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IMDbPro

David Rollins(1907-1997)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
David Rollins
Extremely handsome, juvenile lead of the silent era David Rollins was discovered as an extra and given a contract with Fox Films in 1927. He worked mostly in light comedies, frequently paired with Sue Carol (the future wife of Alan Ladd). While under contract to Fox he worked with many great directors just beginning their careers, including Howard Hawks, John Ford and George Stevens.

Few of his films survive today. The best-known is probably The Big Trail (1930), a full-length talkie directed by Raoul Walsh featuring John Wayne in his first starring role. Though beautifully photographed, the sound is rather rickety and the film was seen by relatively few people due to the fact that it was shot in 70mm, which few theaters at the time were equipped to show.

Rollins retired in the 1950s and spent the rest of his life traveling, raising dogs, volunteering at a local hospital and tending his citrus orchards in Encinitas, California. He was interviewed only once, by author Michael Ankerich, for his where-are-they-now-book, "Broken Silence."
BornSeptember 2, 1907
DiedMay 25, 1997(89)
BornSeptember 2, 1907
DiedMay 25, 1997(89)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos44

Frank Baker, Victor McLaglen, and David Rollins in The Black Watch (1929)
Laura La Plante and David Rollins in Thanks for the Buggy Ride (1928)
Marguerite Churchill and David Rollins in The Big Trail (1930)
Charles Delaney and David Rollins in The Air Circus (1928)
John Wayne, Marguerite Churchill, Helen Parrish, and David Rollins in The Big Trail (1930)
David Rollins in The Big Trail (1930)
Sally Phipps and David Rollins in High School Hero (1927)
Sue Carol and David Rollins in Win That Girl (1928)
Heinie Conklin and David Rollins in The Air Circus (1928)
Sue Carol, Charles Delaney, Arthur Lake, and David Rollins in The Air Circus (1928)
David Rollins in The Air Circus (1928)
Richard Keene, David Rollins, and Nick Stuart in Why Leave Home? (1929)

Known for:

Nancy Drexel and David Rollins in Prep and Pep (1928)
Prep and Pep
  • Cyril Reade
  • 1928
Sally Blane and Hobart Bosworth in The Phantom Express (1932)
The Phantom Express
5.4
  • Jackie Nolan
  • 1932
Happy Days (1929)
Happy Days
5.7
  • Minstrel Show Performer
  • 1929
Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929)
Fox Movietone Follies of 1929
6.6
  • Actor
  • 1929

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Sally Blane and Hobart Bosworth in The Phantom Express (1932)
    The Phantom Express
    • Jackie Nolan
    • 1932
  • The Hollywood Handicap
    • Character
    • Short
    • 1932
  • Probation (1932)
    Probation
    • Alec
    • 1932
  • Love Pains
    • Dave
    • Short
    • 1932
  • The Kick-Off! (1931)
    The Kick-Off!
    • Dave Smith
    • Short
    • 1931
  • Bessie Love in Morals for Women (1931)
    Morals for Women
    • Bill Huston
    • 1931
  • Mama Loves Papa
    • Dave Culpepper
    • Short
    • 1931
  • Hardie Albright, Dorothy Jordan, and Thomas Meighan in Young Sinners (1931)
    Young Sinners
    • Tommy
    • 1931
  • John Wayne and Marguerite Churchill in The Big Trail (1930)
    The Big Trail
    • Dave Cameron
    • 1930
  • City Girl (1930)
    City Girl
    • Reaper (uncredited)
    • 1930
  • George Jessel and Lila Lee in Love, Live and Laugh (1929)
    Love, Live and Laugh
    • Pasquale Gallupi
    • 1929
  • Happy Days (1929)
    Happy Days
    • Minstrel Show Performer
    • 1929
  • Sue Carol, Richard Keene, Dixie Lee, David Rollins, and Nick Stuart in Why Leave Home? (1929)
    Why Leave Home?
    • Oscar
    • 1929
  • Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929)
    Fox Movietone Follies of 1929
    • 1929
  • Myrna Loy and Victor McLaglen in The Black Watch (1929)
    The Black Watch
    • Lt. Malcolm King
    • 1929

Personal details

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  • Height
    • 5′ 10½″ (1.79 m)
  • Born
    • September 2, 1907
    • Kansas City, Missouri, USA
  • Died
    • May 25, 1997
    • Encinitas, California, USA(undisclosed)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 2 Articles

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