After his mother died, he always wore a ring on his left hand engraved with her dying words to him: Hijo mlo, no te apures, no te asustes; adioa, alma mla. The English translation is: My son, don't rush yourself, don't worry yourself, good-bye, my soul.
Brother of Francisco Day.
Considered El Paso his hometown, almost always referring to it as "mi casa".
During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Force.
Father-in-law of Dan Barton.
Gilbert Roland chose his screen name in homage to his two favorite movie stars, John Gilbert and Ruth Roland.
He has an entry in Jean Tulard's "Dictionnaire du Cinéma/Les Acteurs" published in Paris by Robert Laffont/Bouquins in 2007, pages. 1001-1002 (ISBN: 978-2-221-10895-6).
He is the only man to have portrayed both the villain and the hero of a single serial.
His formal education went no further than the seventh grade.
Involved in an affair with Norma Talmadge that resulted in her divorce from Joe Schenck. However, Norma lost interest before she and Gilbert were to be married and eventually tied the knot with comedian George Jessel.
The leather wrist band he often wore onscreen was initially prescribed by a doctor to aid the healing of a tennis injury to Roland's left wrist.
Went on record as strongly disapproving of modern movies with their violence and sex.