William Powell Movies
Originally planning to become a lawyer, William Powell chose instead to pursue a career as an actor, dropping out of the University of Kansas to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where his classmates included Edward G. Robinson and Joseph Schildkraut. He made his Broadway debut in 1912, and within a few years had attained stardom in urbane, sophisticated roles. The sleek, moustachioed young actor entered films in 1922, playing the first of many villainous roles in John Barrymore's Sherlock Holmes. He finally broke out of the bad guy mode when talkies came in; his clipped, precise speech patterns and authoritative demeanor were ideally suited to such "gentleman detective" roles as Philo Vance in The Canary Murder Case, the Kennel Murder Case, and others in the Vance series. In 1933 he moved from Warner Bros. to MGM, where he co-starred with Myrna Loy in Manhattan Melodrama (1934). So well-received was the Powell-Loy screen teaming that the actors were paired together in several subsequent MGM productions, most memorably the delightful Thin Man series and the 1936 blockbuster The Great Ziegfeld, in which Powell played the title character and Loy was cast as Ziegfeld's second wife, Billie Burke. Away from the screen for nearly a year due to a serious illness, Powell returned in 1944, curtailing his film activities thereafter. As he eased into his late fifties he reinvented himself as a character actor, offering superbly etched performances as a lamebrained crooked politician in The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947) and the lovably autocratic Clarence Day Sr. in Life With Father (1947), which earned him his third Academy Award nomination (the others were for The Thin Man and My Man Godfrey). After playing Doc in the 1955 film version of Mister Roberts, he retired to his lavish, air-conditioned home in Palm Springs, insisting that he'd return to films if the right role came along but he turned down all offers. Married three times, Powell's second wife was actress Carole Lombard, with whom he remained good friends after the divorce, and co-starred with in My Man Godfrey (1936); his third marriage to MGM starlet Diana Lewis was a happy union that lasted from 1940 until Powell's death in 1984. It has been said, however, that the great love of William Powell's life was actress Jean Harlow, to whom he was engaged at the time of her premature death in 1936. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1930
After briefly relinquishing the role to Basil Rathbone, William Powell was back as S. S. Van Dine's amateur detective Philo Vance in The Benson Murder Case. Keeping abreast of the times, the film uses the 1929 Stock Market Crash as a plot motivator. Crooked stockbroker Anthony Benson (Richard Tucker) betrays several of his clients for his own gain then retreats to the safety of his palatial hunting lodge. It isn't long before Benson turns up dead, obliging his house guest Philo Vance to wade through the myriad of suspects. Among the likely culprits is gigolo Adolph Mohler, played by Paul Lukas, who would himself essay the role of Philo Vance in 1935's Casino Murder Case. The Benson Murder Case brought the Philo Vance series to a temporary close; it would be three years before Vance, again impersonated by William Powell, appeared on-screen in The Kennel Murder Case. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, Natalie Moorhead, (more)
- 1930
This fact-based drama chronicles the events that led to the murder of a notorious gambler. The story begins when a young cardsharp goes to see his brother, whom he believes is a stockbroker. In reality, the brother is a famed gambler who is trying to quit and try to rebuild his marriage. When the professional gambler sees that his card-playing sibling is preparing to make the same mistakes he did, he decides to risk his life and gamble one more time to teach him an unforgettable lesson. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, Jean Arthur, (more)
- 1930
William Powell stars in this drama as William Foster, a gifted defense attorney with a gift for making cases go his way. Foster's winning record in the courtroom has earned him a colorful clientele, including several notorious criminals, but he doubts his abilities when his girlfriend Irene Manners (Kay Francis) is charged with manslaughter after a violent incident which occurred while she was drinking. Wanting to protect Irene, Foster tries to pull a few strings, but the results find Foster facing a five year sentence for jury tampering. While Foster certainly doesn't want to be separated from the woman he loves, he also knows that in prison he'll have to face several former clients whose defense didn't pan out. For The Defense was based in part on the true story of William Fallon, a well-known attorney of the day. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, Kay Francis, (more)
- 1930
