Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell 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 C ... harlie 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 Powell's 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. wouldn't allow him to do so, although they did (mis)cast him in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) as Lysander. This was to be Powell's 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 O'Clock 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.
| Organization | Category | Movie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Director | The Enemy Below | Nominated |
| Golden Globes | Best Director | The Enemy Below | Nominated |
Four Star Playhouse
as Willie Dante
Episodes: 8
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Dan
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Graham
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Paul
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Mike Donegan
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Dan Hodges
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Dave Robinson
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Fred
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Chris
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Eddie
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Jeff
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Dave
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Capt. Avery
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Andrew
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Will Sonnett
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Fleet Mason
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Grover Doane
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Steve
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Priest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Philip Benton
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Dan Matson
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as US Marshal Philip Dana
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Four Star Playhouse
as Burt Stroude
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Climax!
as Philip Marlowe
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 07, 1954
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
as Paul Martin
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 21, 1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
as Dr. Timothy McVey
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 21, 1959
Four Star Playhouse
as Eddie White
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 25, 1952
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Self - Host
Episodes: 147
First Aired: Oct 05, 1956
The Dick Powell Show
as Self - Host
Episodes: 60
First Aired: Sep 26, 1961
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
Episodes: 4
First Aired: Feb 02, 1950
This Is Your Life
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Oct 01, 1952
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jun 20, 1948
The DuPont Show of the Week
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 17, 1961
The Emmy Awards
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 25, 1949
Lux Video Theatre
as Self - Intermission Guest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 02, 1950
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jul 29, 1957
What's My Line?
as Self - Panelist
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 02, 1950
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 6 |
| 2024 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 5 |
| 2024 | 8 | 13 | 29 | 8 |
| 2024 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | 14 | 29 | 8 |
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 0 |