Arthur Greville Collins (September 5, 1896 - September 1, 1980) was a British-born film director.

Career

Collins was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and began directing for the stage, including productions of ''Fata Morgana'', ''No Man's Land'', and ''Tarnish''. In 1921, he married actress

Betty Ross Clarke Betty Ross Clarke (born May Clarke,National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; ''Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940''; Mi ...

and accompanied her in her theatrical career in Great Britain, the United States, and Australia. In 1934 he wed Rhoda Shepherd. He moved to Los Angeles and directed some plays there, then moved into movie making as a dialogue director for

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

He worked in that capacity for two years then became a director, making several

B picture A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

s. He moved to Australia in May 1939 to make ''

Seven Little Australians ''Seven Little Australians'' is a classic Australian children's literature novel by Ethel Turner, published in 1894. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father ...

'' (1939) and decided to stay there. He served in the

RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

during World War II, being discharged as a squadron leader. He also was stationed as administrative officer for two years at Port Pirie and

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with an estimated urban population of 33,233 . The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about south-east of the capital Ad ...

. In 1947 Collins managed to source funding to make another movie, '' Strong Is the Seed'' (1949). He later announced plans to make a film about

Cobb and Co Cobb & Co was the name used by many successful sometimes quite independent Australian coaching businesses. The first was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name Cobb & Co grew to great prominence in the late 19t ...

but this did not eventuate. In 1950, Collins travelled to New Zealand where he produced the musical comedy ''

Chu Chin Chow ''Chu Chin Chow'' is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of '' Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves''. Gänzl, Kurt"''Chu Chin Chow'' Musical Tal ...

'' for the Christchurch Operatic Society to favourable reviews.

Partial filmography

*''They Can't Be Snookered'' (1932 short) – producer *''

The Widow from Monte Carlo ''The Widow from Monte Carlo'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Arthur Greville Collins and starring Warren William, Dolores del Río, Louise Fazenda and Colin Clive. It was based on the play '' A Present from Margate'' by Ian Hay and ...

'' (1935) – director *''

Personal Maid's Secret ''Personal Maid's Secret'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Arthur Greville Collins and written by Lillie Hayward and F. Hugh Herbert. The film stars Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hull, Anita Louise, Ruth Donnelly, Arthur Treacher and Fran ...

'' (1935) – director *'' Nobody's Fool'' (1936) – director *''

Thank You, Jeeves! ''Thank You, Jeeves!'' is a 1936 comedy film directed by Arthur Greville Collins, written by Stephen Gross and Joseph Hoffman, and starring Arthur Treacher, Virginia Field, David Niven, Lester Matthews, Colin Tapley and John Graham Spacey. I ...

'' (1936) – director *'' Paradise Isle'' (1937) – director *''Shots and Shots'' (1937 short) – co-director''Shots and Shots''
at

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

* ''

Saleslady ''Saleslady'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Arthur Greville Collins and starring Anne Nagel, Weldon Heyburn and Harry Davenport. Fetrow p.567 Based on the story ''Nothing Down'' by Kubec Glasmon, it was produced and di ...

'' (1938) – director *''

'' (1939) – director *'' Strong Is the Seed'' (1949) – director *''

Port of Escape ''Port of Escape'' is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Tony Young and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum, Bill Kerr and Joan Hickson. Plot Two sailors, one Australian and one American, are kicked off their ship when it docks in Lo ...

'' (1960) – producer, incomplete

References

External links

* *
Arthur Greville Collins
at

1896 births 1980 deaths American film directors {{US-film-director-1890s-stub