Roland Winters

Biography

Roland Winters was an American actor who became best known for playing Charlie Chan in six films during the late 1940s. Born in Boston in 1904, he took over the role from Sidney Toler after Toler died, starting with The Chinese Ring in 1947 and continuing in Docks of New Orleans (1948), Shanghai Chest (1948), The Golden Eye (1948), The Feathered Serpent (1948), and Sky Dragon (1949). Some fans considered him the least effective Chan, while writers Ken Hanke and Howard M. Berlin defended his self-mocking, semi-satirical interpretation. After the series ended, he kept working in film and television until 1982. His later movies included Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), Blue Hawaii (1961), in which he played Elvis Presley's father, and Follow That Dream (1962), as a judge. On television he appeared in Perry Mason, The Smothers Brothers Show, and Bewitched, and he portrayed Mr. Gimbel in Miracle on 34th Street (1973).

84years old at death

Born November 22, 1904Boston
Died October 22, 1989Englewood
Star sign: SagittariusFirst day of the sign, on the Scorpio cusp
Also credited as Roland Winternitz

Movie Career

Films: 10
Career span: 22 years1948 to 1970

Genres

Drama60%, 6 films
Crime50%, 5 films
Comedy40%, 4 films
Action10%, 1 film
Film-Noir10%, 1 film

First and latest

Did you know?!

A first
Winters was 44 when he made The Chinese Ring in 1947, which was the first of his six Chan films.

Roland Winters movies on Netflix

Loving1970IMDb rating 6.1as Plommie
Follow That Dream1962IMDb rating 6.6as Judge
Blue Hawaii1961IMDb rating 6.1as Fred Gates
Jet Pilot1957IMDb rating 5.6as Col. Sokolov
Bigger Than Life1956IMDb rating 7.4as Dr. Ruric
Between Midnight and Dawn1950IMDb rating 6.6as Leo Cusick
Convicted1950IMDb rating 6.8as Vernon Bradley, Attorney
The Underworld Story1950IMDb rating 6.9as Stanley Becker
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff1949IMDb rating 6.7as T. Hanley Brooks
Cry of the City1948IMDb rating 7.2as Ledbetter

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Blue Hawaii1961 Comedy, Musicalas Fred Gates
IMDb rating 6.18.5K votes
Bigger Than Life1956 Dramaas Dr. Ruric
IMDb rating 7.49.1K votes
Jet Pilot1957as Col. Sokolov
IMDb rating 5.63.1K votes
Follow That Dream1962as Judge
IMDb rating 6.63.3K votes
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff1949as T. Hanley Brooks
IMDb rating 6.74.5K votes
Cry of the City1948as Ledbetter
IMDb rating 7.24.5K votes
Between Midnight and Dawn1950as Leo Cusick
IMDb rating 6.61.5K votes
Convicted1950as Vernon Bradley, Attorney
IMDb rating 6.81.8K votes

Most often with

Gordon Douglas directed two of these films. Seven actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Elvis Presley

Tito Vuolo

Phil Arnold

James Brown

Howard McNear

Gale Storm

Gordon DouglasDirector, 2 films

Films together

Elvis Presley2 films together, 1961 to 1962
Elvis Presley's page
- Follow That Dream1962IMDb rating 6.6Winters as JudgePresley as Toby Kwimper
- Blue Hawaii1961IMDb rating 6.1Winters as Fred GatesPresley as Chad Gates
Tito Vuolo2 films together, 1948 to 1950
Tito Vuolo's page
- Between Midnight and Dawn1950IMDb rating 6.6Winters as Leo CusickVuolo as Romano
- Cry of the City1948IMDb rating 7.2Winters as LedbetterVuolo as Papa Roma
Phil Arnold2 films together, 1950 to 1957
Phil Arnold's page
- Jet Pilot1957IMDb rating 5.6Winters as Col. Sokolov
- The Underworld Story1950IMDb rating 6.9Winters as Stanley BeckerArnold as Gus the Waiter
James Brown2 films together, 1950 to 1957
James Brown's page
- Jet Pilot1957IMDb rating 5.6Winters as Col. Sokolov
- Between Midnight and Dawn1950IMDb rating 6.6Winters as Leo CusickBrown as Officer Haynes
Howard McNear2 films together, 1961 to 1962
Howard McNear's page
- Follow That Dream1962IMDb rating 6.6Winters as JudgeMcNear as George
- Blue Hawaii1961IMDb rating 6.1Winters as Fred GatesMcNear as Mr. Chapman
Gale Storm2 films together, 1950
Gale Storm's page
- Between Midnight and Dawn1950IMDb rating 6.6Winters as Leo CusickStorm as Katharine 'Kate' Mallory
- The Underworld Story1950IMDb rating 6.9Winters as Stanley BeckerStorm as Catherine Harris
Gordon DouglasDirector, 2 films, 1950 to 1962
All films by Gordon Douglas
- Follow That Dream1962IMDb rating 6.6Winters as Judge
- Between Midnight and Dawn1950IMDb rating 6.6Winters as Leo Cusick
Also two films together1 more actor
- Gar MooreThe Underworld Story (1950) and Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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