William Powell was still in his tux-and-top-hat period when he starred in Pointed Heels. The scene is Broadway, where millionaire Robert Courtland (Powell) promises to back a new musical production on the proviso that bit player Lora Nixon (Fay Wray) be given a major role. Lora is appreciative but drops out of the show upon falling in love with younger millionaire Donald Ogden (Phillips Holmes). When Donald's mother cuts him off without a cent, Lora shows that she's true-blue after all by returning to the stage to support him. Still quite fond of Lora, Courtland arranges for her latest show, which threatens to be a flop, to become a hit by getting the show's pretentious stars drunk so that their attempts at high drama will be misinterpreted as comedy. Ungrateful Donald mistakenly believes that Lora is having an affair with her benefactor and walks out on his "unfaithful" wife, but with Courtland's help the two sweethearts are reunited at film's end. Pointed Heels was supposed to have been a vehicle for "boop-boop-a-doop" girl Helen Kane, but by the time the film was released, Kane's role was reduced to a supporting part. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, Fay Wray, (more)
- 1929
This early talkie is the film that destroyed the career of popular silent leading lady Louise Brooks. A detective story, it centers upon a conniving "canary" (a nightclub singer) who takes on wealthy lovers and then blackmails them into giving her money. If they don't cooperate, she will tell their wives and ruin their lives. It all unravels when she falls in love with a handsome young man and accepts his marriage proposal. She goes to each of her lovers and demands they each make one final large payment. She is found dead the next day and her fiancé is blamed until ultra-suave gumshoe Philo Vance shows up and proves his innocence. Originally, the film was made without sound. Later when Paramount decided to dub in voices, it recalled all of the actors, including Brooks, who was in Europe working with filmmaker Pabst. Brooks disdained talkies and refused to participate. This was a serious breach of contract, and she was released. Margaret Livingston ended up dubbing her voice for Brooks' role. Though later Brooks returned to Hollywood, she was relegated to appearing in low-budget Westerns. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, James Hall, (more)
- 1929
Charming Sinners was a stilted adaptation of Somerset Maugham's play The Constant Wife. Robert Miles (Clive Brook) starts the ball rolling when he falls in love with Anne-Marie Whitley (Mary Nolan), the best friend of his own wife Kathryn (Ruth Chatterton). In retaliation, Kathryn begins a flirtation with her former boyfriend Karl Kraley (William Powell). After reels and reels of verbal fencing, the status quo is re-established, and Robert and Kathryn are reunited. So dour and restrained was Clive Brook's performance that one film critic pretended to mistake him for the family butler! Charming Sinners was also filmed in several foreign-language versions. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ruth Chatterton, Clive Brook, (more)
- 1929
In this early "talkie," William Powell stars as sophisticated detective Philo Vance, who is brought in to investigate the killing of multi-millionaire Tobias Greene. Vance brings together a handful of likely suspects, but it soon becomes apparent he hasn't found the guilty party when all nine of the possible candidates also wind up dead. Vance starts taking a closer look at Greene's mourning family -- as well as the circumstances under which he earned his fortune. Based on the novel by S.S. Van Dine's novel, The Greene Murder Case also stars Jean Arthur, Florence Eldridge, and Ullrich Haupt. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, Florence Eldridge, (more)
- 1928
This was the third screen version of A.E.W. Mason's oft-filmed novel about one soldier's triumph over cowardice and was the last rendering during the silent era. Here, Richard Arlen stars as Harry Faversham, the British officer who resigns rather than fight against rebels in Egypt. When four of his former colleagues present him with feathers signifying their belief that he's a coward, Faversham has a change of heart, and posing as an Arab, he goes on a potentially deadly mission to rescue captured British forces. Fay Wray also appears as Ethne Eustance. Wray and directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack would reunite four years later for another classic tale of adventure, King Kong. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Fay Wray, (more)
- 1928
Josef vonSternberg's The Last Command was inspired by the true story of General Lodijenski, a Russian aristocrat who arrived penniless in the US after the 1917 Revolution and who supported himself by playing movie bit parts and managing a Russian restaurant. Emil Jannings stars as the Grand Duke Sergius Alexander, who in the last days of the Romanoff regime must decide the fate of two revolutionist actors, Leo Andreyev (William Powell) and the gorgeous Natacha (Evelyn Brent). Andreyev is carted off to prison, while Natacha becomes the Duke's mistress. She fully intends to kill him, but when the chance arises, she hesitates, having come to realize that the Duke is an essentially decent man who loves Russia as much as she does. Comes the revolution, and Natacha helps the Grand Duke escape the Bolsheviks, losing her own life in the process. The death of Natacha sends Sergius Alexander into a nervous shock, from which he never fully recovers. Years later, a shabby Sergius is eking out an existence as a Hollywood extra. Hired to play a Russian general in a crowd scene, Sergius discovers that his director is none other than former Russian revolutionary Leo Andreyev. The meaning of the title is clarified in the film's emotional climax. Plot inconsistencies aside, The Last Command is a stunning cinematic achievement, combining the harsh realities of Russia and Hollywood with vonSternberg's unerring sense of visual beauty. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, (more)
- 1928
Bebe Daniels' popular Paramount comedies of the 1920s frequently cast the sprightly heroine as a female Douglas Fairbanks, saving the day with equal parts cleverness and physical dexterity. Feel My Pulse is a typically Fairbanksian romp, with Daniels playing a sheltered rich girl who has been convinced (and has convinced herself) that she is suffering from multiple maladies. When Daniels inherits a health sanitarium, she moves in bag and baggage, hoping to cure her many imagined ailments. Actually, all she needs is a good jolt of adventure, excitement, and romance, and this she gets when bootleggers set up shop at the sanitarium. Daniels is so full of vim, vigor and vitality at the end of the film that she's even willing to kiss leading-man Richard Arlen without worrying about catching any germs. Like many of the Daniels' comedies, Feel My Pulse is benefited immeasurably by the roguish villainy of star-in-the-making William Powell. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, George Irving, (more)
- 1928
Paramount's first all-talking picture, Interference was dismally directed by Roy Pomeroy, whose lofty status as the studio's "technical wizard" did not necessarily qualify him to be a director. Evelyn Brent heads the cast as scheming Deborah Kane, who sets out to blackmail Faith Marley (Doris Kenyon), the above-reproach wife of Sir John Marlay. Twisting the facts to suit her purposes, Deborah claims that Faith is still married to her first husband Philip Voaze (William Powell), who was presumed killed in WWI. Inevitably, Deborah is murdered, prompting both Faith and John to assume that the other has committed the crime. Accordingly, both husband and wife tamper with the evidence to throw the police off the trail, but the detective on the case (Brandon Hurst) is a bit too quick on the uptake. Only the last-minute confession of the actual killer (who has but a short time to live anyway) saves the Marlays from public humiliation and disgrace. Based on a stage play by Roland Petwee and Harold Dearden, Interference was simultaneously filmed in a silent version, which reportedly was better paced than the talkie adaptation. Years after the fact, co-star Clive Brook recalled that when Interference premiered in London, the needle became stuck on one of the soundtrack disks, causing Brook's character to repeatedly recite the deathless line "Another of those damned postcards -- another of those damned postcards -- another of those damned postcards." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Evelyn Brent, William Powell, (more)
- 1928
The 1928 Dragnet bears no relation to the 1950s TV series of the same name. This Josef von Sternberg exercise in esoterica stars George Bancroft as tough cop Two-Gun Nolan. When he becomes convinced that he has accidentally killed his partner, Nolan goes on a bender. Actually, the crime was committed by one of gangster William Powell's henchman. Powell's moll Evelyn Brent takes a liking to Nolan; she tells him the truth, whereupon Nolan pulls himself together and goes after Powell all by himself. The evocative subtitles in Dragnet were written by Herman J. Mankiewicz, who reportedly never read the original script nor ever saw the finished product. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- George Bancroft, Evelyn Brent, (more)
- 1928
This silent romantic adventure is set in the Sahara desert, and purports to be a sequel to the successful Beau Geste. Like the first, it is based on a story by Christopher Wren and features members from the original cast. The story begins as three Legionnaires do not return promptly from furlough and end up in the poky. There, the hero duels with a traitor and wins, causing him to gain the designation "Beau Sabreur." Later he is sent into the desert to learn the ways of the Arabs and to help forge a peace treaty. There he encounters a lovely American journalist. Meanwhile the defeated traitor tries to stop the treaty from going through. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Evelyn Brent, (more)
- 1928
A criminal with a conscience will go to any lengths to give his daughter a better life in this silent drama. "Heliotrope Harry" Harlow (Clive Brook) is a stick-up man who, after robbing a gambling den with his partner Froggy (William Powell), returns home to discover his wife Lily (Olga Baclanova) in the arms of another man. Harlow kills Lily's lover and hits the road with Froggy, taking his infant daughter with him. Feeling remorse for his crime, Harlow turns himself in, but not before leaving his daughter on the doorstep of a loving family. As Harlow serves a life sentence for murder, Froggy keeps tabs on the daughter, who grows up to be Alice Deane (Mary Brian) and is engaged to marry the son of a prominent socialite. Lily, however, has been trying to track down her daughter ever since Harry took her away, and after finding Froggy she tricks him into revealing Mary's true identity, Harry escapes from prison to prevent Lily from spoiling Alice's new marriage and happy life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Mary Brian, (more)
- 1928
