He was born on November 14, 1904 in Mountain View, Arkansas, United States, the son of Ewing Powell and Sallie Thompson. The family moved to Little Rock in 1914, where Powell first gained attention as a singer. While in his teens he sang in church choirs, at National Guard shows, with a local orchestra, and started his own band called the Peter Pan.
Following graduation from high school in 1921, Powell studied for a year at Little Rock College, where he also played baritone horn in the band.
He left college to work for a telephone company emptying telephone coin boxes. During his free time he sang frequently at town theaters.
Shortly thereafter Powell sang with the traveling Royal Peacock Band throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. His next job was as a banjoist and singer for Charlie Davis' orchestra in Indianapolis. He also played the cornet, clarinet, saxophone, and piano and supplemented his income by appearing in nightclubs and by operating a ballroom, where he became a popular master of ceremonies.
Powell's big break came in 1930 when he was offered a position as singer, comedian, and master of ceremonies for the Warner Brothers' Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh. In the next three years he gained increasing notice as a singer on the theater circuit and on radio. In 1932 he appeared in the Warner Brothers musical film Blessed Event, and after its warm reception by the public, he was immediately signed to a long-term contract. This was the first of more than thirty musicals he made for Warner Brothers and several other studios. He also appeared regularly as a radio singer in the CBS series "Hollywood Hotel. " The handsome, curly-haired tenor became the epitome of the actor-singer in the Warner musicals of the 1930's.
He continued in musicals, playing the now familiar role of eternal juvenile and singing glamor boy. He wanted to appear in more dramatic roles, but when he did not receive them, he bought his release from his Warner contract in 1940. He returned to his film work in 1941 and made Model Wife (1941) and In the Navy (1941).
In 1945 Powell played a tough and cynical private detective in Murder, My Sweet. The film received high critical acclaim; one reviewer wrote: "Dick Powell plays the detective as he has never played any other role before. " Further praise came for his dramatic roles in Cornered (1945), Johnny O'Clock (1947), and Rogues' Regiment (1948). Perhaps his finest screen performance was in the 1948 melodrama Pitfall. In the 1950's Powell's career took a new turn. He began to direct and produce films, including Split Second (1953), The Conqueror (1956).
He died in Hollywood.
Richard Ewing Powell's versatility has assured him a place among Hollywood's legends. He was a noted singer, fine actor, brilliant director and producer, and later a prominent television personality. He achieved the greatest sucess, playing in Johnny O'Clock (1947), To the Ends of the Earth (1948). He was the first actor to portray the private detective Philip Marlowe on screen. Besides, he founded the successful Four Star Television company, it produced many popular series, including his own "Dick Powell Show. " During the 15th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 26, 1963, the Television Academy presented a posthumous Television Academy Trustee Award to Dick Powell for his contributions to the industry.
He worked very hard and seemed to gain mastery at everything he attempted.
Quotes from others about the person
The novelist John O'Hara had the highest praise for Powell's performance: "Dick Powell sang his way to fame and fortune, and ultimately achieved artistry as a middle-class insurance man in Pitfall. "
He married M. Maund, a model. They had no children. His wife, however, did not like being married to an entertainer, and a divorce soon followed.
On September 19, 1936, Powell married actress Joan Blondell; they had one daughter. Following his divorce from Joan Blondell, in 1944, on August 19, 1945, Powell married the actress June Allyson. They adopted a daughter and had one son. But it proved to be an off-again, on-again type marriage.
