Meet Tyrone Power III. Those who have had the pleasure of knowing this world-famous Twentieth Century-Fox star in person can tell you that meeting him is indeed a privilege and delight. There is an easiness of manner about this extremely handsome, twenty-five year old actor. His cultured graciousness of sincere charm is as winning as is his infectious smile. He is six feet tall; weighs one hundred and sixty-five pounds. He has dark brown hair and sensitive, luminous brown eyes.

Tyrone, Hollywood's most popular male star, is the third member of his family to bear the name of Tyrone. The name itself was given to his great-great grandfather, Tyrone Power I, after County Tyrone, the homeland of the Power family in Ireland.

The great Irish comedian of his day, the nineteenth-century Tyrone I was considered most courageous for making an American tour. Such was considered a somewhat dangerous theatrical adventure, in those days. Tales of American Indians in the land had kept most big-name English stage stars from attempting such a journey. Not only did Tyrone Power I come himself, but he persuaded other great artistes such as Fanny Kemble to make the trip.

Tyrone's grandfather, Harold Power, was one of England's great concert pianists of his day. His father, Tyrone Power II, was for many years a beloved name on both the American and English stage.

Thus, by birth, as well as tradition, Tyrone Power III was dedicated to the drams. It is not surprising that even as a very young child this boy felt within his being the need of finding an adequate expression for such a heritage. That the screen has been the means of bringing such ability to flowering, so that the world may enjoy his artistry is most fortunate.

In little over three years time, young Power has established himself as one of the few indispensable actors of the screen. He has appeared in fifteen pictures, to date, for Darryl Zanuck, under the Twentieth Century-Fox banner.

As a single testimonial to his success, twenty thousand fan letters from Buenos Aires alone poured into the studio within a single week, following his visit to that South American city.

But what kind of person is Tyrone Power III? This series of revelations concerning his life will in some measure, we hope, give a clearer picture of this popular actor. Let's start at the beginning.

Tyrone Power was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 5, 1914, at 5:30 p.m., in the home of his grandmother. He was the first child born to Patia and Tyrone Power the Second, and proud parents they were indeed. A delicate child, even at birth he appeared all eyes. But there was joy and high hopes as they gazed at the tiny heir to their theatrical dreams.

Patia Reaume Power was then a tall, slender, black-haired, brown-eyed beauty of regal stature, who had devoted her life to dramatics. Born in Covington, Kentucky, she had toured several seasons in the Middle West with theatrical stock companies, and at the age of sixteen had gone to Cincinnati, Ohio, to study in the Schuster-Martin School of Drama. It was there that she saw Tyrone Power, the Second, who was making an appearance with a Shakespearean company in that city. They met. A year and a half later, following a successful Australian tour, the actor again returned to Cincinnati, and saw the woman who was to be his bride.

Following a several months' honeymoon at his country place in Canada, Mr. Power's work called him to England. The new bridge returned to her mother's home in Cincinnati, where Tyrone was to be born. Taking a fast boat, Tyrone's father was on had to welcome his arrival. Within three months the little family was established in New York, with Tyrone's father doing silent picture work in and around the city.

But the rigorous Eastern climate was too much for the delicate child. At the end of two years, the doctors warned Patia Power that she should get her young son into a warm climate immediately. The parents therefore took the first train to California, and baby Tyrone made his first transcontinental train trip held tenderly on a pillow the entire journey.

The family took an apartment on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, and the father resumed his picture work.

On August 26, 1915, Tyrone's sister, Anne Power was born. By this time the warm California sun was doing wonders for the constitution of the slight, nervous child. He was romping and playing about the neighbourhood, to the great delight of his parents.

Within a few years the family moved to Beverly Hills, where the energetic young Tyrone and his sister, Anne, soon became the delightful treat of the neighbourhood with their antics. Sister Anne was only two and a half when Tyrone, one day, decided she needed a haircut. Finding the necessary scissors in his mother's sewing basket, he persuaded plump little Anne that her long curls were no longer necessary. He did a masterful job by scalping her dark lovely tresses. But it was great fun for her-even at that tender age anything brother wanted to do was perfect to Anne.

Called back to New York by his work, Tyrone's father bid the family farewell, while Patia Power moved her brood to San Diego. The United Stated had just entered the War. San Diego was a military point where entertainment was needed for the soldiers. She organized a stock company known as the Power Players, and for the entire period of the war prepared, directed and staged production for the benefit of Uncle Sam's soldiers. She later received national recognition for her services.