This silent Paramount Zane Grey Western marked the screen debut of the then 7-year-old Tim Holt. Young Tim's father, Jack Holt, starred as John Ballard, a courageous rancher who leads his neighbors in their righteous fight against corrupt politician John Murdock (William Powell) and his even nastier brother, the local sheriff (Fred Kohler). The brothers are attempting to acquire the valley's water rights by force. In the scuffle, John Murdock shoots and kills a rancher but manages to shift the blame onto Ballard. Banished from the settlement, Ballard returns with renewed fervor and extracts a confession from Murdock. Young Tim appeared in a flashback sequence playing his father as a child. In the '40s, Tim Holt became a B-Western star for RKO, but is today best remembered for playing George Amberson Minafer in Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons and one of the three prospectors in the Humphrey Bogart classic The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). Tim's sister, Jennifer Holt, appeared in 38 B-Westerns in the '40s. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Fred Kohler, (more)
- 1928
Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton team up again in this silent comedy, in which they (respectively) play Mike Doolan, a half-bright gumshoe, and Scoop McGee, his equally dim-witted journalist pal. While on the trail of a group of gangsters, Doolan and McGee unwittingly fall in with a group of gangsters, and wind up bringing them to justice in spite of themselves. Partners In Crime was one of a dozen silent comedies Beery and Hatton would appear in together; their partnership would end with the coming of sound. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1927
Dapper "polite" comedian Raymond Griffith starred in this so-so vehicle. Griffith is cast as French Alfred Sava-Goiu, who, after being dumped by his sweetheart, philosophically decides to end it all by jumping into the Seine. Instead, he lands in a passing boat owned by the Countess Elvire (Vera Voronina). Falling in love with his savior, Alfred returns the compliment by rescuing the Countess from a precipitous waterfall. The Countess' lover Prince Alado (William Powell) resents Alfred's presence and challenges our hero to a duel. Wriggling out of this predicament, Alfred "kidnaps" his far-from-resistant sweetheart and escapes with her in a balloon -- which, worse luck, turns out to be a war-games target. Once again, however, Alfred's luck holds out, and he and the Countess manage to make it to the altar. Like most of Raymond Griffith's starring films, A Time to Love has apparently long since vanished. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Raymond Griffith, William Powell, (more)
- 1927
Filmed on location in Manhattan, the 1927 silent New York explores themes later developed more fully in such films as Manhattan Melodrama and Once Upon a Time in America. A product of the Bowery, Trent Regan (William Powell) grows up to become a powerful gangster. Regan's girlfriend Angie Miller (Esther Ralston), hearing that her childhood sweetheart (and Regan's lifelong pal) Mike Cassidy (Ricardo Cortez) is about to marry Marjorie Church (Lois Wilson), pays a visit to Mike to offer congratulations. Convinced that Angie is fooling around behind his back, Regan accidentally kills her. When Mike is charged with the murder, Regan, feeling that "justice" has been served, keeps silent. Ultimately, however, Mike is cleared, and Regan is trapped by the testimony of their mutual chum Buck (Skeets Gallegher). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ricardo Cortez, Lois Wilson, (more)
- 1927
The second and last of Eddie Cantor's silent vehicles, Special Delivery casts the wide-eyed comedian as a hapless mailman. While going through his swiftly appointed rounds, Eddie stumbles upon a gang of crooks who are planning a large-scale confidence scam. He exposes the villains and wins the love of heroine Madge (Jobyna Ralston). Though Cantor was a fine physical comic, he didn't truly score in films until the arrival of talkies allowed his fans to hear as well as see him. Special Delivery was directed by "William Goodrich," who in reality was comedian Fatty Arbuckle, hoping to stage a comeback after the sex scandal that destroyed his career. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Cantor, Jobyna Ralston, (more)
- 1927
Love's Greatest Mistake was based on the serialized Liberty Magazine story of the same name. It all begins when Honey McNeill (Josephine Dunn) leaves her home town of Bangor, Maine to visit her married sister Jane (Evelyn Brent) in New York. En route, Honey meets and falls in love with banker William Ogden (Frank Morgan). She confides in Ogden that she expects her visit to Jane to be a dull one, because nothing earth-shattering ever happens in her sister's household. Little does she realize that Jane is presently engaged in an extramarital affair with oily Don Kendall (William Powell). Our hapless heroine gets mixed up in a blackmailing plot hatched by Don, from which she is rescued by Ogde -- who nonetheless steps gallantly aside when a younger, handsomer man (James Hall) comes into Honey's life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Evelyn Brent, William Powell, (more)
- 1927
