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William Powell

William Powell

Actor · Died March 5, 1984, aged 91 · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the Thin Man series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Powell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times: for The Thin Man (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), and Life with Father (1947). After high school, he left home for New York and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the AADA, and worked in some vaudeville and stock companies. After several successful experiences on the Broadway stage, he began his Hollywood career in 1922, playing a small role as an evil henchman of Professor Moriarty in a production of Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore. His most memorable role in silent movies was as a bitter film director opposite Emil Jannings' Academy Award-winning performance as a fallen general in The Last Command (1928). This success, along with Powell's pleasant speaking voice, led to his first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance in the "talkie" The Canary Murder Case (1929). Powell's most famous role was that of Nick Charles in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man in 1934, based upon Dashiell Hammett's novel. The role provided a perfect opportunity for Powell, with his resonant speaking voice, to showcase his sophisticated charm and witty sense of humor, and he received his first Academy Award nomination for The Thin Man. Myrna Loy played his wife, Nora, in each of the Thin Man films. Their on-screen partnership, beginning alongside Clark Gable in 1934 with Manhattan Melodrama, was one of Hollywood's most prolific, and they appeared in 14 films together. Loy and Powell starred in the Best Picture of 1936, The Great Ziegfeld, with Powell in the title role and Loy as Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke. That same year, he also received his second Academy Award nomination, for the comedy My Man Godfrey. In 1935, he starred with Jean Harlow in Reckless. A serious romance developed between them, and in 1936, they were reunited on screen and with Loy and Spencer Tracy in the screwball comedy Libeled Lady. However, Harlow surprisingly and quickly became ill, and died from uremia at the age of 26 in June 1937 before they could marry. His distress over her death, as well as a cancer diagnosis of his own, caused him to accept fewer acting roles. Powell's career slowed considerably in the 1940s, although he received his third Academy Award nomination in 1947 for his role as the cantankerous Clarence Day, Sr., in Life with Father. His last film was 1955's Mister Roberts. Powell died in Palm Springs, California, on March 5, 1984, at the age of 91 from heart failure, nearly 30 years after his retirement. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, near his third wife Diana Lewis, and his only child, his son William David Powell.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 29, 1892
Died
March 5, 1984 (aged 91)
From
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 105 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 48% in 30 days

What are William Powell's films like?

Across their 45 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy27 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
42%
Morality
30%
Self
11%
Power
9%
Society
5%
Ideas
2%
Survival
2%
Romantic love18 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception15 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage7 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty7 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 45 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 33 · Serious 8 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 21 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 24 · Charged 21 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 30 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 22

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 20 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 27 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 39 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

46 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 30 of 46 analyzed roles.

Hero
30 of 46
Mentor
5 of 46
Trickster
4 of 46
Shadow
3 of 46
Shapeshifter
2 of 46
Threshold guardian
1 of 46
Ally
1 of 46
Show the 46 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
22
Tense
21
Warm
14
Romantic
17
Melancholic
9
Other
30

How their films linger

Feel-good30 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 12 with a twist

  • Happy31
  • Bittersweet14

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch William Powell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for William Powell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

105 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Discovering Jean Harlow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as archive footage

  • William Powell: A True Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Alias Nick and Nora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home to(1990)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s(1984)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as Nick Charles (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Mister Roberts(1955)

    as Doc

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • How to Marry a Millionaire(1953)

    as J.D. Hanley

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Girl Who Had Everything(1953)

    as Steve Latimer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Treasure of Lost Canyon(1952)

    as Homer 'Doc' Brown

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • It's a Big Country: An American Anthology(1951)

    as Professor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Dancing in the Dark(1949)

    as Emery Slade

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Take One False Step(1949)

    as Andrew Gentling

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid(1948)

    as Arthur Peabody

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Senator Was Indiscreet(1947)

    as Senator Melvin G. Ashton

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Life with Father(1947)

    as Clarence Day Sr.

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Song of the Thin Man(1947)

    as Nick Charles

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Hoodlum Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Terence Ellerton 'Terry' O'Neill

  • Ziegfeld Follies(1945)

    as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Great Morgan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as William Powell (voice) (uncredited)

  • The Thin Man Goes Home(1944)

    as Nick Charles

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Heavenly Body (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as William S. Whitley

  • Twenty Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Youngest Profession(1943)

    as William Powell

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Crossroads(1942)

    as David Talbot aka Jean Pelletier

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Shadow of the Thin Man(1941)

    as Nick Charles

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Love Crazy(1941)

    as Steve Ireland

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • I Love You Again(1940)

    as Larry Wilson aka George Carey

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Another Thin Man(1939)

    as Nick Charles

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Baroness and the Butler(1938)

    as Johann Porok

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Double Wedding(1937)

    as Charles Lodge

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Emperor's Candlesticks(1937)

    as Baron Stephan Wolensky

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Last of Mrs. Cheyney(1937)

    as Charles

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • After the Thin Man(1936)

    as Nick Charles

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Libeled Lady(1936)

    as Bill Chandler

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • My Man Godfrey(1936)

    as Godfrey

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Ex-Mrs. Bradford(1936)

    as Dr. Lawrence 'Brad' Bradford

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Great Ziegfeld(1936)

    as Florenz 'Flo' Ziegfeld Jr.

