Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice nominated for the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

in 1952 and 1964 and inducted into the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

in 1960.

Early years

Gilbert Roland in The Bad and the Beautiful trailer

There is some discrepancy about his place of birth, since his father, the Spanish

bullfighter A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...

Francisco Alonso "Paquiro II", declared to the press that his son was born in

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

and that he had Spanish nationality. Other sources say that he was born in

Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( , ; "Juárez City"), commonly referred to as just Juárez (Lipan language, Lipan: ''Tsé Táhú'ayá''), is the most populous city in the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. It was k ...

, Chihuahua, Mexico. At first he intended to become a bullfighter like his father and his paternal grandfather. When

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

took control of their town, Roland and his family fled to the United States. He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood. After arriving there, he found menial jobs and slept in a Catholic church. He often lost those jobs because he spent time working as an extra in films. He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, John Gilbert and Ruth Roland. He was often cast in the stereotypical Latin lover role.

Career

Roland's first film contract was with Paramount. His first major role was in the collegiate comedy '' The Plastic Age'' (1925) together with

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

, to whom he became engaged."My life, by Clara Bow". Told to and edited by Adela Rogers St. Johns. Published by ''

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film fan magazines, its title another word for screenplay. It was founded in Chicago in 1911. Under early editors Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan m ...

'' magazine in February, March, and April 1928 In 1926, he played Armand in '' Camille'' opposite

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

, with whom he was romantically involved, and they starred together in several productions. With the advent of sound films, Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films in romantic lead roles. In 1933, Roland played a large supporting role in '' She Done Him Wrong'' as one of

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

's character's lovers, along with rivals

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

Noah Beery Sr. Noah Nicholas Beery (January 17, 1882 – April 1, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of characte ...

and

Owen Moore Owen Moore (12 December 1886 – 9 June 1939) was an Irish people, Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937. Early life and career Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. A ...

. Roland served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Beginning in the 1940s, critics began to take notice of his acting, and he was praised for his supporting roles in

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

's '' We Were Strangers'' (1949), ''

The Bad and the Beautiful ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' is a 1952 American melodrama film that tells the story of a film producer who alienates everyone around him. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by George Bradshaw and Charles Schnee, and stars Lan ...

'' (1952), ''

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...

'' (1953), and '' Cheyenne Autumn'' (1964). He also appeared in a series of films in the mid-1940s as the popular character "

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in ''Everybody's Maga ...

". He played Hugo, the agnostic (and fictional) friend of the three shepherd children in '' The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima,'' based on the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. In 1953, Roland played

Greek-American Greek Americans ( ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. There is an estimate of 1.2 million Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. According to the US census, 264,066 people o ...

sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic ''

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef ''Beneath the 12-Mile Reef'' is a 1953 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Robert Wagner, Terry Moore and Gilbert Roland. The screenplay was by A.I. Bezzerides. The film was the third motion picture m ...

.'' He also portrayed Howard McMahon on ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

,'' acted on '' December Bride'' and ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

,'' and both wrote the script for and acted in an episode of ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

.'' He played Don Domingo Montoya, who inherits Rancho Montoya near the end of the series '' The High Chaparral''. His last film appearance was in the 1982

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

'' Barbarosa.''

Personal life

Roland married actress

Constance Bennett Constance Campbell Bennett (October 22, 1904 – July 24, 1965) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress and producer. She was a major Cinema of the United States, Hollywood star during the 1920s and 1930s; during the early 193 ...

on April 20, 1941, in

Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...

. They were married until 1946 and had two daughters, Lorinda "Lynda" (b. 1938) and Christina "Gyl" (b. 1941). Bennett won custody of their daughters. He had appeared with Bennett in 1933 as Pepe in George Cukor's '' Our Betters'', and in the same year, as the romantic lead in '' After Tonight'', a

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

drama. His second marriage to Guillermina Cantú in 1954 lasted until his death 40 years later.

Death

Gilbert Roland died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

, California, in 1994, aged 88. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.

Accolades

Roland was nominated twice for a

, for his roles in ''

'' (1952) and '' Cheyenne Autumn'' (1964). For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Gilbert Roland has a star on the

at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Cinema

*'' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (

1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...

) as Extra (uncredited) *'' The Lost World'' (

1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...

) as Extra (uncredited) *'' The Spaniard'' (1925) as Matador (uncredited) *'' The Lady Who Lied'' (1925) *''The Lawful Cheater'' (1925) (uncredited) *'' The Midshipman'' (1925) (uncredited) *'' The Plastic Age'' (1925) as Carl Peters *'' The Campus Flirt'' (

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

) as Graham Stearns *'' The Blonde Saint'' (1926) as Annibale *'' Camille'' (1926) as Armand Duval *'' Rose of the Golden West'' (

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

) as Juan *'' The Love Mart'' (1927) as Victor Jallot *'' The Dove'' (1927) as Johnny Powell *''

The Woman Disputed ''The Woman Disputed'' is a 1928 American synchronized sound film. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using both the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film process. The plot draws ...

'' (

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

) as Paul Hartman *'' New York Nights'' (

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) as Fred Deverne *'' Men of the North'' (1930) (Spanish and French version also filmed) as Louis La Bey aka Monsieur Le Fox *'' Resurrección'' (

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) (Spanish version of ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

'') as Prince Dmitri Nekhludov *'' The Passionate Plumber'' (

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) as Tony Lagorce *''Hombres de mi vida'' (1932) (Spanish version of '' Men in Her Life'') as Jaime Gilman *'' The Woman in Room 13'' (1932) as Victor Legrand *'' Life Begins '' (1932) as Tony, Rita's Husband (uncredited) *'' No Living Witness'' (1932) as Jerry Bennett *'' A Parisian Romance'' (1932) as Victor *'' Call Her Savage'' (1932) as Moonglow *'' She Done Him Wrong'' (

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

) as Serge Stanieff *'' Our Betters'' (1933) as Pepi D'Costa *''The Romantic Widow'' (1933) as Luis Felipe de Córdoba aka Prudencio González *'' Tarnished Youth'' (1933) (UK version of '' Gigolettes of Paris'') as Antoine 'Tony' Ferrand *'' After Tonight'' (1933) as Captain Rudolph "Rudy" Ritter *''Yo, tú y ella'' (1933) as Gabriel Villalba *''

Elinor Norton ''Elinor Norton'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Hamilton MacFadden and written by Rose Franken and Philip Klein (screenwriter), Philip Klein. It is based on the 1933 novel, ''The State versus Elinor Norton'' by Mary Roberts Rinehart. ...

'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) as Rene Alba *'' Mystery Woman'' (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

) as Juan Santanda *''Juliet Buys a Baby'' (1935) as Jack Aranda *'' Ladies Love Danger'' (1935) as Ricardo Souchet aka Alonzo *'' Midnight Taxi'' (

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

) as Flash Dillon *'' The Last Train from Madrid'' (1937) as Eduardo de Soto *'' Thunder Trail'' (1937) as Dick Ames aka Arizona Lopez *''La vida bohemia'' (

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

) as Rodolfo *'' Gateway'' (1938) as Tony Cadona *'' Juarez'' (

1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

) as Colonel Miguel Lopez *'' Isle of Destiny'' (

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...

) as Oliver Barton *'' Gambling on the High Seas'' (1940) as Greg Morella *'' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) as Captain Lopez *'' Rangers of Fortune'' (1940) as Antonio Hernandez Sierra *'' Angels with Broken Wings'' (

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

) as Don Pablo Vincente *'' My Life with Caroline'' (1941) as Paco Del Valle *'' Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen'' (1942) as Paul Gillette *'' Isle of Missing Men'' (1942) as Thomas 'Dan' Bentley aka Curtis *'' The Desert Hawk'' (1944) as Kasim, The Desert Hawk / Hassan, The Evil Twin Brother *''

Captain Kidd William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in Ne ...

'' (1945) as Jose Lorenzo *'' The Gay Cavalier'' (1946) as The Cisco Kid *'' South of Monterey'' (1946) as The Cisco Kid *'' Beauty and the Bandit'' (1946) as The Cisco Kid *'' Riding the California Trail'' (

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

) as The Cisco Kid posing as Don Luis Salazar *'' The Other Love'' (1947) as Croupier *'' High Conquest'' (1947) as Hugo Lanier *'' Robin Hood of Monterey'' (1947) as The Cisco Kid *'' Pirates of Monterey'' (1947) as Major de Rojas * '' King of the Bandits'' (1947) as the Cisco Kid aka Ramon Mojica *'' The Dude Goes West'' (

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

) as Pecos Kid *''The Rebellion of the Ghosts'' (

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

) as Arturo del Rosal *'' We Were Strangers'' (1949) as Guillermo Montilla *'' Malaya'' (1949) as Romano *'' The Torch'' (

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

) as Father Sierra *''

Crisis A crisis (: crises; : critical) is any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when ...

'' (1950) as Roland Gonzales *'' The Furies'' (1950) as Juan Herrera *'' Bullfighter and the Lady'' (

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

) as Manolo Estrada *'' The Mark of the Renegade'' (1951) as Don Pedro Garcia *'' Ten Tall Men'' (1951) as Corporal Luis Delgado *'' My Six Convicts'' (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

) as Punch Pinero *'' Glory Alley'' (1952) as Peppi Donnato *'' The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima'' (1952) as Hugo da Silva *'' Apache War Smoke'' (1952) as Peso Herrera *''

'' (1952) as Victor 'Gaucho' Ribero *''

'' (

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...

