Gary Collins, actor and TV host, dies at 74 in Biloxi
Gary Collins, an actor, television show host and former master of ceremonies for the Miss America Pageant, has died. He was 74.
Collins, a resident of Biloxi, Miss., died of natural causes just before 1 a.m. Saturday after he was brought to Biloxi Regional Medical Center, according to Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove.
During the 1980s, Collins hosted the Miss America pageant and TV's "Hour Magazine."
As an actor he appeared in numerous movies and TV shows dating back to the 1960s. He was a cast member of the series "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" in the 1960s, and the star of the series "The Sixth Sense" in the 1970s.
Collins enlisted in the Army and served in Europe, where he
was a radio and television performer for the Armed Forces Network. After his
return, he performed at the Barter Theatre, a year-round repertory theatre in
Abingdon, Virginia, whose director Robert Porterfield provided chances for many
aspiring actors.
Collins made a career in television, co-starring, with Jack
Warden and Mark Slade, in the 1965 series The Wackiest Ship in the Army. He
co-starred, with Dale Robertson and Robert Random, in the 1966-68 series Iron
Horse. He starred in the 1972 television series The Sixth Sense, in syndication
part of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, as the parapsychologist and extrasensory
perception-gifted Dr. Michael Rhodes. In 1974, he starred in the series Born
Free, based on the life of George Adamson, a Kenyan wildlife conservationist
best known for his work with lions. Collins appeared in two episodes of Perry
Mason: in 1965, he played assistant district attorney and defendant Larry
Germaine in the 1965 episode, "The Case of the Fatal Fetish", and in
1966, he played murderer Alex Tanner in "The Case of the Crafty
Kidnapper".
Collins guest-starred in dozens of television shows
beginning in the 1960s, including The Virginian, Hawaii Five-O, The Six Million
Dollar Man, ALF, The Love Boat, The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Roots,
Gimme A Break!, Friends, "Yes, Dear", JAG, and most recently Dirty Sexy
Money. Collins also appeared in Barnaby Jones; episode titled, “Deadly
Reunion”(02/12/1976). He appeared in the episode "You're Not Alone"
from the 1977 anthology series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (known in
the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale).
Collins also had many film roles, including The Pigeon That
Took Rome (1962), Angel in My Pocket (1969) also starring Andy Griffith, the
original Airport (1970), Quarantined (1970), Houston, We've Got a Problem
(1974), The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977), the horror thriller Killer
Fish (1979), starring Lee Majors, Watchers Reborn (1998), and The Jungle Book:
Search for the Lost Treasure (1998). He also played an American astronaut
involved in a UFO coverup in the 1980 film Hangar 18.
Collins hosted the Group W television talk show Hour
Magazine from 1980 to 1988, and co-hosted the ABC television series The Home
Show from 1989 to 1994. He was the host of the Miss America Pageant from 1982
to 1990. His wife Mary Ann Mobley and he replaced Bob Barker as co-hosts of
the Pillsbury Bake-Off on CBS from 1984 to 1988 before being replaced by
Willard Scott in 1990.
Last year, Judge Albert Fountain dismissed charges against the actor after an employee of Jazzeppi's restaurant asked to withdraw his complaint against Collins.
Collins had been charged with defrauding an innkeeper after allegedly failing to pay a $59.35 bill on Jan. 4. Refusing to pay a bill of more than $25 is a felony in Mississippi
He is married to Mary Anne Mobley, a former Miss America from Brandon, Mississippi.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1962 The Pigeon
That Took Rome Major Wolff
1962 King Kong vs.
Godzilla Submariner Uncredited
1962 The Longest
Day Officer On Bridge Uncredited
1965 Stranded Bob
1969 Angel in My
Pocket Art Shields
1970 Quarantined Dr. Larry Freeman TV movie
1970 Airport Cy Jordan
1972 Getting Away
from It All Mark Selby TV movie
1974 Houston,
We've Got a Problem Tim Cordell TV movie
1977 Roots Grill TV
miniseries (Part III)
1977 The Night
They Took Miss Beautiful Paul
Fabiani TV movie
1978 The Young
Runaways Lt. Ray Phillips Disney TV movie
1979 Killer Fish Tom
1979 The Kid From
Left Field Pete Sloane TV movie
1980 The Secret of
Lost Valley Ned Harkness Disney TV movie
1980 Hangar 18 Steve Bancroft
1981 Jacqueline
Susann's Valley of the Dolls Kevin
Gilmore TV miniseries
1992 Secrets Zack Taylor TV
movie
1994 Bandit Bandit
Governor Denton TV movie
1998 Watchers
Reborn Gus Brody
1998 The Jungle
Book: Search for the Lost Treasure Professor
Warren Miller
2000 Beautiful Miss American Miss Host
Collins, a resident of Biloxi, Miss., died of natural causes just before 1 a.m. Saturday after he was brought to Biloxi Regional Medical Center, according to Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove.
