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.

Russell Collins
Collins in 1958
Born
Russell H. Collins

(1897-10-11)October 11, 1897
DiedNovember 14, 1965(1965-11-14) (aged 68)
OccupationActor
Years active1922–1965

Early life

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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.[1][2] 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.[2] 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.[2]

As a student in the Drama School at Carnegie Tech, Collins "first learned his trade in the days immediately following World War I."[3] He also attended Indiana University and Northwestern University.[4]

Career

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Collins had roles in a few early Group Theatre productions with Success Story being his Broadway debut.[5] Probably his most noted Broadway 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 films and on television, where he appeared in teleplay dramas, as well as on Westerns, sitcoms, 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 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 (S5E33).

He played Doc in the 1950 London production of Mr. Roberts at the Coliseum Theatre with Tyrone Power as Mr. Roberts and Jackie Cooper as Ensign Pulver.

Death

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He died November 14, 1965, in West Hollywood, California. His gravesite is located in the Elsinore Valley Cemetery at Lake Elsinore, California.[citation needed]

Selected Broadway roles

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Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1943 Seeds of Freedom
1948 Close-Up Beck
1949 Shockproof Frederick Bauer
1949 The Walking Hills Bibbs
1950 The Sleeping City Medical Examiner Uncredited
1953 Niagara Mr. Qua
1953 Destination Gobi Lieutenant Commander Hobart Wyatt
1953 Monte Carlo Baby Max
1953 Miss Sadie Thompson Dr. Robert MacPhail
1955 Bad Day at Black Rock Mr. Hastings
1955 Canyon Crossroads Dr. Andrew Rand
1955 Soldier of Fortune Icky
1955 The Last Frontier Captain Phil Clarke
1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents John Brown Season 2 Episode 14: "John Brown's Body"
1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Skinner #21 Season 2 Episode 21: "Number Twenty-Two"
1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Johnny Season 2 Episode 31: "The Night the World Ended"
1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Clarence Weems Season 2 Episode 37: "The Indestructible Mr. Weems"
1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ed Barnes Season 3 Episode 13 "Night of the Execution"
1957 Raintree County Niles Foster
1957 The Enemy Below Doctor
1958 The Matchmaker Joe Scanlon
1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Bill Finley Season 4 Episode 12: "Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Fenimore"
1958 God's Little Acre Watchman
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Dad Season 4 Episode 23: "I'll Take Care of You"
1959 The Rabbit Trap Hughie Colt
1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alvin Moss Season 6 Episode 27: "Deathmate"
1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mr. Fletcher Season 7 Episode 11: "The Right Kind of Medicine"
1962 The Twilight Zone Ben Conroy Season 3 Episode 21: "Kick the Can"
1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Sam Brody Season 2 Episode 7: "Starring the Defense"
1964 Fail-Safe Gordon Knapp
1965 Those Calloways Nat Perkins
1965 When the Boys Meet the Girls Mr. Stokes

References

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  1. ^ "Twelfth Census of the United States: 1900", enumeration date June 14, 1900, Center Township 5th Precinct, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana; Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Commerce and Labor, Washington, D.C. Digital image of original census page available at FamilySearch, a free online genealogical database provided as a public service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "The Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910", enumeration date April 25, 1910, Center Township "Part of Precinct" [of Indianapolis], Marion County, Indiana. FamilySearch. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  3. ^ Cohen, Harold V. (19 November 1965). "Notes and Comment". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 17. Retrieved December 11, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ "Actor Russell Collins Back Home In 'Iceman'". The Indianapolis Star. Indiana, Indianapolis. 7 May 1947. p. 27. Retrieved December 11, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ "Russell Collins". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
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