Roland Totheroh
Roland Herbert Totheroh (November 29, 1890 – June 18, 1967) was an American cinematographer most notable for being the regular cameraman on the films of Charlie Chaplin. He worked with Chaplin from 1915 until the 1940s in over 30 films. He was often billed as Rollie Totheroh.
Also recorded as Roland "Rollie" Totheroh · Roland Herbert Totheroh
Roland Totheroh

United Artists photograph by William Wallace (cropped from the published image to emphasize Roland Totherot) · International Photographer, January 1940, front cover · Public domain
- Name
- Roland Totheroh
- Birth Name
- Roland Herbert Totheroh
- Born
- 29 November 1890
- Birthplace
- San Francisco, California, U.S.
- Died
- 18 June 1967
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Cinematographer
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Roland Herbert Totheroh (November 29, 1890 – June 18, 1967) was an American cinematographer most notable for being the regular cameraman on the films of Charlie Chaplin. He worked with Chaplin from 1915 until the 1940s in over 30 films. He was often billed as Rollie Totheroh.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q179581 · wikipedia · Roland Totheroh
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Roland Totheroh • Birth Name — Roland Herbert Totheroh • Born — 29 November 1890 • Birthplace — San Francisco, California, U.S. • Died — 18 June 1967 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery • Occupation — Cinematographer • Father — John Edgar Totheroh • Mother — Emma Gertrude Ashman • Children — Jack Totheroh • Relatives — Dan Totheroh
Biography
Biography
He was born in San Francisco, California, on November 29, 1890, to John Edgar Totheroh and Emma Gertrude Ashman. His brother was the writer Dan Totheroh (1894–1976). He began his film career at the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. He married and had a son, actor Jack Totheroh (1914–2011). He died on June 18, 1967, in Los Angeles, California.
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• * indicates a non-Chaplin film. • The Floorwalker (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) • The Fireman (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) • The Vagabond (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) • One A.M. (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) • The Count (1916 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • The Pawnshop (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) • Behind the Screen (1916 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • The Rink (1916 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • Easy Street (1917 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • The Cure (1917 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • The Immigrant (1917 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • The Adventurer (1917 short) (with George C. Zalibra) • A Dog's Life (1918 short) • Shoulder Arms (1918 short) • Sunnyside (1919 short) • The Professor (1919 unfinished short) • A Day's Pleasure (1919 short) • The Kid (1921) • The Idle Class (1921 short) • Pay Day (1922 short) • A Woman of Paris (1923) (with Jack Wilson) • The Gold Rush (1925) • The Circus (1928) • City Lights (1931) (with Gordon Pollock) • Modern Times (1936) (with Ira H. Morgan) • The Great Dictator (1940) (with Karl Struss) • Monsieur Verdoux (1947) (with an uncredited Curt Courant) • Song of My Heart* (1948) • Limelight (1952) (credited to Karl Struss; "photographic consultant" only)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1967
Roland Totheroh died on 18 June 1967.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
San Francisco.
Birth place
Hollywood.
Death place
Legacy
Totheroh was portrayed in the film Chaplin by David Duchovny.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q179581: Roland Totheroh
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Roland Totheroh”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
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authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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