Actor. Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, he made his screen debut in 1911 and became a popular leading man at the Vitagraph studio, appearing in such films as "The Traitor" (1915), "Barnaby Rudge" (title role, 1915), and "Love In a Mist" (1916). He can also be spotted in the live-action prologue of Winsor McCay's seminal cartoon, "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914). Powers then devoted himself to the stage, first as a musical comedy star, then as a dynamic actor in such productions as Eugene O'Neill's "Strange Interlude" (1927), in which he created the role of Charles Marsden. In 1944 he accepted director Billy Wilder's invitation to play Mr. Dietrichson, the victim of "Double Indemnity", and decided to remain in Hollywood. In his later films Powers was usually seen as a police detective, businessman, or military officer. Among them are "The Blue Dahlia" (1946), "The Farmer's Daughter" (1947), "Scene of the Crime" (1949), "Destination Moon" (1950), "The Well" (1951), "Julius Caesar" (1953), "I, the Jury" (1953), and "Double Jeopardy" (1955). He died of a heart attack.
Actor. Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, he made his screen debut in 1911 and became a popular leading man at the Vitagraph studio, appearing in such films as "The Traitor" (1915), "Barnaby Rudge" (title role, 1915), and "Love In a Mist" (1916). He can also be spotted in the live-action prologue of Winsor McCay's seminal cartoon, "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914). Powers then devoted himself to the stage, first as a musical comedy star, then as a dynamic actor in such productions as Eugene O'Neill's "Strange Interlude" (1927), in which he created the role of Charles Marsden. In 1944 he accepted director Billy Wilder's invitation to play Mr. Dietrichson, the victim of "Double Indemnity", and decided to remain in Hollywood. In his later films Powers was usually seen as a police detective, businessman, or military officer. Among them are "The Blue Dahlia" (1946), "The Farmer's Daughter" (1947), "Scene of the Crime" (1949), "Destination Moon" (1950), "The Well" (1951), "Julius Caesar" (1953), "I, the Jury" (1953), and "Double Jeopardy" (1955). He died of a heart attack.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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