There have been four generations of Tyrone Powers in the acting business. The one we are concerned with here was known as Tyrone Edmund Power Jr., or just Tyrone Power, and was the third -- and, so far, the most successful -- of the four.
In fact, Tyrone Power was one of the most popular male stars in Hollywood from the late 1930s until the 1950s, with the peak of his career coming previous to World War II, when he was best known for action films like The Mark of Zorro (1940) and Son of Fury (1942). Many feel that he turned in some of his most mature acting jobs after the War, from which he returned older and perhaps wiser. Those post-war films included The Razor's Edge (1946), Nightmare Alley (1947), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Unfortunately, 1957 was his also the last year he appeared in a film, since he died while filming Solomon and Sheba in Italy in 1958 and is only seen in the film in long shots.
Power was born on May 5, 1914, to Tyrone Power, Sr., a famed stage and silent movie actor, and actress Helen Emma Reaume Power, whose stage name was Patia Power. His great-grandfather was a famed Irish comedian. His son Tyrone Power Jr. (actually Tyrone Power IV) represents the fourth generation of male actors by the same name, and although he has not yet achieved the success of his forebears, he has appeared in more than a dozen films.
As for his father, he really had two fairly distinct careers -- as an action star (mostly pre-WWII) and as a dramatic actor. I hope you enjoy this tribute to a man who was one of the screen's great heartthrobs, but whose career was cut tragically short by a heart attack at the age of 44 (the same fate that befell his father at age 62). We can only wonder what might have been.
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Tyrone Power Tributes and Other Pages
Part III: Movie Reviews & Where to Find His Movies
Part IV: Photos, Art, and Posters
