Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor.

Life and career

Howland was born in

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, one of the youngest enlisted participants in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, and Mary C. Bunting. His sister was stage actress Jobyna Howland. From 1909 to 1927, Howland appeared on Broadway in musicals, occasionally performing in silent films. The musicals include '' Leave It to Jane'' (1917), '' Two Little Girls in Blue'' (1921) and ''

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...

'' (1923). He was in the film '' Janice Meredith'' (1924) with Marion Davies. With the advent of sound films, his theatre background proved an asset, and he concentrated mostly on films thereafter, appearing in nearly two hundred movies between 1918 and 1958. Howland often played eccentric and rural roles in Hollywood. His parts were often small and uncredited, and he never got a leading role. He was a personal favorite of

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

, who cast him in his movies '' Nothing Sacred'' (1937) as a strange luggage man, ''

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...

'' (1938) as the teacher Mr. Dobbins, '' Made for Each Other'' (1939) as the farmer, and ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'' (1939) as a carpetbagger businessman. He also played in numerous westerns from

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, including the

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

films '' In Old California'' (1942) and '' Angel and the Badman'' (1947). As a young man, Howland learned to fly at the Wright Flying School and soloed on a Wright Model B. This lent special poignancy to his scenes with

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

in the film '' The Spirit of St. Louis'' (1957); Stewart was also a pilot in real life. ''The Spirit of St. Louis'' and '' Them!'' (1954), where he played a drunken old man, and '' The Blob'' (1958), as the first victim, were his last films. He also played in television shows during the 1950s. One of Olin's memorable television appearances was in an episode of "I Love Lucy." Entitled "First Stop", air date January 17, 1955 Olin played the humorous role of a cafe and motel proprietor offering dubious accommodations to the road-weary Ricardos and Mertzes as they traveled by car en-route from New York to California. In 1958 and 1959, he was cast as Charley Perkins in five episodes of ABC's

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' The Real McCoys'', starring

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

. Howland was also a dancer, a dancing teacher, and a headliner in vaudeville shows. He toured Europe performing dancing exhibitions. Howland never married and had no children. He worked until his death in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, California, at the age of 73.

Selected filmography

* ''

Danse Macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory from the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of death, summoning represen ...

'' (1922) - Death * '' The Great White Way'' (1924) - Stubbs * '' Janice Meredith'' (1924) - Philemon Hennion * '' Zander the Great'' (1925) - Elmer Lovejoy * '' Over the Hill'' (1931) - Isaac as an Adult * '' Cheaters at Play'' (1932) - Secretary * '' So Big'' (1932) - Jacob Pogadunk (uncredited) * ''

Blondie Johnson ''Blondie Johnson'' is a 1933 American pre-Code gangster film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joan Blondell and Chester Morris. It was produced by Warner Bros. Plot Set during the Great Depression, Blondie Johnson (Joan Blondell) quits h ...

'' (1933) - Eddie * '' Golden Harvest'' (1933) - Wheat Farmer (uncredited) * ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes, in 1868 and 1869. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details th ...

'' (1933) - Mr. Davis (uncredited) * '' Private Scandal'' (1934) - Ed, Coroner * ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...

'' (1934) - Pirate of the Spanish Main * '' Wagon Wheels'' (1934) - Bill O'Leary * ''

Marie Galante Marie-Galante (, or ) is one of the dependencies of Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France. Marie-Galante has a land area of . It had 11,528 inhabitants at the start of 2013, but by the start of 2018 the total was officially estimated to ...

'' (1934) - Clerk French Consul (uncredited) * '' Behold My Wife'' (1934) - Mattingly (uncredited) * ''

Under Pressure "Under Pressure" is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen's tenth studio album ''Hot Space'' (1982). The song reached number one on the U ...

'' (1935) - Newspaper Reporter (uncredited) * '' Folies Bergère de Paris'' (1935) - Stage Manager * '' Naughty Marietta'' (1935) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Case of the Curious Bride'' (1935) - Coroner Wilbur Strong * '' Love Me Forever'' (1935) - Carlton - Interior Decorator (uncredited) * '' Little Big Shot'' (1935) - Doc - Kells' Henchman (uncredited) * '' The Case of the Lucky Legs'' (1935) - Dr. Croker * '' Dr. Socrates'' (1935) - Bob Catlett * ''

The Widow from Monte Carlo ''The Widow from Monte Carlo'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Arthur Greville Collins and starring Warren William, Dolores del Río, Louise Fazenda and Colin Clive. It was based on the play '' A Present from Margate'' by Ian Hay ...

'' (1935) - Eaves * '' Man Hunt'' (1936) - Starrett * '' Road Gang'' (1936) - Doctor * '' Snowed Under'' (1936) - Bridgeport Sheriff (uncredited) * '' I Married a Doctor'' (1936) - Dave Dyer * '' The Big Noise'' (1936) - Harrison * '' Satan Met a Lady'' (1936) - Detective Dunhill * '' Earthworm Tractors'' (1936) - Mr. Blair * '' The Case of the Velvet Claws'' (1936) - Wilbur Strong * '' The Longest Night'' (1936) - Smythe, Floorwalker * '' Love Letters of a Star'' (1936) * '' Country Gentlemen'' (1936) - Lawyer * '' Gold Diggers of 1937'' (1936) - Dr. MacDuffy * '' Men in Exile'' (1937) - H. Mortimer Jones * '' A Star Is Born'' (1937) - Judd Baker (uncredited) * '' Mountain Music'' (1937) - Pappy Burnside * '' Marry the Girl'' (1937) - First Southerner * '' Stella Dallas'' (1937) - Stephen's Office Clerk (uncredited) * '' Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' (1937) - Doorman Jim * ''

Stand-In A stand-in, sometimes a lighting double, for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and tele ...

'' (1937) - Hotel Manager (uncredited) * '' Nothing Sacred'' (1937) - Vermont Baggage Man * '' The Bad Man of Brimstone'' (1937) - Jardge - Stage Driver (uncredited) * '' Swing Your Lady'' (1938) - Hotel Proprietor * ''

'' (1938) - Mr. Dobbins - Schoolmaster * '' Merrily We Live'' (1938) - Jed Smith (uncredited) * '' The Girl of the Golden West'' (1938) - Trinidad Joe * '' Mr. Moto's Gamble'' (1938) - Deputy Sheriff Burt (uncredited) * '' A Trip to Paris'' (1938) - Fred (uncredited) * '' Kentucky Moonshine'' (1938) - Tom Slack * '' When Were You Born'' (1938) - Peter Finlay (Sagittarius) * '' Little Tough Guy'' (1938) - Baxter * '' The Mad Miss Manton'' (1938) - Mr. X * ''

Brother Rat ''Brother Rat'' is a 1938 American comedy drama film about cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, directed by William Keighley, and starring Ronald Reagan, Priscilla Lane, Eddie Albert (in his film debut), Jane Wyman, and W ...

'' (1938) - Slim * '' Sweethearts'' (1938) - Appleby * ''

Ambush An ambush is a surprise attack carried out by people lying in wait in a concealed position. The concealed position itself or the concealed person(s) may also be called an "". Ambushes as a basic military tactics, fighting tactic of soldi ...

'' (1939) - Radio Actor (segment "Uncle Toby") (uncredited) * '' Boy Slaves'' (1939) - 'Cookie' the Camp Cook (uncredited) * '' Made for Each Other'' (1939) - Farmer (uncredited) * '' Nancy Drew... Reporter'' (1939) - Police Sgt. Entwhistle * ''

Zenobia Septimia Zenobia (Greek: Ζηνοβία, Palmyrene Aramaic: , ; 240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Many legends surround her ancestry; she was probably not a commoner, and she married the ruler of the ...

'' (1939) - Attorney Culpepper * '' The Kid from Kokomo'' (1939) - Sam, the Whittler (uncredited) * '' One Hour to Live'' (1939) - Clerk * '' Blondie Brings Up Baby'' (1939) - Encyclopedia Salesman * '' The Return of Doctor X'' (1939) - Undertaker * ''

'' (1939) - A carpetbagger businessman * '' Days of Jesse James'' (1939) - Muncie Undersheriff * '' Four Wives'' (1939) - Joe - a Policeman (uncredited) * '' Young Tom Edison'' (1940) - Telegrapher (Indian Attack) (uncredited) * '' The Doctor Takes a Wife'' (1940) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) * '' Comin' Round the Mountain'' (1940) - Pa Blower * '' Young People'' (1940) - Station Master * '' Chad Hanna'' (1940) - Cisco Tridd * '' The Great Lie'' (1941) - Ed - Arizona Ranch Hand (scenes deleted) * '' The Shepherd of the Hills'' (1941) - Corky * '' Belle Starr'' (1941) - Jasper Trench * ''

One Foot in Heaven ''One Foot in Heaven'' is a 1941 American biographical drama film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Fredric March, Martha Scott, Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart and Elisabeth Fraser. The film was adapted by Casey Robinson from the autobi ...

