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 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. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Springfield (county seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States), Died February 11, 1982 (Beverly Hills (city in Los Angeles County, California, United States) )
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 | vocalist, performer | |
| 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 | vocalist, performer | |
| 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 | vocalist, performer | |
| 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 December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105212.
Powell, Eleanor. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105212.
"Powell, Eleanor." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Eleanor Powell
Discogs: Eleanor Powell
Grove: Eleanor Powell
IMDb: Eleanor Powell
Britannica: Eleanor Powell
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Powell, Eleanor, 1912-1982 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85376788
Wikidata: Eleanor Powell - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q256117
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/54338011
MusicBrainz: Eleanor Powell - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d0aca9bb-3aa9-4de6-bb24-f622cc9c0c72
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/186695 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/186695
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