John Robert Powers was an American actor and founder of a New York City-based modeling agency. In 1923, Powers founded a modeling school. The John Robert Powers Agency represented models who aspired to success in the Hollywood film industry. While Powers' clientele was overwhelmingly female, the school also represented several men. The agency was the subject of a 1943 musical comedy, The Powers Girl, in which Alan Mowbray portrays Powers and features Anne Shirley and Carole Landis as aspiring models. John Robert Powers was born to John J. Powers and Margaret Shindan in Easton, Pennsylvania, as reported in the New York City marriage record of his marriage in Manhattan on September 28, 1922, to Alice Virginia Burton. According to this record she was the daughter of William Burton and Helen Vleit. John Robert Powers and his wife Alice are buried together in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Discrepancies occur regarding his date of birth, but in his World War I draft registration card dated 6/5/17 in New York City he self-reports his birthday as September 14, 1895. His address on that date was 250 West 43rd, New York City, and his occupation is Actor. He is employed at Fort Lee Ferry. He has brown eyes, brown hair, is 5' 11" tall and of slender build.
Controversy
John Robert Powers franchises have been criticized for using high-pressure sales tactics and misleading advertising. John Robert Powers USA asserts that is not an agency and does not make any percentage of the talents' earnings. The Los Angeles Better Business Bureau believes that Powers fits the definitions of a "talent agency" and an "advance-fee talent agent" as per California law. Nevertheless, the BBB notes that Powers would "undoubtedly deny that they are either " and that Powers' contracts do not use such terms. The Los Angeles BBB further notes: JRP websites include photos of famous personalities and name other celebrities as graduates. Pictures of celebrities such as Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne hang in the lobby of franchises. The Los Angeles Better Business Bureau attempted to contact some of these celebrities through their agents or close family members, and those who responded neither attended classes at JRP nor authorized use of their likeness. Celebrities, their representatives or immediate family members who claimed no involvement with JRP schools included Lucille Ball, Heather Locklear, Barbara Walters, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, John Wayne and Betty Ford. According to the National First Ladies Library biography, Betty Ford worked as a model for the JRP Agency. A Vanity Fair article says Grace Kelly was a model at the JRP agency.
