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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
February 9, 1886
Died
September 20, 1959
Place of Birth
Denver, Colorado, USA
Also Known As
- Olin Howlin
- Olin Ross Howland
Olin Howland
2.2 Popularity
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor. Howland was born in Denver, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, one of the youngest enlisted participants in the Civil War, and Mary C. Bunting. His older sister was the famous stage actress Jobyna Howland. From 1909 to 1927, Howland appeared on Broadway in musicals, occasionally performing in silent films. The musicals include Leave It to Jane (1917), Two Little Girls in Blue (1921) and Wildflower (1923). He was in the film Janice Meredith (1924) with Marion Davies. With the advent of sound films, his theatre background proved an asset, and he concentrated mostly on films thereafter, appearing in nearly two hundred movies between 1918 and 1958. Howland often played eccentric and rural roles in Hollywood. His parts were often small and uncredited, and he never got a leading role. He was a personal favorite of David O. Selznick, who cast him in his movies Nothing Sacred (1937) as a strange luggage man, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938, as the teacher Mr. Dobbins) and Gone with the Wind (1939) as a carpetbagger businessman. He also played in numerous westerns from Republic Pictures, including the John Wayne films In Old California (1942) and Angel and the Badman (1947). As a young man, Howland learned to fly at the Wright Flying School and soloed on a Wright Model B. This lent special sentiment in his scenes with James Stewart in the film The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), as Stewart was also a pilot in real life. The Spirit of St. Louis and Them (1954),where he played a drunken old man, and The Blob (1958) were his last films. He also played in telelevision shows during the 1950s. In 1958 and 1959, he was cast as Charley Perkins in five episodes of ABC's sitcom The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan. Howland never married and had no children. He worked until his death in Hollywood, California, at the age of 73.
Known For
6.7
Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
2003
6.3
Old Man - (archive footage)
Creepy Classics
1987
6.2
The Old Man
The Blob
1958
5.6
Joe (uncredited)
Bombers B-52
1957
5.6
The Real McCoys
1957
6.7
Surplus Dealer (uncredited)
The Spirit of St. Louis
1957
0.0
Will Collins
The Storm Rider
1957
5.0
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
6.3
Sam
The McConnell Story
1955
7.1
Charley (uncredited)
A Star Is Born
1954
Credits
Complicated Women
as Self (archive footage)
2003
6.7
Creepy Classics
as Old Man - (archive footage)
1987
6.3
The Blob
as The Old Man
1958
6.2
Bombers B-52
as Joe (uncredited)
1957
5.6
The Real McCoys
1957
5.6
The Spirit of St. Louis
as Surplus Dealer (uncredited)
1957
6.7
The Storm Rider
as Will Collins
1957
0.0
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
5.0
The McConnell Story
as Sam
1955
6.3
A Star Is Born
as Charley (uncredited)
1954
7.1
Them!
as Jensen
1954
6.8
So This Is Love
as Mailman
1953
3.8
Mr. & Mrs. North
1952
4.3
Hopalong Cassidy
1952
5.1
The Fabulous Senorita
as Justice of the Peace (as Olin Howlin)
1952
6.0
I Love Lucy
as Mr. Skinner
1951
7.9
Fighting Coast Guard
as Desk Clerk (as Olin Howlin)
