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Roland Winters

Roland Winters

Actor · Died October 22, 1989, aged 84 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz) 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. 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", "Shanghai Chest", "The Golden Eye" and "The Feathered Serpent". 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." 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." 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 as the boss and the courtroom drama Perry Mason. 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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 22, 1904
Died
October 22, 1989 (aged 84)
From
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
34 on MovieCove · 63 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 23% in 30 days

What are Roland Winters' films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
36%
Bonds
31%
Self
18%
Power
8%
Society
5%
Ideas
2%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 15 · Serious 6 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 17 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 14 · Intense 6

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 14 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 2 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero
2 of 6
Trickster
2 of 6
Shadow
1 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Joyful
6
Warm
7
Romantic
8
Melancholic
6
Other
19

How their films linger

Feel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Roland Winters' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 34 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Roland Winters' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

63 credits, 34 with a MovieCove page.

  • You Can't Go Home Again(1979)

    as Judge Bland

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Dain Curse(1978)

    Show 2 episodes · as Hubert Collinson

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Miracle on 34th Street(1973)

    as Mr. Gimbel

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Adam's Rib (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Ransom

  • Loving(1970)

    as Plommie

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Doc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Watkins

  • The Carol Burnett Show(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Various Characters

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Dan Merrill

  • The Addams Family(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Ralph J. Hulen

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Bewitched(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as McMann

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Archie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Mr. Weatherbee

  • Big Deal in Laredo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Henry Drummond

  • The Lucy Show(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Dean Bennett

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Ivar West

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Follow That Dream(1962)

    as Judge

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Everything's Ducky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Capt. Bollinger

  • Blue Hawaii(1961)

    as Fred Gates

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Defenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Jeff Brubaker

  • A String of Beads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • The Iceman Cometh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · as The General (Piet Wetjoen)

  • Cash McCall(1960)

    as Gen. Andrew Danvers

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Computer Comes to Marketing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Ned

  • Play of the Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Fannington

  • Never Steal Anything Small(1959)

    as Doctor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Jet Pilot(1957)

    as Col. Sokolov

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Archer Bryant

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Top Secret Affair(1957)

    as Sen. Burdick

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Bigger Than Life(1956)

    as Dr. Ruric

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Broken Arrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as James Perry

  • So Big (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Klaas Pool

  • She's Working Her Way Through College(1952)

    as Fred Copeland

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Boss

  • Follow the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Dr. Graham

  • Raton Pass(1951)

    as Sheriff Perigord

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Inside Straight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Alexander Tomson

  • Sierra Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Sam Cooper

  • The West Point Story(1950)

    as Harry Eberhart

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as General Sneed #1

  • To Please a Lady(1950)

    as Dwight Barrington

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as General Millet · as Greenleaf

  • Between Midnight and Dawn(1950)

    as Leo Cusick

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Convicted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Vernon Bradley, Attorney

  • The Underworld Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Stanley Becker

  • Killer Shark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Jeffrey White

  • Captain Carey, U.S.A.(1949)

    as Manfredo Acuto

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Guilty of Treason(1950)

    as Soviet Comissar Belov

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Malaya(1949)

    as Bruno Gruber

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • A Dangerous Profession(1949)

    as Jerry 'Mac' McKay

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Once More, My Darling(1949)

    as Col. Head

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff(1949)

    as T. Hanley Brooks

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sky Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Charlie Chan

  • Tuna Clipper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as E.J. Ransom

  • The Feathered Serpent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Charlie Chan

  • Kidnapped(1948)

    as Capt. Hoseason

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Return of October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Colonel Wood

  • Cry of the City(1948)

    as Ledbetter

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Golden Eye(1948)

    as Charlie Chan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Shanghai Chest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Charlie Chan

  • Docks of New Orleans(1948)

    as Charlie Chan

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Chinese Ring(1947)

    as Charlie Chan

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Kraft Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Citizen Kane(1941)

    as Newspaperman at Trenton Town Hall (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles from 1941 to 1979.

Biggest box office

Blue Hawaii (1961)

$5.3K worldwide

Highest rated

Bigger Than Life (1956)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Blue Hawaii (1961)

Film career

  • 1948Screen debut· Cry of the City
  • 1956Career best· Bigger Than Life

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting63 of 63: 63 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score48th

By decade

1940s16 · acting1950s25 · acting1960s17 · acting1970s5 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Roland Winters' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th18

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

You Can't Go Home Again (1979)

69th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Citizen Kane (1941)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Roland Winters work with?

People who share at least 2 of Roland Winters' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Scott Darling shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles