David Rollins (actor)

Rollins was born on September 2, 1907, in Kansas City, Missouri,U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 the youngest of six children born to George Rollins (1870-1947) and Katharine Mills Rollins (1872-1957).{{cite United States census | url = | title = United States Federal Census| year = 1910| location = Kansas City Ward 7, Jackson, Missouri| roll = | page = | line = | enumdist = | filmnum = | nafilm = | accessdate = }} His father was a restaurant manager and later government accountant.{{cite United States census | url = | title = United States Federal Census| year = 1920| location = Kansas City Ward 7, Jackson, Missouri| roll = | page = | line = | enumdist = | filmnum = | nafilm = | accessdate = }} His sister was the actress Sandra Morgan (birth name Martha Rollins).{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0605018/ | title=Sandra Morgan | Actress | website=IMDb }} Rollins attended Northeast High School in Kansas City before moving to California and graduating from Glendale High School in Glendale, California in 1925. The 1925 Glendale High School yearbook listed an expected attendance at the University of California.{{cite book |title=Glendale High School Yearbook |date=1925 |location=Glendale, California}}

Rollins earliest credited film role came playing a student in the 1927 silent film High School Hero,{{cite web |title=High School Hero |url=https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/high-school-hero-1927 |website=The AV Club |access-date=13 June 2023}} which is now considered lost.{{cite web |title=The High School Hero |url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.6155/default.html |website=The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog |access-date=13 June 2023}} He appeared in dozens more films in the following years, including several for Fox Film Corporation, where he was under contract.{{cite news |title=Obituary |agency=North County Times |date=August 6, 1997}} These films included as a leading man in both Win that Girl{{cite web |title=Win that Girl |url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.10665/|website=The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog |access-date=13 June 2023}} and Prep and Pep,{{cite web |title=Prep and Pep |url=http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.8374/|website=The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog |access-date=13 June 2023}} both released in 1928 and now considered lost films. His first sound film was a leading role as a pilot in The Air Circus, which was directed by Howard Hawks and co-starred Arthur Lake and Sue Carol and is considered lost.{{cite web |title=The Air Circus |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/66929/the-air-circus/#overview |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=13 June 2023}} In 1930, Rollins had a noted supporting role in The Big Trail, John Wayne's first film.{{cite web |title=The Big Trail |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/68738/the-big-trail#overview |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=13 June 2023}} Following that movie, he had several more supporting roles in feature-length films, but never again appeared as a lead actor. After his film career ended he moved to New York City to work in the theatre, garnering at least one role in the short lived 1941 Broadway musical Crazy with the Heat,{{cite web |title=Crazy with the Heat |url=https://playbill.com/production/crazy-with-the-heat-44th-street-theatre-vault-0000011434 |website=Playbill |access-date=13 June 2023}} before retiring from acting.

File:Actor_David_Rollins_photographed_reclining_and_shirtless_in_1927.jpg

File:Actor_David_Rollins_sitting_and_unclothed.jpg

Early in his film career, Rollins was invited by director F.W. Murnau to spend time with him at his home, which has since been identified as the Wolf's Lair castle in Hollywood.{{cite journal |last1=Welter |first1=Volker |title=Schloss Murnau, Hollywood, CA 90068 |journal=Cabinet - A Quarterly of Art and Culture |date=November 2017 |issue=63 |page=41}} On at least one of these visits in late 1927, Murnau convinced Rollins to pose nude, with the pool and garden of the Wolf's Lair serving as the backdrop. In a later interview Rollins claimed to have been puzzled and surprised by the request, but felt comfortable enough with his body to oblige.{{cite book |last1=Ankerich |first1=Michael |title=Broken Silence |date=1993}}

For several years Rollins lived with John Blair Linn Goodwin (1912-1994). Goodwin was a noted novelist, poet and painter{{cite news |title=John Blair Linn Goodwin; Writer and Poet, 81 |agency=New York Times |date=January 20, 1994}} and was mentioned multiple times in Christopher Isherwood's diaries.{{cite book |last1=Isherwood |first1=Christopher |title=Diaries: Volume One, 1939-1960 by Christopher Isherwood |date=October 1, 1998 |publisher=Harper Perennial}} They were cohabitating as early as April 1937, when they listed the same address in New York City when they traveled together to Acapulco, Mexico.New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957. Name John B Goodwin Gender Male Marital Status Single Age 25 Birth Date 1912 Birth Place New York Other Birth Place New York Departure Port Acapulco, Mexico Arrival Date 26 Apr 1937 Arrival Port New York, New York, USA Ship Name Pennsylvania Three years later, Rollins is listed as Goodwin's partner in the 1940 census, while they were residing together in Orangetown, New York. At that time, Rollins' occupation was cited as a dog fancier at a kennel, and Goodwin was listed as unemployed.{{cite United States census | url = | title = United States Federal Census| year = 1940| location = Orangetown, New York| roll = | page = | line = | enumdist = | filmnum = | nafilm = | accessdate = }} In October 1940 they both listed the same Manhattan address in their registration for the draft during World War II.National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards For New York City, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147 By 1942, Rollins returned to California with Goodwin, as 1942 and 1944 voter registration records show they were living at the same address, during which time Rollins was listed as working as a farmer and Goodwin as a writer.California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968 Sometime after 1944 their relationship appears to have ended, as Goodwin's 1994 obituary listed Anthony P. Russo as his long-time friend and companion, with no reference to Rollins.{{cite news |title=Mr BL John Goodwin |publisher=Santa Fe New Mexican |date=January 15, 1994}}

After the end of his acting career, Rollins settled in Encinitas, California, and became an avocado farmer. He died on August 6, 1997, and was cremated, with his ashes being scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

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Category:1907 births

Category:1997 deaths

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male silent film actors

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people

Category:American gay actors

Category:Male actors from Kansas City, Missouri

Category:LGBTQ people from Missouri