1951
6.5
Santa Fe
as Dan Dugan
1951
6.8
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Sheriff
1950
6.3
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Pete Walters
1950
6.3
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Bartender
1950
6.3
Charlie's Haunt
as Storyteller on Bench
1950
0.0
Never a Dull Moment
as Hunter (uncredited)
1950
5.4
A Ticket to Tomahawk
1950
5.8
Rock Island Trail
as Saloonkeeper
1950
6.0
Father Makes Good
as Milo Williams
1950
6.0
The Nevadan
as Rusty (uncredited)
1950
5.8
Mr. Soft Touch
as Skinny Santa Claus (Uncredited)
1949
6.8
Leave It to Henry
as Milo Williams
1949
6.0
Hellfire
1949
6.1
Grand Canyon
as Windy
1949
0.0
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
as Sam - Connecticut Postman (uncredited)
1949
6.2
Bad Men of Tombstone
as Store Proprietor (as Olin Howlin)
1949
6.3
Last of the Wild Horses
as Remedy Williams
1948
2.6
The Paleface
as Jonathan Sloane, undertaker
1948
6.0
Station West
as Cook
1948
6.1
Relentless
as Veterinarian (uncredited)
1948
6.2
The Dude Goes West
as Finnegan
1948
5.2
The Return of the Whistler
as Jeff Anderson
1948
5.9
I Walk Alone
as Ed the Watchman (uncredited)
1947
6.5
Living in a Big Way
as Gardener
1947
5.0
Easy Come, Easy Go
as Gas Man
1947
0.0
Angel and the Badman
as Bradley
1947
6.4
Apache Rose
as Alkali
1947
6.2
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt
as Marcus Le Blaine
1946
5.8
Home Sweet Homicide
as Luke
1946
3.8
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
as Newspaper Clerk (uncredited)
1946
7.1
Dakota
as Devlin's Driver
1945
5.1
Fallen Angel
as Joe Ellis (uncredited)
1945
6.5
Sing Your Way Home
as Steward
1945
5.2
Senorita from the West
as Justice of Peace
1945
5.0
Captain Eddie
as Census Taker
1945
6.0
Santa Fe Saddlemates
as Dead Eye
1945
5.0
Sheriff of Cimarron
as Pinky Snyder
1945
6.0
Her Lucky Night
as Prince de la Mour
1945
4.5
Grissly's Millions
as Andrews
1945
6.0
She Gets Her Man
as Hank (uncredited)
1945
3.7
I'll Be Seeing You
as Train Vendor (uncredited)
1944
6.9
Can't Help Singing
as Bigelow (as Olin Howlin)
1944
5.4
The Town Went Wild
as Bit Part
1944
5.0
Nothing But Trouble
as Painter's Foreman (uncredited)
1944
6.0
In the Meantime, Darling
as Moorehousse
1944
5.7
Sing, Neighbor, Sing
as Joe the Barber
1944
0.0
Man from Frisco
as Eben Whelock
1944
6.0
Bermuda Mystery
as Gas Station Owner
1944
6.0
Twilight on the Prairie
as Jed (as Olin Howlin)
1944
0.0
The Falcon and the Co-Eds
as Goodwillie, Bluecliff Driver
1943
6.6
The Good Fellows
as Reynolds
1943
0.0
The Sky's the Limit
as Driver (uncredited)
1943
6.2
Dixie
as Mr. Deveraux
1943
3.0
A Stranger in Town
as Homer Todds
1943
6.1
The Falcon Strikes Back
as Sheriff (uncredited)
1943
5.5
Ridin' Down the Canyon
as Jailer
1942
7.0
Secrets of the Underground
as Oscar Mayberry
1942
0.0
You Can't Escape Forever
as Cemetery Organist (uncredited)
1942
5.4
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
as Jacob Diezel
1942
0.0
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
as Carpenter (uncredited)
1942
5.8
Henry and Dizzy
as Frank Stevens
1942
0.0
In Old California
as Undetermined Minor Role
1942
5.1
Almost Married
as Bright
1942
0.0
Dr. Broadway
as The Professor
1942
5.6
Home in Wyomin'
as Sunrise (as Olin Howlin)
1942
8.0
The Man Who Wouldn't Die
as Jonathan Meek
1942
6.4
This Gun for Hire
as Blair Fletcher
1942
7.0
Blondie's Blessed Event
as Office Worker (uncredited)
1942
7.3
🎬
Sappy Birthday
