Richard Collins obit

Richard Collins obituary

This article is more than 11 years old

Screenwriter for Don Siegel and writer/producer of classic TV series, he named many of his colleagues as communists 

He was not on the list.

In 1951, when the screenwriter Richard Collins, who has died aged 98, testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (Huac), he named more than 20 colleagues and friends in the film industry as belonging to or sympathising with the Communist party. Although by so doing he saved his Hollywood career, it was an action that cast a shadow over the rest of his life, regardless of his success in film and television as a writer and producer.

According to many, it was a cowardly act, which Collins later tried to justify, as did directors Elia Kazan and Edward Dmytryk, by saying that it was his patriotic duty, and that Huac knew the names anyway. However, in an interview in Victor Navasky's book Naming Names (1980), Collins called himself "a son of a bitch, a miserable little bastard. It was unfortunate but true. I was a good boy, doing what you're supposed to do."

Collins, who had admitted having been a member of the Communist party, but had stopped paying his dues in 1939, was first subpoenaed as one of 19 unfriendly witnesses in 1947, which led to him being blacklisted. Four years later, with no screenwriting work coming his way, Collins decided to recant, while others went to prison for pleading the fifth amendment. He then immediately continued in films where he had left off.

Unlike many members of the Communist party who were working class and/or of immigrant stock, Collins was born to well-off parents in New York City. His father was the fashion designer Harry Collins, who dressed the Vanderbilts and the Astors. Young Collins attended various schools in New York, Los Angeles and Paris, before briefly studying at Stanford University.

In 1936, back in New York, he satisfied his interest in writing as a member of the New Theatre League, a leftwing institution linked to the Young Communist League. In 1935, Collins returned to Los Angeles where he took a job at a department store, before becoming a script reader and junior writer at various Hollywood studios.

Collins got his first screenwriting credit on Rulers of the Sea (1939), a well-crafted adventure about the building and maiden voyage of the first steamship. There followed a few screenplays for different studios, including two movies for MGM: the revue-style all-star, morale-boosting Thousands Cheer (1943) and Song of Russia (1944). The latter, starring Robert Taylor as an American conductor falling for a Soviet classical pianist (Susan Peters), was a glowing tribute to the US's wartime ally. MGM later regretted producing it when kowtowing to Senator McCarthy, while the rightwing Taylor, called as a friendly witness, explained that the film was made under pressure from President Roosevelt to gain sympathy for the Soviets in their war against Germany. The film was so corny in its utopian depiction of the Soviet Union that it was impossible, even for a committed Stalinist, to take seriously. Nevertheless, it was hauled out in 1947 as an example of the communist influence over the film industry.

The two MGM films were co-written with Paul Jarrico, as was the story of Little Giant (1946), one of the better Abbott and Costello farces. Despite their close working relationship, Collins gave Jarrico's name to Huac. Jarrico never spoke to Collins again. Another tragic victim of the anti-communist scare was Collins's first wife, Dorothy Comingore, best known for portraying Susan Alexander in Citizen Kane (1941). Unlike her former husband – they were divorced in 1945 after six years of marriage – she refused to answer questions on her alleged communist connections before Huac in 1952. As a result, her career was ended.

After clearing his name, Collins began to be offered work again, mainly with five movies directed by Don Siegel, among them Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), which was entirely conceived and written by Collins, and stands as one of his best scripts. The realistic prison picture is a powerful indictment of the dehumanising effects of the US penal system. Despite not receiving a credit for the screenplay of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Collins made an important contribution to the classic sci-fi drama, which can be seen to reflect the hysteria of the McCarthy era.

Collins's last feature film script was Pay or Die (1960), a gripping low-budget mafia movie starring Ernest Borgnine as a good cop. Then Collins went almost exclusively into television, both as a writer and producer. He wrote episodes for Route 66, The Untouchables, Bonanza – of which he produced 127 episodes from 1968 to 1973 – and Matlock, which he produced from 1987 to 1992.

Collins, whose second wife died in 1991, is survived by his son and a daughter.

 

Producer

Andy Griffith in Matlock (1986)

Matlock

7.1

TV Series

producer

supervising producer

1986–1992

131 episodes

 

The Contender (1980)

The Contender

8.0

TV Mini Series

producer

1980

 

Rod Taylor, Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Smika Hunter in The Oregon Trail (1976)

The Oregon Trail

7.3

TV Series

supervising producer

1977–1978

3 episodes

 

The Rhinemann Exchange (1977)

The Rhinemann Exchange

6.3

TV Mini Series

producer

1977

3 episodes

 

Territorial Men (1976)

Territorial Men

TV Movie

producer

1976

 

Sara

7.7

TV Series

producer

1976

12 episodes

 

Glenn Ford, Elizabeth Cheshire, Julie Harris, and Lance Kerwin in The Family Holvak (1975)

The Family Holvak

7.2

TV Series

producer

1975

10 episodes

 

Long Way Home (1975)

Long Way Home

6.2

TV Movie

producer

1975

 

The Godchild (1974)

The Godchild

5.8

TV Movie

producer

1974

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

producer

1968–1973

127 episodes

 

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

7.6

TV Series

producer

1964–1966

12 episodes

 

Breaking Point (1963)

Breaking Point

7.4

TV Series

associate producer

producer

1963–1964

13 episodes

 

Writer

7x13=28

Short

Writer

2020

 

Dick Van Dyke and Barry Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder (1993)

Diagnosis Murder

6.8

TV Series

written by

1994–1995

2 episodes

 

Andy Griffith in Matlock (1986)

Matlock

7.1

TV Series

written by

1993–1994

2 episodes

 

Avery Brooks and Robert Urich in Spenser: For Hire (1985)

Spenser: For Hire

7.3

TV Series

writer

1985

1 episode

 

Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist in Remington Steele (1982)

Remington Steele

7.3

TV Series

written by

1983–1984

2 episodes

 

Life, Liberty and Pursuit on the Planet of the Apes (1980)

Life, Liberty and Pursuit on the Planet of the Apes

5.5

TV Movie

Writer

1980

 

The Contender (1980)

The Contender

8.0

TV Mini Series

Writer

1980

2 episodes

 

The Immigrants (1978)

The Immigrants

8.4

TV Movie

Writer

1978

 

Rod Taylor, Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Smika Hunter in The Oregon Trail (1976)

The Oregon Trail

7.3

TV Series

Writer

1977

1 episode

 

The Rhinemann Exchange (1977)

The Rhinemann Exchange

6.3

TV Mini Series

written for television

1977

3 episodes

 

Planet of the Apes (1974)

Planet of the Apes

7.0

TV Series

written by

1974

1 episode

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

story

1972

1 episode

 

Ricardo Montalban in The Desperate Mission (1969)

The Desperate Mission

6.3

TV Movie

created by (creator)

1969

 

It Takes a Thief (1968)

It Takes a Thief

7.5

TV Series

story

teleplay

1968

1 episode

 

Fess Parker in Daniel Boone (1964)

Daniel Boone

7.3

TV Series

story

teleplay

1967–1968

2 episodes

 

Maya (1967)

Maya

8.1

TV Series

written by

1967

1 episode

 

Cheyenne (1955)

Cheyenne

8.0

TV Series

writer

1962

1 episode

 

87th Precinct (1961)

87th Precinct

8.2

TV Series

teleplay

writer

1961–1962

5 episodes

 

Donald May, Dorothy Provine, and Rex Reason in The Roaring 20's (1960)

The Roaring 20's

8.1

TV Series

writer

1961

1 episode

 

Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, and Robert Stack in The Untouchables (1959)

The Untouchables

8.0

TV Series

written by

1961

1 episode

 

Grand Jury (1959)

Grand Jury

8.2

TV Series

story

teleplay

1960

1 episode

 

George Maharis and Martin Milner in Route 66 (1960)

Route 66

7.7

TV Series

written by

1960

1 episode

 

Bat Masterson (1958)

Bat Masterson

7.3

TV Series

written by

1960

1 episode

 

Ernest Borgnine in Pay or Die! (1960)

Pay or Die!

