Olin Howland

Olin Howland
Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor.
Life and career
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 sister was 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 television shows during the 1950s. One of Olin's memorable television appearances was in an episode of "I Love Lucy." Entitled "First Stop", air date January 17, 1955 Olin played the humorous role of a cafe and motel proprietor offering dubious accommodations to the road-weary Ricardos and Mertzes as they traveled by car en-route from New York to California. In 1958 and 1959, he was cast as Charley Perkins in five episodes of ABC's sitcom The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan.
Howland was also a dancer, a dancing teacher, and a headliner in vaudeville shows. He toured Europe performing dancing exhibitions.
Howland never married and had no children. He worked until his death in Hollywood, California, at the age of 73.
Selected filmography
The Great White Way (1924) - Stubbs
Janice Meredith (1924) - Philemon Hennion
Zander the Great (1925) - Elmer Lovejoy
Over the Hill (1931) - Isaac as an Adult
Cheaters at Play (1932) - Secretary
So Big (1932) - Jacob Pogadunk (uncredited)
Blondie Johnson (1933) - Eddie
Golden Harvest (1933) - Wheat Farmer (uncredited)
Little Women (1933) - Mr. Davis (uncredited)
Private Scandal (1934) - Ed, Coroner
Treasure Island (1934) - Pirate of the Spanish Main
Wagon Wheels (1934) - Bill O'Leary
Marie Galante (1934) - Clerk French Consul (uncredited)
Behold My Wife (1934) - Mattingly (uncredited)
Under Pressure (1935) - Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Folies Bergère de Paris (1935) - Stage Manager
Naughty Marietta (1935) - Minor Role (uncredited)
The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) - Coroner Wilbur Strong
Love Me Forever (1935) - Carlton - Interior Decorator (uncredited)
Little Big Shot (1935) - Doc - Kells' Henchman (uncredited)
The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935) - Dr. Croker
Dr. Socrates (1935) - Bob Catlett
The Widow from Monte Carlo (1935) - Eaves
Man Hunt (1936) - Starrett
Road Gang (1936) - Doctor
Snowed Under (1936) - Bridgeport Sheriff (uncredited)
I Married a Doctor (1936) - Dave Dyer
The Big Noise (1936) - Harrison
Satan Met a Lady (1936) - Detective Dunhill
Earthworm Tractors (1936) - Mr. Blair
The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936) - Wilbur Strong
The Longest Night (1936) - Smythe, Floorwalker
Love Letters of a Star (1936)
Country Gentlemen (1936) - Lawyer
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936) - Dr. MacDuffy
Men in Exile (1937) - H. Mortimer Jones
A Star Is Born (1937) - Judd Baker (uncredited)
Mountain Music (1937) - Pappy Burnside
Marry the Girl (1937) - First Southerner
Stella Dallas (1937) - Stephen's Office Clerk (uncredited)
Wife, Doctor and Nurse (1937) - Doorman Jim
Stand-In (1937) - Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Nothing Sacred (1937) - Vermont Baggage Man
The Bad Man of Brimstone (1937) - Jardge - Stage Driver (uncredited)
Swing Your Lady (1938) - Hotel Proprietor
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) - Mr. Dobbins - Schoolmaster
Merrily We Live (1938) - Jed Smith (uncredited)
The Girl of the Golden West (1938) - Trinidad Joe
Mr. Moto's Gamble (1938) - Deputy Sheriff Burt (uncredited)
A Trip to Paris (1938) - Fred (uncredited)
Kentucky Moonshine (1938) - Tom Slack
When Were You Born (1938) - Peter Finlay (Sagittarius)
Little Tough Guy (1938) - Baxter
The Mad Miss Manton (1938) - Mr. X
Brother Rat (1938) - Slim
Sweethearts (1938) - Appleby
Ambush (1939) - Radio Actor (segment "Uncle Toby") (uncredited)
Boy Slaves (1939) - 'Cookie' the Camp Cook (uncredited)
Made for Each Other (1939) - Farmer (uncredited)
Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939) - Police Sgt. Entwhistle
Zenobia (1939) - Attorney Culpepper
The Kid from Kokomo (1939) - Sam, the Whittler (uncredited)
One Hour to Live (1939) - Clerk
Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939) - Encyclopedia Salesman
The Return of Doctor X (1939) - Undertaker
Gone with the Wind (1939) - A carpetbagger businessman
Days of Jesse James (1939) - Muncie Undersheriff
Four Wives (1939) - Joe - a Policeman (uncredited)
Young Tom Edison (1940) - Telegrapher (Indian Attack) (uncredited)
The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Comin' Round the Mountain (1940) - Pa Blower
Young People (1940) - Station Master
Chad Hanna (1940) - Cisco Tridd
The Great Lie (1941) - Ed - Arizona Ranch Hand (scenes deleted)
The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) - Corky
Belle Starr (1941) - Jasper Trench
One Foot in Heaven (1941) - Train Station Master (uncredited)
Buy Me That Town (1941) - Constable Sam Smedley
Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring (1941) - Dr. Williams
Two-Faced Woman (1941) - Frank (uncredited)
You're in the Army Now (1941) - Pa - The Farmer (uncredited)
Mr. and Mrs. North (1942) - Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Sappy Birthday (1942, Short) - Mr. Plantem, Cemetery Plot Salesman
Blondie's Blessed Event (1942) - Office Worker (uncredited)
This Gun for Hire (1942) - Blair Fletcher
