Resource id #75
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Eleanor Powell

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). She retired from films in the mid-1940s and then began hosting a Christian children's TV show, but she resurfaced for the occasional specialty dance scene in films such as Thousands Cheer 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 powerful female dancers of the Hollywood studio era.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 21, 1912 (Springfield), Died February 11, 1982 (Beverly Hills)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, performer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-95379 10-in. 10/11/1935 You are my lucky star Eleanor Powell ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band and tap dancing performer, vocalist  
Victor BS-95380 10-in. 10/11/1935 I've got a feelin' you're foolin' Eleanor Powell ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band and tap dancing performer, vocalist  
Victor BS-95381 10-in. 10/11/1935 Got a bran' new suit Eleanor Powell ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band and tap dancing performer, vocalist  
Victor BS-95505 10-in. 10/14/1935 That's not cricket Eleanor Powell ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band and tap dancing vocalist, performer  
Victor BS-95506 10-in. 10/14/1935 What a wonderful world Eleanor Powell ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band and tap dancing vocalist, performer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Powell, Eleanor," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105212.

Powell, Eleanor. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105212.

"Powell, Eleanor." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105212

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