Paul Powell (director)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Paul Mahlon Powell (September 6, 1881 – July 2, 1944) was an American journalist who became a director, producer, screenwriter, and actor during the silent-film era. He is best known for directing Mary Pickford in Pollyanna (1920).

Early life and education
Powell was born in Peoria, Illinois, one of six children of Charles Henry Powell and Anna Clara Powell (née von Schoenheider). His father published the Peoria Evening Star. Powell studied at Bradley Polytechnic Institute (now Bradley University) and, after graduating, worked at his father’s newspaper as a typesetter and editor before becoming a reporter. In the early 1900s he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Express.

Film career
In 1910 Powell left journalism to work in the film industry. He became an assistant to director and screenwriter Wilbert Melville, and in 1914 D. W. Griffith hired him to direct Mutual Film Corporation productions. Two years later Griffith recruited Powell to direct features for Triangle-Fine Arts Film Corporation. While with Triangle-Fine Arts, Powell directed Mary Pickford in Pollyanna, a huge success that earned about $1.1 million. He also helped launch Rudolph Valentino’s career on films such as A Society Sensation and All Night. Powell’s later work, in the late 1920s and 1930s, consisted of musical comedy shorts for Pathé Exchange.

Personal life
Powell married Valerie Smith in 1903, and they had a daughter named Janice.

Death
Powell died in Pasadena, California, on July 2, 1944. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California (Great Mausoleum, Columbarium of Providence).

Selected filmography (highlights)
Pollyanna (1920); A Society Sensation (1918); All Night (1918); The Fog (1923); Pollyanna and other silent-era titles directed by Powell.