Gibson Gowland
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
film actor.
Early sources had his birth place place as Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. He started work as a sailor and later became mate of a ship. For several years from the age of 25 he went to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where he hunted for big game, prospected for diamonds and also organised a theatrical company in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, and acted in it. He also prospected in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he made his debut on the legitimate stage.
Gowland came to the United
United
-Travel:* United Airlines* United Automobile Services, a bus operator in England, now merged with the Arriva Group* United Bus, a bus manufacturing group-Sports:...
States from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, by way of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1913 where he met Beatrice Bird, also from England, whom he married. They moved to Hollywood, working as bit players. In 1914 he acted in D. W. Griffith
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
's : Birth of a Nation, followed by Intolerance
Intolerance
-Medical/biological:*Intolerance, a synonym of sensitivity **Drug intolerance**Food intolerance**Lactose intolerance**Hereditary fructose intolerance**Sucrose intolerance**Lysinuric protein intolerance**Citric acid intolerance...
. In 1916, his son, actor and photographer Peter Gowland
Peter Gowland
Peter Gowland was a famous American glamour photographer and actor...
, was born.
Often cast as a villain, his only starring role (out of 63 films) was in Greed
Greed (film)
Greed is a 1924 American dramatic silent film. It was directed by Erich von Stroheim and starring Gibson Gowland, Zasu Pitts, Jean Hersholt, Dale Fuller, Tempe Pigott, Sylvia Ashton, Chester Conklin, Joan Standing and Jack Curtis....
(1924), directed by Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim
Erich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
, based on the Frank Norris
Frank Norris
Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. was an American novelist, during the Progressive Era, writing predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include McTeague , The Octopus: A Story of California , and The Pit .-Life:Frank Norris was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1870...
novel McTeague
McTeague
McTeague is a novel by Frank Norris, first published in 1899. It tells the story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty, violence and finally murder as the result of jealousy and avarice...
, and costarring ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
. The film has since become a classic, despite its having been cut to one-fifth its original length for commercial release by MGM. Gowland portrayed the protagonist, dentist John McTeague. Von Stroheim also directed Gowland in his 1919 film Blind Husbands
Blind Husbands
Blind Husbands is a 1919 drama film directed by Erich von Stroheim. The film is an adaptation of the story The Pinnacle by Stroheim.-Cast:* Sam De Grasse as Doctor Robert Armstrong, the husband* Francelia Billington as Margaret Armstrong, the wife...
.
Gowland was cast as Simon Buquet in the 1925 film version of The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 American silent horror film adaptation of the Gaston Leroux novel of the same title directed by Rupert Julian. The film featured Lon Chaney in the title role as the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House, causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to force...
. He had bit parts in dozens of films from 1938 to 1945, but was rarely credited on-screen. After two divorces, Gowland returned to England in 1944. He died in London at age 74 from a lethal case of diarrhea. He is buried in Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
.
Selected filmography
- The Isle of Forgotten WomenThe Isle of Forgotten WomenThe Isle of Forgotten Women is a 1927 silent drama film directed by George B. Seitz. It was released as Forgotten Women in the UK.-Cast:* Conway Tearle as Bruce Paine* Dorothy Sebastian as Marua* Gibson Gowland as John Stort...
(1927) - Rose-MarieRose-Marie (1928 film)Rose-Marie was a 1928 drama film directed by Lucien Hubbard. It is the first of three MGM adaptations of the 1924 Broadway musical Rose-Marie The best-known film adaptation was released in 1936; another film was released in 1954. All three versions are set in the Canadian wilderness...
(1928) - S.O.S. EisbergS.O.S. EisbergSOS Eisberg is a German-U.S. coproduction, released by Universal Studios in both Germany and the U.S. The film is a dramatic mountain film directed by Arnold Fanck, and filmed in Engadin, Switzerland and in Greenland. The film premiered August 30, 1933 in Berlin. It was filmed simultaneously in...
(1933) - King of the DamnedKing of the DamnedKing of the Damned is a 1935 British action film directed by Walter Forde and starring Conrad Veidt, Helen Vinson, Noah Beery and Cecil Ramage. Convict 83 is a prisoner on an island, where the harsh regime of the Governor pushes him to lead a revolt...
(1935) - The House of the SpaniardThe House of the SpaniardThe House of the Spaniard is a 1936 British crime film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Allan Jeayes, Peter Haddon and Brigitte Horney. It is set in Lancashire and Spain, during the ongoing Spanish Civil War. It was shot at Ealing Studios in west London, England, and on location in Spain...
(1936)