The Heartbreaking Death Of Actress Jane Powell
While Jane Powell may not be a household name in 2021, she was once one of the Golden Age of Hollywood's brightest stars. According to Turner Classic Movies, Powell was one of the last big stars of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical era of the 1940s and 1950s. She went from a troubled childhood to a film star at one of Hollywood's greatest movie studios, and had a beautiful soprano voice that played a pivotal role in her on-screen performances.
Powell had roles in some of MGM's biggest musicals. Some of her films included "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Royal Wedding" with legendary dancer Fred Astaire, and "A Date With Judy," where she starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor (via IMDb).
Tragically, the actress passed away on September 16, 2021, at her home in Wilton, Connecticut, confirmed by a friend close to the former Hollywood star (via The New York Times). She was 92 years old.
Jane Powell had a long and successful career
Jane Powell was one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood's Golden Age (per Entertainment Weekly). She got her start in the movie industry when she was only a child, as her mother was adamant to turn her into the next Shirley Temple. She told the Ames Tribune that she wasn't exactly interested in pursuing an acting career, but her parents had it planned out. She was entered into a talent contest in the 1940s and won, landing her a contract with Universal Studios. She was only 14 years old.
Eventually, Powell found herself working at MGM, where life as a teenage star led to an interesting social life. She shared, "The studios groomed young actors to be stars. When I wasn't working, I was studying in the MGM Studio School with the other kids like Margaret O'Brien, Roddy McDowall, and Dean Stockwell."
After nearly a decade in film, the studio system faded out, and so did the big Hollywood musicals Powell was used to starring in. She eventually moved on to television appearances and runs in musicals at local theaters, before retiring in Connecticut with her late husband, Dickie Moore (via Closer Weekly).