cochran pays for his daring with his life, and Helen is free to return to England with Glanville. It is considered a lost film.

Sea Horses

1926
The Romance of Celluloid
7.0

Several behind the scenes aspects of the movie-making business, which results in the enjoyment the movie going public has in going to the theater, are presented. They include: the production of celluloid aka film stock, the materials used in the production of which include cotton and silver; construction crews who build sets including those to look like cities, towns and villages around the world; a visit with Jack Dawn who demonstrates the process of creating a makeup design; the screen testing process, where many an acting hopeful gets his/her start; the work of the candid camera man, the prying eyes behind the movie camera; a visit with Adrian, who designs the clothes worn by many of the stars on screen; and a visit with Herbert Stothart as he conducts his musical score for Conquest (1937). These behind the scenes looks provide the opportunity to get acquainted with the cavalcade of MGM stars and their productions that will grace the silver screen in the 1937/38 movie season.

The Romance of Celluloid

1937
Alias Nick and Nora
7.0

Alias Nick and Nora: Two Documentary Profiles (2005) celebrates the enduring screen partnership of William Powell and Myrna Loy, stars of MGM’s beloved Thin Man series. The DVD includes William Powell: A True Gentleman, a documentary narrated by Michael York with commentary from film historians Rudy Behlmer and Leonard Maltin, and Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To, hosted by Kathleen Turner and directed by Richard Schickel. Together, the documentaries explore the careers, personalities, and lasting appeal of two classic Hollywood icons. Also included is “Darling, I Loathe You,” a 1958 episode of The Thin Man television series starring Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk as Nick and Nora Charles, plus the 1936 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy reprising their signature roles. A welcome addition for classic-film fans, the disc presents Nick and Nora across documentary, television, and radio.

Alias Nick and Nora

2005
The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell

The intertwined lives of Jean Harlow and William Powell, from childhood struggles to Hollywood stardom. The rise of Jean Harlow and William Powell in Hollywood, from humble beginnings to success in the transition to talkies.The journey of Jean Harlow's rise to stardom, from being discovered by Howard Hughes to her relationship with Paul Bern. Tragic love stories of iconic Hollywood stars, Jean Harlow and William Powell, intertwined with scandals and success. The transformation of Jean Harlow's career in Hollywood due to the implementation of the Hays Code. The romantic relationship between Jean Harlow and William Powell blossoms amidst Hollywood's glamour and studio pressures. The tumultuous relationship between Jean Harlow and William Powell, marked by unfulfilled engagement and family interference. Tragic love story of Jean Harlow and William Powell leading to Jean's untimely death. The tragic love story between two iconic Hollywood stars, Jean Harlow and William Powell.

The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell

2023
Love's Greatest Mistake
9.0

On a train bound for New York, where she hopes to find work, Honey McNeil captures the appreciative eye of William Ogden, a financier, who offers her a job. At the apartment of her married sister, Jane, Honey renews her acquaintance with Sara Foote, now a worldly New Yorker secretly jealous of Jane. Honey is disappointed when young architect Harvey Gibbs brings her home from an unspectacular evening, and she declines his numerous proposals. Ogden, already married, is also rejected by Honey, despite the luxury he offers her. Don Kendall, in conspiracy with Sara, tries to obtain love letters Ogden has written Honey, so as to blackmail him, and her refusal to give them up causes him to beat her brutally. Realizing that Ogden does not love her, Honey dismisses Gibbs, who doubts her. Jane leaves her husband and elopes with Don. Honey is ultimately united with Gibbs, who wins a prize for designing a church. The film is now lost.

Love's Greatest Mistake

1927
Tin Gods
9.0

In a mountain village in South America, Dr. McCoy and the padre watch Roger Drake enter a small chapel near a towering bridge, and McCoy recounts the story of Drake's life: As a rising engineer, he marries Janet Stone, the ambitious daughter of a wealthy family, and neglects his career while Janet becomes a candidate for the State Assembly. Drake comes into conflict with her political friends, and when their baby falls from its nursery window, the couple remorsefully decide to separate. Drake, degenerated by drink, goes to South America to construct a bridge; there he is stricken by fever and is redeemed by the love and care of Carita, a dancer. Carita, however, learns of Janet's political defeat and her attempt to effect a reconciliation with Drake; thinking he still loves his wife, she leaps from the bridge. Drake returns each year to the chapel he has erected in her memory. A lost film.

Tin Gods

1926
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