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| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|5|15|1905|12|11}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|5|15|1905|12|11}}
| death_place = [[Beverly Hills]], [[California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Beverly Hills]], [[California]], U.S.
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Constance Bennett]]<br />|1941|1945|end=div}}<br />{{marriage|Guillermina Cantu<br />|1954}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Constance Bennett]]<br />|1941|1945|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Guillermina Cantu<br />|1954}}
}}
| yearsactive = 1923–1982
| yearsactive = 1923–1982
| occupation = Actor
| occupation = Actor
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| awards = [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] <br />(Motion Picture [[Hollywood Boulevard|6730 Hollywood Boulevard]])
| awards = [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] <br />(Motion Picture [[Hollywood Boulevard|6730 Hollywood Boulevard]])
}}
}}
⚫
'''Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso''' (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as '''Gilbert Roland''', was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award]] in 1952 and 1964 and inducted into the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/gilbert-roland|title=Gilbert Roland| publisher=HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME |access-date=January 1, 2015}}</ref>

⚫
'''Gilbert Roland''' (born '''Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso''', December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994) was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award]] in 1952 and 1964, and inducted into the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/gilbert-roland|title=Gilbert Roland| publisher=HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME |access-date=January 1, 2015}}</ref> One of the first Latin Americans to have their star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].


==Early years==
==Early years==
[[File:Gilbert Roland in The Bad and the Beautiful trailer.jpg|thumb|left|Gilbert Roland from the trailer for ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952)]]
[[File:Gilbert Roland in The Bad and the Beautiful trailer.jpg|thumb|left|Gilbert Roland from the trailer for ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952)]]


Roland was born in [[Ciudad Juárez]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], Mexico,<ref name="cp">{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Nancy |title=Gilbert Roland Saw Calling Early |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44081388/gilbert_roland/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Courier-Post |agency=Copley News Service |date=January 11, 1973 |location=New Jersey, Camden |page=63|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and originally intended to become a [[bullfighter]] like his father and his paternal grandfather.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gilbert Roland Wants Bull-Ring of His Own |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44080170/gilbert_roland/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Deseret News |date=January 8, 1953 |location=Utah, Salt Lake City |page=41|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
Roland was born in [[Ciudad Juárez]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], Mexico,<ref name="cp">{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Nancy |title=Gilbert Roland Saw Calling Early |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44081388/gilbert_roland/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Courier-Post |agency=Copley News Service |date=January 11, 1973 |location=New Jersey, Camden |page=63|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and originally intended to become a [[bullfighter]] like his father and his paternal grandfather.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gilbert Roland Wants Bull-Ring of His Own |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44080170/gilbert_roland/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Deseret News |date=January 8, 1953 |location=Utah, Salt Lake City |page=41|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>


When [[Pancho Villa]] took control of their town, Roland and his family fled to the United States. He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood. After arriving there, he found menial jobs and slept in a Catholic church. He often lost those jobs because he spent time working as an extra in films. He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, [[John Gilbert (actor)|John Gilbert]] and [[Ruth Roland]].<ref name="cp" /> He was often cast in the stereotypical [[Latin lover (stereotype)|Latin lover]] role.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Torre |first1=Marie |title=Gilbert Roland Back |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44079424/gilbert_roland/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=The Decatur Herald |agency=N. Y. Herald Tribune Service |date=October 24, 1960 |location=Illinois, Decatur |page=5|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
When [[Pancho Villa]] took control of their town, Roland and his family fled to the United States. He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood. After arriving there, he found menial jobs and slept in a Catholic church. He often lost those jobs because he spent time working as an extra in films. He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, [[John Gilbert (actor)|John Gilbert]] and [[Ruth Roland]].<ref name="cp" /> He was often cast in the stereotypical [[Latin lover (stereotype)|Latin lover]] role.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Torre |first1=Marie |title=Gilbert Roland Back |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44079424/gilbert_roland/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=The Decatur Herald |agency=N. Y. Herald Tribune Service |date=October 24, 1960 |location=Illinois, Decatur |page=5|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
Roland's first film contract was with Paramount.<ref name="cp" /> His first major role was in the collegiate comedy ''[[The Plastic Age (film)|The Plastic Age]]'' (1925) together with [[Clara Bow]], to whom he became engaged.<ref name="photoplay">"My life, by Clara Bow". Told to and edited by [[Adela Rogers St. Johns]]. Published by ''[[Photoplay]]'' magazine in February, March and April 1928</ref> In 1926, he played Armand in ''[[Camille (1926 feature film)|Camille]]'' opposite [[Norma Talmadge]], with whom he was romantically involved, and they starred together in several productions. With the advent of sound films, Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films, in romantic lead roles.
Roland's first film contract was with Paramount.<ref name="cp" /> His first major role was in the collegiate comedy ''[[The Plastic Age (film)|The Plastic Age]]'' (1925) together with [[Clara Bow]], to whom he became engaged.<ref name="photoplay">"My life, by Clara Bow". Told to and edited by [[Adela Rogers St. Johns]]. Published by ''[[Photoplay]]'' magazine in February, March, and April 1928</ref> In 1926, he played Armand in ''[[Camille (1926 feature film)|Camille]]'' opposite [[Norma Talmadge]], with whom he was romantically involved, and they starred together in several productions. With the advent of sound films, Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films in romantic lead roles.


