People
Photos
Purpose
Advertisement
Advertisement
  2. People
  3. Surname Directory
  4. W
  5. Winkeller - Wintterle
  6. Winters
  7. Rodney - Rube
  8. Roland Winters
  9. Roland Winters
A photo of Roland Winters

Roland Winters 1904 - 1989

Roland Winters of Englewood, Bergen County, NJ was born on November 22, 1904 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts United States, and died at age 84 years old on October 22, 1989 in Englewood, Bergen County, NJ. Roland Winters was buried at Cremated. Ashes given to family..

Roland Winters
Name
Update name details
Englewood, Bergen County, NJ 07631
Last residence
Update residence details
November 22, 1904
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Birth
Update birth details
October 22, 1989
Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, 07631, United States
Death
Update death details
Male
Looking for another Roland Winters?
Updated: October 21, 2022
Biography ID: 5198819 What's this
Roland Winters Roland Winters (1904 - 1989)
ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM
This page exists for YOU
and everyone who remembers Roland.
Share what you know,
even ask what you wish you knew.
Invite others to do the same,
but don't worry if you can't...
Someone, somewhere will find this page,
and we'll notify you when they do.

Roland Winters' History: 1904 - 1989

Uncover new discoveries and connections today by sharing about people & moments from yesterday.
- Discover how AncientFaces works.

  • Introduction

    Roland Winters Born Roland Winternitz November 22, 1904 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Died October 22, 1989 (aged 84) Englewood, New Jersey U.S. Occupation Actor Years active 1924–1982 Spouse: Ada Carver Howe — married 9 Nov 1930 (to 1959) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Stepfather of actor Harlan Howe. Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz; November 22, 1904 – October 22, 1989) was an American actor who played many character parts in films and television but today is best remembered for portraying Charlie Chan in six films in the late 1940s. Early years Born Roland Winternitz in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 22, 1904, Winters was the son of Felix Winternitz, a violinist and composer who was teaching at New England Conservatory of Music. Charlie Chan films Monogram Pictures eventually selected Winters to replace Sidney Toler in the Charlie Chan film series. Winters was 44 when he made the first of his six Chan films, The Chinese Ring in 1947 and ending with Charlie Chan and the Sky Dragon (also known as Sky Dragon) in 1949. His other Chan films were "Docks of New Orleans" (1948), "Shanghai Chest" (1948), "The Golden Eye" (1948) and "The Feathered Serpent" (1948). He also had character roles in three other feature films while he worked on the Chan series. Winters is less well known in the Charlie Chan role than his two predecessors. He made far fewer Chan films than they did, and he came along at a time when the series was well past its higher-budget days. Viewers are divided about his performance in the role. Some consider him an ineffective successor to Warner Oland and Sidney Toler, but others defend him for his unique approach to the character. Yunte Huang, in Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, noted differences in the