Eleanor Powell

Eleanor Powell
1930s publicity photo
Born
Eleanor Torrey Powell

(1912-11-21)November 21, 1912
DiedFebruary 11, 1982(1982-02-11) (aged 69)
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Occupation(s)Dancer, actress
Years active1928–1953
Spouse
(m. 1943; div. 1959)
ChildrenPeter Ford[1]
Signature

Eleanor Torrey Powell (November 21, 1912 – February 11, 1982) was an American dancer and actress. Best remembered for her tap dance numbers in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s, she was one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's top dancing stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Powell appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and most prominently, in a series of movie musical vehicles tailored especially to showcase her dance talents, including Born to Dance (1936), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), Rosalie (1937), and Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940).[2] She retired from films in the mid-1940s but resurfaced for the occasional specialty dance scene in films such as Thousands Cheer. In the 1950s she hosted a Christian children's TV show and eventually headlined a successful nightclub act in Las Vegas. She died from cancer at 69. Powell is known as one of the most versatile and athletic female dancers of the Hollywood studio era.[2]

  1. ^ "Eleanor Powell, Tap Dancer of Stage and Films, Is Dead". The New York Times. February 12, 1982. p. B6. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Cohen, Selma Jeanne; DANCE PERSPECTIVES FOUNDATION (1998). International Encyclopedia of Dance. New York; Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. Powell, Eleanor. ISBN 9780195173697.