The Ever-Dapper Mr. Powell

It's a very Happy Birthday greeting to the delightful Mr. William Powell, born July 29th, 1892.  He's one of those rather rare celebrities one would like to meet, with little fear of disappointment.  

Ah, the suave, most elegant, etc., etc. younger Mr. Powell.  Takes me back to my smoking days when I could sit back with cigarette in hand and dream of Bill asking if I would like a light.  Rrff.

Then there is the 1947 version of Mr. Powell as Clarence Day in Life With Father.  It's two decades later, but he is still the suave gent dressed impeccably.  

And a delightful caricature of Bill found on a cigarette trade card from England.  Yes, quite the dapper gent.  

TCM! - I've got this film you need to show.

 When I first ran across this photograph, it caught my eye because two of my favorite people, Reginald Owen and Frank Morgan, were in it.  And there is Virginia Bruce, as well, all decked out in a gorgeous gown and fancy hairdo.  I thought it was a publicity shot for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), since Owens, Morgan and Bruce were all in it, but it is named on the back as being Escapade (1935).  Then, looking up the movie, I found that William Powell and Luise Rainer star in both movies as well!  What?  

It did take a long time to film Ziegfeld, from April 8th to December 1935.  Escapade filming began at the same time, April 3rd, but was wrapped up in May.  Did the studio make Escapade to build up fan interest in Ziegfeld, a much larger production?  Use the core cast for both movies while having to wait out the year to film all the other performers?  Sounds 'bout right.  It is interesting that Escapade has a 7.3 rating on IMDB, while Ziegfeld has the lower score of 6.6. 

I would love to see the movie but, of course, it is not available anywhere.  Shuckie-darns!  

Okay, enlarging the good folks so you can see them ... Reginald Owen.

Mady Christians ... wonder how early she had to be at the studio for that hairdo!

Frank Morgan ... with a full beard and dark hair for a change.

Virginia Bruce ... knitting away.  The lady has been on a sound stage many a time.

I do not know who this gent is.  Evidently a fan of Ms. Bruce.  Herringbone jacket, striped shirt and checkered tie - my.  Would love to see the outfit in color.  Anyone know who he is?  

Sorry, don't handle colds very well!

 Back in the day, a cold was almost nothing to handle.  Now I'm just happy to survive another day.

Meanwhile ... Mister Roberts (1955) has always been a favorite of mine.  Starring four excellent actors, I'm most appreciative of Mr. Cagney's effort as the dictatorial Captain.  And I'll always love just anything Mr. Powell contributes on the big screen.

Jack Lemmon, James Cagney, Henry Fonda and William Powell in Mister Roberts

Meanwhile ... that's all I can handle for now.  Hoping life returns next week!

Bill Powell as Boldini!

 Beau Geste is not the kind of movie one would consider as a William Powell vehicle.  Of course, in 1926 there was not yet a William Powel vehicle.  He's close.

I like movie heralds, find them entertaining.  The centerfold attempts to tell what the movie is about and who the stars and their roles are.  This herald does just that.  I like the circular inserts for Bill and Noah Beery, eye-catching.  Beery was a super big star at this time and Powell is a rising star.  

The line-up of the heroic characters makes for a great scene.  Starting with Powell on the far left, the other leads are Ralph Forbes, Ronald Colman, Neil Hamilton and Noah Beery.  It does somewhat worry me that Colman is holding his gun pointing upward, more likely to take out Beery than the advancing enemy.  

Note Bill's mustache.  I'm glad he changed over to a smaller version.  

Belated Birthday Greetings, Mr. Powell

 It's not that I forgot Mr. Powell's birthday was on July 31st.  No, I thought today (Thursday) was the 29th.  Yes, totally confused.  Getting old(er) is just, well, not fun.  However, Bill apparently handled it with ease.  Or should I say elegantly.  

I chose three favorite photos for this post and all three are of Mr. Powell in his 50s to 60s.  The first photograph was taken August 19, 1949, when he made an appearance on "Screen Directors Playhouse", an NBC radio show.  He is 57 years young and dressed ever so snazzy.  

A slightly younger Bill being just right on with his wardrobe choices.  

And a somewhat older Mr. Powell being ever so handsome.  

Sorry about being late, Mr. Powell.  I try.

