Tyrone Power

One of the great romantic swashbuckling stars of the midtwentieth century and the third Tyrone Power of four in a famed acting dynasty reaching back to the eighteenth century His greatgrandfather was the first Tyrone Power 17951841 a famed Irish comedian His father known to historians as Tyrone Power Sr but to his contemporaries as either Tyrone Power or Tyrone Power the Younger was a huge star in the theater and later in films in both classical and modern roles His mother Patia Riaume Mrs Tyrone Power was also a Shakespearean actress as well as a respected dramatic coach Tyrone Edmund Power Jr also called Tyrone Power III May 5 1914 November 15 1958 was born at his mothers home of Cincinnati Ohio in 1914 A frail sickly child he was taken by his parents to the warmer climate of southern California After his parents divorce he and his sister Anne Power returned to Cincinnati with their mother There he attended school while developing an obsession with acting Although raised by his mother he corresponded with his father who encouraged his acting dreams He was a supernumerary in his fathers stage production of The Merchant of Venice in Chicago and held him as he died suddenly of a heart attack later that year Startlingly handsome young Tyrone nevertheless struggled to find work in Hollywood He appeared in a few small roles then went east to do stage work A screen test led to a contract at 20th Century Fox in 1936 and he quickly progressed to leading roles Within a year or so he was one of Foxs leading stars playing in contemporary and period pieces with ease Most of his roles were colorful without being deep and his swordplay was more praised than his wordplay He served in the Marine Corps in World War II as a transport pilot and he saw action in the Pacific Theater of operations After the war he got his best reviews for an atypical part as a downwardspiraling conman in Nightmare Alley 1947 Although he remained a huge star much of his postwar work was unremarkable He continued to do notable stage work and also began producing films Following a fine performance in Billy Wilders Witness for the Prosecution 1957 Power began production on Solomon and Sheba 1959 Halfway through shooting he collapsed during a dueling scene with George Sanders and he died of a heart attack before reaching a hospital