Comments on: Gilbert Roland: “Amigo”

By: Rich

Rich — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:56:44 +0000

Gilbert Roland has always been one of my favorites. I always just stop whatever I’m doing to watch him in any film in which he appears. The first time I saw him on screen was in “Beneath the 12 mile Reef”. He was one of my childhood idols long with Steve McQueen and John Wayne, in that he always seemed so “cool” and confident. I didn’t know the word “macho” then, but he was certainly the epitomy of it, in the best sense. But there was always something more. The fact that his family was involved in bullfighting no doubt explains a lot of his athleticism, his posture, bearing and confidence. He wasn’t just a hansome hunk, either – he was a GOOD actor. That he enlisted in the service when he was in fact exempted from the draft (a father with two children) is a testiment to the man’s character. There was an obvious dignity in the man, regardless of the character he was portraying onscreen.

By: D. Masters

D. Masters — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:39:50 +0000

Thank you for this in-depth article on Gilbert Roland, one of my favorite stars. I think it is one of the most informative on the man, and the actor.

By: Jacqueline T Lynch

Jacqueline T Lynch — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:09:23 +0000

This was great. I’ve always enjoyed Gilbert Roland’s work, but never knew a great deal about his life. I really enjoyed this, thanks.

By: Feaito

Feaito — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:13:12 +0000

Great Article on an unjustly forgotten actor Moira. I enjoyed every bit of it!

By: MissGoddess

MissGoddess — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:21:58 +0000

Oh my goodness Moira, you’ve really made my day—my week! This is absolutely the BEST piece of writing yet by you and that is saying a lot, amiga. My WORD, lady, get thee to writing a BOOK, please???? And if you consider a biography—please, please, please consider our Luis…our Gilbertito? If I wasn’t in love with him before, your article sealed the deal. I just KNEW he was, how do you say, some man! I think were he to walk in the same room I as I’d light up like a packet of firecrackers.

In the midst of all my hyperbole, is a most sincere belief that if anyone is to write a biography of this fine man, this credit to Mexico’s beautiful culture, it should be you. Think about it at least.

Your fellow Rolandette,

April

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:51:51 +0000

I wondered why Gilbert Roland’s presence was missing from the Latino Images in Film Festival on TCM this month, Moira. I think your tribute to his enduring career makes up for his absence from the schedule, and look forward to seeing “Bullfighter and the Lady” next month. It would be terrific to see a day of his films from the silents to the 1980s on the network soon. I’ve always loved his character of “Gaucho” in “The Bad and the Beautiful” best, which makes me think that he should have had more chance to do comedy.

I think that I may have to rent “The Furies” now, just to see Huston and Roland on screen. A good piece about an “essential” actor.

By: moirafinnie

moirafinnie — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:24:59 +0000

Hi Rick, Your use of the term "cool" does seem to fit Gilbert Roland awfully well. Even in cliched parts he was able to suggest a person who knew something that the other mortals in the movie did not! While I've hunted for some reason that he wore that leather wrist band, other than to catch the viewer's eye, none has been uncovered that I know of yet. I wonder if it might have masked a broken wrist--possibly from that boyhood car accident mentioned? Hi Jorge, I agree--I'd love to see the Spanish language films that Gilbert Roland and other Latino actors made in Hollywood. The rarity of the films, as you mentioned, the expense of adding readable subtitles, and perhaps the quality of the existing prints of these films may have contributed to their absence from this month's interesting examination of how Latino images were reflected through the Hollywood lens over the decades. I do recall that TCM ran the Spanish language Drácula (1931) some time ago, as well as the German version of Camille's Anna Christie (1930) with author/actress Salka Viertel taking on the role made so memorable by Marie Dressler in the English version. The tone of both those films was markedly different when performed by fluent Spanish and German speakers. (It would also be fun to see Charles Boyer's Hollywood-made French language films, especially Révolte Dans La Prison (1931)--better known to us as The Big House made originally with Wallace Beery and Robert Montgomery in 1930). Personally, I would love to see Gilbert Roland's early Spanish language films to gauge his ease with the role when playing a character in the first language he learned as a child. I find his acting to have vastly improved in English after WWII, though he was always a striking presence in movies of any decade. Gee, Birdy, Our Betters (1933) just creeps me out whenever I've seen it. I'd probably leave that English Country House bunch and light out for the tea house with Mr. Roland too if I were Constance Bennett! I tend to think that the Cukor film may have looked a bit creaky to Depression era audiences, even though it was one of those movies that let's us tut-tut over those social parasites, even while it gives us a peek behind the high hedge surrounding their wealthy worlds. Maybe it gave people a break from reality? Wow, Suzi, I can't believe that your father knew Gilbert Roland. That story about shaving twice a day certainly sounds credible. Interestingly, based on my reading of Brian Kellow's excellent bio of the Bennett family (see sources for this article), Roland's decision to serve in the military during WWII (Roland was overage for the draft and the father of two by Dec., 1941) may have precipitated the collapse of his always tumultuous marriage to Constance Bennett. Thanks very much for taking the time to comment on this piece.

By: Suzi Doll

Suzi Doll — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:46:23 +0000

Wonderful post Moirafinnie. Whenever I see Gilbert Roland, I am always reminded of my Dad, because he was on the same army base as Gilbert Roland during WWII. He often saw Roland walking across the base. When my Dad and I watched a movie together, and Roland popped up, my Dad would always remind me about his passing acquaitance with the actor. I once pressed him for more details about what this handsome movie star was really like and my Dad came up with this gem, “His beard was so heavy, he had to shave twice a day.”

Roland died the year after my Dad, and I think the connection made me doubly sad at his passing.

By: Birdy

Birdy — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:12:42 +0000

Very nice bio, Moira.
I adore him as ‘Pepe’ in Our Betters.
Ridiculous, yes, but since he seemed to prefer the glamorous cinema, I don’t think he would mind.

By: Jorge Finkielman

Jorge Finkielman — Thu, 07 May 2009 05:41:03 +0000

Very nice article. I will always eager to see the films that Roland made in Spanish in Hollywood, with LA VIDA BOHEMIA been the last.

They are extremely hard to locate and it is really a shame that TCM didn’t include any one of them in the Latino festival (that’s one of the reasons I refused to watch the series).

Fortunately, several of those films exist and deserve to be shown. José Mojica’s LA CRUZ Y LA ESPADA (1934) is a terrific film that I managed to capture from a live television broadcast on the web.