I'm sure Bill was relieved there was no swordplay in the movie with Basil Rathbone!

 I came across this photo in a listing that did not have the photo identified correctly.  They did not know William Powell!!  Egads.  The kiddies these days.  Not knowing Basil Rathbone, I can sorta understand.  Sorta.  Anyway, this photo from Crossroads (1942) is a great example of height awareness among male stars back in the day.  The lead male just could not be much shorter than the other major performers.  Bill is the main actor in the film so Basil has to scrunch down in this scene with Bill, while Bill is standing as upright as he can.  There is about a three-inch difference between the two, but the pose has them at half that.  Nifty.

               William Powell & Basil Rathbone in Crossroads (1942)

If you are interested in such minutia, the best source for star heights is "Celebrity Heights".  They don't always take into account the age of the performer when deciding height.  These two gents are both 50 in 1942 and have most likely begun the path to "little old men".  For the record the list has Bill at 5' 10-1/2" and Basil at 6' 1-1/4 inches.  And Mr. Montgomery is listed as 6' 1/2".  Bob always claimed to be 6' 1".  I'm sure that was quite right when he was a young man.  

Harlow, Loy, Asta and Bill

 There are a number of absolutely gorgeous photographs of William Powell available for purchase.  Unfortunately, there are plenty of admirers of Mr. Powell who seem to have an unending source of money, or at least that is how the photos are priced.   I am not one of those lucky, lucky people.

I can afford the occasional substitute.  Rather than an 8x10 photo, a 4x5 works just fine ... if you deal with scans a lot.  And even 4x5's are getting rarer.  The Bill/Jean Harlow photo below may not be in the greatest shape, but their sexy pose distracts from the image loss.

Another 4x5, this time with Myrna Loy.  All Bill and Myrna photographs are great, no matter the size or condition of the print.

Or, you could pick up a reprint.  Reprint quality ranges from pathetic to it's impossible to tell the difference from an original.  I'd describe this one as being mid-range.  Well, Asta looks pretty good.

Let's Just Sit Back and Enjoy Mr. Powell

 William Powell, b. July 29, 1892. 

  For the Defense (1930), Bill while still at Paramount.

                                  Early MGM, guessing 1934

  Bill finds ultimate success and a perfect co-star, Myrna Loy

                                 Ah, the perfect Gentleman!

                 The Senator was Indiscreet (1947), Bill has fun.

I Don't Think I Could Maintain Silence for a Year

 When it's 2:25 a.m. and you just remember you need to do a post, it's always nice to have a friend to go to.  Well, I feel like Bill Powell would be my friend and be there to help out in trying times.  

Mr. Powell was a handsome guy at the age of 63.  As he was at any age, of course.  Great smile.  

                        William Powell in Mister Roberts (1955)

Oh, in reference to last week's "small fib" post ... This is the last sentence of the column:  "He is six feet tall, weighs 160, has brown hair and blue eyes, and is unmarried."  Having brown hair and blue eyes is the correct part of the sentence.  Later he would claim to be 6' 1", but 6' 0" may be correct.  He's always described as being 160 lbs., but his weight varied quite a bit.  160 seems rather high for a 6-foot waif like he was in 1929.  However, it's the "...and is unmarried" part that's a rather sad outright fib --- hard for me to say "lie".  Poor Betty, having to not exist for most of a year.  Quite the sacrifice for a young wife. 

At Least the Swedes Knew He Was Blue-Eyed!

 Let's hear it for the Swedes to get Bob's eye color correct!!  And for using this great Montgomery photo when it's overlooked in the U.S.  Really.  

Not much movie-related material inside the magazine.  Did find this photo of four MGM gents having a chat/walk in their wardrobe outfits for the day.  The caption says something about Clark telling a funny story while Spencer, Robert and Bill await the punch line.  Could be.  And Bill wearing his normal wardrobe for the 1930s, including his top hat.  Always the best-dressed Gent in the room!  

      

Eek!! Is it Really Thursday Already?!!!

 How embarrassing.  My blog, the only deadline responsibility I have and I blow it.  Geesch.  Meanwhile, may I offer you a rather nifty photo of three favorite people doing their thing, giving joy to their fans.   Now where did I leave my keys ...

