TV and Movies

[Mmsfoxxie]

Glad she lived a long life.  Jane Powell was one of my favorites......she could sing and dance equally well.  A lot of power was in that tiny body.

[golding76]

Are there any MGM stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood left?  These dazzling beings filled my childhood with beautiful Technicolor dreams that unfolded with singing and dancing.  I always wished that the world these movie stars brought to the screen actually existed.

Jane Powell was darling, simply darling.  I'm sorry that she has passed.

May she rest in eternal golden peace. 

[spiderw]

It is always sad to hear that another famous star has passed.  Jane Powell, a woman of dignity and class, was a talented singer, actress and dancer, she had it all.  I am glad we can see her perform on TCM and enjoy her many talents.  May she be at peace, she has left her mark in the entertainment world!

[Johnnyeager]

A few of the major names who had contracts at some point with MGM and who are still living include Angela Lansbury, 95 (began her career with Gaslight and Dorian Gray) and Leslie Caron, 90.

Others are:

Margaret O'Brian, 84

Claude Jarman, Jr. (The Yearling), 86

Russ Tamblyn, 86

Ann Blyth, 93

June Lockhart,  96

Arlene Dahl, 96

Of course there are others but these are the names which come quickly to mind.

[Carolina925]

I always thought she was so beautiful. When I was a child, old movies were on the TV at 9 AM each weekday. I would watch either Gene Autry or Roy Rogers from 8-9, then one of the wonderful old movies. Such sweet memories of those days long gone. I didn't even realize that she was still living and hope she had a good life.

[drizzellla]

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@Carolina925 wrote:

I always thought she was so beautiful. When I was a child, old movies were on the TV at 9 AM each weekday. I would watch either Gene Autry or Roy Rogers from 8-9, then one of the wonderful old movies. Such sweet memories of those days long gone. I didn't even realize that she was still living and hope she had a good life.

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I watched a show one time, I don't think it was a TCM interview. The topic of the show was child actors. I did not realize that Jane Powell started singing on children radio programs at 8 years old. D i c k i e Moore was with her on the program.

The program also had Billy Gray, Tony Dow, Paul Petersen and Margaret O'Brien, plus several other children actors.

Jane Powell seemed to shine during the show. I think that is how Jane Powell was. She was enjoying herself. And she seemed to enjoy D i c k i e Moore's comments and company. She seemed quite happy. Her demeanor was in sharp contrast to other child stars on the show. But I really think that was Jane.

[gertrudecloset]

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@spiderw wrote:

It is always sad to hear that another famous star has passed.  Jane Powell, a woman of dignity and class, was a talented singer, actress and dancer, she had it all.  I am glad we can see her perform on TCM and enjoy her many talents.  May she be at peace, she has left her mark in the entertainment world!

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Do you know of a biography that can be read about her?

[Johnnyeager]

Jane wrote her autobiography which was published in 1988.

[Johnnyeager]

This is the famous 1949 group photo of many MGM contract players and others filming at the studio at the time of the 25th Anniversary celebration. 

Jane is in the second row from the top, seated between Walter Pidgeon and Ginger Rogers.

Of those in the photo, only Angela Lansbury, Arlene Dahl, Claude Jarman and Dean Stockwell survive.

[golding76]

A pantheon of stars.

Thank you, Johnnyeager.  Gads, so many.  

I never knew Spring Byington (first row, third from right) belonged to MGM.  I checked Wiki and read that she was one of their "contract players."