Movies
TV Shows
People

Roland Young

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
72

Gender
Male

Birthday
November 10, 1887 (138 years old)

Place of Birth
London, England, UK

Roland Young

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roland Young (11 November 1887 – 5 June 1953) was an English actor.

Young made his first stage appearance in London's West End in Find the Woman in 1908, and in 1912 he made his Broadway debut in Hindle Wakes. He appeared in two comedies written for him by Clare Kummer, Good Gracious Annabelle! (1916) and A Successful Calamity (1917) before he served with the United States Army during World War I. He returned to New York when the war ended, and married Kummer's daughter, Frances. For the next few years he alternated between New York and London. He made his film debut in the 1922 silent film Sherlock Holmes, in which he played Watson opposite John Barrymore as Holmes.

He signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and made his talkie debut in The Unholy Night (1929), directed by Lionel Barrymore. He was loaned to Warner Bros. to appear in Her Private Life, with Billie Dove and Fox Film Corporation, winning critical approval for his comedic performance as Jeanette MacDonald's husband in Don't Bet on a Woman. He was again paired with MacDonald in the film version of Good Gracious Annabelle!, titled Annabelle's Affairs. He appeared in Cecil B. de Mille's The Squaw Man, and played opposite Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Guardsman (both 1931). He appeared with Evelyn Brent in Columbia's The Pagan Lady (1932) and Pola Negri in RKO's A Woman Commands (1932). His final film under his MGM contract was Lovers Courageous (1932), opposite Robert Montgomery. In 1933 he had a starring role in the risqué comedy for Fox Film called Pleasure Cruise along side Genevieve Tobin.

Young began to work as a freelance performer and found himself in constant demand. He appeared with Jeanette MacDonald, Genevieve Tobin and Maurice Chevalier in One Hour With You (1932) and with Kay Francis in Street of Women (1932). Alexander Korda invited him to return to Britain to make his British film debut in Wedding Rehearsal (1932). He returned to Hollywood and appeared in a diverse group of films that included comedies, murder mysteries, and dramas, and also worked on Broadway. Among his films of this period were Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), David Copperfield (1935) (playing Uriah Heep), and the H.G. Wells fantasy The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936).

In 1937, he achieved one of the most important successes of his career in Topper, as a bank president haunted by the ghosts of his clients, played by Cary Grant and Constance Bennett. It was one of the most successful films of the year, and Young was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Topper's wife was played by Billie Burke, who wrote in her memoir that Young "was dry and always fun to work with". They also appeared together in The Young in Heart (1938), and both of the Topper sequels, Topper Takes a Trip (1938) and Topper Returns (1941).

He continued working steadily through the 1940s, playing small roles opposite some of Hollywood's leading actresses, such as Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Paulette Goddard and Greta Garbo in her final film, Two-Faced Woman (1941). In the 1950s, Young appeared on several episodic television series, including Lux Video Theatre, Studio One, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse and The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre.

Known For

Acting

1994That's Entertainment! IIIas (archive footage)
1953That Man from Tangieras George
1951St. Benny the Dipas Matthew
1950Let's Danceas Edmund Pohlwhistle
1950Lux Video Theatreas Sumner
1950What's My Line?as Self
1949The Great Loveras C.J. Dabney
1948Studio Oneas Harold. Mummery
1948You Gotta Stay Happyas Ralph Tutwiler
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self
1948Bond Streetas George Chester-Barrett
1945And Then There Were Noneas William Blore
1944Standing Room Onlyas Ira Cromwell
1943Forever and a Dayas Henry Barringer
1942Tales of Manhattanas Edgar
1942They All Kissed the Brideas Marsh
1942The Lady Has Plansas Ronald Dean
1941Two-Faced Womanas Oscar 'O.O.' Miller
1941The Flame of New Orleansas Charles Giraud
1941Topper Returnsas Cosmo Topper
1940No, No, Nanetteas Mr. 'Happy' Jimmy Smith
1940The Philadelphia Storyas Uncle Willie
1940Dulcyas Roger Forbes
1940Private Affairsas Amos Bullerton
1940Ireneas Mr. Smith
1940Star Dustas Thomas Brooke
1940He Married His Wifeas Bill Carter
1939The Night of Nightsas Barry Keith-Trimble
1939Here I Am a Strangeras Professor Daniels
1939Yes, My Darling Daughteras Titus Jaywood
1938Topper Takes a Tripas Cosmo Topper
1938The Young in Heartas Col. Anthony 'Sahib' Carleton
1938Sailing Alongas Anthony Gulliver
1937Ali Baba Goes to Townas Sultan
1937Topperas Cosmo Topper
1937King Solomon's Minesas Cmdr. John Good
1937Call It a Dayas Frank Haines
1936Gypsyas Alan Brooks
1936Give Me Your Heartas Edward 'Tubbs' Barrow
1936The Man Who Could Work Miraclesas George McWhirter Fotheringay
1936One Rainy Afternoonas Maillot
1936The Unguarded Houras William "Bunny" Jeffers
1935Ruggles of Red Gapas Earl of Burnstead
1935David Copperfieldas Uriah Heep
1934Here Is My Heartas Nicki
1933His Double Lifeas Priam Farrel
1933Blind Adventureas Holmes
1933Pleasure Cruiseas Andrew Poole
1933A Lady's Professionas Lord Reginald Withers
1933They Just Had to Get Marriedas Hillary Hume
1932Hollywood on Parade No. A-5as Self
1932Wedding Rehearsalas Reggie Buckley Candysshe - Marquis of Buckminster
1932Street of Womenas Linkhorne 'Link' Gibson
1932This Is the Nightas Gerald Gray
1932One Hour with Youas Professor Olivier
1932A Woman Commandsas King Alexander
1932Lovers Courageousas Jeffrey
1931The Guardsmanas The Critic
1931The Pagan Ladyas Dr. Heath
1931The Squaw Manas Sir John Applegate
1931Annabelle's Affairsas Roland Wimbleton
1931The Prodigalas Doc
1931Don't Bet on Womenas Herbert Drake
1930New Moonas Count Strogoff
1930Madam Satanas Jimmy Wade
1929The Bishop Murder Caseas Sigurd 'Erik' Arnesson
1929Wise Girlsas Duke Merrill
1929The Unholy Nightas Lord Montague
1929Her Private Lifeas Charteris
1926Camille: The Fate of a Coquetteas Lord Kyne
1924Gritas Houdini Hart
1922Sherlock Holmesas Dr. Watson

Production