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Roland Young

Roland Young

Actor · Died June 5, 1953, aged 65 · London, England, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Roland Young (11 November 1887 – 5 June 1953) was an English actor. Young made his first stage appearance in London's West End in Find the Woman in 1908, and in 1912 he made his Broadway debut in Hindle Wakes. He appeared in two comedies written for him by Clare Kummer, Good Gracious Annabelle! (1916) and A Successful Calamity (1917) before he served with the United States Army during World War I. He returned to New York when the war ended, and married Kummer's daughter, Frances. For the next few years he alternated between New York and London. He made his film debut in the 1922 silent film Sherlock Holmes, in which he played Watson opposite John Barrymore as Holmes. He signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and made his talkie debut in The Unholy Night (1929), directed by Lionel Barrymore. He was loaned to Warner Bros. to appear in Her Private Life, with Billie Dove and Fox Film Corporation, winning critical approval for his comedic performance as Jeanette MacDonald's husband in Don't Bet on a Woman. He was again paired with MacDonald in the film version of Good Gracious Annabelle!, titled Annabelle's Affairs. He appeared in Cecil B. de Mille's The Squaw Man, and played opposite Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Guardsman (both 1931). He appeared with Evelyn Brent in Columbia's The Pagan Lady (1932) and Pola Negri in RKO's A Woman Commands (1932). His final film under his MGM contract was Lovers Courageous (1932), opposite Robert Montgomery. In 1933 he had a starring role in the risqué comedy for Fox Film called Pleasure Cruise along side Genevieve Tobin. Young began to work as a freelance performer and found himself in constant demand. He appeared with Jeanette MacDonald, Genevieve Tobin and Maurice Chevalier in One Hour With You (1932) and with Kay Francis in Street of Women (1932). Alexander Korda invited him to return to Britain to make his British film debut in Wedding Rehearsal (1932). He returned to Hollywood and appeared in a diverse group of films that included comedies, murder mysteries, and dramas, and also worked on Broadway. Among his films of this period were Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), David Copperfield (1935) (playing Uriah Heep), and the H.G. Wells fantasy The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936). In 1937, he achieved one of the most important successes of his career in Topper, as a bank president haunted by the ghosts of his clients, played by Cary Grant and Constance Bennett. It was one of the most successful films of the year, and Young was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Topper's wife was played by Billie Burke, who wrote in her memoir that Young "was dry and always fun to work with". They also appeared together in The Young in Heart (1938), and both of the Topper sequels, Topper Takes a Trip (1938) and Topper Returns (1941). He continued working steadily through the 1940s, playing small roles opposite some of Hollywood's leading actresses, such as Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Paulette Goddard and Greta Garbo in her final film, Two-Faced Woman (1941). In the 1950s, Young appeared on several episodic television series, including Lux Video Theatre, Studio One, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse and The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 10, 1887
Died
June 5, 1953 (aged 65)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 69 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 13% in 30 days

What are Roland Young's films like?

Across their 24 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Bonds
44%
Morality
25%
Self
13%
Power
11%
Society
5%
Survival
1%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 22 · Serious 2 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 17 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

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

Steady 18 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 17

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

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 14 · 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 20 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Threshold guardian: 3 of 16 analyzed roles.

Threshold guardian
3 of 16
Ally
3 of 16
Mentor
3 of 16
Hero
3 of 16
Trickster
3 of 16
Herald
1 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
18
Warm
15
Absurd
7
Romantic
7
Tense
4
Other
11

How their films linger

Feel-good19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

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 Young's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Roland Young's 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

69 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • That Man from Tangier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as George

  • St. Benny the Dip(1951)

    as Matthew

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Let's Dance(1950)

    as Edmund Pohlwhistle

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Sumner

  • The Great Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as C.J. Dabney

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Harold. Mummery

  • You Gotta Stay Happy(1948)

    as Ralph Tutwiler

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Bond Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as George Chester-Barrett

  • And Then There Were None(1945)

    as William Blore

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Standing Room Only (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Ira Cromwell

  • Forever and a Day(1943)

    as Henry Barringer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Tales of Manhattan(1942)

    as Edgar

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • They All Kissed the Bride(1942)

    as Marsh

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Lady Has Plans(1942)

    as Ronald Dean

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Two-Faced Woman(1941)

    as Oscar 'O.O.' Miller

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Flame of New Orleans(1941)

    as Charles Giraud

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Topper Returns(1941)

    as Cosmo Topper

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • No, No, Nanette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mr. 'Happy' Jimmy Smith

  • The Philadelphia Story(1940)

    as Uncle Willie

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Dulcy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Roger Forbes

  • Private Affairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Amos Bullerton

  • Irene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mr. Smith

  • Star Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Thomas Brooke

  • He Married His Wife(1940)

    as Bill Carter

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Night of Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Barry Keith-Trimble

  • Here I Am a Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Professor Daniels

  • Yes, My Darling Daughter(1939)

    as Titus Jaywood

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Topper Takes a Trip(1938)

    as Cosmo Topper

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Young in Heart(1938)

    as Col. Anthony 'Sahib' Carleton

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Sailing Along (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Anthony Gulliver

  • Ali Baba Goes to Town(1937)

    as Sultan

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Topper(1937)

    as Cosmo Topper

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • King Solomon's Mines(1937)

    as Cmdr. John Good

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Call It a Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Frank Haines

  • Gypsy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Alan Brooks

  • Give Me Your Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Edward 'Tubbs' Barrow

  • The Man Who Could Work Miracles(1936)

    as George McWhirter Fotheringay

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • One Rainy Afternoon(1936)

    as Maillot

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Unguarded Hour(1936)

    as William "Bunny" Jeffers

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Ruggles of Red Gap(1935)

    as Earl of Burnstead

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • David Copperfield(1935)

    as Uriah Heep

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Here Is My Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Nicki

  • His Double Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Priam Farrel

  • Blind Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Holmes

  • Pleasure Cruise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Andrew Poole

  • A Lady's Profession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Lord Reginald Withers

  • They Just Had to Get Married (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Hillary Hume

  • Wedding Rehearsal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Reggie Buckley Candysshe - Marquis of Buckminster

  • Street of Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Linkhorne 'Link' Gibson

  • This Is the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Gerald Gray

  • One Hour with You(1932)

    as Professor Olivier

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • A Woman Commands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as King Alexander

  • Lovers Courageous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Jeffrey

  • The Guardsman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as The Critic

  • The Pagan Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Dr. Heath

  • The Squaw Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Sir John Applegate

  • Annabelle's Affairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Roland Wimbleton

  • The Prodigal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Doc

  • Don't Bet on Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Herbert Drake

  • New Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Count Strogoff

  • Madam Satan(1930)

    as Jimmy Wade

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Bishop Murder Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Sigurd 'Erik' Arnesson

  • Wise Girls(1929)

    as Duke Merrill

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Unholy Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Lord Montague

  • Her Private Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Charteris

  • Camille: The Fate of a Coquette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Lord Kyne

  • Grit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Houdini Hart

  • Sherlock Holmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Dr. Watson

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 69 titles from 1922 to 1994.

Biggest box office

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

$419K worldwide

Highest rated

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout

Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting69 of 69: 69 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1920s7 · acting1930s37 · acting1940s20 · acting1950s4 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 6% of 16 roles
2237

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Roland Young's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

They All Kissed the Bride (1942)

77th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 48. 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 Young work with?

People who share at least 2 of Roland Young's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Billie Burke shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers