Jane Powell

Acting

Jane Powell

Born
Died
(aged 92)
Birthplace
Portland, Oregon, USA
Credits
59 titles

Biography

Jane Powell was singing and dancing at an early age. She sang on the radio and performed in theaters before her screen debut in 1944. Through the 1940s and 1950s, she had a successful career in movie musicals. However, in 1957, her career in films ended, as she had outgrown her innocent girl-next-door image. She has made brief returns to acting in front of the camera -- on television, in commercials, and in a workout video. She has had a variety of roles on stage since the end of her movie career, including the musicals "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music," "Oklahoma!," "My Fair Lady," "Carousel," and a one-woman show "The Girl Next Door and How She Grew," from which she took the title of her 1988 autobiography.

From the 1980s to the 2010s, Powell lived with her fifth husband, former child star Dickie Moore, in New York City and Connecticut, active in television and theater through the 2000s. Moore passed away in 2015 and Powell moved full-time to Wilton, Connecticut after that. Jane Powell passed away on September 16, 2021, of natural causes, at the age of 92.

Despite the same last name she is not related to actors William Powell, Dick Powell, or Eleanor Powell.

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 59

YearTitleRole
2021 Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age Film Self
2011 Don Knotts: Tied Up with Laughter Film Herself
2009 Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical Film Self (archive)
2007 Royal Wedding: June, Judy and Jane Film Self
2003 Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Film Self
2000 The Sandy Bottom Orchestra Film Delia Ferguson
2000 Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder Film Kit Andre
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit TV Bess Sherman (1 ep)
1997 Sobbin' Women: The Making of 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' Film Herself
1996 Private Screenings TV Self (1 ep)
1994 That's Entertainment! III Film (archive footage) (uncredited)
1992 Nelson and Jeanette: America's Singing Sweethearts Film Host
1991 Burt Reynolds' Conversations with... TV Self (1 ep)
1987 Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood Film Self
1985 Growing Pains TV Irma Seaver Overmier (8 ep)
1985 Night of 100 Stars II Film Self
1985 That's Dancing! Film
1984 Murder, She Wrote TV Rev. Mother Claire (1 ep)
1982 Night of 100 Stars Film Self
1978 Fantasy Island TV Joan Wade (1 ep)
1977 The Love Boat TV Aunt Loretta, Grace Bostwick (1 ep)
1977 Mayday at 40,000 Feet Film Kitty Douglass
1975 Tubby the Tuba Film Celeste (voice)
1974 That's Entertainment! Film (archive footage) (uncredited)
1973 The Letters Film Elaine Anderson
1964 The Hollywood Palace TV Self (3 ep)
1963 The Judy Garland Show TV Self (1 ep)
1962 The Merv Griffin Show TV Self (1 ep)
1961 The Mike Douglas Show TV Self - Co-Host (2 ep)
1961 Feathertop Film Julie Balfour
1959 The DuPont Show with June Allyson TV Lois Walters (1 ep)
1959 Meet Me in St. Louis Film Esther Smith
1959 The Bell Telephone Hour TV Self (1 ep)
1958 The All-Star Christmas Show Film Self
1958 Enchanted Island Film Fayaway
1958 The Girl Most Likely Film Dodie
1958 The Female Animal Film Penny Windsor
1957 Alcoa Theatre TV Julie Kingstone / Hilde Frenz, Harriet Kennedy, Kathy Dorn (1 ep)
1956 The Dinah Shore Chevy Show TV Self (4 ep)
1956 The Steve Allen Show TV Self, Self - Singer (1 ep)
1955 Hit the Deck Film Susan Smith
1954 Deep in My Heart Film Performer (segment "Maytime")
1954 Athena Film Athena
1954 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Film Bride Milly Pontipee
1953 Three Sailors and a Girl Film Penny Weston
1953 Small Town Girl Film Cindy Kimbell
1953 The Oscars TV Self (2 ep)
1951 Rich, Young and Pretty Film Elizabeth Rogers
1951 Royal Wedding Film Ellen Bowen
1950 Two Weeks with Love Film Patti Robinson
1950 Nancy Goes to Rio Film Nancy Barklay
1950 What's My Line? TV Self (2 ep)
1948 Luxury Liner Film Polly Bradford
1948 A Date with Judy Film Judy Foster
1948 The Ed Sullivan Show TV Self (7 ep)
1948 Three Daring Daughters Film Tess Morgan
1946 Holiday in Mexico Film Christine Evans
1945 Delightfully Dangerous Film Sherry Williams
1944 Song of the Open Road Film Jane Powell
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