Olin Ross Howland was a renowned American film and theatre actor, born on February 10, 1886, in Denver, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, a young enlisted participant in the Civil War, and Mary C. Bunting. His older sister, Jobyna Howland, was a famous stage actress.
Howland's early career spanned from 1909 to 1927, during which he appeared on Broadway in numerous musicals, including Leave It to Jane in 1917, Two Little Girls in Blue in 1921, and Wildflower in 1923. He also occasionally appeared in silent films, such as Janice Meredith in 1924, alongside Marion Davies.
As the advent of sound films approached, Howland's theatre background proved to be a significant asset, and he began to focus primarily on films, appearing in nearly two hundred movies between 1918 and 1958. He often played eccentric and rural roles in Hollywood, and his parts were frequently small and uncredited. Despite this, he never secured a leading role.
Howland was a personal favorite of David O. Selznick, who cast him in several of his films, including Nothing Sacred in 1937, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1938, and Gone with the Wind in 1939. He also appeared in numerous westerns from Republic Pictures, including In Old California in 1942 and Angel and the Badman in 1947. Additionally, he played alongside John Wayne in the films In Old California and Angel and the Badman.
As a young man, Howland learned to fly at the Wright Flying School and soloed on a Wright Model B, which added a special touch to his scenes with James Stewart in the film The Spirit of St. Louis in 1957, as Stewart was also a pilot in real life. The Spirit of St. Louis, Them in 1954, and The Blob in 1958 were his last films.
Howland also appeared in television shows during the 1950s, including five episodes of ABC's sitcom The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan, in 1958 and 1959.
Throughout his life, Howland remained single and had no children. He worked until his death at the age of 73 in Hollywood, California, on September 20, 1959.