'' (1941) - Train Station Master (uncredited) * '' Buy Me That Town'' (1941) - Constable Sam Smedley * '' Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring'' (1941) - Dr. Williams * '' Two-Faced Woman'' (1941) - Frank (uncredited) * ''

You're in the Army Now In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

'' (1941) - Pa - The Farmer (uncredited) * '' Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1942) - Minor Role (scenes deleted) * '' Sappy Birthday'' (1942, Short) - Mr. Plantem, Cemetery Plot Salesman * '' Blondie's Blessed Event'' (1942) - Office Worker (uncredited) * '' This Gun for Hire'' (1942) - Blair Fletcher * '' The Man Who Wouldn't Die'' (1942) - Chief of Police Jonathan Meek * '' Home in Wyomin''' (1942) - Sunrise * '' Dr. Broadway'' (1942) - The Professor * '' Almost Married'' (1942) - Bright * '' In Old California'' (1942) - Salesman (uncredited) * '' Ten Gentlemen from West Point'' (1942) - Carpenter (uncredited) * '' Henry and Dizzy'' (1942) - Mr. Stevens * '' Joan of Ozark'' (1942) - Game Warden (uncredited) * '' Her Cardboard Lover'' (1942) - Frank - Casino Manager (uncredited) * '' Orchestra Wives'' (1942) - Dance Ticket-Taker (uncredited) * '' Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1942) - Jacob Diezal (uncredited) * '' You Can't Escape Forever'' (1942) - Cemetery Organist (uncredited) * '' Secrets of the Underground'' (1942) - Oscar Mayberry * '' When Johnny Comes Marching Home'' (1942) - Trullers * '' Ridin' Down the Canyon'' (1942) - The Jailer * '' Lady Bodyguard'' (1943) - Dr. Saunders * ''

Young and Willing ''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, and Susan Hayward. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp based on the play ''Out of th ...

'' (1943) - Second Cop * '' The Falcon Strikes Back'' (1943) - Sheriff (uncredited) * '' A Stranger in Town'' (1943) - Homer Todds * ''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area i ...

'' (1943) - Mr. Deveraux * '' The Sky's the Limit'' (1943) - Driver (uncredited) * '' The Good Fellows'' (1943) - Reynolds * '' The Falcon and the Co-eds'' (1943) - Goodwillie, Bluecliff Driver * ''

Jack London John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...

'' (1943) - Mailman (uncredited) * '' Twilight on the Prairie'' (1944) - Jed * '' Bermuda Mystery'' (1944) - Gas Station Owner * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) - Riverboat Southerner (uncredited) * '' Man from Frisco'' (1944) - Eben Whelock * '' Goodnight, Sweetheart'' (1944) - Slim Taylor * '' Allergic to Love'' (1944) - Sam Walker * '' Sing, Neighbor, Sing'' (1944) - Joe the Barber * '' In the Meantime, Darling'' (1944) - J.P. 'Hiram' Morehousse (uncredited) * '' And Now Tomorrow'' (1944) - Customer (uncredited) * '' I'll Be Seeing You'' (1944) - Train Vendor (uncredited) * '' Nothing but Trouble'' (1944) - Painter's Foreman (uncredited) * '' The Town Went Wild'' (1944) - Bit Part * '' Can't Help Singing'' (1944) - Bigelow * '' She Gets Her Man'' (1945) - Hank (uncredited) * '' Grissly's Millions'' (1945) - Andrews (uncredited) * '' Her Lucky Night'' (1945) - Prince de la Mour * '' Sheriff of Cimarron'' (1945) - Pinky Snyder * '' It's in the Bag!'' (1945) - Dr. Greengrass's Doctor (uncredited) * '' Santa Fe Saddlemates'' (1945) - Dead Eye * '' Captain Eddie'' (1945) - Census Taker * '' Incendiary Blonde'' (1945) - Interior Decorator (uncredited) * '' Senorita from the West'' (1945) - Justice of Peace * ''

Fallen Angel Fallen angels are angels who were expelled from Heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" does not appear in any Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven. Such angels are often described ...

'' (1945) - Joe Ellis (uncredited) * '' Sing Your Way Home'' (1945) - Zany Steward (uncredited) * '' Dakota'' (1945) - Devlin's Driver * '' Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (1946) - Painter (uncredited) * '' She Wrote the Book'' (1946) - Baggage Master (uncredited) * ''

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' is a 1946 American noir tragedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott. Kirk Douglas appears in his film debut. It follows a man who is reunited with ...

'' (1946) - Newspaper Clerk (uncredited) * '' Home Sweet Homicide'' (1946) - Luke (uncredited) * '' Three Wise Fools'' (1946) - Witness (uncredited) * '' Crime Doctor's Man Hunt'' (1946) - Marcus Le Blaine (uncredited) * '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1947) - Gas Man (uncredited) * '' Angel and the Badman'' (1947) - Bradley * '' Apache Rose'' (1947) - Alkali Elkins * '' For the Love of Rusty'' (1947) - Frank Foley (uncredited) * '' Living in a Big Way'' (1947) - The Morgan Gardener (uncredited) * '' The Trouble with Women'' (1947) - Mr. Pink (uncredited) * '' Keeper of the Bees'' (1947) - Customer * ''

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

'' (1947) - Cowboy Wanting Herd (uncredited) * '' The Fabulous Texan'' (1947) - McGinn - Storekeeper (uncredited) * '' I Walk Alone'' (1947) - Ed the Watchman (uncredited) * '' Relentless'' (1948) - Horse Doctor (uncredited) * '' The Return of the Whistler'' (1948) - Jeff Anderson (uncredited) * ''

My Dog Rusty ''My Dog Rusty'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring Ted Donaldson, John Litel and Ann Doran. It was part of the eight-film Rusty series of films produced by Columbia Pictures, about a boy and his valiant German ...

'' (1948) - Frank Foley (uncredited) * '' The Dude Goes West'' (1948) - Finnegan * '' Station West'' (1948) - Cook * ''

Isn't It Romantic? "Isn't It Romantic?" is a popular music, popular song and part of the Great American Songbook. The music was composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It has a 32-bar chorus in A–B–A–C form. Alec Wilder, in his book ''America ...

'' (1948) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) * ''Smoky Mountain Melody'' (1948) - Lum Peters * '' The Paleface'' (1948) - Jonathan Sloane, undertaker * '' Last of the Wild Horses'' (1948) - Remedy Williams * '' Bad Men of Tombstone'' (1949) - Store Proprietor * ''

'' (1949) - Mr. Davis - Schoolteacher (uncredited) * ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 historical novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court ...

'' (1949) - Sam, the Postman (uncredited) * ''

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...

'' (1949) - Windy * '' Hellfire'' (1949) - Bartender (uncredited) * '' Leave It to Henry'' (1949) - Milo Williams * '' Anna Lucasta'' (1949) - Station Master (uncredited) * '' Mr. Soft Touch'' (1949) - Skinny Santa Claus (uncredited) * '' Top o' the Morning'' (1949) - Barfly (uncredited) * '' The Nevadan'' (1950) - Rusty (uncredited) * '' A Ticket to Tomahawk'' (1950) - Railway Conductor (uncredited) * '' Rock Island Trail'' (1950) - Saloonkeeper * '' Father Makes Good'' (1950) - Milo Williams * '' Never a Dull Moment'' (1950) - Hunter (uncredited) * ''

He's a Cockeyed Wonder ''He's a Cockeyed Wonder'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Peter Godfrey and written by Jack Henley. The film stars Mickey Rooney, Terry Moore, William Demarest, Charles Arnt, Ross Ford and Ned Glass. The film was released on Dec ...

'' (1950) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) * '' Stage to Tucson'' (1950) - Chantry (uncredited) * ''Charlie's Haunt'' (1950) - Storyteller on Bench * '' Santa Fe'' (1951) - Dan Dugan * '' Fighting Coast Guard'' (1951) - Desk Clerk * ''

The Fabulous Senorita ''The Fabulous Senorita'' is a 1952 American musical film, musical comedy film directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Estelita Rodriguez, Robert Clarke and Nestor Paiva. The film came at the tail-end of a cycle of Latin American-themed films, ...

'' (1952) - Justice of the Peace * '' Gobs and Gals'' (1952) - Conductor * '' So This Is Love'' (1953) - Mailman (uncredited) * '' Them!'' (1954) - Jensen * '' A Star is Born'' (1954) - Charley (uncredited) * '' The McConnell Story'' (1955) - Sam - Postman (uncredited) * '' The Storm Rider'' (1957) - Will Collins * '' The Spirit of St. Louis'' (1957) - Surplus Dealer (uncredited) * '' Bombers B-52'' (1957) - Joe (uncredited) * '' The Blob'' (1958) - Old Man

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Howland, Olin 1886 births 1959 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors Male actors from Denver 20th-century American male actors American vaudeville performers American male dancers