Diana Lewis

Diana Lewis (September 18, 1919 – January 18, 1997)[1] was an American film actress and a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player.

Diana Lewis
Trailer for Cry 'Havoc' (1943)
Born(1919-09-18)September 18, 1919
Asbury Park, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJanuary 18, 1997(1997-01-18) (aged 77)
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Resting placeDesert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California
OccupationActress
Years active1934–1943
Spouses
Jay Raye
​
​
(m. 1935; div. 1939)​
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1940; died 1984)​

    Early years

    The daughter of vaudeville performers,[2] Lewis was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.[2][3]

    Career

    Lewis was a singer with the orchestra led by Larry Leeds.[4]

    She began her film career in It's a Gift (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 (1938), Go West (1940), and Johnny Eager (1941). She was the love interest of Andy Hardy as Daphne Fowler in Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940).[5]

    Marriage

    Lewis met actor William Powell, who was 27 years her senior, at MGM in 1940.[6] They married at a dude ranch in Nevada on January 5, 1940,[7] after a courtship of less than a month.[6] She retired from acting in 1943. Lewis became known as Mousie Powell after her marriage.[8] Lewis was a supporter of the LPGA tour. She was an honorary member and established the William and Mousie Powell Award 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 in Rancho Mirage, California, aged 77. She was interred at Cathedral City's Desert Memorial Park in Riverside County, California, alongside Powell, and her stepson, William David Powell.[9]

    Affiliations and honors

    Lewis was an active supporter of women's golf and the LPGA. The LPGA's William and Mousie Powell Award is named in honor of the Powells.

    In 2000, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.[10]

    Complete filmography
    Year Film Role Director Notes
    1934 It's a Gift Norman Z. McLeod
    1935 One Hour Late Ralph Murphy
    1935 Enter Madame Elliott Nugent
    1935 All the King's Horses Frank Tuttle
    1935 Choose Your Partners short
    1936 Grand Slam Opera Charles Lamont short
    1937 Love Nest on Wheels Charles Lamont short
    1938 He Couldn't Say No Lewis Seiler
    1938 Gold Diggers in Paris Busby Berkeley
    1939 First Offenders
    1940 Forty Little Mothers Busby Berkeley
    1940 Andy Hardy Meets Debutante George B. Seitz
    1940 Bitter Sweet
    1940 Go West Eve Wilson Edward Buzzell
    1941 The People vs. Dr. Kildare Harold S. Bucquet
    1941 Johnny Eager Mervyn LeRoy
    1942 Whistling in Dixie S. Sylvan Simon
    1942 Seven Sweethearts Frank Borzage
    1943 Cry 'Havoc' Richard Thorpe

    References
    1. Palm Springs Cemetery District "Interments of Interest"
    2. Vosburgh, Dick (January 31, 1997). "Obituary: Diana Lewis". The Independent. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
    3. "Fairfax Senior High School". schooldirectory.lausd.net. Los Angeles Unified School District.
    4. "William Powell, 47, Film Star, Weds Diana Lewis, Rising Young Actress". The Dispatch. Illinois, Moline. Associated Press. January 6, 1940. p. 11. Retrieved September 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
    5. "Andy Hardy films website". Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
    6. "The 3rd Mrs Powell". Photoplay. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
    7. "William Powell Marries Girl 21 Years Old". The Courier-Journal. Kentucky, Louisville. Associated Press. January 6, 1940. p. 10. Retrieved September 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
    8. "How Diana Lewis became Mousie Powell".
    9. Brooks, Patricia; Brooks, Jonathan (2006). "Chapter 8: East L.A. and the Desert". Laid to Rest in California: a guide to the cemeteries and grave sites of the rich and famous. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-0762741014. OCLC 70284362.
    10. Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
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