At the close of the War, Tyrone's smother was asked to take an important role in John Stephen McGroarty's famous 'Mission Play,' staged annually at San Gabriel, California. She moved her family there. For the next five years she remained a member of this company, and the close-by city of Alhambra became the home of the Power family.

It was during this youthful period that the theatre became the main force in young Tyrone's life. All of the glamour, the tradition, the active movements of the theatre were his to study and love. His mother's dressing room became almost as a shrine to him.

It was during this period that the nurse called 'Pet,' a kind, intelligent woman, came into his life and taught him, among other valuable things, not to be afraid in the dark. In fact, here well-meant instructions about not being afraid of anything, were taken so well to heart by the imaginative young boy that when a doctor came to vaccinate him one time and remarked, 'This may hurt a little,' Tyrone answered, 'But you can't hurt me. Only God can hurt me.' And he meant it.

then there was good friend 'Bill,' one of the real Indians in his mother's production. Bill bought him ice cream cones, danced real Indian dances for him, and explained the mysteries of Indian celebrations for his keen delight. Certainly he was going to school, but every afternoon at two, he raced from the schoolhouse to his mother's matinee performance so they could walk home together.

The real boy was apparent at this period. He remembers well the use he made of all of the burned out footlights, for example. They made such a swell noise when placed a few feet apart on the railroad track behind the theatre and run over by a passing train.

After some misdemeanors not remembered now, Tyrone also relates the sad experience he had when trying to 'sneak out' of his room early one evening to play, against his mother's wishes. He had made the climb from his bedroom window down to the ground successfully, had crept silently on all fours around the corner of the house, with freedom just a few feet away, when his left eye connected with the protruding handle of a wheelbarrow. Naturally he yelled and was forced to gain admittance to the house by going to the front door. He had to explain to his mother what he had done but that it just hadn't worked.

His schooling at this period was like that of any other youngster of the period. He was however, appointed to play the role of Santa Claus every year in the school Christmas play. Then there was the little blonde girl---the school beauty---who played the Angel in all the Christmas plays. Tyrone remembers his great pride in trying to watch out after her.

At the end of the fourth season of Patia's play, she took Tyrone and his young sister back to Cincinnati for a visit with grandma. What a trip it was. He saw snow for the first time; rolled in it; reveled in it. Got the measles, played with all the neighborhood kids, and found a wild new thrill in dashing madly through the then-stylish bamboo curtains between the living room and dining room of the house.

It was midnight of Christmas Eve of that year that young Tyrone and his sister Anne were given special permission to take their first Communion before boarding a train to return to their home in California. The great beauty, the thrilling spectacle of it all gave Tyrone a vision of spiritual splendour remembered to this day. The ushers kept the great throngs who had come to attend twelve o'clock service back, while the two small children walked proudly alone to the great altar for their private service. Afterwards there was the walk home through the snow with hot cocoa waiting. Christmas presents were exchanged, and within a few hours they were on a train headed back to California, and another season at Alhambra.

During the last year of the Mission Play, Tyrone's insistent pleas for a part caused Mr. McGroarty to assign him the role of Pablo, a neophyte of the Franciscan Padres, in the production. It was a very small part, but o Tyrone it meant the beginning of his long-planned theatrical career. He was in fact so good that in the next production, 'La Golondrina,' Mr. McGroarty gave him a larger more important part.

In 1923, Patia Power was offered an accepted the Chair of Dramatic and voice expression in the Schuster-Martin School Drama in Cincinnati. The family left California for the Middle West. Tyrone was entered in the sixth grade at the St. Ursula Academy as a boarding student, but young Tyrone found the calm, studious life too confining and persuaded his mother to permit him to change to St. Xavier School the following year.

He reveled in the activities of this all boys' school, and a year later went to the preparatory school of the University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio. It was his first experience in being away from home. He spent two semesters at Dayton, getting his first taste of football. He engaged in amateur dramatics and was high in scholastic standing of his class. He returned to Cincinnati the following year and entered Purcell High School where he graduated in 1931 at the age of seventeen.

NEXT WEEK: Tyrone as a soda jerker-first big heart throb-becomes an usher-and then a small part actor-tragic losses and early struggles in Hollywood

[ back ]