) as Teche Bossier *'' The Diamond Queen'' (1953) as Baron Paul de Cabannes *''

'' (1953) as Mike Petrakis *'' The French Line'' (1953) as Pierre DuQuesne *'' The Racers'' ( 1955) as Dell'Oro *'' Underwater!'' (1955) as Dominic Quesada *'' That Lady'' (1955) as Antonio Perez *''

The Treasure of Pancho Villa ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1955) as Colonel Juan Castro *'' Bandido'' (

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

) as Colonel José Escobar *'' Around the World in 80 Days'' (1956) as Achmed Abdullah *'' Three Violent People'' (1956) as Innocencio Ortega *'' The Midnight Story'' (

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

) as Sylvio Malatesta *'' The Last of the Fast Guns'' (

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...

) as Miles Lang *'' The Wild and the Innocent'' (

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

) as Paul *'' The Big Circus'' (1959) as Zach Colino *''

Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...

'' (1959) (unreleased) *'' Guns of the Timberland'' (

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

) as Monty Walker *''

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

'' (

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

) as Colonel Juan Sebastian Salazar *'' Cheyenne Autumn'' (

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

) as Dull Knife *'' The Reward'' (

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

) as Captain Carbajal *'' The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' (

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

) as Serge Marko *'' Any Gun Can Play'' (

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

) as Monetero *'' The Ruthless Four'' (

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

) as Mason *'' Between God, the Devil and a Winchester'' (1968) as Horace *'' Johnny Hamlet'' (1968) as Juan Chasquisdo *'' Sartana Does Not Forgive'' (1968) as Kirchner *'' The Christian Licorice Store'' (

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

) as Jonathan 'JC' Carruthers *'' Running Wild'' (

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

) as Chief Tomacito *'' Treasure of Tayopa'' (

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

) as Himself - Host *'' The Pacific Connection'' (1974) as Alan *'' Islands in the Stream'' (

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

) as Captain Ralph *'' The Black Pearl '' (1977) *'' Caboblanco'' (

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

) as Dr. Rudolfo Ramirez *'' Barbarosa'' (

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

) as Don Braulio (final film role)

Television

*''

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

'', episodes "El Bandido" and "Adios El Cuchillo" (1960) as El Cuchillo / The Knife *''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', episodes "Extradition"/"Extradition: Part 2" (1963) as Lieutenant Julio Chavez *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'', episode "A Kingdom for a Horse" (1963) as Emperor Dom Pedro *''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Death and the Joyful Woman") as Luis Aguilar *'' The Fugitive'', episode "Somebody to Remember" (1964) as Gus Priamos; *'' Combat!'', episode "The Convict" (1965) as Boulanger *''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', episode "The Lonely Runner" (1965) as Jim Acton *'' The Fugitive'', episode "The Savage Street" (1967) as Jose Anza *'' The High Chaparral'', episode "The New Lion of Sonora" (1971) as Don Domingo Montoya *''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...

'', segment "The Waiting Room" (1972) as The Bartender *'' Incident on a Dark Street'' (1973, TV Movie) as Dominic Leopold *''

Kung Fu (1972 TV series) ''Kung Fu'' is an American Action (genre), action-Adventure film, adventure martial arts Western (genre), Western Drama (genre), drama television series starring David Carradine. The series follows the adventures of Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin ...

'', episode "The Chalice" (1973) *''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...

'', episode "Rendezvous with Terror" (1974) *'' The Mark of Zorro'' (1974, TV Movie) as Don Alejandro Vega *'' The Sacketts'' (1979, TV Movie) as Don Luis *''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset ...

'', episode "The Raid" (1980) as Jorge

Short subjects

*''

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara ''La Fiesta de Santa Barbara'' is a 1935 American comedy film, comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Best Short Subj ...

'' (

) *''Screen Snapshots Series 15, No. 8'' (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

) *''Picture People No. 2: Hollywood Sports'' (

) *''Wings Up'' (

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 � ...

)

References

*Monush, Barry. ''The Encyclopedia of Film Actors From The Silent Era to 1965''. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2003.

External links

*
Original letter from Greta Garbo to Gilbert Roland (1943)Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roland, Gilbert 1905 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male actors of Mexican descent American male film actors American male silent film actors Deaths from cancer in California Hispanic and Latino American male actors Hispanic and Latino American military personnel Male actors from Los Angeles Male Western (genre) film actors Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Mexican emigrants to the United States Mexican male film actors Military personnel from California Military personnel from Los Angeles People from Ciudad Juárez United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II

Early years

Career

Personal life

Death

Accolades

Archives

Filmography

Cinema

Television

Short subjects

References

External links