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Post by snsurone on Aug 1, 2018 18:34:27 GMT
He was first noticed as a "fruity tenor" (whatever the hell that means) in those great WB musicals directed by Busby Berkeley.
His romantic interest in those movies was dancer Ruby Keeler.
Then, in the 1940's, the direction of his career veered sharply to non-singing dramatic roles, such as Philip Marlow in MURDER, MY SWEET and the frustrated screen writer in THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.
Later on, he turned to directing in such movies as THE CONQUEROR, which was filmed close to a nuclear bomb test site.
It has been long supposed that the radioactive fallout of these tests was the cause of the cancer that killed Powell in 1963, along with John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, and Pedro Armiteraz (sp?), who committed suicide when he learned he had the fatal disease.
He also hosted the TV anthology series THE DICK POWELL THEATER not long before his death.
IMHO, he was a good, albeit not a great actor (Bogie was more effective as Marlow in THE BIG SLEEP).
But he did have a beautiful singing voice,
What do you think?
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Post by mattgarth on Aug 1, 2018 18:43:03 GMT
Thanks for the thread, Snsurone.
Though a fan of Bogart here, I found BIG SLEEP to be a riff on his previous 'Spade'.
Powell really nailed 'Marlowe' -- truer to author Chandler's vision.
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Post by teleadm on Aug 1, 2018 19:08:17 GMT
Hoping to wake good memories...  Christmas in July 1940  Dames 1934  Gold Diggers of 1935, The Lullaby of Broadway number   Johnny O'Clock 1947    What's My Line? 1961, celebrity mystery guest |
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Post by mattgarth on Aug 1, 2018 19:17:16 GMT
Memories have been awakened all right, Tele.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2018 20:02:55 GMT
I guess my favorite film of his is Murder, My Sweet but I really liked him as Lysander in A Midsummer Nights Dream. You get to hear him sing, too and he is very good. Some people say that whole movie was miscast but, in my opinion, the all star cast is the most interesting thing about it.
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Post by london777 on Aug 1, 2018 20:19:31 GMT
What other (specialist) hoofers transitioned to straight actors? Probably not enough to merit a thread on its own. Musicals are not my area of interest so I could be wrong here: James Cagney Fred Astaire Gene Kelly Ginger Rogers Did Alice Faye dance as well as sing? Before my time so perhaps you old-timers can answer.  I know there are some more. |
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Post by london777 on Aug 1, 2018 20:21:32 GMT
He was first noticed as a "fruity tenor" (whatever the hell that means) If you don't know what "fruit" is slang for, you have led a sheltered life. |
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Post by london777 on Aug 1, 2018 20:25:01 GMT
1) Though a fan of Bogart here, I found BIG SLEEP to be a riff on his previous 'Spade'.
2) Powell really nailed 'Marlowe' -- truer to author Chandler's vision. 1) Yes, I have to remind myself that Bogart is not playing Marlowe in the Maltese Falcon. 2) I have not read the books and I love both portrayals. But I understand Chandler preferred Powell as Marlowe. |
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on Aug 1, 2018 22:52:39 GMT
highly rec 'station west'! a western noir.  |
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Post by snsurone on Aug 1, 2018 22:58:07 GMT
He was first noticed as a "fruity tenor" (whatever the hell that means) If you don't know what "fruit" is slang for, you have led a sheltered life. I do know what "fruit" is supposed to mean, but I can't understand how it describes Powell's singing voice. |
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 1, 2018 23:28:15 GMT
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Post by ZolotoyRetriever on Aug 1, 2018 23:31:37 GMT
If you don't know what "fruit" is slang for, you have led a sheltered life. I do know what "fruit" is supposed to mean, but I can't understand how it describes Powell's singing voice. |
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 1, 2018 23:34:06 GMT
"Results for actor dick powell quotes may contain adult oriented content. Safe Search must be turned off to display these results." 
So how about a picture : A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM  |
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Post by Doghouse6 on Aug 1, 2018 23:38:18 GMT
What other (specialist) hoofers transitioned to straight actors? Probably not enough to merit a thread on its own. Musicals are not my area of interest so I could be wrong here: James Cagney Fred Astaire Gene Kelly Ginger Rogers Did Alice Faye dance as well as sing? Before my time so perhaps you old-timers can answer. I know there are some more. Although he danced in no film musicals, Clifton Webb's stage career concentrated nearly as much on dancing as Astaire's. Gene Nelson was another who transitioned from dancing to dramatic roles (and, like Powell, to directing). George Raft began as a hoofer. Barbara Stanwyck danced in Ziegfeld Follies of the 1920s. Shirley MacLaine, who danced only occasionally on film, got her big break as understudy to Carol Haney in B'way's The Pajama Game. Van Johnson had been a B'way chorus boy, including in 1939's Too Many Girls, from the cast of which both he and Desi Arnaz transitioned to the screen. Buddy Ebsen did quite a bit of dancing on film before concentrating solely on non-dancing roles. Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen are among the comic actors who were accomplished hoofers. Powell was never really a "specialist" hoofer; like Crosby, he could noodle out a step or two when required, but was primarily a singer-actor. Alice Faye, I think, would fall into the same category. |
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 1, 2018 23:50:23 GMT
Doghouse6 I was perusing Clifton Webb's web b-page just now and was surprised to find that he had been a dancer. He is always so quiet, dour and still in most of his roles. Webb with Irene Castle  With Mary Hay  a short while later with Ms Monroe 
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Post by london777 on Aug 1, 2018 23:57:04 GMT
highly rec 'station west'! a western noir. Never heard of it but will look out for it now. Thanks |
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Post by telegonus on Aug 2, 2018 6:37:16 GMT
Good western. Powell's first such, and he handles himself nicely in it. Some excellent, witty dialogue; and, near the end, Powell has to deliver some lines straight, without his usual attitude, and he does it just fine. Dick and Jane ('scuse, please  ) play well together, make a handsome couple, and might have done well as regular co-stars at RKO (along the lines of Ladd and Lake maybe). |
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on Aug 2, 2018 10:09:18 GMT
highly rec 'station west'! a western noir. Never heard of it but will look out for it now. Thanks sure thing, it's my fav western to be honest. |
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Post by koskiewicz on Aug 3, 2018 15:46:27 GMT
Powell was a very talented man. I remember him growing up watching Zane Gray in the 1950's. I love his Busby Berkeley musicals with Ruby Keeler...
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 3, 2018 15:49:10 GMT
Gold Diggers of 1933 ^^^^ _NRFPT_01.jpg) |
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) play well together, make a handsome couple, and might have done well as regular co-stars at RKO (along the lines of Ladd and Lake maybe).