             Bob, Joan and Bill, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)

The Future According to MGM

 MGM's Screen Forecast for 1934 - 1935, is a small publication, about 3-1/2" x 4-1/2", with 28 pages.  I'm assuming it was given out as a freebee at theaters and tells briefly the movies MGM stars were cast in for release in 1934-35.  And just like the weather, MGM's forecast was somewhat limited in accuracy.  

Of course, not all were incorrect ... Robert Montgomery did co-star with Ann Harding in Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935).  

Unfortunately, Robert Montgomery did not appear in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). 

 

William Powell and Myrna Loy appeared in a whole lot of movies together, but The Casino Murder Case (1935) was not one of them.  Paul Lukas and Rosalind Russell inherited this crime mystery.  

Some slight changes were made to the Shearer romance movie, Marie Antoinette, not released until 1938.  Lets see, it lost Charles Laughton and Herbert Marshall, and gained Tyrone Power and John Barrymore.  Must have been some changes in the storyline as well.  I mean, I just can't see Herbert Marshall and Tyrone Power up for the same role.  No way.

And, saving the best for last, and I quote:  "Gloria Swanson will co-star with Clark Gable in a thrilling romance."  Now that's funny.  Gable must have choked on his steak when the MGM rep. brought up that idea.  Perhaps he let Joan Crawford take care of Swanson.  Trying to move in on her guy ... really.

Wonder if Bill Went out in Public with his Red Hair

 A favorite movie of mine, Life with Father (1947), starred two of my favorite people, William Powell and Irene Dunne.  Directed by Michael Curtiz and with a screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart, it is (surprise!) a delightful movie.  

Bill and Irene ... made for quite the handsome couple.  

And a big round of applause for the costume department at Warner Bros for Irene's gorgeous outfit.  Someone, more likely somebodies, spent long hours on this creation.  Bravo.

Happy Valentine's Day to One and All!

And what a better way to enjoy the day than to watch a William Powell/Myrna Loy movie.  This page from the herald for I Love You Again (1940) makes for a rather nice Valentine's card.  The herald is in Danish ... it's not your vision that is going wrong.  Jeg elsker dig igen is a literal translation of the movie's title.  

I Love You Again is the 9th of 14 movies Bill and Myrna appeared in together.  And play together so effortlessly and perfectly.  Just great fun to watch.  

I'm afraid my Danish is rather lacking, but love the expression on Bill's face.  

And just in case you needed a reminder of who this couple really are ... an updated photo of Nick and Nora Charles!  

Bill from BEFORE The Thin Man

 William Powell was at the top of his profession when he appeared in The Thin Man in 1934.  He was perfectly cast as the suave Nick Charles, and that is how many of us think of him.  But Bill was 42 by that time, having been acting for 22 years, since 1912 on the New York stage and since 1922 in the movies.  It took him a while to be able to so convincingly play that character.  

Below is Bill in Shadow of the Law (1930) portraying a businessman charged for murder.  He is innocent but the witness who can help him prove it has disappeared.  No humor and martinis in that role.

In 1926, Bill appeared in White Mice.  Neither IMDB nor Wiki has a plot line for the movie.  Can't even determine exactly what is going on in this photo.  BUT, it does prove that Bill was not born with a mustache.  He is already 34, but looks a lot younger.  Still .... I'm glad he decided on the mustache.  (Montgomery, on the other hand...) 

Sorry, Debbie...No Thin Man Entrees

 July 29th is William Powell's birthday.  Happy Early Birthday, Bill!  TCM is showing 9 of his movies!!  The first movie has a 6:30 a.m. ET start time.  I hope TCM includes them all in its streaming movies.  There are some early ones I haven't seen and they all look great. 

Pointed Heels (1929) is not one of the films.  Just thought it a nifty lobby card. 

 

Bob,Joan,Frank,Una,Clark,Bill,Robert or Roz?

 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer did not pass up many opportunities to make a little extra money off their stars fame.  Besides the picture frame photos, there were photos used on notebooks (or writing tablets, as I knew them).  I wasn't around for these notebooks, but I would have dreaded having to select just one for the upcoming school year.  In all honesty, as an elementary school student I probably would have chosen .... Clark Gable!  And Robert Taylor would have been my second choice.  Hey, Gable and Taylor were still making movies in the 1950s.  While Robert Montgomery was a TV producer and advisor to President Eisenhower.  Who would you have chosen?