In 1933, Roland played a large supporting role in ''[[She Done Him Wrong]]'' as one of [[Mae West]]'s character's lovers, along with rivals [[Cary Grant]], [[Noah Beery Sr.]] and [[Owen Moore]].
In 1933, Roland played a large supporting role in ''[[She Done Him Wrong]]'' as one of [[Mae West]]'s character's lovers, along with rivals [[Cary Grant]], [[Noah Beery Sr.]] and [[Owen Moore]].


Roland served in the [[United States Army Air Corps]] during [[World War II]].
Roland served in the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Corps]] during [[World War II]].


Beginning in the 1940s, critics began to take notice of his acting and he was praised for his supporting roles in [[John Huston]]'s ''[[We Were Strangers]]'' (1949), ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952), ''[[Thunder Bay (film)|Thunder Bay]]'' (1953), and ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964). He also appeared in a series of films in the mid-1940s as the popular character "[[The Cisco Kid]]". He played Hugo, the agnostic (and fictional) 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. In 1953, Roland played [[Greek-American]] sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic ''[[Beneath the 12-Mile Reef]].''
Beginning in the 1940s, critics began to take notice of his acting, and he was praised for his supporting roles in [[John Huston]]'s ''[[We Were Strangers]]'' (1949), ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952), ''[[Thunder Bay (film)|Thunder Bay]]'' (1953), and ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964). He also appeared in a series of films in the mid-1940s as the popular character "[[The Cisco Kid]]". He played Hugo, the agnostic (and fictional) 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. In 1953, Roland played [[Greek-American]] sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic ''[[Beneath the 12-Mile Reef]].''


Roland played [[Dom Pedro II]], the emperor of [[Brazil]], in a 1963 episode, "A Kingdom for a Horse", of the [[Television syndication|syndicated]] [[Western (genre)|western]] [[television series]] ''[[Death Valley Days]]''.{{Citation needed |date=February 2020}} He also portrayed Howard McMahon on ''[[Bewitched]],''<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=97|edition=2nd}}</ref> acted on ''[[December Bride]]'' and ''[[Playhouse 90]],'' and both wrote the script for and acted in an episode of ''[[Wagon Train]].''<ref name=":0" />
He also portrayed Howard McMahon on ''[[Bewitched]],''<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=97|edition=2nd}}</ref> acted on ''[[December Bride]]'' and ''[[Playhouse 90]],'' and both wrote the script for and acted in an episode of ''[[Wagon Train]].''<ref name=":0" /> He played Don Domingo Montoya, who inherits Rancho Montoya near the end of the series ''[[The High Chaparral]]''.


His last film appearance was in the 1982 [[Western (genre)|western]] ''[[Barbarosa]].''
His last film appearance was in the 1982 [[Western (genre)|western]] ''[[Barbarosa]].''


