Known For
Acting
Known Credits
72
Gender
Male
Birthday
November 10, 1887 (138 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
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.
| 1994 | That's Entertainment! IIIas (archive footage) | |
| 1953 | That Man from Tangieras George | |
| 1951 | St. Benny the Dipas Matthew | |
| 1950 | Let's Danceas Edmund Pohlwhistle | |
| 1950 | Lux Video Theatreas Sumner | |
| 1950 | What's My Line?as Self | |
| 1949 | The Great Loveras C.J. Dabney | |
| 1948 | Studio Oneas Harold. Mummery | |
| 1948 | You Gotta Stay Happyas Ralph Tutwiler | |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Showas Self | |
| 1948 | Bond Streetas George Chester-Barrett | |
| 1945 | And Then There Were Noneas William Blore | |
| 1944 | Standing Room Onlyas Ira Cromwell | |
| 1943 | Forever and a Dayas Henry Barringer | |
| 1942 | Tales of Manhattanas Edgar | |
| 1942 | They All Kissed the Brideas Marsh | |
| 1942 | The Lady Has Plansas Ronald Dean | |
| 1941 | Two-Faced Womanas Oscar 'O.O.' Miller | |
| 1941 | The Flame of New Orleansas Charles Giraud | |
| 1941 | Topper Returnsas Cosmo Topper | |
| 1940 | No, No, Nanetteas Mr. 'Happy' Jimmy Smith | |
| 1940 | The Philadelphia Storyas Uncle Willie | |
| 1940 | Dulcyas Roger Forbes | |
| 1940 | Private Affairsas Amos Bullerton | |
| 1940 | Ireneas Mr. Smith | |
| 1940 | Star Dustas Thomas Brooke | |
| 1940 | He Married His Wifeas Bill Carter | |
| 1939 | The Night of Nightsas Barry Keith-Trimble | |
| 1939 | Here I Am a Strangeras Professor Daniels | |
| 1939 | Yes, My Darling Daughteras Titus Jaywood | |
| 1938 | Topper Takes a Tripas Cosmo Topper | |
| 1938 | The Young in Heartas Col. Anthony 'Sahib' Carleton | |
| 1938 | Sailing Alongas Anthony Gulliver | |
| 1937 | Ali Baba Goes to Townas Sultan | |
| 1937 | Topperas Cosmo Topper | |
| 1937 | King Solomon's Minesas Cmdr. John Good | |
| 1937 | Call It a Dayas Frank Haines | |
| 1936 | Gypsyas Alan Brooks | |
| 1936 | Give Me Your Heartas Edward 'Tubbs' Barrow | |
| 1936 | The Man Who Could Work Miraclesas George McWhirter Fotheringay | |
| 1936 | One Rainy Afternoonas Maillot | |
| 1936 | The Unguarded Houras William "Bunny" Jeffers | |
| 1935 | Ruggles of Red Gapas Earl of Burnstead | |
| 1935 | David Copperfieldas Uriah Heep | |
| 1934 | Here Is My Heartas Nicki | |
| 1933 | His Double Lifeas Priam Farrel | |
| 1933 | Blind Adventureas Holmes | |
| 1933 | Pleasure Cruiseas Andrew Poole | |
| 1933 | A Lady's Professionas Lord Reginald Withers | |
| 1933 | They Just Had to Get Marriedas Hillary Hume | |
| 1932 | Hollywood on Parade No. A-5as Self | |
| 1932 | Wedding Rehearsalas Reggie Buckley Candysshe - Marquis of Buckminster | |
| 1932 | Street of Womenas Linkhorne 'Link' Gibson | |
| 1932 | This Is the Nightas Gerald Gray | |
| 1932 | One Hour with Youas Professor Olivier | |
| 1932 | A Woman Commandsas King Alexander | |
| 1932 | Lovers Courageousas Jeffrey | |
| 1931 | The Guardsmanas The Critic | |
| 1931 | The Pagan Ladyas Dr. Heath | |
| 1931 | The Squaw Manas Sir John Applegate | |
| 1931 | Annabelle's Affairsas Roland Wimbleton | |
| 1931 | The Prodigalas Doc | |
| 1931 | Don't Bet on Womenas Herbert Drake | |
| 1930 | New Moonas Count Strogoff | |
| 1930 | Madam Satanas Jimmy Wade | |
| 1929 | The Bishop Murder Caseas Sigurd 'Erik' Arnesson | |
| 1929 | Wise Girlsas Duke Merrill | |
| 1929 | The Unholy Nightas Lord Montague | |
| 1929 | Her Private Lifeas Charteris | |
| 1926 | Camille: The Fate of a Coquetteas Lord Kyne | |
| 1924 | Gritas Houdini Hart | |
| 1922 | Sherlock Holmesas Dr. Watson |