The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942) - Chief of Police Jonathan Meek
Home in Wyomin' (1942) - Sunrise
Dr. Broadway (1942) - The Professor
Almost Married (1942) - Bright
In Old California (1942) - Salesman (uncredited)
Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942) - Carpenter (uncredited)
Henry and Dizzy (1942) - Mr. Stevens
Joan of Ozark (1942) - Game Warden (uncredited)
Her Cardboard Lover (1942) - Frank - Casino Manager (uncredited)
Orchestra Wives (1942) - Dance Ticket-Taker (uncredited)
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1942) - Jacob Diezal (uncredited)
You Can't Escape Forever (1942) - Cemetery Organist (uncredited)
Secrets of the Underground (1942) - Oscar Mayberry
When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1942) - Trullers
Ridin' Down the Canyon (1942) - The Jailer
Lady Bodyguard (1943) - Dr. Saunders
Young and Willing (1943) - Second Cop
The Falcon Strikes Back (1943) - Sheriff (uncredited)
A Stranger in Town (1943) - Homer Todds
Dixie (1943) - Mr. Deveraux
The Sky's the Limit (1943) - Driver (uncredited)
The Good Fellows (1943) - Reynolds
The Falcon and the Co-eds (1943) - Goodwillie, Bluecliff Driver
Jack London (1943) - Mailman (uncredited)
Twilight on the Prairie (1944) - Jed
Bermuda Mystery (1944) - Gas Station Owner
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) - Riverboat Southerner (uncredited)
Man from Frisco (1944) - Eben Whelock
Goodnight, Sweetheart (1944) - Slim Taylor
Allergic to Love (1944) - Sam Walker
Sing, Neighbor, Sing (1944) - Joe the Barber
In the Meantime, Darling (1944) - J.P. 'Hiram' Morehousse (uncredited)
And Now Tomorrow (1944) - Customer (uncredited)
I'll Be Seeing You (1944) - Train Vendor (uncredited)
Nothing but Trouble (1944) - Painter's Foreman (uncredited)
The Town Went Wild (1944) - Bit Part
Can't Help Singing (1944) - Bigelow
She Gets Her Man (1945) - Hank (uncredited)
Grissly's Millions (1945) - Andrews (uncredited)
Her Lucky Night (1945) - Prince de la Mour
Sheriff of Cimarron (1945) - Pinky Snyder
It's in the Bag! (1945) - Dr. Greengrass's Doctor (uncredited)
Santa Fe Saddlemates (1945) - Dead Eye
Captain Eddie (1945) - Census Taker
Incendiary Blonde (1945) - Interior Decorator (uncredited)
Senorita from the West (1945) - Justice of Peace
Fallen Angel (1945) - Joe Ellis (uncredited)
Sing Your Way Home (1945) - Zany Steward (uncredited)
Dakota (1945) - Devlin's Driver
Colonel Effingham's Raid (1946) - Painter (uncredited)
She Wrote the Book (1946) - Baggage Master (uncredited)
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - Newspaper Clerk (uncredited)
Home Sweet Homicide (1946) - Luke (uncredited)
Three Wise Fools (1946) - Witness (uncredited)
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946) - Marcus Le Blaine (uncredited)
Easy Come, Easy Go (1947) - Gas Man (uncredited)
Angel and the Badman (1947) - Bradley
Apache Rose (1947) - Alkali Elkins
For the Love of Rusty (1947) - Frank Foley (uncredited)
Living in a Big Way (1947) - The Morgan Gardener (uncredited)
The Trouble with Women (1947) - Mr. Pink (uncredited)
Keeper of the Bees (1947) - Customer
Wyoming (1947) - Cowboy Wanting Herd (uncredited)
The Fabulous Texan (1947) - McGinn - Storekeeper (uncredited)
I Walk Alone (1947) - Ed the Watchman (uncredited)
Relentless (1948) - Horse Doctor (uncredited)
The Return of the Whistler (1948) - Jeff Anderson (uncredited)
My Dog Rusty (1948) - Frank Foley (uncredited)
The Dude Goes West (1948) - Finnegan
Station West (1948) - Cook
Isn't It Romantic? (1948) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Smoky Mountain Melody (1948) - Lum Peters
The Paleface (1948) - Jonathan Sloane, undertaker
Last of the Wild Horses (1948) - Remedy Williams
Bad Men of Tombstone (1949) - Store Proprietor
Little Women (1949) - Mr. Davis - Schoolteacher (uncredited)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949) - Sam, the Postman (uncredited)
Grand Canyon (1949) - Windy
Hellfire (1949) - Bartender (uncredited)
Leave It to Henry (1949) - Milo Williams
Anna Lucasta (1949) - Station Master (uncredited)
Mr. Soft Touch (1949) - Skinny Santa Claus (uncredited)
Top o' the Morning (1949) - Barfly (uncredited)
The Nevadan (1950) - Rusty (uncredited)
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) - Railway Conductor (uncredited)
Rock Island Trail (1950) - Saloonkeeper
Father Makes Good (1950) - Milo Williams
Never a Dull Moment (1950) - Hunter (uncredited)
He's a Cockeyed Wonder (1950) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Stage to Tucson (1950) - Chantry (uncredited)
Charlie's Haunt (1950) - Storyteller on Bench
Santa Fe (1951) - Dan Dugan
Fighting Coast Guard (1951) - Desk Clerk
The Fabulous Senorita (1952) - Justice of the Peace
Gobs and Gals (1952) - Conductor
So This Is Love (1953) - Mailman (uncredited)
Them! (1954) - Jensen
A Star is Born (1954) - Charley (uncredited)
The McConnell Story (1955) - Sam - Postman (uncredited)
The Storm Rider (1957) - Will Collins
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) - Surplus Dealer (uncredited)
Bombers B-52 (1957) - Joe (uncredited)
The Blob (1958) - Old Man
References
External links
1886 births
1959 deaths
American male film actors
Male actors from Denver
20th-century American male actors
Vaudeville performers
American male dancers