Gibson Gowland
Gibson Gowland (born January 4, 1877 in Spennymoor , County Durham , † September 9, 1951 in London ) was an English actor. He has appeared in more than 80 films.
Life
Gowland came to the USA via Canada in 1913. In Hollywood in 1914 he found work as an extra while filming The Birth of a Nation . In the 1910s he mostly appeared under the name "TH Gibson Gowland", if his name was even mentioned in the film. He developed into a supporting actor and was used as a mountain guide by Erich von Stroheim in Blind Husbands (1919) , among others . In the early 1920s, Gowland was also cast in a number of leading roles. He played his best-known role during this time: John McTeague in Stroheim's magnum opus Gier (1924). This crude film character, a dentist without a license to practice medicine, is played by his greedy, avaricious wife (played by ZaSu Pitts) driven mad and murdered. Until the end of the silent movie era, Gowland played rough types in supporting roles. In 1933 he was seen in a major supporting role in the film SOS Eisberg by Arnold Fanck alongside Leni Riefenstahl .
He spent 1934 to 1938 in England and starred in British films, and in 1940 he returned to the USA. His film appearances at that time were so minor that his name was mostly not even mentioned in the credits. After two failed marriages, Gowland finally settled in his home country again in 1944.
His son Peter Gowland (1916-2010) was a photographer.
Filmography (selection)
- 1915: The Birth of a Nation ( The Birth of a Nation )
- 1924: Greed ( Greed )
- 1925: The Phantom of the Opera ( The Phantom Of The Opera )
- 1926: Don Juan
- 1927 Sunrise - A Song of Two people ( Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans )
- 1931: Arrowsmith
- 1933: SOS Iceberg
- 1933: North Pole - Ahoy!
- 1934: The Private Life of Don Juan ( The Private Life of Don Juan )
- 1935: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
- 1935: King of the Damned
- 1941: How Green Was My Valley ( How Green Was My Valley )
- 1942: Mrs. Miniver
- 1942: Tennessee Johnson
- 1942: The Possession of Tahiti (The Moon and Sixpence)
- 1943: And Life Goes On ( The Human Comedy )
- 1943: Fight in the Clouds ( A Guy Named Joe )
- 1944: The Road to Happiness ( Going My Way )
- 1944: Lady Alquist's house ( Gaslight )
- 1944: Wilson
Web links
- Gibson Gowland in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Gibson Gowland in the database of Find a Grave (English)
- Peter Gowland's website with many photos of Gibson Gowland
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Gowland, Gibson |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | January 4, 1877 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Spennymoor , County Durham |
DATE OF DEATH | September 9, 1951 |
Place of death | London |