Patricia Ann Collins (May 7, 1935 – May 31, 1997) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
hypnotist
Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...
.
Early life
Collins was born in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
,
on May 7, 1935. She spent most of her childhood in orphanages and foster homes.
Career
Collins mentioned in interviews that hypnosis helped her recover from a
nervous breakdown.
She later studied the art and came up with a nightclub act in which she would hypnotize volunteers from the audience.
She owned a nightclub on the
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly H ...
in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
, where she would perform her act, as well as use hypnosis for therapeutic purposes.
She became known as the "Hip Hypnotist".
At her zenith, Collins earned $4,000 per week.
In 1966, Collins appeared as herself on ''
The Lucy Show'',
in an episode titled "Lucy and Pat Collins", on which she hypnotized
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
's and
Gale Gordon's characters, Lucy Carmichael and Mr. Mooney. She also appeared in the film ''
Divorce American Style
''Divorce American Style'' is a 1967 American film, directed by Bud Yorkin and starring Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jason Robards, Jean Simmons, and Van Johnson. Norman Lear produced the comedy satire and wrote the script, based on a story by ...
''.
Collins was seen on the
panel shows
A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on ''The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on ' ...
''
What's My Line?'' and ''
I've Got a Secret
''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...
'' and on the
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
''
Hollywood Squares''.
Collins resided in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
until 1983. She then moved to
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
, performing there and in
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...
through 1992, when she moved to San Bernardino with ill health.
Among the celebrities whom Collins hypnotized were
Steve Allen,
Jill St. John
Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is a retired American actress. She may be best known for playing Tiffany Case, the first American Bond girl of the 007 franchise, in '' Diamonds Are Forever''. Additional performances i ...
, and
Lloyd Bridges.
She counted
Robert Wagner and
Ed Begley, Sr. as friends.
Collins also released two records; ''Sleep With Pat Collins! (The Hip Hypnotist)'' (1963) and ''Turn On! The Power Of The Mind'' (1967) featuring her hypnosis routines.
Pat Collins , Discography , Discogs
Accessed August 15, 2020.
Personal life
Collins had two daughters, a son, and six grandchildren (at the time of her death).
Death
Collins died at her home in San Bernardino, California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, on May 31, 1997.stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
.
References
External links
*
*
American hypnotists
1935 births
1997 deaths
Entertainers from Michigan
People from Detroit
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