MissGoddess Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 *Gilbert Roland* is one of my favorite "presences" in movies. I choose to use that word instead of "actor" because in this case, the latter word just doesn't fill the space this man occupied from his early days as a silent movie matinee star, to his unique contributions as a character performer. You knew Gilbert Roland was in the house the minute he steps into a scene. He breathes warmth, vitality, humor and a certain human wisdom into roles that would lie flat in any other hands. If you are unfamiliar with Gilbert Roland and don't stick with him when he first appears, you might be tempted to see only the "flash" the brilliant smile, the swagger and Latin machismo. You'd be robbing yourself not to look further. Stick with him, he's often one of the best things in OK films, and in at least one nearly great film (Anthony Mann's The Furies)---his is the most shining contribution While I continue a mission to find as many photos and/or interesting bits about this unique actor, I hope all who are curious about or already admire Gilbert Roland, will take the time to read the TCM Movie Morlock's article linked below. One of the most frequent and eloquent of TCM's Message Board members is Moirafinnie who contributes many terrific threads and articles in Movie Morlocks. Her latest spotlights Roland the performer and the man, an actor who's films did not make it into the present TCM festival on Latinos in Hollywood. This article makes up for it nicely, pointing out how Roland managed to maintain a long career in a fickle town by avoiding one of its most persisitent tendencies: type casting. It also inspired me to start a thread of his own for Roland. Enjoy: http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/05/06/gilbert-roland-amigo/#comment-8389 Roland with his on and offscreen amour, Norma Talmage, in the silent days: And in his more familiar, post WWII days segueing into a remarkable character performer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 *The Woman Disputed* (1928) with Norma Talmage. I've never seen any of Roland's pictures with Norma---has anyone else? This picture seems to illustrate some of that beard growth Roland had to contend with in his twice daily shaving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenetico Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 What were those leather looking bracelets, I saw him wear in a number of his movies?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=Jenetico wrote:}{quote} > What were those leather looking bracelets, I saw him wear in a number of his movies?? Hi Jenetico, According to Moira's article, it was a sort of trademark accessory Roland devised, no one is sure yet why or how he chose to adopt them. He also sported a gold chain with a religious medal. They were effective at drawing attention to his characters, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 With Norma Talmage in her first talkie, *New York Nights*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 I liked when he walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope in The Big Circus. That was the first time I saw him on film. Of course, it was also the first time I saw Rhonda Fleming on film too, but that should be the subject of another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollywoodGolightly Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=scsu1975 wrote:}{quote} > I liked when he walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope in The Big Circus. Was it really him? (Not a stunt double, I mean). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=HollywoodGolightly wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=scsu1975 wrote:}{quote} > > I liked when he walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope in The Big Circus. > > Was it really him? (Not a stunt double, I mean). Yes, but it really wasn't Niagara Falls, unless you count rear screen projection. The suspense mounts as the wind picks up and he loses his balancing pole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollywoodGolightly Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Ah well, even I could walk across Niagara Falls with rear projection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 He also did some trapeze work in that film. It's been so long since I've seen it, I can't recall if he used a stunt double, but I would assume he did. He was a very athletic-looking fellow, quite convincing in the part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollywoodGolightly Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Trapeze work doesn't sound so hard. It would take a lot of practice, but I'm sure he could have done a lot of that by himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Hi Professor Rich! I've never seen The Big Circus, but I noticed Moira mentioned it, too, in her article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=MissGoddess wrote:}{quote} > Hi Professor Rich! > > I've never seen The Big Circus, but I noticed Moira mentioned it, too, in her article. It's a fun movie. I saw it often as a kid, then it seemed to disappear. I'm not a huge fan of circus films, but since this one has a psycho on the loose, it drew me in. Interesting cast too. And did I mention Rhonda Fleming was in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 You can see Mr. Roland indulging in a little swordplay in this clip from the 1974 TV-movie The Mark of