I know, Dick Powell (1904 - 1963) is certainly not a Bit Actor. I don't think he ever was...well maybe in his first few films. I like him, its my blog, so deal with it.
His life must have been exciting. He was married to Joan Blondell (1906 - 1979) and then to June Allyson (1917 - 2006). He was originally a singer, and after making hundreds of Busby Berkeley (1895 - 1976) films, all with hundreds of beautiful women, he started making detective movies. He even sold Humphrey Bogart his famous boat, Santana.
OK, I got carried away. He only made eleven Busby Berkeley films.
Powell made 58 movies and several TV shows, including his own "The Dick Powell Theater" in the 1960s. After a few less popular films, he made 42nd Street in 1933 with Berkeley as a choreographer, and Ginger Rogers (1911 - 1995) and Ruby Keeler (1910 - 1993) in the cast.
That same year he made two shorts and six movies, including two other Berkeley musicals, Gold Diggers of 1933 and Footlight Parade.
In 1935 he was a bit out of his element in A Midsummer Night's Dream, starring James Cagney (1899 - 1986) and Mickey Rooney (b. 1920). I think Cagney was out of his element as well.
The war years brought some war movies, including In The Navy (1941) with Abbott and Costello. Then, in 1944, he was in one of his most popular films, Murder, My Sweet, as the detective Phillip Marlow. It is considered film noir at its best.
In the 1950s his popularity started to wane and his movies weren't as memorable. He found good work on TV, and he played Phillip Marlow again on "Climax!" in 1954.
Dick Powell died of cancer in 1963, which may have been attributed to directing a movie near an atomic bomb test site. The movie was The Conquerer (1956) with John Wayne playing Genghis Kahn. (Any relation to Madeline Kahn (1942 - 1999)?) Apparently, several members of the cast and crew also eventually died of cancer.
To me, the best pairing Dick Powell ever did was with the songs of Al Dubin (1891 - 1945) and Harry Warren (1893 - 1981). His voice will always ring in my memory.
Showing posts with label Busby Berkeley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Busby Berkeley. Show all posts
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Busby Berkeley
Bit Actor Busby Berkeley was in three films. Of course, they were really cameo roles for him, since he was also the choreographer for those films, Palmy Days (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933, and Footlight Parade (1933).
Gold Diggers of 1933 is one of the best of the Berkeley films. He didn't direct, but he was the choreographer. I own the five DVD set of Berkeley films shown at left, with that one and other great movies.
A young Ginger Rogers has a good supporting part, in her 18th film. She and Ruby Keeler bring a lot of beauty to this film, and Dick Powell's voice is wonderful in the Dubin and Warren tunes that I think are timeless. But who else was in it?
At the very bottom of the list on IMDb sits Tammany Young. The next year he was in It's a Gift with W. C. Fields as his store clerk Emmett, playing with Baby Leroy. He died in 1936, but he started working in films in 1914 and had 126 roles.
Jane Wyman can be seen in her third movie role as one of the gold diggers. This was 7 years before she married Ronald Reagan. He was her third husband and she was only 33 when they married.
Sometimes I see a name and I need to write it down for further research. This movie has a bit actor named Fred "Snowflake" Toones, who lived from 1906 to 1962 and appeared in 209 movies. There has to be a story to his life. It turns out he was in Way Out West in 1937 with Laurel and Hardy, his only film with the great comedy team.
Last, I can't skip Charles Lane and Billy Barty. Both had long careers as bit actors. Take a look at Lane's filmography here.
Busby Berkeley did his best to make the great depression a little brighter.
Gold Diggers of 1933 is one of the best of the Berkeley films. He didn't direct, but he was the choreographer. I own the five DVD set of Berkeley films shown at left, with that one and other great movies.
A young Ginger Rogers has a good supporting part, in her 18th film. She and Ruby Keeler bring a lot of beauty to this film, and Dick Powell's voice is wonderful in the Dubin and Warren tunes that I think are timeless. But who else was in it?
At the very bottom of the list on IMDb sits Tammany Young. The next year he was in It's a Gift with W. C. Fields as his store clerk Emmett, playing with Baby Leroy. He died in 1936, but he started working in films in 1914 and had 126 roles.
Jane Wyman can be seen in her third movie role as one of the gold diggers. This was 7 years before she married Ronald Reagan. He was her third husband and she was only 33 when they married.
Sometimes I see a name and I need to write it down for further research. This movie has a bit actor named Fred "Snowflake" Toones, who lived from 1906 to 1962 and appeared in 209 movies. There has to be a story to his life. It turns out he was in Way Out West in 1937 with Laurel and Hardy, his only film with the great comedy team.
Last, I can't skip Charles Lane and Billy Barty. Both had long careers as bit actors. Take a look at Lane's filmography here.
Busby Berkeley did his best to make the great depression a little brighter.
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