actors' appearances, especially that Winters' "tall nose simply could not be made to look Chinese." Huang also cited the actor's age, writing, "at the age of forty-four, he also looked too young to resemble a seasoned Chinese sage." In contrast to Huang, Ken Hanke wrote in his book, Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography, and Criticism, "Roland Winters has never received his due ... Winters brought with him a badly needed breath of fresh air to the series." He cited "the richness of the approach and the verve with which the series was being tackled" during the Winters era." Similarly, Howard M. Berlin, in his book, Charlie Chan's Words of Wisdom, commented that "Winters brought a much needed breath of fresh air to the flagging film series with his self-mocking, semi-satirical interpretation of Charlie, which is very close to the Charlie Chan in Biggers' novels." Later films and television: After the series finished, Winters continued to work in film and television until 1982. He was in the movies So Big and Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, played Elvis' father in Blue Hawaii and a judge in the Elvis film Follow That Dream. He made appearances in the early TV series "Meet Millie" as the boss. In one episode of the Bewitched TV series, he played the normally unseen McMann of McMann and Tate. He also portrayed Mr. Gimbel in Miracle on 34th Street in 1973. Death Winters died as the result of a stroke at the Actor's Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, New Jersey on October 22, 1989. Selected filmography Citizen Kane (1941) – Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited) 13 Rue Madeleine (1946) – Van Duyval (uncredited) The Chinese Ring (1947) – Charlie Chan Docks of New Orleans (1948) – Charlie Chan Shanghai Chest (1948) – Charlie Chan The Golden Eye (1948) – Charlie Chan Cry of the City (1948) – Ledbetter The Return of October (1948) – Colonel Wood Kidnapped (1948) – Capt. Hoseason The Feathered Serpent (1948) – Charlie Chan Tuna Clipper (1949) – E.J. Ransom Sky Dragon (1949) – Charlie Chan Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) – T. Hanley Brooks Once More, My Darling (1949) – Colonel Head A Dangerous Profession (1949) – Jerry McKay Malaya (1949) – Bruno Gruber Guilty of Treason (1950) – Soviet Comissar Belov Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950) – Manfredo Acuto Killer Shark (1950) – Jeffrey White Underworld Story (1950) – Stanley Becker Convicted (1950) – Vernon Bradley, Attorney Between Midnight and Dawn (1950) – Leo Cusick To Please a Lady (1950) – Dwight Barrington The West Point Story (1950) – Harry Eberhart Sierra Passage (1950) – Sam Cooper Inside Straight (1951) – Alexander Tomson Raton Pass (1951) – Sheriff Perigord Follow the Sun (1951) – Dr. Graham She's Working Her Way Through College (1952) – Fred Copeland A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) – Prosecutor (uncredited) So Big (1953) – Klaas Pool Bigger Than Life (1956) – Dr. Ruric Top Secret Affair (1957) – Sen. Burdick Jet Pilot (1957) – Col. Sokolov Never Steal Anything Small (1959) – Doctor Everything's Ducky (1961) – Capt. Lewis Bollinger Blue Hawaii (1961) – Fred Gates Follow That Dream (1962) – Judge Loving (1970) – Plommie Miracle on 34th Street (1973) – Mr. Gimbel The Dain Curse (1978) – Hubert Collinson
  • 11/22
    1904

