This photo from 1950 shows what looks like a happy family: Hollywood stars Eleanor Powell and Glenn Ford with their only child, Peter.
Eleanor was a famous dancer who starred in many hit movies. At one point, her films were so successful, people said she helped keep MGM studios from going broke.
Peter later wrote a book about his parents. In it, he shared that Fred Astaire once told him his mom was the best dancer ever seen on film.
Eleanor cared about fairness. She became friends with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. When they worked together, people said she could walk in the front door, but Bill had to use the back. Eleanor refused — she always walked in with him through the back entrance.
She married Glenn in 1943 and gave up her career to be a full-time mom and create a peaceful home for Peter.
But Glenn was known for having affairs with many women, including actress Rita Hayworth. Peter later wrote, “He was a bad boy. He got involved with a lot of the ladies he worked with. That’s not anything that I’m proud of, but that’s the reality.”
They divorced in 1959. Glenn went on to marry three more times. Eleanor never married again.