Page 213 - Cousins - Celebrities, Saints & Sinners

Power racked up hit after hit from 1936 until 1943, when his career was interrupted by military service. In
these years he starred in romantic comedies such as Thin Ice and Day-Time Wife, in dramas such
as Suez, Blood and Sand, Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake, The Rains Came and In Old Chicago; in
musicals Alexander's Ragtime Band, Second Fiddle, and Rose of Washington Square; in the westerns Jesse
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James (9 cousin, 1 time removed) (1939) and Brigham Young; in the war films A Yank in the R.A.F. and This
Above All; and the swashbucklers The Mark of Zorro and The Black Swan. Jesse James was a very big hit at
the box office, but it did receive some criticism for fictionalizing and glamorizing the famous outlaw. The
movie was shot in and around Pineville, Missouri, and was Power's first location shoot and his
first Technicolor movie. (Before his career was over, he had filmed a total of 16 movies in color, including
the movie he was filming when he died.)
Power was named the second biggest box office draw in 1939, surpassed only by Mickey Rooney. His box
office numbers are some of the best of all time.
In 1940 the direction of Power's career took a dramatic turn when his movie The Mark of Zorro was
released. Power played the role of Don Diego Vega/Zorro, fop by day, bandit hero by night. The role had
been made famous by Douglas Fairbanks in the 1920 movie of the same title. The film was a hit, and 20th
Century Fox often cast Power in other swashbucklers in the years that followed. Power was a talented
swordsman in real life, and the dueling scene in The Mark of Zorro is highly regarded. The great Hollywood
swordsman, Basil Rathbone, who starred with him in The Mark of Zorro, commented, "Power was the most
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agile man with a sword I've ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn (14 cousin,
1 time removed) into a cocked hat."
In August 1942, Power enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He attended boot camp at Marine Corps
Recruit Depot San Diego, then Officer's Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where he was
commissioned a second lieutenant on June 2, 1943. As he had already logged 180 solo hours as a pilot
before enlisting, he was able to do a short, intense flight training program at Naval Air Station Corpus
Christi, Texas. The pass earned him his wings and a promotion to first lieutenant. The Marine Corps
considered Power over the age limit for active combat flying, so he volunteered for piloting cargo planes
that he felt would get him into active combat zones.

Power was later reassigned to VMR-353, joining them on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in February
1945. From there, he flew missions carrying cargo in and wounded Marines out during the Battles of Iwo
Jima (Feb-Mar 1945) and Okinawa (Apr-Jun 1945).

For his services in the Pacific War, Power was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal with two bronze stars, and the World War II Victory Medal.

When Power died suddenly at age 44, he was buried with full military honors. At his grave, Laurence
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Olivier (12 cousin, 1 time removed) read the poem "High Flight”.
Note: His oldest daughter, Romina Power, was a popular actress and singer in Italy
from the 1960s through the 1980s during the times I lived there. She and her
husband, Al Bano Carrisi formed a singing duo which became popular throughout
Europe, South America and Eastern Europe. Their biggest hits included "Felicità",
"Sharazan", "Tu soltanto tu", "Ci sarà", "Sempre Sempre", and "Libertà". The
couple divorced in 1999. They had four children.
Romina Power -
1969
References:
1. Relative Finder, associated with FamilySearch, and the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS)
2. Wikipedia.org
3. See more – Feeling Good (Tyrone Power)
4. LDS Family Tree attached

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