Rowland Lee

Director Born Sept. 6, 1891 in Findlay , Ohio

Rowland Lee directed numerous films from the 1920s through the 1940s. A popular screen actor who had his name in electric lights all over the world, Lee chose to become a director.

"'The Man Without a Country,' by Edward Everett Hale, is the greatest story of patriotism ever written," said Lee emphatically when discussing the reasons for his choice of story material for his first big effort.

The film scored big and propelled Lee into the major leagues as a director.

Lee went on to direct films like "A Man from Wyoming" (1930) with Gary Cooper, "The Count of Monte Cristo" (1934) with Robert Donat, "The Sun Never Sets" (1939) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Basil Rathbone, and "Captain Kidd" (1945) with Charles Laughton and Randolph Scott.

Lee came out of a 14-year retirement to produce the "Big Fisherman." The film was directed by friend and colleague Frank Borzage and starred Howard Keel.

— Los Angeles Times July 13, 1924 and March 29, 1925, with additional material