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Roland Winters was born on November 22, 1904 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA as Roland Winternitz. He was an actor and writer, known for Blue Hawaii (1961), Bigger Than Life (1956) and The Chinese Ring (1947). He was married to Ada C. Howe. He died on October 22, 1989 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
Hollywood's third Charlie Chan was also a veteran character actor, often specializing in businessman types, and radio announcer. He was the sixth actor to play Charlie Chan. He was the third non-Oriental actor. Son of Felix Winternitz, a violinist and composer who had achieved great success through his world tours during the late 19th century. By the time of Roland's birth, Felix had settled in Boston as a professor at the New England Conservatory. He was in his middle teens when he worked on a cargo ship that sailed to Central America and later to the West Indies during the summer. It was at about this time that Winters began his career on the stage, working in theater groups around Boston. Made his Broadway debut in 1924 with "The Firebrand," which was produced by a friend of his brother. In 1931, Winters got the job of announcing Braves and Red Sox games on radio station WNAC. He continued to work in radio until 1947. At the age of 43, Roland Winters, more than thirty years younger than his predecessor, the late Sidney Toler, and virtually the same age as Keye Luke who would again appear as Chan's number one son, Lee, first appeared as Charlie Chan in 1948. In the 1970s Winters's voice appeared in a number of radio spots for Manhattan's House of Chan, in which he expounded on the joys of eating at his "cousin's" famous restaurant. He concluded each commercial with "tell 'em Charlie sent you". Made just one appearance (in 1968) as the reclusive McMann, co-director of the advertising agency McMann & Tate, in the TV series 'Bewitched'. Close friend of James Cagney. Stepfather of actor Harlan Howe.
Sources
- Personal recollection and family history as told to Jason Howe
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Winters