1942
0.0
Two-Faced Woman
as Frank (uncredited)
1941
6.4
You're in the Army Now
as Farmer
1941
4.0
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring
as Dr. Williams
1941
5.7
One Foot in Heaven
as Train Station Master (uncredited)
1941
6.6
Buy Me That Town
as Constable Sam Smedley (as Olin Howlin)
1941
6.0
Belle Starr
as Jasper Trench
1941
5.6
The Shepherd of the Hills
as Corky
1941
6.5
Chad Hanna
as Cisco Tridd
1940
6.0
Just a Cute Kid
as Dr. Clump
1940
0.0
Young People
as Station Master
1940
4.6
Comin' Round the Mountain
as Pa Blower
1940
0.0
The Doctor Takes a Wife
as Clerk at Lakewood Lodge (uncredited)
1940
6.4
Young Tom Edison
as Telegrapher (Indian Attack)
1940
5.8
Four Wives
as Joe - a Policeman (uncredited)
1939
5.3
Days of Jesse James
as Muncie Undersheriff
1939
4.7
Gone with the Wind
as A Carpetbagger Businessman
1939
7.9
The Return of Doctor X
as Undertaker
1939
5.9
One Hour To Live
as Clerk
1939
0.0
Blondie Brings Up Baby
as Encyclopedia Salesman
1939
6.5
Zenobia
as Attorney Culpepper
1939
4.6
Nancy Drew... Reporter
as Police Sergeant Entwhistle
1939
6.0
Made for Each Other
as Farmer (uncredited)
1939
6.1
Sweethearts
as Appleby
1938
5.7
Brother Rat
as Slim
1938
5.0
The Mad Miss Manton
as Mr. X, the Safecracker
1938
6.3
Little Tough Guy
as Baxter
1938
5.6
When Were You Born
as Peter Finlay
1938
5.0
Kentucky Moonshine
as Tom Slack
1938
4.8
Mr. Moto's Gamble
as Deputy Sheriff Burt (Uncredited)
1938
6.3
The Girl of the Golden West
as Trinidad Joe
1938
4.6
Merrily We Live
as Jed Smith
1938
6.9
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
as Mr. Dobbins - Schoolmaster
1938
6.6
The Bad Man of Brimstone
as Stagecoach Driver
1937
6.0
Nothing Sacred
as Baggage Man
1937
6.3
Stand-In
as Hotel Manager
1937
6.3
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
as Doorman
1937
6.0
Marry the Girl
as Southern sales manager
1937
5.0
Mountain Music
as Pappy Burnside
1937
5.3
Men in Exile
as Jones
1937
4.2
Gold Diggers of 1937
as Dr. MacDuffy
1936
5.8
Country Gentlemen
as Lawyer
1936
4.7
The Longest Night
as Smythe, Floorwalker
1936
5.7
Earthworm Tractors
as Mr. Blair
1936
5.0
Satan Met a Lady
as Detective Dunhill
1936
5.7
The Case of the Velvet Claws
as Wilbur Strong
1936
6.8
The Big Noise
as Harrison
1936
5.0
I Married a Doctor
as Dave Dyer
1936
4.7
Snowed Under
as Bridgeport Sheriff (uncredited)
1936
7.0
Road Gang
as Prison Farm Doctor
1936
6.5
Man Hunt
as Court Starrett
1936
0.0
The Widow from Monte Carlo
as Eaves
1935
5.0
Dr. Socrates
as Bob Catlett
1935
6.4
The Case of the Lucky Legs
as Dr. Croker
1935
5.6
Little Big Shot
as Doc (uncredited)
1935
6.0
Love Me Forever
as Carlton
1935
4.9
The Case of the Curious Bride
as Wilbur Strong
1935
6.0
Naughty Marietta
as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
1935
5.4
Folies Bergère
as Stage Manager
1935
5.6
Wagon Wheels
as Bill O'Leary
1934
4.8
Treasure Island
as Pirate of the Spanish Main
1934
6.5
Little Women
as Mr. Davis (uncredited)
1933
6.8
Golden Harvest
as Wheat Farmer (uncredited)
1933
5.0
Blondie Johnson
as Eddie
1933
5.8
So Big!
as Jacob Dogadunk (uncredited)
1932
5.6
Cheaters at Play
as Secretary
1932
0.0
Over the Hill
as Isaac as an Adult
1931
8.2
Zander the Great
as Elmer Lovejoy
1925
5.8
Janice Meredith
as Philemon
1924
5.0
Danse macabre
as Death
1922
6.1
Independence, B'Gosh
as Horation Whiffle
1918
4.0
Romance and Brass Tacks
1918
0.0
Hick Manhattan
as Hugh Columbus McGinty
1918
0.0