Sunday, January 24, 2010

GILBERT ROLAND- Silent film star.


Gilbert Roland, Mexican born film actor. Mexico wanted him to become a bullfighter like his father. When the family moved to the United States. Gilbert wanting to be an actor landed is his first job working as an extra. He picked his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, John Gilbet and Ruth Roland. He was often cast in the "Latin Lover" role. Roland at the age of 19, first major performance was one of Clara Bow's love interests in the comedy The Plastic Age (1925). In 1927, he performed in Camille opposite Norma Talmadge, who he was romantically involved with. He starred opposite Talmadge in several films, until sound ended her career. He starred in several Spanish language adaptations of American films and continued as a romantic lead. In the 1940s, he was praised for his supporting roles in John Huston's We Were Strangers (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Thunder Bay(1953), and Cheyenne Autumn (1964). He also performed in films in the mid 1940s as the character "The Cisco Kid". He played Hugo, the friend of the three shepherd children in The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, based on the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. 1953 he starred in the epic Beneath the 12-Mile Reef. His last film performance was in the (1982) Western Barbarosa.

6 comments:

  1. Dawn , you might want to check out the 1951 film the" Bullfighter And The Lady", Staring Robert Stack as an American who has Gilbert teach him bullfighting. TCM runs it every now and then.

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  2. Dawn, Paul is right, The Bullfighter and the Lady is a great film. Gilbert looks very credible as a bullfighter because of his family background. Thanks for posting.

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  3. Gilbert has been a favorite of mine ever since I was a kid. Dawn he has a great "sword fight" with Flynn in the 1940 classic The Sea Hawk, and he is very good with James Stewart as a Shrimp Fisherman in Thunder Bay.

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  4. Paul, oh my gosh.. I forgot all about the movie, Bullfighter And The Lady. I agree it is an awesome film. My mother in law insists that John Wayne, also performed in a remake of the movie, Bullfighter and the lady.

    I want to see the film Sea Hawk. I love to watch sword fighting.(in the movies). I will also keep a look-out for Thunderbay.

    Silent, I agree he does look like bullfighter.

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  5. Gilbert was quite the eye candy. I have only seen him in "The Bad and the Beautiful" but he made quite an impression on me.

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  6. Dawn,
    Thank you for the wonderful review of handsome, leading man Gilbert Roland. Just love your photo and enjoy learning about him.

    Sparkle :)

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