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
[[File:Gilbert Roland - Constance Bennett.jpg|thumb|right|with [[Constance Bennett]] in ''[[After Tonight]]'' (1933)]]
[[File:Gilbert Roland - Constance Bennett.jpg|thumb|right|With [[Constance Bennett]] in ''[[After Tonight]]'' (1933)]]


Roland married actress [[Constance Bennett]] on April 20, 1941 in [[Yuma, Arizona]].<ref>Arizona, County Marriage Records, 1865-1972</ref> They were married until 1946 and had two daughters, Lorinda "Lynda" (b. 1938) and Christina "Gyl" (b. 1941). Bennett won custody of their daughters.<ref>{{cite news |title=Actress Constance Bennett Dies at 59 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12987537/constance_bennett_obituary_2nd_attempt/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Independent |date=July 26, 1965 |location=California, Long Beach |page=2|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He had appeared with Bennett in 1933 as Pepe in George Cukor's ''[[Our Betters]]'', and in the same year, as the romantic lead in ''[[After Tonight]]'', a [[World War I]] drama.
Roland married actress [[Constance Bennett]] on April 20, 1941, in [[Yuma, Arizona]].<ref>Arizona, County Marriage Records, 1865-1972</ref> They were married until 1946 and had two daughters, Lorinda "Lynda" (b. 1938) and Christina "Gyl" (b. 1941). Bennett won custody of their daughters.<ref>{{cite news |title=Actress Constance Bennett Dies at 59 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12987537/constance_bennett_obituary_2nd_attempt/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Independent |date=July 26, 1965 |location=California, Long Beach |page=2|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He had appeared with Bennett in 1933 as Pepe in George Cukor's ''[[Our Betters]]'', and in the same year, as the romantic lead in ''[[After Tonight]]'', a [[World War I]] drama.


His second marriage to Guillermina Cantú in 1954 lasted until his death 40 years later.
His second marriage to Guillermina Cantú in 1954 lasted until his death 40 years later.


==Death==
==Death==
Gilbert Roland died of [[cancer]] in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], California in 1994, aged 88. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.
Gilbert Roland died of [[cancer]] in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]], California, in 1994, aged 88. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.


==Accolades==
==Accolades==
Roland was nominated twice for a [[Golden Globe Award]], for his roles in ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952) and ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964).<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Globe Awards for 'Gilbert Roland' |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/gilbert-roland |website=Golden Globe Awards |publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association |access-date=February 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212025835/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/gilbert-roland |archive-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref> For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Gilbert Roland has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gilbert Roland |url=http://www.walkoffame.com/gilbert-roland |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |access-date=February 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212025444/http://www.walkoffame.com/gilbert-roland |archive-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>
Roland was nominated twice for a [[Golden Globe Award]], for his roles in ''[[The Bad and the Beautiful]]'' (1952) and ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964).<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Globe Awards for 'Gilbert Roland' |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/gilbert-roland |website=Golden Globe Awards |publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association |access-date=February 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212025835/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/gilbert-roland |archive-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref> For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Gilbert Roland has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gilbert Roland |url=http://www.walkoffame.com/gilbert-roland |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |date=October 25, 2019 |publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |access-date=February 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212025444/http://www.walkoffame.com/gilbert-roland |archive-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>
{{clear left}}
{{clear left}}


==Archives==
==Archives==
The moving-image collection of Gilbert Roland is held at the Academy Film Archive. Home movies make up the bulk of the collection. The film material at the Academy Film Archive is complemented by material in the Gilbert Roland papers at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gilbert Roland Collection|url=http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/gilbert-roland-collection|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>
The moving-image collection of Gilbert Roland is held at the Academy Film Archive. Home movies make up the bulk of the collection. The film material at the Academy Film Archive is complemented by material in the Gilbert Roland papers at the academy's Margaret Herrick Library.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gilbert Roland Collection|url=http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/gilbert-roland-collection|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>


In 1975, El Paso, Texas, held Gilbert Roland Days. Among the recognition given the actor was creation of The Gilbert Roland Newspaper Carrier Scholarships Fund by the Newspaper Printing Corporation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Roland To Receive Sketch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28314767/el_paso_heraldpost/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=El Paso Herald-Post |date=January 14, 1975 |location=Texas, El Paso |page=12|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
In 1975, El Paso, Texas, held Gilbert Roland Days. Among the recognition given the actor was creation of The Gilbert Roland Newspaper Carrier Scholarships Fund by the Newspaper Printing Corporation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Roland To Receive Sketch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28314767/el_paso_heraldpost/ |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=El Paso Herald-Post |date=January 14, 1975 |location=Texas, El Paso |page=12|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
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=== Cinema ===
=== Cinema ===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' ([[1923 in film|1923]]) as Extra (uncredited)
*''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' ([[1923 in film|1923]]) as Extra (uncredited)
*''[[The Lost World (1925 film)|The Lost World]]'' ([[1925 in film|1925]]) as Extra (uncredited)
*''[[The Lost World (1925 film)|The Lost World]]'' ([[1925 in film|1925]]) as Extra (uncredited)
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*''[[The Dove (1927 film)|The Dove]]'' (1927) as Johnny Powell
*''[[The Dove (1927 film)|The Dove]]'' (1927) as Johnny Powell
*''[[The Woman Disputed]]'' ([[1928 in film|1928]]) as Paul Hartman
*''[[The Woman Disputed]]'' ([[1928 in film|1928]]) as Paul Hartman
*''[[New York Nights]]'' ([[1929 in film|1929]]) as Fred Deverne
*''[[New York Nights (film)|New York Nights]]'' ([[1929 in film|1929]]) as Fred Deverne
*''[[Men of the North]]'' (1930) (Spanish and French version also filmed) as Louis La Bey aka Monsieur Le Fox
*''[[Men of the North]]'' (1930) (Spanish and French version also filmed) as Louis La Bey aka Monsieur Le Fox
*''[[Resurrection (1931 Spanish-language film)|Resurrección]]'' ([[1931 in film|1931]]) (Spanish version of ''[[Resurrection (1931 English-language film)|Resurrection]]'') as Prince Dmitri Nekhludov
*''[[Resurrection (1931 Spanish-language film)|Resurrección]]'' ([[1931 in film|1931]]) (Spanish version of ''[[Resurrection (1931 English-language film)|Resurrection]]'') as Prince Dmitri Nekhludov
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*''[[Isle of Destiny]]'' ([[1940 in film|1940]]) as Oliver Barton
*''[[Isle of Destiny]]'' ([[1940 in film|1940]]) as Oliver Barton
*''[[Gambling on the High Seas]]'' (1940) as Greg Morella
*''[[Gambling on the High Seas]]'' (1940) as Greg Morella
*''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'' (1940) as Capt. Lopez
*''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'' (1940) as Captain Lopez
*''[[Rangers of Fortune]]'' (1940) as Antonio Hernandez Sierra
*''[[Rangers of Fortune]]'' (1940) as Antonio Hernandez Sierra
*''[[Angels with Broken Wings]]'' ([[1941 in film|1941]]) as Don Pablo Vincente
*''[[Angels with Broken Wings]]'' ([[1941 in film|1941]]) as Don Pablo Vincente
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*''[[Catch Me If You Can (1959 film)|Catch Me If You Can]]'' (1959) (unreleased)
*''[[Catch Me If You Can (1959 film)|Catch Me If You Can]]'' (1959) (unreleased)
*''[[Guns of the Timberland]]'' ([[1960 in film|1960]]) as Monty Walker
*''[[Guns of the Timberland]]'' ([[1960 in film|1960]]) as Monty Walker
*''[[Samar (1962 film)|Samar]]'' ([[1962 in film|1962]]) as Col. Juan Sebastian Salazar
*''[[Samar (1962 film)|Samar]]'' ([[1962 in film|1962]]) as Colonel Juan Sebastian Salazar
*''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' ([[1964 in film|1964]]) as Dull Knife
*''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' ([[1964 in film|1964]]) as Dull Knife
*''[[The Reward]]'' ([[1965 in film|1965]]) as Capt. Carbajal
*''[[The Reward (1965 film)|The Reward]]'' ([[1965 in film|1965]]) as Captain Carbajal
*''[[The Poppy Is Also a Flower]]'' ([[1966 in film|1966]]) as Serge Marko
*''[[The Poppy Is Also a Flower]]'' ([[1966 in film|1966]]) as Serge Marko
*''[[Any Gun Can Play]]'' ([[1967 in film|1967]]) as Monetero
*''[[Any Gun Can Play]]'' ([[1967 in film|1967]]) as Monetero
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*''[[Caboblanco]]'' ([[1980 in film|1980]]) as Dr. Rudolfo Ramirez
*''[[Caboblanco]]'' ([[1980 in film|1980]]) as Dr. Rudolfo Ramirez
*''[[Barbarosa]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]) as Don Braulio (final film role)
*''[[Barbarosa]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]) as Don Braulio (final film role)
{{div col end}}