It has often been reported that Howard Hawks tried and failed to create an "art" film with Paid to Love, only to return to his traditional no-nonsense cinematic approach when the film failed at the box-office. While it is true that Hawks adopted a "Germanic" approach, replete with languid tracking shots and offbeat camera angles, Paid to Love was in fact a very conventional-looking film, especially for a Fox production of 1927. Written and rewritten numerous times before production began, the story concerns the misadventures of Crown Prince Michael (George O'Brien), the shy and introverted regent of a mythical European country. Even Michael's own subjects consider him a stick in the mud, preferring the roguish escapades of his playboy cousin Prince Eric (William Powell). While on a visit to America, Michael loses his inhibitions thanks to the tender ministrations of down-to-earth showgirl Dolores (Virginia Valli), who has been hired to arouse the Crown Prince's libido and thereby transform him into a more popular ruler. Inevitably, Dolores and Michael fall in love, leading to the equally inevitable complications -- and a surprising conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Virginia Valli, (more)
- 1927
Young Paramount stars Gary Cooper and Thelma Todd, the latter a recent graduate of the studio's acting school, starred in this otherwise average Zane Grey Western directed by studio hack John Waters. It was Waters who, having spotted young Cooper in a screen test, recommended the lanky newcomer for Arizona Bound (1927). That film was successful enough for Paramount to conjure up Nevada, in which a once notorious gunfighter takes a respectable job on a ranch. Cooper's "Nevada" is charged with protecting the ranch owner's pretty daughter (Todd), arousing the enmity of ranch foreman William Powell, who is in love with the girl. The villainous foreman leaks a rumor of his rival's dark past to the sheriff, and the former outlaw is soon on the run again. But along the way, he catches a gang of cattle rustlers led by -- surprise -- William Powell. Thus rehabilitated, Nevada is free to marry lovely Thelma. Despite the strong cast -- in retrospect, at least -- Nevada was considered a rather weak entry in Paramount's long Zane Grey series and actually did little to further Cooper's career prospects. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, William Powell, (more)
- 1927
She's a Sheik borrows more than a little from the Rudolph Valentino vehicle, Son of the Sheik, but refreshingly, the Valentino character here is a woman, played by the dashing comedienne Bebe Daniels. She is Zaida, half-Spanish and half-Arab, and determined to marry a Christian man. The Arabian bandit Kada (William Powell doesn't care what she wants -- he's determined to have her as his own. Zaida, as swashbuckling as any male, goes sword-to-sword with him...and comes out ahead. She meets up with the French Captain Colton (Richard Arlen), decides he is for her, and kidnaps him to her desert camp. After spending a few days in captivity, Colton finally succumbs to Zaida's formidable charms. The film climaxes with a battle between French and Arab troops, with the French outwitting the Arabs, helped out by a pair of motion-picture showmen (played by Bill Franey and James Bradbury, Jr.). The company runs a clip of an attacking army on a large screen; this is enough to frighten the naive Arabs. Meanwhile Zaida and Colton close out She's a Sheik with the requisite clinch. A lot of people, though, would have preferred to see Daniels and Powell together at the end -- the pair had a real chemistry in the few films in which they appeared together. The good-looking Arlen just didn't have Powell's flair. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Richard Arlen, (more)
- 1927
One of the most frustrating items in the list of missing Bebe Daniels comedies, Senorita certainly sounds fascinating. When the life and property of Spanish Californian aristocrat Don Hernandez (Josef Swickard) is threatened by land-grabbers, the old man sends for his grandson to help out. What he doesn't know is that his "grandson" is actually a girl, played of course by Daniels. Rather than break Don Hernandez' heart, Senorita Daniels dons male attire and a Fairbanks-like mustache, and in this guise bests principal heavy Ramon Oliveros (William Powell) in a spectacular sword duel. When the "hero" is revealed to be the heroine, she instantly wins the heart of Oliveros' much-nicer cousin Roger (James Hall). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, James Hall, (more)
- 1926
With a star-director combination like Tommy Meighan and Allan Dwan, how could Tin Gods not succeed at the box office? After the death of his child in an accident, engineer Roger Drake (Meighan) parts company with his politically ambitious wife Janet (Aileen Pringle). Unable to hold onto a job in the U.S., Drake ends up working on a treacherous bridge project in South America. Stricken with fever, Drake is saved through the tender ministrations of native girl Carita (Renee Adoree). But when he recovers, our hero indicates that he may wish to reconcile with his wife, whereupon the heartbroken Carita jumps off the newly-completed bridge to her death. Profoundly affected by this, Drake elects to remain in South America long enough to build a shrine for his lost love. Among the screenwriters for Tin Gods was actor Paul Dickey, who'd previously played Guy of Gisborne in the Allan Dwan-directed Robin Hood (1922). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thomas Meighan, Renée Adorée, (more)
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