Richard Arthur Rowland (1880 - 1947)

Born 8 Dec 1880 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States

Died 12 May 1947 at age 66 in New York, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ron Rowland [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Rowland Name Study.

Richard was born in 1880. Richard Arthur Rowland was the son of James Richard Rowland, a Welsh emigrant, and Emma Morton. ^[1]

Richard Rowland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1549 Vine Street. A successful film producer and executive, he was founder of the original Metro Film Corporation, the "Metro" in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is credited with being the "discoverer" of Rudolph Valentino, Francis X. Bushman, Harold Lockwood and other early screen stars. Rowland is quoted as saying “the lunatics have taken over the asylum,” when noted actors, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford left Metro in 1919 to form United Artists Studio;

Richard A Rowland married Daisy Clemmer 01 Jun 1905 at Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States.^[2]

He passed away in 1947 ^[3] and is buried in Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. ^[4]

The following bio by Linda Davis on his Find A Grave: Memorial #91047727:

"Richard A Rowland: Film Producer. He is remembered for his part in the pioneer years of the American film industry. In a time before Hollywood, California, he, as a teenager, was making films in New Jersey. In 1914, he co-founded Alco Productions, a short-term adventure that lasted one year. In 1915, he was co-founder of Quality Pictures Corporation with Joseph W. Engel and cinematographer, Fred J. Balsholfer, and in 1916, these three men co-founded Yorke Film Corporation.

"In 1916, he and Louis B. Mayer started the original Metro Pictures Corporation before Mayer left in 1918 to form his own studio. In 1918 he appears in a role as himself in a comedy-drama film, “Pay Day.” Rowland is quoted as saying “the lunatics have taken over the asylum,” when noted actors, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford left Metro in 1919 to form United Artists Studio; this was done in an attempt to control their own careers.

"Becoming an executive at Fox Film Corporation, he sold in 1920 Metro Pictures to Marcus Loew. Years later after several merges, Metro Pictures became part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM Studios; in 1981 MGM purchased United Artist. He played a significant role in setting standards and improving the speed of movie projection to improve the quality of the viewing experience. He was a member of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, the forerunner of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. He became a professor at Columbia University in New York City, where he wrote several academic articles on the role that films played in the modern culture. In one of his essays, “American Classics”, he argues that the Marx Brothers films were classic and would stand the test of time; this essay was published in the “Hollywood Quarterly” April, 1947.

"Also, in his early film career days, there were no laws governing filmmakers, thus he was part of that era testifying before the State of New York Senate in January 1917. For his contributions to the film industry, he has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1541 Vine Street. Among his over 50 productions were “What People Will Say?” in 1915, “The Eternal Question” in 1916, “The Divorcee” in 1919, “The Patent Leather Kid,” “Hard Boiled Haggerty” and “The Lovelorn” in 1927, “The Barker,” “The Shepard of the Hills” and “The Little Shepard of Kingdom in 1928, “The Divine Lady,” “House of Horror,” and “Two Weeks Off” in 1929 and “I'd Give My Life” and “Along Came Love” in 1936.

"Prior to 1929, the movies were silent; the 1929 movies were not completely silent as Vitaphone was used to give sound in certain scenes of the movies. Many of his earliest films have disintegrated turning to dust while being archived. The last film that he produced was a historical drama in 1941, “Cheers for Miss Bishop.” His later films were produced under Richard A. Rowland Productions. A very successful man, Richard Arthur Rowland was the son of James Rowland, a Welsh emigrant. He is credited in discovering Rudolph Valentino, Francis X. Bushman, Harold Lockwood and many other early “movie stars” of the silent screen."

Census Records

1900 census, Precinct 1 Pittsburgh city Ward 8, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States ^[5]

Emma Rowland Head F 43 England, widowed, mother of 4 (all living)

A. Richard Rowland Son M 19 Pennsylvania, Chemist

Jessie Rowland Daughter F 16 Pennsylvania

1910 census, Pittsburgh Ward 14, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States ^[6]

Richard A Rowland Head M 29 Pennsylvania, Manager, Moving Picture Shows

Daisy Rowland Wife F 28 Pennsylvania, no children

Emma Rowland Mother F 52 England, mother of 6 (2 living)

Theresa Takerer Servant F 26 Germany

1920 census, Manhattan Assembly District 9, New York, New York, United States ^[7]

