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But perhaps the most famous Arkansas resident has been long forgotten.
When I discussed writing this article during a lunch break, a friend looked at me blankly and said, “Who is Dick Powell?”
I came up with the best comparison my brain could make, however lame it sounded at the time.
“He was, like, the Brad Pitt of his time.”
Suffice it to say, Brad is not a singer or musician, but the comparisons are considerable. Both men grew up in the Ozarks, took Hollywood by proverbial storm, achieved global fame, diversified their acting into producing, and married beautiful, talented women.
Richard Ewing Powell was born in Mountain View, Arkansas in November 1904 to Ewing Powell and Sally Thompson. His father was a salesmen, and his mother purportedly instilled in him a love of music. They later moved to Little Rock where he formed a band by the age of 17 and took classes at Little Rock Junior College (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock). He became known as a traveling entertainer, and eventually garnered the interest of Hollywood.
One of his biggest initial claim-to-fame-roles was in Gold Diggers of 1933 (famously choreographed by Busby Berkley). In addition to singing and musicals, he moved on to comedy and other serious acting roles, eventually taking up directing and producing as well. He was married to two very famous women, Joan Blondell and June Allyson. It’s also interesting to note that Dick and June’s former ranch recently sold at auction for $14.6 million, and looks every bit the fitting California retreat for a mega star.
Guest stars for the premiere episode of The Dick Powell Show, “Who Killed Julie Greer?” Standing, from left: Ronald Reagan, Nick Adams, Lloyd Bridges, Mickey Rooney,
Edgar Bergen, Jack Carson, Ralph Bellamy, Kay Thompson, and Dean Jones, seated, from left, Carolyn Jones and Dick Powell.
So often we treat famous people from humble beginnings with a certain level of amazement, a certain “look at how far they came” attitude. But as I stood in front of Dick Powell’s ramshackle birthplace snapping a photograph, I felt none of that. I find nothing amazing about the fact that a man born in a small Ozark town, long before many paved highways, managed to become a successful musician and one of Hollywood’s most epic, however long forgotten, stars. I’m not amazed, because talent and drive are the factors that level this world’s playing field.
I believe success can be found just as easily in a ramshackle house located off the court square in Mountain View as the suburbs of Chicago, the streets of New York, or Springfield, Missouri (I’m looking at you, Brad Pitt). And as I stood in front of Dick Powell’s birthplace, I found encouragement. That tiny white house, in great need of a new roof and paint, is a testament that no matter where you come from, no matter your background, talent and hard work make anything possible, for anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Arkansas Women Bloggers member Elizabeth Harrell is a native Arkansan, author, and freelance writer. Her book, My (not so) Storybook Life, was published in 2011. Her blog projects have been featured in At Home Arkansas, Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and Better Homes and Gardens. Visit her at https://elizabeth-harrell.com .
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