In 1915, he married Eileen Wilson, with whom he had his only child, William David Powell, before an amicable divorce in 1930.
Carole Lombard fell in love with Powell while they filmed
Man of the World in 1931. Sixteen years her senior, they married the same year and the union lasted a little over two years with them splitting amicably in 1933. Remaining on good terms allowed them to star together in the screwball comedy
My Man Godfrey
in 1936. Powell was responsible for Lombard being signed for the film, insisting she was the only actress who could aptly handle the screwball heroine.
Powell had a close relationship with actress Jean Harlow beginning in 1935, even gifting her with a 150 carat sapphire. However, he had no interest in getting married again. Their relationship was cut short by Harlow's untimely death in 1937. Powell paid for her final resting place in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.
On January 6, 1940, Powell married actress Diana Lewis, whom he called "Mousie," three weeks after they met. They remained married, residing primarily in Palm Springs, California, until Powell's death.
Tonight on TCM!
ATale Of Two Cities (1958) Charles Dickens' classic tale of lookalikes in love with the same woman in the years after the French Revolution. Dir: Robert Mulligan Cast: Max Adrian, James Donald, Denholm Elliott.
I didn't know about Powell's first and last wives. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI feel better informed about this most handsome man. I like him even more. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHe is most handsome and was most certainly one of Hollywood's underrated treasures.
ReplyDeleteHe is most handsome and was most certainly one of Hollywood's underrated treasures.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Powell was a terrific actor. Hollywood did him an injustice by overlooking him for an Oscar. Thanks for posting this. For the record, he had a fling with actress Kay Francis while separated from his first wife, Eileen Wilson. Their final separation was in 1924 and both were living apart. Once he met Carole Lombard, he wanted a divorce so he could marry Carole.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Powell was a terrific actor. Hollywood did him an injustice by overlooking him for an Oscar. Thanks for posting this. For the record, he had a fling with actress Kay Francis while separated from his first wife, Eileen Wilson. Their final separation was in 1924 and both were living apart. Once he met Carole Lombard, he wanted a divorce so he could marry Carole.
ReplyDeleteGotta love my man Godfrey, I'm speaking of course of the great W.P. I liked him in "Heavenly Bodies" with Heddy Lamar. I think W.P was one of Hollywood's greatest, with his debonair charm and witty personality. It is my belief that if it wasn't for Clark Gable absorbing a lot of the adulation , William would of even been more famous than he ended up being.
ReplyDeleteI watched The Thin Man and I believe the second one was called Another Thin Man. I positively fell in love with Mr. Powell. He was so funny to me. I loved the pairing with Myrna Loy. What a great couple on screen. I want to see more of their movies. This was during the Christmas and New Year Holiday season 2017-2018. I love TCM where I’ve started watching all of the old movies. I really love them. They were well before my time, but are so worth watching. Really classy and well written movies.
ReplyDeleteMr. Powell, you have a new fan for all time! RIP
I just love the wit and class he brought to the screen. His acting was superb and he could play just about any part with perfection. I especially like him in Life with Father. I also love his pairing with Myrna Loy. They were so cute together.
ReplyDeleteWhat you saw on screen concerning Mr. Powell( personality, demeanor and such) is what he was actually like. I positively really love him.
ReplyDelete