Tyrone Power Collection 2 (DVD, 2008, 5 - Disc set)

Just released in the summer of 2008, is this new collection of 10 feature films, which have never been on DVD before, starring Fox's best box office darling, Tyrone Power. Power was known as Fox's handsome leading actor during Hollywood's Golden Era. Power lived from 1914 thru 1958, dying of a heart attack when he was only a 44yo. The last film Power completed was a short public service announcement about spotting the signs of a heart attack, ironically; he dropped dead shortly after that announcement was 1st publicly aired. Power's fatal heart attack occurred while on set filming a sword fighting scene with George Sanders for "Solomon and Sheba" (1959). His heart attack was caused by heredity & cigarette smoking.

Ty Power's great-granddad was the 1st Tyrone Power (1795-1841) who only lived 46 years & was a famous Irish comedian. Power's father was called by his friends, Tyrone Power the Younger. He was a legendary theater star performing classical & modern roles. Patia Riaume (Mrs. Tyrone Power) was his mother. She too was a Shakespearean actress, who became a highly demanded drama coach.

He fathered four children, three of whom followed in the Power family tradition of acting. While filming "Jesse James" in 1939, Power had an affair that produced his 1st child out of wedlock; a son who was put up for adoption. In the early 1940's, Power went all out searching for his son without ever finding him.

Power's last film released while he was alive was with Marlene Dietrich & director Billy Wilder, as the leading actor in "Witness for the Prosecution" (1957). His salary was $300,000 + a % of the box office gross. This film is a classic that's still ranked among the top 200 films ever made. Power played the lead, Leonard Steven Vole, who was married to Dietrich's character, in Agatha Christie's murder mystery where he was the man on trial.

Power's stricking good looks had the effect of him being taken less seriously as a fine actor, so much so, he made this remark:

"Some day I will show all the motherf...rs who say I was a success just because of my pretty face. Sometimes I wish I had a really bad car accident so my face would get smashed up and I'd look like Eddie Constantine." Obviously, Power accomplished that goal landing the lead in the 6 Oscar nominated Wilder film, "Witness for the Prosecution."

Fox films include 10 films on 5 DVDs dating from 1936 to 1951, during which time Power started out as a Fox box office bachelor hotty. Power was a better actor than Warner Bros.' Erroll Flynn, who was also best know for starring in adventure films as a 'swashbuckler'. Power made "The Mark of Zorro" famous, for instance.

With this second volume comes 10 of his films that show Power's range in characters. They inlcude:

1) 1936 "Girl's Dormitory";
2) 1937 "Cafe' Metropole";
3) 1937 "Love Is News";
4) 1937 "Second Honeymoon";
5) 1939 "Daytime Wife";
6) 1940 "Johnny Apollo";
7) 1942 "This Above All";
8) 1948 "Luck of the Irish";
9) 1948 "That Wonderful Urge";
10) 1951 "I'll Newver Forget You";

Quite a formidable cast play parts in these films. They are: Adolphe Menjou, Ann Blyth, Anne Baxter, Arlene Baxter, Beatrice Campbell, Cecil Kellaway, Dorothy Lamour, Gene Tierney, Herbert Marshall, Jayne Meadows, Joan Fontaine, Lee J. Cobb, Linda Darnell, Lloyd Nolan, Loretta Young, Lyle Talbot, Simone Simon, Warren William & Wendy Barrie~