=== Television ===
=== Television ===
*''[[Zorro (1957 TV series)|Zorro]]'', episodes "El Bandido" and "Adios El Cuchillo" (1960) as El Cuchillo / The Knife
*''[[Zorro (1957 TV series)|Zorro]]'', episodes "El Bandido" and "Adios El Cuchillo" (1960) as El Cuchillo / The Knife
*''[[Gunsmoke]]'', episode "Extradition" (1963) as Lt. Julio Chavez
*''[[Gunsmoke]]'', episode "Extradition" (1963) as Lieutenant Julio Chavez
*''[[Death Valley Days]]'', episode "A Kingdom for a Horse" (1963) as Emperor Dom Pedro
*''[[Death Valley Days]]'', episode "A Kingdom for a Horse" (1963) as Emperor Dom Pedro
*''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Death and the Joyful Woman") as Luis Aguilar
*''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', episode "Somebody to Remember" (1964) as Gus Priamos;
*''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', episode "Somebody to Remember" (1964) as Gus Priamos;
*''[[Combat!]]'', episode "The Convict" (1965) as Boulanger
*''[[Combat!]]'', episode "The Convict" (1965) as Boulanger
*''[[Bonanza]]'', episode "The Lonely Runner" (1965) as Jim Acton
*''[[Bonanza]]'', episode "The Lonely Runner" (1965) as Jim Acton
*''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', episode "The Savage Street" (1967) as Jose Anza.
*''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', episode "The Savage Street" (1967) as Jose Anza
*''[[The High Chaparral]]'', episode "The New Lion of Sonora" (1971) as Don Domingo Montoya
*''[[The High Chaparral]]'', episode "The New Lion of Sonora" (1971) as Don Domingo Montoya
*''[[Night Gallery]]'', segment "The Waiting Room" (1972) as The Bartender
*''[[Night Gallery]]'', segment "The Waiting Room" (1972) as The Bartender
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*[http://www.greta-garbo.de/Greta-Garbo-und-ihre-Autogramme/#gilbert Original letter from Greta Garbo to Gilbert Roland (1943)]
*[http://www.greta-garbo.de/Greta-Garbo-und-ihre-Autogramme/#gilbert Original letter from Greta Garbo to Gilbert Roland (1943)]
*[http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=8619 Photographs and literature]
*[http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=8619 Photographs and literature]
*{{Find a Grave|6274472}}


{{Portalbar|Biography|Mexico|Los Angeles|California|Film|Television}}
{{Portalbar|Biography|Mexico|Los Angeles|California|Film|Television}}
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[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male actors of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male silent film actors]]
[[Category:American male silent film actors]]
⚫
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American male actors]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American male actors]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American military personnel]]
⚫
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:Mexican emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mexican emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:People from Ciudad Juárez]]
⚫
[[Category:People from Los Angeles]]
⚫
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Mexican male film actors]]
[[Category:Mexican male film actors]]
[[Category:American male actors of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:Military personnel from California]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:People from Ciudad Juárez]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]

Latest revision as of 09:15, 27 August 2024

Gilbert Roland
Roland in 1952
Born
Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso

(1905-12-11)December 11, 1905
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
DiedMay 15, 1994(1994-05-15) (aged 88)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1923–1982
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1941; div. 1945)​
Guillermina Cantu
​
​
(m. 1954)​
Children2
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame
(Motion Picture 6730 Hollywood Boulevard)

Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award in 1952 and 1964 and inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.[1]

Early years

[edit]
Gilbert Roland from the trailer for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Roland was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico,[2] and originally intended to become a bullfighter like his father and his paternal grandfather.[3]

