William Powell

William Powell began his career on the New York stage in 1912, but it would be ten years before he entered the film industry. In 1924, he joined Paramount Pictures, where he remained for the next seven years. During that time, he appeared in several notable films, though he did not achieve stardom. He gained attention for his role as Leo, the arrogant film director, in *The Last Command* (1928). His breakthrough came with *The Canary Murder Case* (1929), in which he played Philo Vance, a detective investigating the death of Louise Brooks, "the Canary." Unlike many silent actors, Powell's career thrived with the advent of sound, thanks to his refined voice and strong stage background. Dissatisfied with the roles offered at Paramount, he moved to Warner Bros. in 1931. However, he remained unimpressed with the material there, and his final film for Warners was *The Kennel Murder Case* (1933), again as Philo Vance. In 1934, Powell joined MGM, where he was paired with Myrna Loy in *Manhattan Melodrama* (1934). While Philo Vance made Powell a star, another character, Nick Charles, brought him lasting fame. He received an Academy Award nomination for *The Thin Man* (1934) and later starred in *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), which won the 1936 Academy Award for Best Picture. Powell was versatile, capable of commanding the screen in comedies, thrillers, and dramas. He received his second Academy Award nomination for *My Man Godfrey* (1936) and was at the height of his success until 1937, when he co-starred with Jean Harlow in *Reckless* (1935). The two developed a strong connection, both on and off-screen, and soon became engaged. While Powell was filming *Double Wedding* (1937) at one MGM sound stage, Harlow fell ill at another. She was later hospitalized and died. Her death deeply affected Powell and Myrna Loy, and he took six weeks off from the film to grieve. Afterward, he traveled and did not return to MGM for a year. Eventually, he appeared in five sequels to *The Thin Man*, the last in 1947. He received his third Academy Award nomination for *Life with Father* (1947). His screen appearances became less frequent afterward, and his final role was in 1955. He had come a long way from playing a villain in 1922.