Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

STARRLIGHT: TYRONE POWER
by Steve Starr
2005-04-06

This article shared 6935 times since Wed Apr 6, 2005
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The enormous crowd of mourners became a disgraceful throng, pushing and shoving in a mad effort to view the casket of the once startlingly handsome star. A kid fell screaming into a pond. People picnicked on the cemetery lawn, trampled graves, and cheered for their favorite luminaries when they arrived to show their respect. Hundreds strained to hear the eulogy given by the dashing Cesar Romero. It was a carnival on the peaceful grounds next to a lake in the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery.

Tyrone Edmund Power Jr. was born May 5, 1913, in Cincinnati, to Shakespearian actors who had worked with some of the most famous players of their time. Tyrone Power Sr., whose grandfather was a famed Irish comedian, descended from a long line of actors and was an esteemed leading man in theater who later made movies. His wife, Patia Power, gave up her career to become a drama coach when their daughter Anne was born the following year.

The Powers decided it was best to take their beautiful but frail, sickly son, and his sister, to the warmer climate of southern California. Settling in a small apartment in San Diego, the boy was restored to health. While his father toured, Patia taught little Ty breathing exercises, and coached him in articulation, pronunciation, and enunciation. Years later, in 1946, her son was given the International Sound Research Institute Award for Diction.

After his parents divorced in 1920, young Tyrone returned to Cincinnati with Anne and Patia. Ty attended school and developed an obsession for acting. He corresponded often with his dad, who encouraged his aspirations. While performing in Quebec, Tyrone Sr. invited his son to visit, and gave him a personal crash course in acting. In 1931, upon graduation from Purcell High School, ecstatic Ty was given a small non-speaking part as an old man in his father's production of The Merchant of Venice, held in Chicago's Civic Theatre. After the run of the show, the pair took off to Hollywood on the Super Chief, where Tyrone Sr. won the lead role in the film The Miracle Man. During production, father and son settled into the Hollywood Athletic Club, where the elder Power had a sudden heart attack and died in his son's arms Dec. 23, 1931.

Tyrone persisted in his dream of acting, and constantly made the rounds of casting agents. Finally, he won a small part as a cadet in Tom Brown of Culver ( 1932 ) , and again as a cadet in the musical Flirtation Walk ( 1934 ) . His family moved to Santa Barbara, and Tyrone decided to head for New York hoping for a stage career. On the way, he stopped in Chicago to see the famed Century of Progress Exhibition, where he gained employment as an actor, along with his friend Don Ameche, in an exhibit on Hollywood moviemaking. He also acted in Circuit Theatre productions, radio shows, and an eight-week run in Romance at the Blackstone Theatre.

In New York Tyrone obtained roles on Broadway, which led to a screen test with 20th Century Fox, landing him a contract. After a few minor parts, producer Darryl F. Zanuck took a chance and cast him in the lead role in Lloyds Of London ( 1936 ) with Madeleine Carroll. Zanuck said of Power that he was 'the truest, handsomest, best of the lot.' Within a year, the five-foot-ten beautiful man with ebony hair, black eyes, impossibly long black lashes, thick brows, and an electric smile became a leading man in Hollywood. He adapted easily to both modern and period movies, where his looks often led to exotic and Latin roles.

In 1937 Power dropped Jr. from his name and basked in huge movie stardom, appearing in enormously popular films that include Thin Ice ( 1937 ) with Sonja Henie, In Old Chicago ( 1937 ) with Alice Faye and Don Ameche, Alexander's Ragtime Band ( 1937 ) , with Alice Faye and Ethel Merman, Marie Antoinette ( 1938 ) with Norma Shearer, Suez ( 1938 ) with Loretta Young and Annabella, Jesse James with Henry Fonda, in his first color movie, and Johnny Apollo ( 1940 ) with Dorothy Lamour. Tyrone created his signature role in the elaborate The Mark Of Zorro ( 1940 ) with Linda Darnell, and the following year he appeared in gorgeous Technicolor opposite the spectacular Rita Hayworth in Blood And Sand ( 1941 ) .

The stunning 28-year-old actor joined the Marines in 1942. He returned from World War II a changed man. Still handsome, but with noticeable lines on his perfect features and fatigued eyes, he developed a sad, grim, quality. He had logged over 1,100 hours of flying time, frequently under enemy fire, and was discharged as a First Lt. Jan. 14, 1946.

Tyrone settled back in Hollywood where his early matured looks served him well in The Razor's Edge ( 1946 ) with Gene Tierney, Nightmare Alley ( 1947 ) with Joan Blondell, and Captain From Castile ( 1947 ) with Cesar Romero. He won acclaim in The Long Gray Line ( 1955 ) with Maureen O'Hara, The Eddie Duchin Story ( 1956 ) with Kim Novak, and in his last film Witness For The Prosecution ( 1957 ) , with Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, and Elsa Lanchester. Power had completed 53 films throughout his career.

Power married his Suez co-star Annabella, who was five years his senior, April 23, 1939, and they divorced seven years later. Tyrone had an affair with Lana Turner, and the couple was so physically gorgeous that their presence drew gasps from the crowd when they entered a room or a restaurant. Lana told the press, 'Ty Power's the only man I've ever loved.' On Jan. 27, 1949 he married one of the world's great beauties, actress Linda Christian, who played Annabella's maid in Suez, and their elaborate wedding in Rome drew over 10,000 spectators. The union produced two daughters, Romina and Taryn, but they divorced in 1956.

Power had relations with various men, but due to the climate of the times, he kept his affairs as private as possible. Power savored physical encounters with men, yet was able to avoid emotional connections with his partners. Some believe his three marriages were covers for his homosexuality, but it seems that he enjoyed both sexes. A friend of his, Kurt Kasznar, characterized the type of woman Tyrone liked, 'A real whore in bed excited Tyrone.'

On May 7, 1958, the star married one Deborah Ann Montgomery Minardos, in Mississippi. Six months later they flew to Madrid, for Tyrone to begin filming Solomon and Sheba. While playing the King, after shooting the eighth take of an intense dueling scene with George Sanders, Power, like his father, had a heart attack, and died Nov. 15, 1958. He was only 44. Patia Power was never told of her son's death, and she followed him to the grave 10 months later.

It was always very important to Tyrone that someday he would have a son who would perpetuate the family name, and shortly before his demise he spoke of this desire. His wish was fulfilled when slightly more than two months later, on Jan. 22, 1959, Deborah gave birth to Tyrone William Power IV, who grew up to look like his father, and made his film debut as Tyrone Power Jr. in Cocoon ( 1985 ) with his dad's old friend Don Ameche.

Cesar Romero, also a matinee idol, summed up his friend in his eulogy when he remarked, 'He was a beautiful man. He was beautiful outside, and he was beautiful inside.' Six Marines carried the flag-draped casket to its burial site beside a lake, and Annabella told the press, 'The most wonderful man in the world is gone.' His tombstone is decorated with the masks of Comedy and Tragedy, and inscribed: 'Good night, sweet prince...'

Sources: The Great Movie Stars—The Golden Years by David Shipman; Tyrone Power The Last Idol by Fred Lawrence Guiles; The Secret Life of Tyrone Power by Hector Arce; Power Web sites.

Steve Starr is the author of Picture Perfect—Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946, published by Rizzoli International Publications, 1991. A designer, artist, and writer, his collection of over 950 gorgeous Art Deco frames is filled with images of Hollywood's most elegant stars. Visit his studio and read other stories at www.SteveStarrStudios.com or e-mail at SSSChicago@ameritech.net . You can also come to the Steve Starr Satellite Studio in the Edgewater Antique Mall, 6314 N. Broadway, ( 773 ) 262-2525.

Photo of Steve Starr by Albert Aguilar

One hundred performers are featured in an exhibition of stars in a portion of Starr's collection of original Art Deco frames at the Washington Library, 400 S. State, 8th floor, just below the Winter Garden, through June 1.


This article shared 6935 times since Wed Apr 6, 2005
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

JP Karliak morphs into non-binary character for Disney+'s X-Men '97 2024-03-22
- series X-Men '97, a revival of the popular X-men: The Animated Series that's both continuing the ongoing mutant storyline and breaking new ground along the way. The character of Morph now looks more like the comic ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

Dorian Film Awards: 'All of Us Strangers' takes top prizes 2024-02-27
- February 26, 2024 - Los Angeles, Ca. - For its 15th Dorian Film Awards, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics fully embraced All of Us Strangers, writer-director Andrew Haigh's fantastical and tear-inducing tale of two ...


Gay News

SAG Awards honor Streisand, few LGBTQ+ actors 2024-02-25
- Queer entertainers made their mark—although not a major one—at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, held Feb. 24 in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed on Netflix for the first time. Indigenous and Two-Spirit actor ...


Gay News

WORLD Caribbean ruling, Pussy Riot, Russian raid, Canadian warning, anti-trans bar 2024-02-23
- The top court in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines dismissed a challenge to colonial-era anti-gay laws, Reuters reported. Javin Johnson and Sean Macleish—two gay men who had pushed to decriminalize ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Kristen Stewart, Rock Hudson, Talia Keys, 'True Detective,' Marvel comic 2024-02-23
- At the Berlin Film Festival, Kristen Stewart defended her photo shoot for a Rolling Stone magazine cover that went viral and divided audiences on social-media platforms, per The Hollywood Reporter. "The existence of a female body ...


Gay News

Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree 2024-02-16
- In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Elton John, Hannah Gadsby, video game, Jennifer Lopez, queer thriller 2024-02-16
Video below - Sir Elton John has sold his Atlanta home and is now auctioning off more than 900 of his personal items that were kept in the 13,500-square-foot condo, The Daily Mail noted. The massive collection includes rare ...


Gay News

GALECA announces nominees for the Dorian Film Awards 2024-02-07
--From a press release - Feb. 5, 2024 - GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, consisting of over 500 entertainment critics, journalists and media icons, today announced the group's democratically chosen nominees for its 15th Dorian Film Awards. All of ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Tom Holland, Bowen Yang, Pet Shop Boys, Mariah Carey 2024-02-02
- In the wake of Nigel Lythgoe exiting So You Think You Can Dance, queer personality JoJo Siwa is returning to the series, per Deadline. Siwa, who was a judge on season 17 of the Fox show, will replace Lythgoe, who left ...


Gay News

Leather Archives & Museum announces 2024 Fetish Film Forum 2024-01-27
--From a press release - CHICAGO, Illinois—After a wildly successful inaugural year, including a 10-film series at the Leather Archives & Museum and a 5-film series at FACETS, the Leather Archives & Museum is thrilled to announce the continuation of Fetish ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.