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Roland Winters

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
63

Gender
Male

Birthday
November 22, 1904 (121 years old)

Place of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Roland Winters

Biography

Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz) was an American actor who played many character parts in films and television but today is best remembered for portraying Charlie Chan in six films in the late 1940s.

Monogram Pictures eventually selected Winters to replace Sidney Toler in the Charlie Chan film series. Winters was 44 when he made the first of his six Chan films, The Chinese Ring in 1947 and ending with Charlie Chan and the Sky Dragon (also known as Sky Dragon) in 1949. His other Chan films were "Docks of New Orleans", "Shanghai Chest", "The Golden Eye" and "The Feathered Serpent". He also had character roles in three other feature films while he worked on the Chan series.

Yunte Huang, in Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, noted differences in the actors' appearances, especially that Winters' "tall nose simply could not be made to look Chinese." Huang also cited the actor's age, writing, "at the age of forty-four, he also looked too young to resemble a seasoned Chinese sage."

In contrast to Huang, Ken Hanke wrote in his book, Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography, and Criticism, "Roland Winters has never received his due ... Winters brought with him a badly needed breath of fresh air to the series." He cited "the richness of the approach and the verve with which the series was being tackled" during the Winters era." Similarly, Howard M. Berlin, in his book, Charlie Chan's Words of Wisdom, commented that "Winters brought a much needed breath of fresh air to the flagging film series with his self-mocking, semi-satirical interpretation of Charlie, which is very close to the Charlie Chan in Biggers' novels."

After the series finished, Winters continued to work in film and television until 1982. He was in the movies So Big and Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, played Elvis' father in Blue Hawaii and a judge in the Elvis film Follow That Dream. He made appearances as the boss on the early TV series Meet Millie as the boss and the courtroom drama Perry Mason. In one episode of the Bewitched TV series, he played the normally unseen McMann of McMann and Tate. He also portrayed Mr. Gimbel in Miracle on 34th Street in 1973.

Known For

Acting

1979You Can't Go Home Againas Judge Bland
1978The Dain Curseas Hubert Collinson
1973Miracle on 34th Streetas Mr. Gimbel
1973Adam's Ribas Judge Ransom
1970Lovingas Plommie
1969Docas Watkins
1967The Carol Burnett Showas Various Characters
1964Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.as Dan Merrill
1964The Addams Familyas Ralph J. Hulen
1964Bewitchedas McMann
1964Archieas Mr. Weatherbee
1962Big Deal in Laredoas Henry Drummond
1962The Lucy Showas Dean Bennett
1962The Alfred Hitchcock Houras Ivar West
1962Follow That Dreamas Judge
1961Everything's Duckyas Capt. Bollinger
1961Blue Hawaiias Fred Gates
1961The Defendersas Jeff Brubaker
1961A String of Beadsas
1960The Iceman Comethas The General (Piet Wetjoen)
1960The Iceman Comethas The General (Piet Wetjoen)
1960Cash McCallas Gen. Andrew Danvers
1960The Computer Comes to Marketingas Ned
1959Play of the Weekas
1959Startimeas Fannington
1959Never Steal Anything Smallas Doctor
1957Jet Pilotas Col. Sokolov
1957Perry Masonas Archer Bryant
1957Top Secret Affairas Sen. Burdick
1956Bigger Than Lifeas Dr. Ruric
1956Broken Arrowas James Perry
1953So Bigas Klaas Pool
1952She's Working Her Way Through Collegeas Fred Copeland
1951Follow the Sunas Dr. Graham
1951Raton Passas Sheriff Perigord
1951Inside Straightas Alexander Tomson
1950Sierra Passageas Sam Cooper
1950The West Point Storyas Harry Eberhart
1950To Please a Ladyas Dwight Barrington
1950Lux Video Theatreas General Millet
1950Lux Video Theatreas Greenleaf
1950Between Midnight and Dawnas Leo Cusick
1950Convictedas Vernon Bradley, Attorney
1950The Underworld Storyas Stanley Becker
1950Killer Sharkas Jeffrey White
1950Captain Carey, U.S.A.as Manfredo Acuto
1950Guilty of Treasonas Soviet Comissar Belov
1949Malayaas Bruno Gruber
1949A Dangerous Professionas Jerry 'Mac' McKay
1949Once More, My Darlingas Col. Head
1949Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloffas T. Hanley Brooks
1949Sky Dragonas Charlie Chan
1949Tuna Clipperas E.J. Ransom
1948The Feathered Serpentas Charlie Chan
1948Kidnappedas Capt. Hoseason
1948The Return of Octoberas Colonel Wood
1948Cry of the Cityas Ledbetter
1948The Golden Eyeas Charlie Chan
1948The Shanghai Chestas Charlie Chan
1948Docks of New Orleansas Charlie Chan
1947The Chinese Ringas Charlie Chan
1947Kraft Television Theatreas
1941Citizen Kaneas Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)

Production