Zorro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 It's a fun movie. I saw it often as a kid, then it seemed to disappear. I'm not a huge fan of circus films, but since this one has a psycho on the loose, it drew me in. A psycho on the loose in a circus? Sounds like one of the main events. Interesting cast too. And did I mention Rhonda Fleming was in it? Yes, Prof, I believe you did mention a certain red head... Sorry for that pesky table in front of her but it's the only still from The Big Circus I could find with Rhonda. Seated with her is Kathryn Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 Thanks for that clip---I just know I saw that TV-movie as a kid---I really loved Zorro and watched any movie that featured him. But I never saw the Tyrone Power or Doug Fairbanks versions until I was a grown-up (sort of). I can see Gilbert always gave his all to any role, Television, bit part, anything. He never phones in his work and it elevates everything. Have you seen any of his Cisco Kids? Thanks again. Message was edited by: MissGoddess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=MissGoddess wrote:}{quote} > Have you seen any of his Cisco Kids? No. How many kids did he have? I'd like to see this one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorainmay Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=scsu1975 wrote:}{quote} > > {quote:title=MissGoddess wrote:}{quote} > > Have you seen any of his Cisco Kids? > > No. How many kids did he have? Six Cisco Kids....not great dramas, but he's alot of fun in these: *The Gay Cavalier* (1946) *South of Monterey* (1946) *Beauty and the Bandit* (1946) *King of the Bandits* (1947) *Robin Hood of Monterey* (1947) *Riding the California Trail* (1947) ...and two girls in real life by *Constance Bennett*, Lorinda and Gyl, both of whom have acted in movies occasionally. Thanks to Miss G. for her very generous remarks about the blog. I think that Gilbert Roland was a great surprise, the more I learned about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollywoodGolightly Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 > {quote:title=moirafinnie6 wrote:}{quote} > *The Gay Cavalier* (1946) > *South of Monterey* (1946) > *Beauty and the Bandit* (1946) > *King of the Bandits* (1947) > *Robin Hood of Monterey* (1947) > *Riding the California Trail* (1947) > I hope TCM can show these one of these days, if they can get their hands of the rights. They sound like fun movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 No. How many kids did he have? Ha!! Probably a lot more than shown on the record. I'd like to see this one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Gilbert with Clara Bow in Call Her Savage Gilbert with Mae West in She Done Him Wrong GR with Peter Lorre (foreground) in The Bid Circus Honey bunch!!! :x GR with Helen Gilbert and John Howard in 1942's Isle of Missing Men...just across the bay from the Island of Doomed Men Drooley!! with Mike Romanoff and Ginger Rogers (below) at the Motion Picture Tennis Championships. Look how well dressed they are for tennis!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopsgirl Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 I?ve got a soft spot in my heart for Gilbert Roland b/c of his friendship with Clara Bow. They were briefly engaged around 1925 and after they split up remained good friends until their deaths. In Clara?s last years she lived a pretty reclusive lifestyle and apart from family, Gilbert was one of the few people she would visit with in her home. Back in the days before email , they would write letters back and forth and he?d tell her about all the goings on while filming in different locations and such as that. In David Stenn?s bio of Clara they included one of the most lovely, heartfelt letters I?ve ever read from Gilbert to Clara in the 50s (I think). He talked about how it still tickled him to watch *The Plastic Age* which they made together in ?25 when he was her beau and she was his sweetheart. I think he was in Spain at the time and he said he stopped at one of the beautiful cathedrals and lit a candle and said a prayer for her happiness. You could really feel the genuine friendly affection between them and with so many people mistreating her throughout her life, I?m glad she had him as a friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Hi Angie! If you read that article Moirafinnie wrote that I linked to in my original post, she includes some of that letter I believe you're referring to....I was deeply moved by it, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Gilbert and Ricardo Montalban in MARK OF THE RENEGADE The flashy "machista" look Gilbert adopted in some of his 1950s supproting roles... I prefer this more clean-cut look... looking tough with Millard Mitchell, Harry Morgan and Marshall Thompson in the intriguingly named MY SIX CONVICTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 He has a lovely supporting role in Anthony Mann's The Furies (around 1950). He's the childhood friend of Barbara Stanwyck and the only person who really understands her. Beautiful scene between Roland and Stanwyck. This film is little known, even with Stanwyck and cult director Anthony Mann, but it's outstanding. Walter Huston as Stanwyck's father, Wendell Corey as her love interest (sort of), Blanche Yurka as a tough mama, and Judith Anderson as the stepmother Stanwyck hates. See this if you can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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