Picture this: Nick Charles, one half of the iconic crimefighting duo Nick and Nora, brought to life by none other than William Powell. On screen, William and Myrna Loy made marriage look like the ultimate adventure. Dressed to the nines, they bantered over cocktails or whispered sweet nothings into each other's ears. Fans were so captivated by their chemistry that they even sought marital advice from the fictional couple. It's no surprise that these two legends of the screen made it all look effortless.
A Life Laced with Heartaches
But let's pull back the curtain on William's real life, and it's a tale of ups and downs. His first two marriages ended in divorce, and heartbreak struck when his soulmate, the radiant actress Jean Harlow, tragically passed away at just 26. And if that wasn't enough, William endured the devastating suicide of his only child and a battle with cancer. Yet, through it all, he managed to find joy in the later chapters of his life.
Early Marriages and Hollywood's Demands
William's early days in matrimony were marked by a brief marriage to actress Eileen Wilson, the mother of his son. But it was his union with the vivacious Carole Lombard in 1931 that truly captured hearts. William once gushed, "The day I met Carole, I had the same feeling as a 16-year-old boy on his first date." Unfortunately, the demands of their Hollywood careers meant long stretches apart, and after less than three years, they decided to part ways amicably. Yet, their friendship endured, and they reunited on screen in the 1936 screwball comedy My Man Godfrey.
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Finding His Niche in Comedy
William began his career playing silent-screen villains, but he quickly discovered his true calling in sophisticated comedies. It was during the filming of Reckless and Libeled Lady with Jean Harlow that he fell deeply in love with his leading lady. "They really hit it off," says Roger Bryant, author of William Powell: The Life and Films. "She was attracted to his sophistication and his worldly ways, plus she felt like she could trust him." Jean wasn't just beautiful; she had a way of blending in with the boys, which William adored. "She was plainspoken, like Carole Lombard," Bryant adds. "He had this image that was very urbane, but he liked women who were a little bit salty."
William and Jean dated for two years and were planning to tie the knot. But tragedy struck when Jean fell ill on the set of 1937's Saratoga. A studio doctor misdiagnosed her symptoms as lingering flu effects, but it was far more serious. "She had a condition that had been destroying her kidneys for years," Bryant explains. By the time Jean was hospitalized, it was too late. William was by her side when she passed away from uremic poisoning. "After the funeral, he went into seclusion," Bryant recounts. "He was so grief-stricken that he became ill himself."
A New Chapter
In 1940, William found love again with Diana Lewis, his third and final wife. By this point, he had survived a battle with rectal cancer, thanks to experimental treatments. "I was one of the lucky ones," he admitted. William retired from filmmaking in the 1950s, moving to the California desert to hone his golf skills. "I think he finally found happiness," Bryant reflects. "The fan magazines depicted him and Diana enjoying games and riding their bikes around Palm Springs. He lived another 29 years and, by all accounts, was content."