    Birthday

    November 22, 1904
    Birthdate
    Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts United States
    Birthplace
    ADVERTISEMENT BY

  • Ethnicity & Family History

    Roland Winters Born Roland Winternitz November 22, 1904 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Died October 22, 1989 (aged 84) Englewood, New Jersey U.S. Occupation Actor Years active 1924–1982 Spouse(s) Ada Howe Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz; November 22, 1904 – October 22, 1989) was an American actor who played many character parts in films and television but today is best remembered for portraying Charlie Chan in six films in the late 1940s. Early years Winters was born Roland Winternitz on November 22, 1904 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Antoinette (Iversen) and Felix Winternitz, a violinist and composer who was teaching at New England Conservatory of Music. His father was born in Austria and his mother in Germany.

  • Professional Career

    Charlie Chan films Roddy McDowall and Roland Winters in Killer Shark (1950) Monogram Pictures selected Winters to replace Sidney Toler in the Charlie Chan film series. Winters was 44 when he made the first of his six Chan films, The Chinese Ring in 1947. His other Chan films were Docks of New Orleans (1948), Shanghai Chest (1948), The Golden Eye (1948), The Feathered Serpent (1948), and Sky Dragon (1949). He also had character roles in three other feature films while he worked on the Chan series. Yunte Huang, in Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, noted differences in the actors' appearances, especially that Winters' "tall nose simply could not be made to look Chinese." Huang also cited the actor's age, writing, "at the age of forty-four, he also looked too young to resemble a seasoned Chinese sage." Keye Luke, who played Chan's son opposite Winters, was actually five months older than Winters. Roland Winters is considered by some fans to be the least effective of the Chan impersonators, but other observers are quick to defend Winters's portrayals. Ken Hanke wrote in his book Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography, and Criticism: "Roland Winters has never received his due ... Winters brought with him a badly needed breath of fresh air to the series." He cited "the richness of the approach and the verve with which the series was being tackled" during the Winters era." Similarly, Howard M. Berlin, in his book, Charlie Chan's Words of Wisdom, commented that "Winters brought a much needed breath of fresh air to the flagging film series with his self-mocking, semi-satirical interpretation of Charlie, which is very close to the Charlie Chan in Biggers' novels." Later films and television After the series finished, Winters continued to work in film and television until 1982. He was in the movies So Big and Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, played Elvis' father in Blue Hawaii and a judge in the Elvis film Follow That Dream. He made appearances as the boss on the early TV series Meet Millie, guest-starred in a 1965 episode ("Anywhere I Hang My Hat Is Home") of The Cara Williams Show, and made appearances in the courtroom drama Perry Mason. In one 1968 episode of the television series Bewitched ("Man of the Year"), he played the normally unseen McMann of McMann and Tate. He also portrayed Mr. Gimbel in Miracle on 34th Street in 1973. Death Winters died as the result of a stroke at the Actor's Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, New Jersey on October 22, 1989. Selected filmography Citizen Kane (1941) – Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited) 13 Rue Madeleine (1946) – Van Duyval (uncredited) The Chinese Ring (1947) – Charlie Chan Docks of New Orleans (1948) – Charlie Chan Shanghai Chest (1948) – Charlie Chan The Golden Eye (1948) – Charlie Chan Cry of the City (1948) – Ledbetter The Return of October (1948) – Colonel Wood Kidnapped (1948) – Capt. Hoseason The Feathered Serpent (1948) – Charlie Chan Tuna Clipper (1949) – E.J. Ransom Sky Dragon (1949) – Charlie Chan Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) – T. Hanley Brooks Once More, My Darling (1949) – Colonel Head A Dangerous Profession (1949) – Jerry McKay Malaya (1949) – Bruno Gruber Guilty of Treason (1950) – Soviet Comissar Belov Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950) – Manfredo Acuto Killer Shark (1950) – Jeffrey White Underworld Story (1950) – Stanley Becker Convicted (1950) – Vernon Bradley, Attorney Between Midnight and Dawn (1950) – Leo Cusick To Please a Lady (1950) – Dwight Barrington The West Point Story (1950) – Harry Eberhart Sierra Passage (1950) – Sam Cooper Inside Straight (1951) – Alexander Tomson Raton Pass (1951) – Sheriff Périgord Follow the Sun (1951) – Dr. Graham She's Working Her Way Through College (1952) – Fred Copeland A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) – Prosecutor (uncredited) So Big (1953) – Klaas Pool Bigger Than Life (1956) – Dr. Ruric Top Secret Affair (1957) – Sen. Burdick Jet Pilot (1957) – Col. Sokolov Never Steal Anything Small (1959) – Doctor The Iceman Cometh (1960 - TV) - Jimmy Tomorrow Everything's Ducky (1961) – Capt. Lewis Bollinger Blue Hawaii (1961) – Fred Gates Follow That Dream (1962) – Judge Loving (1970) – Plommie Miracle on 34th Street (1973, TV Movie) – Mr. Gimbel The Dain Curse (1978, TV Mini-Series) – Hubert Collinson