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Rendezvous(1935)

    as Lt. William 'Bill' Gordon / Anson Meridan

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Escapade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Fritz

  • Reckless(1935)

    as Ned Riley

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Star of Midnight(1935)

    as Clay Dalzell

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Evelyn Prentice(1934)

    as John Prentice

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Key (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Capt. Bill Tennant

  • The Thin Man(1934)

    as Nick Charles

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Manhattan Melodrama(1934)

    as Jim Wade

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Fashions of 1934(1934)

    as Sherwood Nash

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Kennel Murder Case(1933)

    as Philo Vance

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Double Harness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as John Fletcher

  • Private Detective 62(1933)

    as Donald Free

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Lawyer Man(1932)

    as Anton "Tony" Adam

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • One Way Passage(1932)

    as Dan Hardesty

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Jewel Robbery(1932)

    as The Robber

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • High Pressure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Gar Evans

  • The Road to Singapore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Hugh Dawltry

  • Ladies' Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Jamie Darricott

  • Man of the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Michael Trevor

  • The Voice of Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Actor

  • For the Defense(1930)

    as William Foster

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Shadow of the Law(1930)

    as Jim Montgomery aka John Nelson

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Paramount on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Philo Vance

  • The Benson Murder Case(1930)

    as Philo Vance

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Street of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as John D. Marsden / 'Natural' Davis

  • Behind the Make-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Gardoni

  • Pointed Heels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Robert Courtland

  • Charming Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Karl Kraley

  • The Greene Murder Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Philo Vance

  • The Four Feathers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Capt. William Trench

  • The Canary Murder Case(1929)

    as Philo Vance

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Interference (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Philip Voaze

  • Forgotten Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Froggy

  • The Vanishing Pioneer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as John Murdock

  • The Drag Net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Dapper Frank Trent

  • Partners in Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Smith

  • Feel My Pulse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Her Nemesis

  • Beau Sabreur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Becque

  • The Last Command(1928)

    as Lev Andreyev

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • She's a Sheik (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Kada

  • Nevada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Clan Dillon

  • Paid to Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Prince Eric

  • Time to Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Prince Alado

  • Special Delivery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Harold Jones

  • Senorita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Manuel Oliveros

  • Love's Greatest Mistake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Don Kendall

  • New York (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Trent Regan

  • The Great Gatsby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as George Wilson

  • Tin Gods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Tony Santelli

  • Beau Geste (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Boldini

  • Aloma of the South Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Van Templeton

  • The Runaway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Jack Harrison

  • Desert Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Snake Landree

  • Sea Horses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Lorenzo Salvia

  • White Mice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Roddy Forrester

  • The Beautiful City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Nick Di Silva

  • My Lady's Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Scott Seldon

  • Faint Perfume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Barnaby Powers

  • Too Many Kisses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Don Julio

  • Romola(1924)

    as Tito Melema

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Prince Arnoldo da Pescia

  • Under the Red Robe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Duke of Orleans

  • The Bright Shawl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Gaspar De Vaca

  • Outcast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as DeValle

  • When Knighthood Was in Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Francis I

  • Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Forman Wells

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 105 titles from 1922 to 2015.

Biggest box office

Another Thin Man (1939)

$4.8M worldwide

Highest rated

The Thin Man (1934)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout

Top draw in 22 MovieCove titles.

  • 1922Screen debut· Sherlock Holmes
  • 1929First top-billed film· The Canary Murder Case
  • 1934Breakout· The Thin Man
  • 1934Career best· The Thin Man

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting105 of 105: 105 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score69th

By decade

1920s40 · acting1930s36 · acting1940s17 · acting1950s5 · acting1960s1 · acting1970s1 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s2 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 77% of 31 roles
223742

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do William Powell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 50; across their 45 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Midcredits score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up23
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 50 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

The Big Parade of Comedy (1964)

74th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Thin Man (1934)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 44 reviewed titles; fans 85, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is William Powell's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 3 · minimalMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 5 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 53 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does William Powell work with?

People who share at least 2 of William Powell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Myrna Loy shares the most, 14.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles