Roland West (February 20, 1885 – March 31, 1952) was an American film director, known for his innovative proto-film noir movies of the 1920s and early 1930s.

Born Roland Van Zimmer to a theatrical family in Cleveland, Ohio, he began acting in vaudeville productions as a teenager.

The third season of TV show True Detective features a character named Roland West, speculated to be a tribute to the director.

West has long been considered a murder suspect in many conspiracy theories due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the death of his mistress, actress Thelma Todd.

[6][7] However, the bad publicity surrounding his alleged involvement in Thelma Todd's death hurt his reputation and largely overshadowed his film work.