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Jane Powell

Jane Powell

Actor · Died September 16, 2021, aged 92 · Portland, Oregon, USA

Jane Powell was singing and dancing at an early age. She sang on the radio and performed in theaters before her screen debut in 1944. Through the 1940s and 1950s, she had a successful career in movie musicals. However, in 1957, her career in films ended, as she had outgrown her innocent girl-next-door image. She has made brief returns to acting in front of the camera -- on television, in commercials, and in a workout video. She has had a variety of roles on stage since the end of her movie career, including the musicals "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music," "Oklahoma!," "My Fair Lady," "Carousel," and a one-woman show "The Girl Next Door and How She Grew," from which she took the title of her 1988 autobiography. From the 1980s to the 2010s, Powell lived with her fifth husband, former child star Dickie Moore, in New York City and Connecticut, active in television and theater through the 2000s. Moore passed away in 2015 and Powell moved full-time to Wilton, Connecticut after that. Jane Powell passed away on September 16, 2021, of natural causes, at the age of 92. Despite the same last name she is not related to actors William Powell, Dick Powell, or Eleanor Powell.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 1, 1929
Died
September 16, 2021 (aged 92)
From
Portland, Oregon, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 38% in 30 days

What are Jane Powell's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
70%
Self
18%
Society
8%
Morality
4%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 12 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 2

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 11 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 12 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 12
Trickster
2 of 12
Ally
1 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Mentor
1 of 12
Shapeshifter
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
12
Romantic
12
Warm
5
Hopeful
2
Absurd
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy12
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jane Powell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jane Powell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 23 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Sandy Bottom Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Delia Ferguson

  • Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Kit Andre

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Bess Sherman

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Nelson and Jeanette: America's Singing Sweethearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Host

  • Growing Pains(1985)

    Show 8 episodes · as Irma Seaver Overmier

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Rev. Mother Claire

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Joan Wade

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Aunt Loretta · as Grace Bostwick

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Mayday at 40, 000 Feet!(1976)

    as Kitty Douglass

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Tubby the Tuba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Celeste (voice)

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Letters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Elaine Anderson

  • Feathertop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Julie Balfour

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Lois Walters

  • Meet Me in St. Louis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Esther Smith

  • Enchanted Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Fayaway

  • The Girl Most Likely (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Dodie

  • The Female Animal(1957)

    as Penny Windsor

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Alcoa Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Harriet Kennedy · as Julie Kingstone / Hilde Frenz · as Kathy Dorn

  • Hit the Deck(1955)

    as Susan Smith

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Deep in My Heart(1954)

    as Performer (segment "Maytime")

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Athena(1954)

    as Athena

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers(1954)

    as Bride Milly Pontipee

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Three Sailors and a Girl(1953)

    as Penny Weston

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Small Town Girl(1953)

    as Cindy Kimbell

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Rich, Young and Pretty(1951)

    as Elizabeth Rogers

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Royal Wedding(1951)

    as Ellen Bowen

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Two Weeks with Love(1950)

    as Patti Robinson

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Nancy Goes to Rio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Nancy Barklay

  • Luxury Liner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Polly Bradford

  • A Date with Judy(1948)

    as Judy Foster

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Three Daring Daughters(1948)

    as Tess Morgan

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Holiday in Mexico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Christine Evans

  • Delightfully Dangerous(1945)

    as Sherry Williams

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Song of the Open Road(1944)

    as Jane Powell

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 85th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 37 titles from 1944 to 2000.

Biggest box office

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

$15K worldwide

Highest rated

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Midcredits 88th

Film career

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting37 of 37: 37 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score49th

By decade

1940s6 · acting1950s16 · acting1960s1 · acting1970s6 · acting1980s3 · acting1990s3 · acting2000s2 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Jane Powell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 23 titles divides audiences: 10 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed6

Most loved · actor

That's Entertainment! (1974)

Midcredits 92nd · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jane Powell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jane Powell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Pasternak shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers