Olin Howland | WatchedThis

Olin Howland

Olin Howland

Acting

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor. Howland was born in Denver, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, one of the youngest enlisted participants in the Civil War, and Mary C. Bunting. His older sister was the famous 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 (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, who cast him in his movies Nothing Sacred (1937) as a strange luggage man, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938, as the teacher Mr. Dobbins) and Gone with the Wind (1939) as a carpetbagger businessman. He also played in numerous westerns from Republic Pictures, including the John Wayne 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 sentiment in his scenes with James Stewart in the film The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), as 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) were his last films. He also played in telelevision shows during the 1950s. In 1958 and 1959, he was cast as Charley Perkins in five episodes of ABC's sitcom The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan. Howland never married and had no children. He worked until his death in Hollywood, California, at the age of 73.

Filmography Movies

Acting

Poster for Gone with the Wind
MOVIE

Gone with the Wind

7.9(4.4K)
Gone with the Wind
A Carpetbagger Businessman
Poster for Blondie Brings Up Baby
MOVIE

Blondie Brings Up Baby

7.0(0.0K)
Blondie Brings Up Baby
Encyclopedia Salesman
Poster for Blondie's Blessed Event
MOVIE

Blondie's Blessed Event

7.3(0.0K)
Blondie's Blessed Event
Office Worker (uncredited)
Poster for Blondie Johnson
MOVIE

Blondie Johnson

5.9(0.0K)
Blondie Johnson
Eddie
Poster for Them!
MOVIE

Them!

6.8(0.5K)
Them!
Jensen
Poster for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
MOVIE

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

6.6(0.1K)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mr. Dobbins - Schoolmaster
Poster for The Town Went Wild
MOVIE

The Town Went Wild

7.0(0.0K)
The Town Went Wild
Bit Part
Poster for I'll Be Seeing You
MOVIE

I'll Be Seeing You

6.9(0.0K)
I'll Be Seeing You
Train Vendor (uncredited)
Poster for The Good Fellows
MOVIE

The Good Fellows

8.0(0.0K)
The Good Fellows
Reynolds
Poster for Angel and the Badman
MOVIE

Angel and the Badman

6.4(0.1K)
Angel and the Badman
Bradley

Gallery

Olin Howland portrait
Olin Howland portrait
Olin Howland portrait