When Pancho Villa took control of their town, Roland and his family fled to the United States. He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood. After arriving there, he found menial jobs and slept in a Catholic church. He often lost those jobs because he spent time working as an extra in films. He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, John Gilbert and Ruth Roland.[2] He was often cast in the stereotypical Latin lover role.[4]

Career

[edit]

Roland's first film contract was with Paramount.[2] His first major role was in the collegiate comedy The Plastic Age (1925) together with Clara Bow, to whom he became engaged.[5] In 1926, he played Armand in Camille opposite Norma Talmadge, with whom he was romantically involved, and they starred together in several productions. With the advent of sound films, Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films in romantic lead roles.

In 1933, Roland played a large supporting role in She Done Him Wrong as one of Mae West's character's lovers, along with rivals Cary Grant, Noah Beery Sr. and Owen Moore.

Roland served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Beginning in the 1940s, critics began to take notice of his acting, and 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 appeared in a series of films in the mid-1940s as the popular character "The Cisco Kid". He played Hugo, the agnostic (and fictional) 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. In 1953, Roland played Greek-American sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic Beneath the 12-Mile Reef.

He also portrayed Howard McMahon on Bewitched,[6] acted on December Bride and Playhouse 90, and both wrote the script for and acted in an episode of Wagon Train.[4] He played Don Domingo Montoya, who inherits Rancho Montoya near the end of the series The High Chaparral.

His last film appearance was in the 1982 western Barbarosa.

Personal life

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With Constance Bennett in After Tonight (1933)

Roland married actress Constance Bennett on April 20, 1941, in Yuma, Arizona.[7] They were married until 1946 and had two daughters, Lorinda "Lynda" (b. 1938) and Christina "Gyl" (b. 1941). Bennett won custody of their daughters.[8] He had appeared with Bennett in 1933 as Pepe in George Cukor's Our Betters, and in the same year, as the romantic lead in After Tonight, a World War I drama.

His second marriage to Guillermina Cantú in 1954 lasted until his death 40 years later.

Death

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Gilbert Roland died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California, in 1994, aged 88. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.

Accolades

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Roland was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award, for his roles in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964).[9] For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Gilbert Roland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard.[10]

Archives

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The moving-image collection of Gilbert Roland is held at the Academy Film Archive. Home movies make up the bulk of the collection. The film material at the Academy Film Archive is complemented by material in the Gilbert Roland papers at the academy's Margaret Herrick Library.[11]

In 1975, El Paso, Texas, held Gilbert Roland Days. Among the recognition given the actor was creation of The Gilbert Roland Newspaper Carrier Scholarships Fund by the Newspaper Printing Corporation.[12]

Filmography

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Gilbert Roland in The French Line (1954).
Gilbert Roland in The Woman Disputed (1928), directed by Henry King. Left to right: Gilbert Roland, Norma Talmadge, and Arnold Kent.

Cinema

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Television

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Short subjects

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References

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  1. ^ "Gilbert Roland". HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Anderson, Nancy (January 11, 1973). "Gilbert Roland Saw Calling Early". Courier-Post. New Jersey, Camden. Copley News Service. p. 63. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Gilbert Roland Wants Bull-Ring of His Own". Deseret News. Utah, Salt Lake City. January 8, 1953. p. 41. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Torre, Marie (October 24, 1960). "Gilbert Roland Back". The Decatur Herald. Illinois, Decatur. N. Y. Herald Tribune Service. p. 5. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "My life, by Clara Bow". Told to and edited by Adela Rogers St. Johns. Published by Photoplay magazine in February, March, and April 1928
  6. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  7. ^ Arizona, County Marriage Records, 1865-1972
  8. ^ "Actress Constance Bennett Dies at 59". Independent. California, Long Beach. July 26, 1965. p. 2. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Golden Globe Awards for 'Gilbert Roland'". Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  10. ^ "Gilbert Roland". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. October 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  11. ^ "Gilbert Roland Collection". Academy Film Archive.
  12. ^ "Roland To Receive Sketch". El Paso Herald-Post. Texas, El Paso. January 14, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  • Monush, Barry. The Encyclopedia of Film Actors From The Silent Era to 1965. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2003.
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