During the 1980s, Collins hosted the Miss America pageant and TV's "Hour Magazine."
As an actor he appeared in numerous movies and TV shows dating back to the 1960s. He was a cast member of the series "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" in the 1960s, and the star of the series "The Sixth Sense" in the 1970s.
Collins enlisted in the Army and served in Europe, where he
was a radio and television performer for the Armed Forces Network. After his
return, he performed at the Barter Theatre, a year-round repertory theatre in
Abingdon, Virginia, whose director Robert Porterfield provided chances for many
aspiring actors.
Collins made a career in television, co-starring, with Jack
Warden and Mark Slade, in the 1965 series The Wackiest Ship in the Army. He
co-starred, with Dale Robertson and Robert Random, in the 1966-68 series Iron
Horse. He starred in the 1972 television series The Sixth Sense, in syndication
part of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, as the parapsychologist and extrasensory
perception-gifted Dr. Michael Rhodes. In 1974, he starred in the series Born
Free, based on the life of George Adamson, a Kenyan wildlife conservationist
best known for his work with lions. Collins appeared in two episodes of Perry
Mason: in 1965, he played assistant district attorney and defendant Larry
Germaine in the 1965 episode, "The Case of the Fatal Fetish", and in
1966, he played murderer Alex Tanner in "The Case of the Crafty
Kidnapper".
Collins guest-starred in dozens of television shows
beginning in the 1960s, including The Virginian, Hawaii Five-O, The Six Million
Dollar Man, ALF, The Love Boat, The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Roots,
Gimme A Break!, Friends, "Yes, Dear", JAG, and most recently Dirty Sexy
Money. Collins also appeared in Barnaby Jones; episode titled, “Deadly
Reunion”(02/12/1976). He appeared in the episode "You're Not Alone"
from the 1977 anthology series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (known in
the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale).
Collins also had many film roles, including The Pigeon That
Took Rome (1962), Angel in My Pocket (1969) also starring Andy Griffith, the
original Airport (1970), Quarantined (1970), Houston, We've Got a Problem
(1974), The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977), the horror thriller Killer
Fish (1979), starring Lee Majors, Watchers Reborn (1998), and The Jungle Book:
Search for the Lost Treasure (1998). He also played an American astronaut
involved in a UFO coverup in the 1980 film Hangar 18.
Collins hosted the Group W television talk show Hour
Magazine from 1980 to 1988, and co-hosted the ABC television series The Home
Show from 1989 to 1994. He was the host of the Miss America Pageant from 1982
to 1990. His wife Mary Ann Mobley and he replaced Bob Barker as co-hosts of
the Pillsbury Bake-Off on CBS from 1984 to 1988 before being replaced by
Willard Scott in 1990.
Last year, Judge Albert Fountain dismissed charges against the actor after an employee of Jazzeppi's restaurant asked to withdraw his complaint against Collins.
Collins had been charged with defrauding an innkeeper after allegedly failing to pay a $59.35 bill on Jan. 4. Refusing to pay a bill of more than $25 is a felony in Mississippi
He is married to Mary Anne Mobley, a former Miss America from Brandon, Mississippi.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1962 The Pigeon
That Took Rome Major Wolff
1962 King Kong vs.
Godzilla Submariner Uncredited
1962 The Longest
Day Officer On Bridge Uncredited
1965 Stranded Bob
1969 Angel in My
Pocket Art Shields
1970 Quarantined Dr. Larry Freeman TV movie
1970 Airport Cy Jordan
1972 Getting Away
from It All Mark Selby TV movie
1974 Houston,
We've Got a Problem Tim Cordell TV movie
1977 Roots Grill TV
miniseries (Part III)
1977 The Night
They Took Miss Beautiful Paul
Fabiani TV movie
1978 The Young
Runaways Lt. Ray Phillips Disney TV movie
1979 Killer Fish Tom
1979 The Kid From
Left Field Pete Sloane TV movie
1980 The Secret of
Lost Valley Ned Harkness Disney TV movie
1980 Hangar 18 Steve Bancroft
1981 Jacqueline
Susann's Valley of the Dolls Kevin
Gilmore TV miniseries
1992 Secrets Zack Taylor TV
movie
1994 Bandit Bandit
Governor Denton TV movie
1998 Watchers
Reborn Gus Brody
1998 The Jungle
Book: Search for the Lost Treasure Professor
Warren Miller
2000 Beautiful Miss American Miss Host
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