In 1912, Powell started his film career in one to three reel shorts. At the beginning of the 1920s, he starred in several Paramount-produced English films. Extant films that feature Powell are The Dawn of A Tomorrow (1916), Less Than Dust (1916), Idols of Clay (1920), The Virtuous Liar (1924), The Green Goddess (1923 version), and The Average Woman (1924).