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Curly-haired actor, director, and producer, Powell worked as a vocalist and instrumentalist for bands (he had several hit records), and occasionally was an M.C. He debuted onscreen in 1932, at first as a crooner in '30s Warner Bros. backstage musicals, often opposite Ruby Keeler. After playing choir-boy-type leads for a decade, he made a surprising switch to dramatic roles in the 1940s, showing special skill as tough heroes or private eyes such as Philip Marlowe. Powell's last big-screen appearance was in Susan Slept Here (1954), in which he once again sang; he went on to appear frequently on TV. His career took another turn in the early '50s when he began producing and directing films; he was also a founder and president of Four Star Television, a prosperous TV production company. His second wife was actress Joan Blondell, with whom he appeared in Model Wife (1941) and I Want a Divorce (1940); his widow is actress June Allyson. In John Schlesinger's The Day of the Locust (1975) he was portrayed by his son, Dick Powell, Jr.