Richard A. Rowland was a studio executive and film producer who had a long-storied career in the motion picture business. At the time “The Trail To Yesterday” was produced in May of 1918 at Metro Pictures Corp, Rowland was its president.
Born December 8, 1880, in Pittsburgh, his father, James Richard Roland, operated a carbon lamp company. When Richard was 18-years old, his father died, and he took over his father's carbon lamp business and then successfully expanded the company into the motion picture lighting business.
Rowland also entered the film business in 1905 as a distributor with offices in the Pittsburgh and Ohio areas. Later he sold the business to the General Film Company in 1910 and became a millionaire at the age of 30.
In 1914, Al Lichtman, former sales manager of Famous Players, organized Alco Film with Richard Rowland and Louis B Mayer and co-owners, but the venture ended-up in receivership by the end of that same year, due in part by another managing partner (Walter Seely), who depleted cash reserves by moving money into other entities as a tax-avoidance scheme.
Then acting quickly, a meeting of shareholders organized the Metro Pictures Corporation in January of 1915 with Richard Rowland as President, James B Clark as vice president and Louis B Meyer as secretary. Metro Pictures in 1915 was at the start of an inflection point in silent film era. The inflection being the production primarily of feature-length films shown in new larger theaters along with quality productions as experience and technology progressed with time. Although still on the scene, the Vaudeville era had been eclipsed by a movie industry that was maturing into big business.
This was also a time when film production companies began vertically integrating; buying and building movie theaters to establish a critical mass of screens; sponsoring the production of their own motion pictures in order to ensure their company-owned theaters had plenty of content to keep seats filled. Additionally, Metro Pictures developed distribution channels within the United States and overseas.
Richard Rowland moved his family to NY as Metro Pictures Corp grew. Metro Pictures subsequent success and eventual integration as Metro-Goldwin-Meyer (MGM), launched Richard Rowland's long career in the industry.
Then in 1919 the company was sold to Marcus Loew. Rowland and Clark stayed with Loew's venture. This marked Loew's entrance into film production in addition to his theaters and Vaudeville houses.
At this time Richard Rowland headed a separate company to handle Metro's film distribution, gaining headlines for distribution deals: "President of Metro Pictures Returns from Abroad with Photo-Drama "L'Atlantide – Obtains American Rights for the film”- The Morning Telegraph NY 12-18-21.
Two years later Rowland became the general manager of First National in 1922. Rowland was recognized as a specialist on story properties and personally credited with the success of the "Four Horseman of the Apocalypse while with First National; a film which he produced.
In 1931 he joined Fox Film Corp as Vice president of the New York production executive. After leaving Fox he associated with Universal and MGM until 1936. Later with Paramount and Republic working under Moe Siegal. Then he went independent, releasing through United Artists. His last venture as producer was "Cheers for Miss Bishop".
In December 1942 he joined 20th Century Fox and was on the staff until the time of his death on 12 May 1947 at age 66.
Also in his later years, he was a professor at Columbia University, where he wrote several academic articles on the role that film played in modern culture. In one of his essays, titled American Classic, he argues that Marx Brothers films are classics that will stand the test of time (wikipedia).
His career brought top personalities to the screen and Richard Rowland was credited with discovering Rudolph Valentino, Frances X Bushman and Harold Lockwood (early screen stars). Recognized by the motion picture industry, Rowland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1541 Vine Street.
Sources:
- Reporter 5-13-47
- Variety 5-13-47
- Marcus Loew Buys Metro Co. 1/6/20 (chronicle telegraph)
- Variety 9-2-21
- The morning telegraph, NY 11-26-22
- Variety 6-13-28
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_A._Rowland
- THE PITTSBURGH PRESS, SUNDAY FEB 16, 1964
- Lion of Hollywood, by Scott Eyman c2005
- Hollywood East by Diana Altman c1992
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