Diana Lewis (September 18, 1919 – January 18, 1997) was an American film actress and a

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

contract player.

Early years

The daughter of vaudeville performers, Lewis was born in

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

. She attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.

Career

Lewis was a singer with the orchestra led by Larry Leeds. She began her film career in ''

It's a Gift ''It's a Gift'' is a 1934 American comedy film starring W.C. Fields. It was Fields's 16th sound film, and his fifth in 1934 alone. It was directed by Norman McLeod, who had directed Fields in his cameo as Humpty Dumpty in ''Alice in Wonderlan ...

'' (1934) and worked steadily over the next few years, usually in minor roles. Her more notable films include ''It's a Gift'', ''

Gold Diggers in Paris ''Gold Diggers in Paris'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Ray Enright with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley, starring Rudy Vallee, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert, and Allen Jenkins. Plot Maurice Giraud (He ...

'' (1938), '' Go West'' (1940), and ''

Johnny Eager ''Johnny Eager'' is a 1941 film noir directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Robert Taylor, Lana Turner and Van Heflin. Heflin won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film was one of many spoofed in ''Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' (1982) ...

'' (1941). She was the love interest of

Andy Hardy Andrew "Andy" Hardy is a fictional character best known for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer series of 16 films in which he was played by Mickey Rooney. The films were released from 1937 to 1946, except for a final one made in 1958 in an unsuccessful att ...

as Daphne Fowler in ''

Andy Hardy Meets Debutante ''Andy Hardy Meets Debutante '' is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by George B. Seitz. The film stars Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden and Judy Garland. It is the ninth of the ''Andy Hardy'' full-length film ...

'' (1940).

Marriage

Lewis met actor

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

, who was 27 years her senior, at MGM in 1940. They married at a

dude ranch A guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism. History Guest ranches arose in response to the romanticization of the American West that began to occur ...

in Nevada on January 5, 1940, after a courtship of less than a month. She retired from acting in 1943. Lewis became known as Mousie Powell after her marriage. Lewis was a supporter of the LPGA tour. She was an honorary member and established the

William and Mousie Powell Award The William and Mousie Powell Award is an award given each year since 1986 by the LPGA Tour to a player who "whose behavior and deeds best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA." The recipient is selected annually by a vote of LPGA T ...

in 1986, though it was renamed in 2019. The couple remained together for 44 years until Powell's death at age 91 in 1984.

Death

Lewis died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located ...

, aged 77. She was interred at Cathedral City's

Desert Memorial Park Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs. Opening in 1956 and receiving its first interment in 1957,The Palm Springs Cemetery District itself was covers 504 square miles, including Palm Spr ...

Riverside County Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Unit ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, alongside Powell, and her stepson,

William David Powell William David Powell (February 27, 1925 – March 13, 1968) was an American Screenwriter, television writer and Television producer, associate producer. Biography Powell was the only child of actor William Powell and actress Eileen Wilson Powe ...

Affiliations and honors

Lewis was an active supporter of women's golf and the

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...

. The LPGA's

is named in honor of the Powells. In 2000, a Golden Palm Star on the

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
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Complete filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Diana 1919 births 1997 deaths American film actresses Burials at Desert Memorial Park Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from pancreatic cancer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players People from Asbury Park, New Jersey People from Greater Los Angeles Actresses from New Jersey 20th-century American actresses