Richd A Rowland Head M 39 Pennsylvania, Mfg, Pictures

Daisy ? Rowland Wife F 38 Pennsylvania

Harris Lemwood Servant M 32 Virginia

1925 New York State Census, New York, A.D. 15, E.D. 11, New York, New York, United States ^[8]

Richard A Rowland Head M 43 United States

1930 census, Rye, Westchester, New York, United States ^[9]

Richard A Rowland Head M 50 Pennsylvania

Daisy C Rowland Wife F 48 Pennsylvania

Caroline Clemmer Mother-in-law F 72 Pennsylvania

1940 census, Tract 387, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States ^[10]

1314 Nayworth Ave, Apt 202

Richard Roland Head M 60 Pennsylvania, Producer, Movie Studio

Daisy C Roland Wife F 58 Pennsylvania

Passport and Travel Records

United States Passport Applications ^[11]

Name: Richard A Rowland

Birth Date: 08 Dec 1880

Event Type: Passport Application

Event Date: 1919

Event Place: New York, United States

Certificate Number: 82174

Residence: 276 Riverside Drive, New York

Occupation: President of Metro Pictures Corp

Destination: England, France, Italy

Purpose: Buying and Selling Motion Pictures

United States Passport Applications ^[12]

Name: Richard A Rowland

Age: 40

Birth Date: 08 Dec 1880

Event Type: Passport Application

Event Date: 1920

Event Place: New York, United States

Certificate Number: 49782

Birthplace: Pennsylvania

1921 New York Passenger Arrivals, Ellis Island, New York City, New York, United States ^[13]

Richard A Rowland, age 41, born 8 Dec 1880, Pittsburgh

Arrived on "Aquitania" 03 Dec 1921, sailing from Southampton

U.S. Citizen with residence at Boston Post Rd, Rye, N.Y.

Sources

1. ↑ "Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2J8-5B8 : 11 February 2018), Richard Arthur Rollins, 08 Dec 1880; Birth, citing Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 499,272.
2. ↑ "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFMT-MBR : 18 October 2017), Richard A Rowland and Daisy Clemmer, 1905.
3. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WYQ-LJD : 10 February 2018), Richard Rowland, 12 May 1947; citing Death, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,133,607.
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #91047727
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS1J-866 : accessed 25 November 2018), A. Richard Rowland in household of Emma Rowland, Precinct 1 Pittsburgh city Ward 8, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 125, sheet 8B, family 154, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,358.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGCT-1VL : accessed 25 November 2018), Richard A Rowland, Pittsburgh Ward 14, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 468, sheet 1B, family 16, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1304; FHL microfilm 1,375,317.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJB9-W2Y : accessed 25 November 2018), Richd A Rowland, Manhattan Assembly District 9, New York, New York, United States; citing ED 693, sheet 20A, line 45, family 424, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1202; FHL microfilm 1,821,202.
8. ↑ "New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSQF-7JF : 8 November 2014), Richard A Rowland, New York, A.D. 15, E.D. 11, New York, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 29, line 35, New York State Archives, Albany.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4GF-NP1 : accessed 25 November 2018), Richard A Rowland, Rye, Westchester, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 340, sheet 2B, line 94, family 42, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1664; FHL microfilm 2,341,398.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K97D-ZR8 : 14 March 2018), Richard Roland, Tract 387, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-62, sheet 17B, line 53, family 618, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 222.
11. ↑ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKNT-X4R2 : 16 March 2018), Richard A Rowland, 1919; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #82174, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 774, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
12. ↑ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJG-YLW2 : 16 March 2018), Richard A Rowland, 1920; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #49782, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, Roll 1248, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
13. ↑ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6LS-VYQ : 30 January 2018), Richard A. Rowland, 1921.

See also:

• That’s a Wrap At a Dinner by Louis B. Mayer for Marcus Loew and Richard A. Rowland, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, 2 December 1922 by Paul R Spitzzeri, published by The Homestead Museum, December 2, 2021.

• That’s a Wrap at Metro Studios, Hollywood, February 1919 by Paul R Spitzzeri, published by The Homestead Museum, September 16, 2017.

• Wikipedia profile of Richard A Rowland

• Hollywood Star Walk: Richard Rowland, Los Angeles Times

• IMDb profile of Richard A Rowland