  • Personal Life & Family

    Spouse: Ada Howe. He is survived by a brother, Robert Winternitz, of Amherst, Mass. Actor. He is best remembered for his recurring portrayal of the foreign sleuth Charlie Chan in several feature films during the 1940s. Born Roland Winternitz, he was raised in a family of wealth and position, the son of opera singer Antoinette Iverson and concert violinist Felix Winternitz. After beginning his career as a leading man on the Broadway stage, he was introduced to fellow actor Orson Welles during a dinner party at the prestigious Sardis Restaurant. Impressed by his mature stealth, articulate voice, and professionalism, he took notice of his potential and arranged for him to begin a career in the film industry beginning with him appearing in a supporting role in "Citizen Kane" (1941). From there, he would go on to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 100 features, often typecast as white-collared workers, politicians, doctors, lawyers, educators, philanthropists, businessmen, adventurers, eccentrics, authority figures, and patriarchs. He appeared in such feature films as "13 Rue Madeline" (1946), "The Chinese Ring" (1947), "Docks of New Orleans" (1948), "The Feathered Serpent" (1949), "Guilty of Treason" (1950), "Follow the Sun" (1951), "She's Working Her Way Through College" (1952), "So Big" (1953), "Jet Pilot" (1957), "Never Steal Anything Small" (1959), "Blue Hawaii" (1961), "Follow That Dream" (1962), and "Loving" (1970). During the advent of television, he became an even more familiar face appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Treasury Men in Action," "Meet Millie," "Robert Montgomery Presents," "The Milton Berle Show," "Doorway to Danger," "Mama," "Lux Video Theatre," "The Kaiser Aluminum Hour," "You Are There," "Broken Arrow," "Studio One," "The Millionaire," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Date with the Angels," "Colgate Theatre," "Play of the Week," "Naked City," "Alcoa Premiere," "The Defenders," "Life With Archie," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Hazel," "The Lucy Show," "Arrest and Trial," "Route 66," "The Cara Williams Show," "Profiles in Courage," "The Addams Family," "My Brother the Angel," "Bewitched," "The Carol Burnett Show," "Green Acres," "The Red Skelton Hour," "Adam's Rib," and "The Dain Curse". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been a regular parishioner of the Temple Israel of Hollywood, was an active member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, had been a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, was one of the founding members of the Canyon Theater Guild, served as an honorary vice-president for Actors Equity, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, and he was married to stage and radio actress Ada Howe from 1930 to 1959 (their union ended upon her death and produced no children). Upon his 1982 retirement, he spent the final years of his life focused on charitable and religious causes, until his death from complications of a stroke. Bio by: Lowell Thurgood
  • 10/22
    1989

    Death

    October 22, 1989
    Death date
    Stroke.
    Cause of death
    Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey 07631, United States
    Death location
    ADVERTISEMENT BY

  • Gravesite & Burial

    mm/dd/yyyy
    Funeral date
    Cremated. Ashes given to family.
    Burial location

  • Obituary

    Roland Winters, an actor whose film portrayals included Charlie Chan and Elvis Presley's father, died of a stroke on Sunday at the Actors' Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, N.J. He was 84 years old. Mr. Winters succeeded Warner Oland and Sidney Toler as the Confucius-quoting Chinese detective, appearing as Chan in six films. He told friends he could have played Hamlet, but he would be known for playing Charlie Chan. Mr. Winters made more than 80 films, including ''Captain Carey, U.S.A.'' with Alan Ladd, ''The West Point Story'' with James Cagney, ''So Big'' with Jane Wyman, and ''Blue Hawaii,'' with Elvis Presley. He appeared on Broadway in ''Calculated Risk,'' ''Country Girl,'' ''Cook for Mr. General,'' ''Who Was That Lady I Saw You With?'' and ''Minnie's Girls.'' He is survived by a brother, Robert, of Amherst, Mass. Close friend of James Cagney and Betty Ann Grove.
    ADVERTISEMENT BY
    Looking for more information?
  • share
    Memories
    below
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 Memories, Stories & Photos about Roland

Roland Winters
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters
A photo of Roland Winters
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Angela Lansbury, Elvis and Roland Winters as Elvis's father!
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/27/2021
Angela Lansbury, Elvis and Roland Winters as Elvis's father!
Movie Still.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/27/2021
Loved to stop him on the street and yell, "Who was that lady I saw you with?"
That always got a big laugh from him.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/27/2021
I met him several times and liked to make him laugh out loud. He was in the play, "WHO WAS THAT LADY I SAW YOU WITH?" So if I saw him, I would yell, "WHO WAS THAT LADY I SAW YOU WITH?" At first, he would be startled, and then he would laugh out loud because of the play. The last time I did this Roland said, "You made my day! No! You made my month!" Betty Ann Grove spoke very highly of him.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Roland Winters, movie
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters, movie
A photo of Roland Winters in a Charlie Chan movie.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Roland Winters
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters
A photo of Roland Winters
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/12/2017
Was in six movies as Charlie Chan.
Reply
Roland Winters
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters
A photo of Roland Winters
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Roland Winters, autograph.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters, autograph.
A photo of Roland Winters
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Roland Winters
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters
A photo of Roland Winters
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Roland Winters
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.8k+ favorites
08/11/2017
Roland Winters
A photo of Roland Winters on a poster with name above the title.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
Comments
Leave a comment
The simple act of leaving a comment shows you care.
Cancel Share
Loading...one moment please loading spinner
See more memories
- See how biographies work.
Be the 1st to share and we'll let you know when others do the same.
ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM
Advertisement

Roland Winters' Family Tree & Friends

Roland Winters' Family Tree

Parent
Parent
Roland Winters
Roland Winters Nov 22, 1904 - Oct 22, 1989
Partner
Child
Sibling
Advertisement
Advertisement
Friendships

Roland's Friends

Friends of Roland Friends can be as close as family. Add Roland's family friends, and his friends from childhood through adulthood.
Advertisement
Advertisement
1 Follower & Sources

Connect with others who remember Roland Winters to share and discover more memories. People who have contributed to this page are listed below and in the Biography History of changes. Sign in to to view changes.

ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM
Advertisement
Other Biographies

Other Roland Winters Biographies

Winters, Roland (Aug 19, 1903 - Mar 1982) Winters, Roland (Aug 23, 1930 - Oct 29, 2003) Winters, Roland (Jun 24, 1964 - Dec 14, 2006) Winters, Roland (Jul 9, 1944 - Dec 20, 1995) Winters, Roland (Feb 28, 1903 - Feb 1978)
Winters, Roland (Nov 7, 1943 - Aug 8, 1994) Winters, Roland (Dec 3, 1917 - Mar 15, 1999) Winters, Roland (Jan 1, 1949 - Jun 11, 2005) Winters, Roland (Oct 12, 1918 - Nov 1982) Winters, Roland (Oct 21, 1909 - Oct 1975)

Other Winters Family Biographies

Winters, Pauline Winters, Hubert (Born 1912) Winters, Hazel Montrue (Born Oct 24, 1892) Winters, William (Born 1817) Winters, Daniel (Born 1844) Winters, Rosa (Born 1894) Winters, Lute (Born 1884) Winters, Frank (Born Feb 13, 1918) Winters, F Janet (Feb 6, 1918 - Jan 8, 2005) Winters, Grace (Jan 21, 1887 - Jun 1966)
Winters, Catherine (Mar 17, 1902 - Mar 14, 1997) Winters, Alice (Jul 8, 1883 - May 1969) Winters, Kurt (Jun 29, 1898 - Jun 1987) Winters, Sarah (Nov 9, 1884 - Jun 1977) Winters, Lillian (Jan 20, 1915 - Aug 19, 2002) Winters, Henry (Sep 6, 1953 - Aug 7, 2003) Winters, Jacqueline (Nov 9, 1971 - Mar 11, 2006) Winters, John (Jan 4, 1900 - Feb 1978) Winters, Larry (May 8, 1914 - May 12, 1989) Winters, Matilda (Mar 5, 1923 - Oct 1971)
Advertisement
Advertisement
Show more
  2. People
  3. Surname Directory
  4. W
  5. Winkeller - Wintterle
  6. Winters
  7. Rodney - Rube
  8. Roland Winters
  9. Roland Winters
Back to Top
Advertisement
Advertisement