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July 21, 2010



As I slowly begin my Dick Powell book, I pause to enjoy the weather. I hope you are enjoying the summer as much as Dick Powell did.

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Dick Powell is one of the most underrated film stars of the golden age of Hollywood. He was at one time listed as one of the top ten favorite actors in Hollywood and he transcended several genres. His work in musicals cemented his fame-- literally. He entered his hand and footprints into the cement outside Sid Grauman's Chinese Theater with Joan Blondell in 1937. After a period of decline, Dick reinvented himself as a tough guy in film noir, and his performances are still impressive today. Never one to settle, he then tried his hand at directing and was successful. His business sense and film experience allowed him to start a television production company called Four Star; there he served as mentor to Aaron Spelling. His early death from cancer at age 58 was a heartbreaking blow to the industry, but his many works remain to be enjoyed today.

I am currently researching to write a book about Dick Powell. Please contact me if you have any information that you think might be helpful.

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What do YOU think about Dick Powell? Do you have anything to say about his movies? If you would like your opinions heard, please drop me a line! Just go to CONTACT ME and be sure to check back to see what others think.

This site was last updated on July 21, 2010.

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July 8, 2010

In the spirit of the recent holiday, it's time to shed some light on Dick Powell's involvement in patriotism through his work in the bond tours of WWII.

Dick escaped service twice, both times for his age. He was too young to enlist during WWI and too old to fight in WWII, so instead, he lended himself to the effort by raising money on bond tours.

This was a common practice for movie stars. Some of them made a bigger imprint in history for their work entertaining the troops than in movies (like Bob Hope). Dick was not as heavily involved as others, as he was busy reinventing himself on the screen in noir dramas, but he did do his part.



Here he is in a group photo with a lot of other celebrities. See if you can identify them. Among the crowd is Betty Hutton, who played in Star Spangled Rhythm, a patriotic film created to entertain troops overseas in which Dick Powell sings "Hit the Road to Dreamland" with Mary Martin.

June 23, 2010



I just discovered that the new Film Noir Classics Collection will include Cornered starring Dick Powell.

Dick has been luckier than most classic stars in the amount of his material that is available on DVD. There are still some rare gems, and of course the lost Convention City, but with more than 45% of his films available on DVD, and 57% on DVD or VHS, he gets a decent amount of exposure. There is hope out there for new generations to discover his work and to admire him for it.

Perhaps one of these new fans is the person who spent $76 on his pants from The Tall Target.

June 15, 2010

I have been having some trouble with my webmail. When I receive e-mails and try to reply to them, about half the time, the messages I sent come back to me. Therefore, I have created a new e-mail address that I can use if my webmail fails to reach you. The e-mail address is DickPowellWebmaster@gmail.com, so feel free to reach me there, or at Webmaster@dickpowell.net.

I love hearing from you!

June 11, 2010

Would you like to own a pair of Dick Powell's pants?



Well, you can! A pair of his pants from the film The Tall Target are up for bid. I know people like to collect personal items from the stars. I have my fair share of autographs and such. However, owning some of their clothes seems a bit stalkerish.



But if you're feeling like you can't do without these fibers which once hugged Dick Powell's legs, be sure to put in a bid!

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