Roland Young
Roland Young (born November 11, 1887 in London , England , † June 5, 1953 in New York City , New York ) was an American film and stage actor of British origin. He was best known for the role of Cosmo Topper in the three Topper film comedies.
Life
Roland Young, the son of an architect , was educated at Sherborne College and later London University before he decided to become an actor. Young acquired the necessary knowledge at the well-known Royal Academy of Dramatic Art . In 1908, at the age of 21, Young appeared on stage for the first time in London before making his debut on Broadway just four years later in December 1912 . Until the mid-1910s, Young was still working in England, so he was often on the move from one theater performance to another. 1918 Young received the American citizenship, and then served for a short time on the side of the Americans as a soldier in the First World War . Young made his film acting debut in 1922 as Doctor Watson in Sherlock Holmes , opposite John Barrymore . Shortly before, in September 1921, he had married his first wife, Marjorie Kummer, with whom he was married until October 1940.
Young's role offers were mostly limited to British characters, in which he embodied the stereotypical image of an aristocratic Englishman. His best-known film was the 1937 comedy Topper - Das blonde Gespenst , for which Young received an Oscar nomination in 1938 for Best Supporting Actor . In both 1938 and 1941, Young was also in front of the camera in sequels to the film. With the exception of the Topper series, Young's films are mostly only known to film lovers today. Also known are his appearance as the villain Uriah Heep in George Cukor's Dickens adaptation David Copperfield (1935) and the 1936 fantasy film The Man Who Wanted to Change the World . He played more eccentric characters, such as an earl in A Butler in America (1935) or Katharine Hepburn's rich uncle in The Night Before the Wedding (1940).
Roland Young, who divorced his wife Marjorie in October 1940, found his second wife, Dorothy Patience May DuCroz, in April 1948, with whom he was together for the last years of his life. Roland Young had no children. He died a natural death at the age of 65. Today two stars on the Walk of Fame bear his name.
Filmography (selection)
- 1922: Sherlock Holmes
- 1930: Madame Satan (Madam Satan)
- 1932: Around a princely crown (A Woman Commands)
- 1932: Street of Women
- 1932: One Hour with You (One Hour with You)
- 1932: Madame loses her dress (This Is the Night)
- 1935: David Copperfield (David Copperfield)
- 1935: A Butler in America ( Ruggles of Red Gap )
- 1936: No alibi for the prosecutor ( The Unguarded Hour )
- 1936: Don't kiss in the cinema ( One Rainy Afternoon )
- 1936: Give Me Your Heart
- 1936: The man who wanted to change the world ( The Man Who Could Work Miracles )
- 1937: The blond ghost ( topper )
- 1937: Ali Baba Goes to Town
- 1938: Rogue with heart (The Young in Heart)
- 1938: Topper goes on a trip (Topper Takes a Trip)
- 1940: No, No, Nanette
- 1940: Irene
- 1940: The Night Before the Wedding ( The Philadelphia Story )
- 1941: Topper 2 - The Haunted Castle ( Topper Returns )
- 1941: The Adventurer ( The Flame of New Orleans )
- 1941: The woman with two faces ( Two-Faced Woman )
- 1942: A kiss too much ( They All Kissed the Bride )
- 1942: Six Fates ( Tales of Manhattan )
- 1943: For ever and a day (Forever and a Day)
- 1944: General Admission in bed ( Standing Room Only )
- 1945: The last weekend ( And Then There Were None )
- 1948: Street of Life ( Bond Street )
- 1948: Startbahn ins Glück ( You Gotta Stay Happy )
- 1949: The big lover ( The Great Lover )
- 1950: Dance is our life ( Let's Dance )
Web links
- Roland Young in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Roland Young in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Young, Roland |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American-British actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | November 11, 1887 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | London , England |
DATE OF DEATH | 5th June 1953 |
Place of death | New York City , New York |