New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Olin H0,uIand

Several years ago. in some nlov ~
which Robert Warwick was ann.ar
S"e'e was scene in a cafe, with a
drunken old man sitting at table in
corner. The old man hadn't a word
70 say, but somehow or other neonla
used to find their eyes stealing in b;s
direction, until Mrs. Warwick pru-
gently placed herself each night be-
tween him and the audience so that
the stars speech might receive nm
divided attention.
mat drunken old man was a Young
ster by the name of Ohn Howland
brother of the beautiful Jobyna, and
smltten with the stage fever from his
babyhood. The tall, thin comedian. who
Is now appearing in "She's a Good
Fellow" has happy faculty of infus-
ing every part in which he appears
with an odd personal flavor.
Olin Howland was born in Denve-
and although his taste for the theatre
manifested itself early-he made his
DEBUT at the age Of six as the dormouse
in Christmas production of "Alice in
Wonderland-nevertheless the family
managed to keep him in school until
he reached the age of eighteen. when
his father led him down to big rail-
road office where he had secured
clerical position for the young hopeful.
Meanwhile, without his family's con-
sent, Olin had been attending Margaret
Fealy's dramatic school, along with
Douglas Fairbanks and other future
celebrities, "suping" with the Bellows
stock company, and even occasionally
playing small speaking parts. The
taste for grease paint and footlights
was firmly established, and when he
glanced in the railroad office and saw
100 young men with their backs
bumped over clicking typewriters he
turned on his heel and fed, declaring
in no uncertain terms that never would
he become of their ilk.
The next step, of course, was New
York. And since beginners are always
confident of success, Howland was in
nowlse surprised when David Belasco
offered him q part in "The Warrens of
Virginia" 1t. was a thinking part,
that of a starving soldier, and as he
looks back the young comedian con-
fesses that it was probably his six feet
two of emaciated anatomy which Sc
cured him the position. At that time
he had great ambition to secure
place in the world of musical comedy.
and haunted managers Offices for a
tryout. But he never got beyond the
first two notes in the scale, and frankly
admits that one or two positions in the
chorus which he secured were due en-
tirely to friendly stage directors and
not to beautiful voice.
Just at this time, six years ago,
dancing became the rage, and Howland,
always an enthusiast, decided to take
up ball room dancing. With Cynthia
Perot he worked out series of new
dances and the two appeared for two
the footsteps of the Castles, he went
to Paris with Hannah Leach as a dane
ing partner. They arrived in Paris
early in that summer of dance
ness of 1914, and were engaged to
dance in five different revues and
cabarets each night. Contracts in vari-
Gus European cities followed. and after
a brief stay in Berlin, the pair were
appearing at the Villa Roda in Petro-
grad when war was declared. In the
few weeks that followed, before they
we're able to crawl into the steerage
of vessel homeward bound, Rowland
declares that he mastered the entire
art of pantomime, trying to converse
with frightened moujiks and angry SOL
diers, thereby fitting himself effectively
for his future stage career.
On his return to this country
Rowland decided to abandon dancing
for acting. and appeared for a summer
with Lew Fields in "All Aboard" Then
came an opportunity to understudy
De Wolf Hopper in the all star cast Of
the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Com
pany, after which there was a brief
return to dancing in Watch Your
Step" where Howland took the place of
Vernon Castle, whom he closely resem-
! bles.
Jerome Kern's influence secured for
Rowland his first opportunity to play g
really characteristic part-that of Bub
Hicks in Leave 1t to Jane" His sue
cess in this part led to his engage
ment in "She's Good Fellow" In the
meanwhile, to leave nothing untouched.
Rowland has found time to appear
in nine moving pictures of the series
written and directed by James Mont
gomery Flagg.