Jane Powell, with her blonde vivacity and sweet, pure soprano voice, was one of the mainstays of MGM musicals of the 1940s and '50s. She made 13 movies for the studio, projecting a girl-next-door image and costarring with such luminaries as Jeanette MacDonald, Fred Astaire, Howard Keel and Bobby Van.

Powell was born Suzanne Lorraine Burce in Portland, OR, in 1929. She began acting lessons at age two and by 15 was singing on local radio stations. On a vacation to Los Angeles in 1943, she won a talent contest and an MGM contract. She took the name Jane Powell from the character she played in her debut film, United Artists' Song of the Open Road (1944).

Powell's MGM musicals included such classics as Royal Wedding (1951), in which she played Astaire's sister and shared dance numbers with him; and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), which received five Academy Award® nominations (including Best Picture) and won the award for its sprightly score. After her film career ended, Powell turned to television and the stage. She appeared on Broadway, at the New York City Opera and in touring productions, performing in such shows as Irene, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. She appeared as a guest host on TCM in 2011.

Married five times with three children, Powell currently makes her home in Wilton, CT. Below are the movies in TCM's tribute to this delightful performer.

A Date with Judy (1948), based on a popular family radio show of its time, casts Powell as perky Judy Foster, who fears that her father (Wallace Beery) is having an affair with a Latin bombshell (Carmen Miranda) who is actually his dance instructor. The movie is remembered for showcasing another young MGM star, Elizabeth Taylor, as a gorgeous glamour girl. Taylor plays Judy's friend Carol, and the girls are mixed up in romantic complications involving young men played by Scotty Beckett and Robert Stack. Xavier Cugat and his orchestra perform, and Powell introduces the song "Love Is Where You Find It."

Nancy Goes to Rio (1950) has Powell as the teenaged daughter of a famous actress played by Ann Sothern, with the two competing (unwittingly) for the same role and the same man during a trip to South America. Scotty Becket and Carmen Miranda return from A Date with Judy, with Barry Sullivan and Louis Calhern rounding out the cast. Powell, in fine voice, sings "Embraceable You" and "Love Is Like This."

Two Weeks with Love (1950), set in the early 20th century, concerns a family from New York City who take a summer vacation in the Catskills. The daughters are played by Powell and Debbie Reynolds, with Louis Calhern and Ann Harding as their parents. While Jane falls for dashing Cuban Ricardo Montalban, Debbie cavorts with Carleton Carpenter in a scene-stealing "Aba-Daba Honeymoon." Powell's best moments come in a lively tango with Montalban and a rendering of "My Hero" from the 1941 MGM musical The Chocolate Soldier.

Hit the Deck (1955) reunites Powell with Debbie Reynolds, who had by now advanced from featured player to costar. This adaptation of a stage musical by the same name also features Ann Miller, Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Walter Pidgeon and Russ Tamblyn. The plot revolves around the romantic escapades of three trouble-prone sailors on 48-hour liberty in San Francisco. Musical highlights including a duet by Powell and Damone on "I Know That You Know", Miller performing "The Lady from the Bayou" and the rousing finale "Hallelujah."

The Girl Most Likely (1958) had Powell switching to RKO for her final movie musical and the last movie produced at that studio. A remake with music from the 1941 Ginger Rogers vehicle Tom, Dick and Harry, it's an often-overlooked pleasure. Powell plays a young California woman who finds herself engaged to three different men (Cliff Robertson, Keith Andes and Tommy Noonan). With the exception of the title number, songs are by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane of (Meet Me in St. Louis) musical fame and the choreography by Gower Champion. Kaye Ballard, in a rare movie role, is great fun as Powell's best friend.

by Roger Fristoe