Jane Powell 'girl next door' of Hollywood's golden age musicals, passes away at 92

Jane Powell, one of the last stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, breathed her last on Thursday. She won recognition for her operatic soprano voice and the "girl-next-door" image in numerous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals. The 92-year-old actor-singer-dancer was known for her work in the '40s and '50s right from crooning with Howard Keel in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and grooving with Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding. According to the reports, Jane Powell died of natural causes. She passed away at her Wilton, Connecticut home, as confirmed by her long-time friend Susan Granger.

Powell’s initial steps towards success were when she became a child prodigy at age 5 as a singer on the radio in Portland, Oregon. She became an Oregon Victory Girl, selling victory bonds during World War II. She rose up the success ladder, from numerous teenage roles in movies like Holiday in Mexico, Three Daring Daughters and A Date With Judy to roles as grown-ups that started with Royal Wedding and later starred as an adult in grand musicals.  

Jane Powell films 

Powell had made her debut in 1944′s Song of the Open Road. This was followed by Delightfully Dangerous (1945) and another lead role in A Date with Judy (1948). However, it was her casting in the 1950 film Royal Wedding that became one of the turning points in her career. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1954 turned out to be a successful venture. Hit the Deck (1955) was among her popular roles. 

She had a 13-year-long association at MGM and had expressed her displeasure over the lack of musicals at that time. Later, she starred in another musical The Girl Most Likely, a 1958 remake of Tom, Dick and Harry. She also starred in two non-musicals in the same year, The Female Animal, and the adventure film Enchanted Island (both 1958). Romances and musicals continued as Young, Rich and Pretty, Small Town Girl and Three Sailors and a Girl were some of her later performances.

After her movie career concluded,  she performed in shows like The Unsinkable Molly Brown and I Do! I Do, and then in supper clubs and also replaced Debbie Reynold in the Broadway version of Irene. She also frequently enacted the role of Judy Garland in the new version of Meet Me in St. Louis. She quit singing after hitting her 70s and starred in plays like Avow, playing the role of a mother. She starred in theatrical productions, including high-profile productions of My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. She also starred in guest roles on TV like The Love Boat (1981–1982), as well as the sitcom Growing Pains (1988–1992).

She also performed in an off-Broadway version of Avow in 2000 and then starred in Stephen Sondheim's musical Bounce. She also performed with the band Pink Martini as a vocalist n 2007, as well as in 2008 and 2010.

Jane Powell's family

Jane Powell married five times, out of which the first four, to Geary Steffen, Patrick Nerney, James Fitzgerald and David Parlour ended in divorce. She married actor Dick Moore in 1988. He passed away in 2015. She had three children in all, two children from her first marriage, a son and a daughter, and a son from her second marriage.

(Image: AP)