Eleanor Powell Height, Weight, Age, Death, Husband, Family

Eleanor Powell was an American dancer, actor, and stage artist who gained popularity as a tap dancer in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s and became one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s top dancing stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She was cast in a variety of films which include the likes of Queen High, George White’s 1935 Scandals, Broadway Melody of 1936, Broadway Melody of 1938, Born to Dance, Rosalie, Honolulu, Broadway Melody of 1940, Thousands Cheer, Lady Be Good, Duchess of Idaho, Ship Ahoy, I Dood It, Sensations of 1945, and Have Faith in Our Children.

Born Name

Eleanor Torrey Powell

Nick Names

The Queen of Tap Dancing, Ellie

Age

She was born on November 21, 1912.

Died

On February 11, 1982, Eleanor Powell died of ovarian cancer at the age of 69 in Beverly Hills, California, United States.

Resting Place

Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, United States

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States

Nationality

Education

Eleanor Powell was 11 years old when she started taking dance lessons.

Occupation

Dancer, Actor, Stage Artist

Family

• Father – Blanche Torrey Powell
• Mother – Clarence Gardner Powell
• Siblings – She was an only child.

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 5¼ in or 165.5 cm

Weight

50 kg or 110 lbs

Boyfriend / Spouse

Eleanor Powell dated –

1. Clark Gable – She once had an affair with actor Clark Gable.
2. Abe Lyman – She hooked up with musician Abe Lyman.
3. John Carroll – Powell had a fling with John Carroll.
4. Wayne Morris – She was romantically involved with actor Wayne Morris.
5. James Stewart (1936) – She started going out with actor and military officer James Stewart in July 1936 and they also co-starred in the musical drama film Born to Dance (1936). The romance ended in November 1936.
6. Glenn Ford (1942-1959) – In 1942, Eleanor Powell started going out with Canadian-American actor Glenn Ford and they got married the following year. She gave birth to their son Peter Newton Ford on February 5, 1945. The marriage ended in divorce in 1959.

Race / Ethnicity

White

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Charming appearance

Eleanor Powell Facts

1. She was 2 years old when her father deserted Eleanor and her mother. She was subsequently raised by her mother and maternal grandparents.
2. Growing up, Eleanor Powell was an extremely shy child who was not even able to greet guests visiting their house. So, her mother enrolled her in dance lessons to help overcome her shyness.
3. She made her first film appearance as a dancer in the 1930 pre-Code musical comedy film Queen High, starring Charlie Ruggles, Frank Morgan, and Ginger Rogers. However, Eleanor’s role went uncredited.
4. Along with Jack Benny, Robert Taylor, Una Merkel, Frances Langford, Sid Silvers, Buddy Ebsen, and Vilma Ebsen, Eleanor Powell co-starred as Irene Foster in the 1935 musical film Broadway Melody of 1936.
5. She brought to life the character of Marilyn Collins in the musical film George White’s 1935 Scandals in 1935.
6. Alongside Nelson Eddy and Frank Morgan, Eleanor Powell co-starred playing the titular role in the musical film Rosalie in 1937. The film is an adaptation of the 1928 stage musical of the same name.
7. Along with Robert Young, Ann Sothern, John Carroll, Berry Brothers, and Virginia O’Brien, Eleanor Powell co-starred as Marilyn Marsh in the MGM musical film Lady Be Good in 1941.
8. Opposite Red Skelton, she co-starred as Constance Shaw in the musical-comedy film I Dood It in 1943.
9. She co-starred as Ginny Walker in the musical-comedy film Sensations of 1945 in 1944. The film received an Academy Award nomination in the “Best Music Scoring” category.
10. Eleanor Powell made a cameo appearance as herself in the musical romantic comedy film Duchess of Idaho in 1950. The film’s lead cast consists of Van Johnson, Esther Williams, and Paula Raymond.
11. On February 15, 1984, she was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1541 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
12. Eleanor Powell is the first specialty tapper to ever appear at Carnegie Hall.
13. In 2002, she was inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame.
14. She once said, “A tap dancer is really a frustrated drummer.”

Featured Image by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (photographer unknown) / ebay.com.sg / Public Domain