page_title: Jane Powell
section_title: MGM contract
hierarchical_section_title: Jane Powell / Career / MGM contract
caption_attribution_description: Português: Imagem do trailer do filme A Date with Judy (1948). Os trailers dos filmes publicados antes de 1964 nos Estados Unidos são de domínio público.
context_page_description: Jane Powell is an American singer, dancer and actress who rose to fame in the mid-1940s with roles in various Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals.
  Powell was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where she achieved local fame as a singer, touring the state as the Oregon Victory Girl selling victory bonds. As a teenager, she relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Powell's vocal, dancing, and acting talents were utilized for lead and supporting roles in musicals such as A Date with Judy, Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Hit the Deck.
  By the late 1950s, her film career slowed, leading her to transition to theatre with performances in various touring shows as well as two Broadway productions. In 1985, Powell relocated with her fifth husband, former child star Dickie Moore, to New York City and Wilton, Connecticut, where she is occasionally active in local theatre.
context_section_description: Within her first few years at MGM, Powell made six films, appeared on radio programs, performed in theatre productions (including The Student Prince) and even sang at the inauguration ball for President Harry S. Truman on January 20, 1949. When not making films, Powell traveled to theaters around the country doing a vaudeville act, which she hated. Powell's second film was Delightfully Dangerous, which she called the "worst movie I've ever made." Holiday in Mexico was her first Technicolor film; her first two films had been black and white.
  Powell's charm and spunk made her stand out in her follow-up vehicle, Three Daring Daughters, originally titled The Birds and the Bees, in which she co-starred with Jeanette MacDonald, who took the young performer under her wing. The film proved another hit, and she was given top billing in a string of Joe Pasternak-produced musicals including A Date with Judy (1948) with schoolmate Elizabeth Taylor. She made Luxury Liner (1948), a romantic musical comedy, and Nancy Goes to Rio (1950) with Ann Sothern. She also starred in Two Weeks With Love (1950) with Ricardo Montalbán.
  Powell worked side by side with Fred Astaire and Peter Lawford in Royal Wedding (1951), when she was brought in to replace June Allyson, who had become pregnant, and then Judy Garland, who had to withdraw due to personal problems. Film historian Robert Osborne noted that, in a six-minute musical number in the movie, Powell and Astaire match witty banter, sing, and dance in a performance that showcases the actress's energy and talent. "We can also see her comic ability, in that number" Osborne said. "She's hilarious—chewing gum, swinging her hips, and acting like a 'tough broad.' It's too bad MGM didn't capitalize more on her comedic side."
  In 1954, Powell starred in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, opposite Howard Keel, which gave her the opportunity to play a more mature character than in previous films. Her other films include: Rich, Young and Pretty (1951), Small Town Girl (1953), Three Sailors and a Girl (1953), Athena (1954), Deep in My Heart (1954), Hit the Deck (1955) and The Girl Most Likely (1957).
  Known mainly for musical comedy, Powell appeared in a rare dramatic role in The Female Animal from Universal Pictures in 1958, which turned out to be the final film of co-star Hedy Lamarr. In 1956, Powell recorded the song "True Love", which rose to 15 on the Billboard charts and 107 on the pop charts for that year, according to the Joel Whitburn compilation. This was her only single to make the charts. Also in 1956, Powell performed the song "I'll Never Stop Loving You" at the 28th Academy Awards.
  
  Reflecting on her work in musical films, Powell said: 
  People are always fascinated by the so-called golden age of musicals, but it wasn't all that great. Everything was glazed. Those movies didn't reflect reality. I was at MGM for 11 years and nobody ever let me play anything but teenagers. I was 25 years old with kids of my own and it was getting ridiculous. Publicity was froth. Everything you said was monitored. With me, they didn't have to worry. I never had anything to say, anyway. It was hard work, I had no friends, no social interaction with people my age and the isolation was tough. But I had to support my family, so I did what I was told and had no other choice.
caption: Powell in A Date with Judy (1948)
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