Russell Collins
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Russell Collins (born Russell Henry Collins, October 11, 1897 – November 14, 1965) was an American actor whose 43-year career included hundreds of performances on stage, in feature films, and on television.


Early life

Born in 1897 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Russell Collins was the middle child of Emma (''née'' Hughes) and Martin F. Collins' five children. He had a younger brother and sister, Raymond and Maxina, as well as an older brother and sister, Oren and Irene."The Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910"
enumeration date April 25, 1910, Center Township "Part of Precinct"
f Indianapolis F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...
Marion County, Indiana. FamilySearch. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
By 1910, Russell's father had become disabled and jobless, so his mother supported him and the rest of the family by working as a seamstress from their home. Emma's responsibilities for the family were so predominant, in fact, that she is identified in the 1910 United States Census as "Head" of the Collins' household. As a student in the Drama School at Carnegie Tech, Collins "first learned his trade in the days immediately following World War I." He also attended Indiana University and Northwestern University.


Career

Collins had roles in a few early Group Theatre productions with '' Success Story'' being his
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut. Probably his most noted
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
role was as the star of the 1935 musical play '' Johnny Johnson''. He enjoyed a long career on Broadway, although by the late 1940s, he began to perform increasingly 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, ...
films and on television, where he appeared in
teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or an ...
dramas, as well as on
Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
,
sitcoms A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...
, and on an array of other weekly series. He remained in high demand as a character actor and worked on television to shortly before his death. His 1957 appearance in the ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'' episode "The Night the World Ended" was a typical TV role, as was his 1962 role as a caring town doctor in “The Nancy Davis Story” on the TV Western ''
Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
'' (S5E33). He played Doc in the 1950
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 ...
production of ''Mr. Roberts'' at the
Coliseum Theatre The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre o ...
with
Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include '' Jesse James'', ...
as Mr. Roberts and
Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...
as Ensign Pulver.


Death

He died November 14, 1965, in West Hollywood, California. His gravesite is located in the Elsinore Valley Cemetery at
Lake Elsinore, California Lake Elsinore is a city in western Riverside County, California, United States. Established as a city in 1888, it is on the shore of Lake Elsinore, a natural freshwater lake about in size. The city has grown from a small resort town in the l ...
.


Selected Broadway roles

* '' Success Story'' (1932) as Harry Fisher * ''
Both Your Houses ''Both Your Houses'' is a 1933 play written by American playwright Maxwell Anderson. It was produced by the Theatre Guild and staged by Worthington Miner with scenic design by Arthur P. Segal. It opened at the Royale Theatre on March 5, 1933 and r ...
'' (1933) as Peebles * '' Men in White'' (1933) as Dr. Cunningham * ''Gentlewoman'' (1934) as Havens * ''
Gold Eagle Guy ''Gold Eagle Guy'' is a 1934 Broadway five scene drama written by Melvin Levy, produced by the Group Theatre with D. A. Doran, Jr., staged by Lee Strasberg, choreography by Helen Tamiris with scenic design by Donald Oenslager and costume desig ...
'' (1934) as a deserter and as Ed Walker * ''
Till the Day I Die ''Till the Day I Die'' is a play by Clifford Odets performed on Broadway in 1935. Description The play is a seven-scene drama written by Clifford Odets. It was originally written as a piece to accompany ''Waiting for Lefty''. Productions It w ...
'' (1935) as Schlupp * ''
Waiting For Lefty ''Waiting for Lefty'' is a 1935 play by the American playwright Clifford Odets; it was his first play to be produced. Consisting of a series of related vignettes, the entire play is framed by a meeting of cab drivers who are planning a labor str ...
'' (1935) as Fatt and as Fayette and as Reilly * ''Paradise Lost'' (1935) as homeless man * '' Johnny Johnson'' (1935) as Johnny Johnson * ''
The Star-Wagon ''The Star-Wagon'' was a 1937 Broadway drama written by Maxwell Anderson, produced and staged by Guthrie McClintic, with scenic design by Jo Mielziner and musical direction by Albert Pearl. It ran for 223 performances from September 29, 1937 to ...
'' (1937) as Hanus Wicks * ''Missouri Legend'' (1938) as Jim Cummins * ''Here Come the Clowns'' (1938) as John Dickinson * ''
Morning's at Seven ''Morning's at Seven'' is a play by Paul Osborn. Its plot focuses on four aging sisters living in a small Midwestern town in 1928, and it deals with ramifications within the family when two of them begin to question their lives and decide to mak ...
'' (1939) as Carl Bolton * ''The Moon is Down'' (1942) as Major Hunter * ''
Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
'' (1945) as Starkeeper and as Dr. Seldon * ''
The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perfo ...
'' (1946) as James Cameron * ''The Liar'' (1950) as Brighelia * ''
Sabrina Fair ''Sabrina Fair'' (subtitled "''A Woman of the World''") is a romantic comedy written by Samuel A. Taylor and produced by the Playwrights' Company. It ran on Broadway for a total of 318 performances, opening at the National Theatre on November 11 ...
'' (1953) as Fairchild * ''
Sunrise at Campobello ''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 Warner Bros. biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 i ...
'' (1958) as Louis McHenry Howe (replacement) * ''Romulus'' (1962) as Achilles * ''Calculated Risk'' (1962) as Jonathan Travis


Filmography


References


External links

* *
Russell Collins



Johnny Johnson: An Appreciation


{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Russell 1897 births 1965 deaths American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male telenovela actors Male actors from Indianapolis Indiana State University alumni