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Olin Howland
Actor

Olin Howland

9 Feb 1886Born
20 Sep 1959Died
73Age at death
157Credits

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.

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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

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 157 credits.

  1. 1987Creepy ClassicsFilm: Old Man - (archive footage)
  2. 1958The BlobFilm: The Old Man
  3. 1957Bombers B-52Film: Joe (uncredited)
  4. 1957The Real McCoysSeries (5 episodes)
  5. 1957The Spirit of St. LouisFilm: Surplus Dealer (uncredited)
  6. 1957The Storm RiderFilm: Will Collins
  7. 1956The Adventures of Jim BowieSeries (1 episode)
  8. 1955The McConnell StoryFilm: Sam
  9. 1954A Star Is BornFilm: Charley (uncredited)
  10. 1954Them!Film: Jensen
  11. 1953So This Is LoveFilm: Mailman
  12. 1952Mr. & Mrs. NorthSeries (2 episodes)
  13. 1952Hopalong CassidySeries (1 episode)
  14. 1952The Fabulous SenoritaFilm: Justice of the Peace (as Olin Howlin)
  15. 1951I Love LucySeries: Mr. Skinner (1 episode)
  16. 1951Fighting Coast GuardFilm: Desk Clerk (as Olin Howlin)
  17. 1951Santa FeFilm: Dan Dugan
  18. 1950Lux Video TheatreSeries: Sheriff, Pete Walters, Bartender (1 episode)
  19. 1950Charlie's HauntFilm: Storyteller on Bench
  20. 1950Never a Dull MomentFilm: Hunter (uncredited)
  21. 1950A Ticket to TomahawkFilm
  22. 1950Rock Island TrailFilm: Saloonkeeper
  23. 1950Father Makes GoodFilm: Milo Williams
  24. 1950The NevadanFilm: Rusty (uncredited)
  25. 1949Mr. Soft TouchFilm: Skinny Santa Claus (Uncredited)
  26. 1949Leave It to HenryFilm: Milo Williams
  27. 1949HellfireFilm: Bartender (uncredited)
  28. 1949Grand CanyonFilm: Windy
  29. 1949A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's CourtFilm: Sam - Connecticut Postman (uncredited)
  30. 1949Little WomenFilm: Mr. Davis - Schoolteacher (uncredited)
  31. 1949Bad Men of TombstoneFilm: Store Proprietor (as Olin Howlin)
  32. 1948Last of the Wild HorsesFilm: Remedy Williams
  33. 1948The PalefaceFilm: Jonathan Sloane, undertaker
  34. 1948Station WestFilm: Cook
  35. 1948RelentlessFilm: Veterinarian (uncredited)
  36. 1948The Dude Goes WestFilm: Finnegan
  37. 1948The Return of the WhistlerFilm: Jeff Anderson
  38. 1947I Walk AloneFilm: Ed the Watchman (uncredited)
  39. 1947Living in a Big WayFilm: Gardener
  40. 1947Easy Come, Easy GoFilm: Gas Man
  41. 1947Angel and the BadmanFilm: Bradley
  42. 1947Apache RoseFilm: Alkali
  43. 1946Crime Doctor's Man HuntFilm: Marcus Le Blaine
  44. 1946Home Sweet HomicideFilm: Luke
  45. 1946The Strange Love of Martha IversFilm: Newspaper Clerk (uncredited)
  46. 1945DakotaFilm: Devlin's Driver
  47. 1945Fallen AngelFilm: Joe Ellis (uncredited)
  48. 1945Sing Your Way HomeFilm: Steward (uncredited)
  49. 1945Senorita from the WestFilm: Justice of Peace
  50. 1945Captain EddieFilm: Census Taker
  51. 1945Santa Fe SaddlematesFilm: Dead Eye
  52. 1945Sheriff of CimarronFilm: Pinky Snyder
  53. 1945Her Lucky NightFilm: Prince de la Mour
  54. 1945Grissly's MillionsFilm: Andrews
  55. 1945She Gets Her ManFilm: Hank (uncredited)
  56. 1944Can't Help SingingFilm: Bigelow (as Olin Howlin)
  57. 1944I'll Be Seeing YouFilm: Train Vendor (uncredited)
  58. 1944The Town Went WildFilm: Bit Part
  59. 1944Nothing But TroubleFilm: Painter's Foreman (uncredited)
  60. 1944In the Meantime, DarlingFilm: Moorehousse
  61. 1944Sing, Neighbor, SingFilm: Joe the Barber
  62. 1944Man from FriscoFilm: Eben Whelock
  63. 1944Bermuda MysteryFilm: Gas Station Owner
  64. 1944Twilight on the PrairieFilm: Jed (as Olin Howlin)
  65. 1943The Falcon and the Co-EdsFilm: Goodwillie, Bluecliff Driver
  66. 1943The Good FellowsFilm: Reynolds
  67. 1943The Sky's the LimitFilm: Driver (uncredited)
  68. 1943DixieFilm: Mr. Deveraux
  69. 1943A Stranger in TownFilm: Homer Todds
  70. 1943The Falcon Strikes BackFilm: Sheriff (uncredited)
  71. 1942Ridin' Down the CanyonFilm: Jailer
  72. 1942When Johnny Comes Marching HomeFilm: Trullers
  73. 1942Secrets of the UndergroundFilm: Oscar Mayberry
  74. 1942You Can't Escape ForeverFilm: Cemetery Organist (uncredited)
  75. 1942Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage PatchFilm: Jacob Diezel
  76. 1942Ten Gentlemen from West PointFilm: Carpenter (uncredited)
  77. 1942Henry and DizzyFilm: Frank Stevens
  78. 1942In Old CaliforniaFilm: Undetermined Minor Role
  79. 1942Almost MarriedFilm: Bright
  80. 1942Dr. BroadwayFilm: Professor

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.