6.9

written by

1960

 

The Detectives (1959)

The Detectives

7.5

TV Series

Writer

1959

1 episode

 

Cornel Wilde and Victoria Shaw in Edge of Eternity (1959)

Edge of Eternity

6.4

screenplay

1959

 

Michael Rennie in The Third Man (1959)

The Third Man

7.8

TV Series

writer

1959

1 episode

 

John McIntire in Wagon Train (1957)

Wagon Train

7.5

TV Series

teleplay

1957–1959

2 episodes

 

James Garner and Jack Kelly in Maverick (1957)

Maverick

8.0

TV Series

teleplay

1959

1 episode

 

Alan Ladd, Ernest Borgnine, Katy Jurado, and Claire Kelly in The Badlanders (1958)

The Badlanders

6.4

screenplay

1958

 

Studio 57 (1954)

Studio 57

7.4

TV Series

teleplay

1956–1957

2 episodes

 

José Guardiola, Richard Kiley, and Carmen Sevilla in Spanish Affair (1957)

Spanish Affair

5.4

written by

1957

 

Whitney Blake and Robert Bray in My Gun Is Quick (1957)

My Gun Is Quick

6.1

screenplay

1957

 

Hal Baylor, Hans Conried, and Chuck Hicks in Schlitz Playhouse (1951)

Schlitz Playhouse

7.6

TV Series

teleplay

1956

1 episode

 

Ronald Reagan in General Electric Theater (1953)

General Electric Theater

6.8

TV Series

teleplay

1955–1956

3 episodes

 

Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955)

Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre

7.3

TV Series

adaptation

1956

1 episode

 

Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

7.7

Writer (uncredited)

1956

 

Star Stage (1955)

Star Stage

6.1

TV Series

Writer

1955

1 episode

 

The Ford Television Theatre (1952)

The Ford Television Theatre

7.4

TV Series

teleplay

1955

1 episode

 

Jack Palance and Barbara Rush in Kiss of Fire (1955)

Kiss of Fire

5.7

screenplay

1955

 

Your Play Time

TV Series

adaptation

1953–1955

2 episodes

 

The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (1953)

The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse

7.7

TV Series

teleplay

teleplay by

1954–1955

5 episodes

 

Faith Domergue, Kathleen Hughes, and Richard Long in Cult of the Cobra (1955)

Cult of the Cobra

5.8

screenplay

1955

 

Bob Mathias and Melba Mathias in The Bob Mathias Story (1954)

The Bob Mathias Story

5.8

Writer

1954

 

John Derek and Elaine Stewart in The Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)

The Adventures of Hajji Baba

5.9

screenplay

1954

 

Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)

Riot in Cell Block 11

7.0

screenplay

story

1954

 

Chevron Theatre (1952)

Chevron Theatre

5.9

TV Series

teleplay

1952–1953

3 episodes

 

Jocelyn Brando, Edmond O'Brien, and Barry Sullivan in China Venture (1953)

China Venture

5.5

screenplay

1953

 

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Little Giant (1946)

Little Giant

6.8

story

1946

 

The Heavenly Body (1944)

The Heavenly Body

6.1

Writer (uncredited)

1944

 

Robert Taylor and Susan Peters in Song of Russia (1944)

Song of Russia

5.9

screenplay

1944

 

Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson in Thousands Cheer (1943)

Thousands Cheer

6.2

screenplay

story "Private Miss Jones"

1943

 

Joseph Cotten, Dolores Del Río, Jack Moss, and Ruth Warrick in Journey Into Fear (1943)

Journey Into Fear

6.5

Writer (uncredited)

1943

 

Judith Anderson, Frances E. Neal, and Dennis O'Keefe in Lady Scarface (1941)

Lady Scarface

5.7

original screenplay

1941

 

Gene Tierney, Paul Muni, and John Sutton in Hudson's Bay (1940)

Hudson's Bay

6.3

contributor to treatment (uncredited)

1940

 

Paul Guilfoyle, Pamela Blake, Charles Lang, Anne Revere, and Billie Seward in One Crowded Night (1940)

One Crowded Night

6.0

screen play

1940

 

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Margaret Lockwood in Rulers of the Sea (1939)

Rulers of the Sea

6.3

story and screenplay

1939