December 22, 1975, Page 31Buy Reprints
PALM DESERT, Calif., Dec. 21 (UPI)—Rowland V. Lee, a Hollywood director, died at his home today, apparently of a heart attack. He was 84 years old.
Mr, Lee had just finished writing a mystery screenplay, “The Belt.”
Among his silent pictures were “Barbed Wire,” “Three Sinners,” “Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu”: and “Doomsday,” with Gary Cooper in his first leading role.
When the talkies came, Mr. Lee made the switch easily. He directed “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Three Musketeers, “The Bride of San Luis Rey” and “The Big Fisherman,” which was nominated for an Academy Award.
He was instrumental in introducing such stars as Robert Donat, Paul Lukas and Robert Young.
Mr. Lee directed and produced more than 60 films and collaborated in more than dozen screenplays.
He studied at Columbia University and went to Hollywood in 1916 to further his acting career after having served in the infantry in World War I.
He began his film career with Thomas H. Ince, who offered him a choice between acting anu directing. Mr. Lee chose directing.
Mr. Lee is survived by his wife, Eleanor, and brother, Donald W. Lee, a former Hollywood film writer.
Dream Fulfilled
When Mr. Lee first retired in 1945 after directing “Captain Kidd,” he settled down on his ranch in the San Fernando Valley to raise cattle and alfalfa and enjoy the financial independence he had achieved in 38 movie‐making years.
Before long he was part‐way back into the business by converting part of his acreage overlooking the Chatsworth Reservoir into a motion picture location. Among his first customers was Frank Borzage, fellow actor in early Hollywood days, who was filming “I've Always Loved You.”
The next step was his dream of doing a life of Christ. In 1959 he produced “The Big Fisherman” from the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas. He wrote the script with Howard Estabrook and engaged Mr. Borzage to direct it.
Mr. Lee made a point of writing the screenplay before the actors were chosen because “when you think about stars first, the story is bound to be psychologically colored.” He then engaged the singer Howard Keel as Peter, the central character.