Marian Collier obit

Marian Collier: Marilyn’s ‘Hot’ Bandmate Dies at 90

 

 She was not on the list.

Marian Collier, who played one of Sweet Sue’s Society Syncopators – the all-girl band in Some Like It Hot – has died aged 90, Marilyn Remembered reports.

Born on August 23, 1931, Marian made her TV debut in a 1957 episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. After a few uncredited bit parts, including two Jerry Lewis movies (The Sad Sack and Rock-a-Bye Baby), Marian was cast as Olga in Some Like It Hot, which began shooting in July 1958. While her role was once again uncredited, she was given a great line in an early scene with Marilyn and Tony Curtis. “I was running in and out with the ice, saying, ‘Ice, ice! The natives are getting restless!'” she recalled, saying that even after her work was finished, “I would sit there and watch – and [MM] was magic, she really was.”

Following the success of Some Like It Hot, Marian took second billing in Roadracers (1959), which was followed by smaller parts in Ask Any Girl and It Started With a Kiss. In 1960, Marian played a minor role in Vincente Minnelli’s Bells Are Ringing, a musical comedy starring another blonde comedienne, Judy Holliday (in her final role), and Dean Martin. Interestingly, Marilyn’s close friend and personal masseur, Ralph Roberts, also appeared in the film – and went on to play an ambulance driver in Marilyn’s last release, The Misfits.

Then in 1961, Marian scored another bit part in a classic movie, as a party guest in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, starring Audrey Hepburn. (Had Marilyn played the lead instead, as author Truman Capote had wanted, this would have been her second film with Marian – see here.) In 1967, she played ‘Sadie’ in The Pistolero of Red River, a Western starring Glenn Ford and Angie Dickinson. Marian’s only other big-screen outing in that decade was Nobody’s Perfect, a 1968 military comedy with a title that mirrors the famous last line from Some Like It Hot.

Marian’s first husband was jazz guitarist Dave Barbour. Throughout the 1960s, she worked mostly in television, with guest spots on popular series like Peter Gunn, Laramie, Leave It to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Dr. Kildare, Perry Mason, and Mannix. From 1963-65, she appeared as ‘Miss Marilyn Scott’ in 28 episodes of Mr. Novak, a drama series about an idealistic, but tough young schoolteacher. “In the era of new frontier idealism and Kennedy era optimism in the early 60’s , Mr. Novak is a standout,” reads a recent review on IMDB.

Marian would marry the show’s co-creator, E. Jack Neuman, in 1970, and went on to play small roles in TV movies that he wrote and produced, such as Company of Killers and Berlin Affair, plus an episode from his anthology series Police Story. She was also seen in other hit shows like Emergency! and Welcome Back, Kotter. In 1982, she played a ‘lady bartender’ in Neuman’s Emmy-winning TV movie, Inside the Third Reich (starring Rutger Hauer and Sir Derek Jacobi.)

Seven years later, Marian returned to the big screen as a ‘poolside card player’ in Lethal Weapon 2, and would go on to appear in the action blockbuster’s third and fourth outings. Director Richard Donner also cast her in Assassins (1995), Conspiracy Theory (1997), and Timeline (2004.) Her final acting role was in a 2009 episode of the children’s TV series, iCarly.

Marian’s husband died in 1998. In recent years, she became a regular guest speaker at the Marilyn Remembered annual service, including the most recent ceremony on August 6th, 2021, in the weeks before her 90th birthday (see here.) She was interviewed for the home video featurettes Memories From the Sweet Sues and Nobody’s Perfect … The Making of Some Like It Hot. She also talked about her role as Olga in episodes of the French TV series, Il etait une fois …, and Paul O’Grady’s Hollywood for the UK viewers.

She has also spoken about her many famous co-stars, including Audrey Hepburn in the video short, A Golightly Gathering (2009), and the TV movie, Darcey Bussell’s Looking for Audrey (2014); the feature-length documentary, Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom (2012); and Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime (2017), as well as another upcoming Monroe doc, Whatever Happened to Norma Jeane?

Actress (79 credits)

 2009 iCarly (TV Series)

Mrs. Feener

- iCook (2009) ... Mrs. Feener

 2003 Timeline

Archaeologist

 1998 Lethal Weapon 4

Maternity Worker

 1997 Conspiracy Theory

Geronimo Cook

 1995 Assassins

Eugene & Danny's Pet Supply Lady

 1993 Under Investigation

Receptionist

 1992 Lethal Weapon 3

Patron

 1990 Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase (TV Movie)

Operator (uncredited)

 1989 Lethal Weapon 2

Poolside Card Player

 1982 Inside the Third Reich (TV Movie)

Lady Bartender

 1978 Welcome Back, Kotter (TV Series)

Nurse Baker

- The Drop-Ins: Part 2 (1978) ... Nurse Baker

 1977 Rafferty (TV Series)

Rosalind Power

- Walking Wounded (1977) ... Rosalind Power

 1976 Delvecchio (TV Series)

Dorothy Polson

- Hot Spell (1976) ... Dorothy Polson

 1976 Law and Order (TV Movie)

Sister Providencia

 1975 Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series)

Surgical Nurse

- The Double-Edged Razor (1975) ... Surgical Nurse

 1975 Kate McShane (TV Series)

Emily Deigh

- Kate McShane (1975) ... Emily Deigh

 1975 Lucas Tanner (TV Series)

Dorothy Michaelson

- Shattered (1975) ... Dorothy Michaelson

 1975 Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (TV Movie)

Mrs. Peterson

 1974 Police Story (TV Series)

The Nurse

- Captain Hook (1974) ... The Nurse

 1974 Three the Hard Way

Eva

 1973 Egan (TV Movie)

Woman in Shower

 1973 Stat! (TV Movie)

Nurse Ellen Quayle

 1973 Incident on a Dark Street (TV Movie)

Miss Gentry

 1972 Emergency! (TV Series)

Mother

- Dealer's Wild (1972) ... Mother

 1971 Crosscurrent (TV Movie)

Surgical Nurse

 1971 The Hunting Party

Teacher

 1970 Berlin Affair (TV Movie)

Juliet

 1970 Company of Killers (TV Movie)

Sylvia Xavier

 1970 A Clear and Present Danger (TV Movie)

Nurse

 1968 Mannix (TV Series)

Vera Barlow

- Fear I to Fall (1968) ... Vera Barlow

 1968 Nobody's Perfect

Terry Abelard

 1967 Dragnet 1967 (TV Series)

Angela Riplon

- The Bank Jobs (1967) ... Angela Riplon

 1967 The Last Challenge

Sadie

 1967 Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!

Liz Doone (uncredited)

 1965 Convoy (TV Series)

Lt. Victoria Shepard

- The Assassin (1965) ... Lt. Victoria Shepard

 1965 Gidget (TV Series)

Sally Combs

- Daddy Come Home (1965) ... Sally Combs

 1965 The Farmer's Daughter (TV Series)

Linda

- Babe in the Woods (1965) ... Linda

 1963-1965 Mr. Novak (TV Series)

Miss Scott / Marilyn Scott / Marilyn Scoo

- Honor--and All That (1965) ... Marilyn Scott

- From the Brow of Zeus (1965) ... Miss Scott

- Visions of Sugar Plums (1964) ... Miss Scott

- The Senior Prom (1964) ... Marilyn Scott

- Fare Thee Well (1964) ... Marilyn Scoo

Show all 28 episodes

 1964 My Living Doll (TV Series)

Madelyn Sawyer

- Beauty Contest (1964) ... Madelyn Sawyer

 1964 The Lieutenant (TV Series)

Claire Marton

- Tour of Duty (1964) ... Claire Marton

 1958-1964 Perry Mason (TV Series)

Natalie James / Attendant

- The Case of the Frightened Fisherman (1964) ... Natalie James

- The Case of the Screaming Woman (1958) ... Attendant

 1964 Dr. Kildare (TV Series)

Mary MacDonald

- Goodbye, Mr. Jersey (1964) ... Mary MacDonald

 1963 The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Series)

Woman in Bar

- Divorce (1963) ... Woman in Bar

 1963 I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (TV Series)

- Harry, the Contractor (1963)

 1963 Leave It to Beaver (TV Series)

The Girl In The TV Station

- Beaver on TV (1963) ... The Girl In The TV Station

 1963 Alcoa Premiere (TV Series)

Girl

- Five, Six, Pick Up Sticks (1963) ... Girl

 1962 McHale's Navy (TV Series)

Peggy Tyler

- Three Girls on an Island (1962) ... Peggy Tyler

 1961 87th Precinct (TV Series)

Felicia Pannet

- Lady Killer (1961) ... Felicia Pannet

 1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's

Party Guest (uncredited)

 1961 Miami Undercover (TV Series)

Marie

- The Clown (1961) ... Marie

 1961 Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series)

Susan

- Honor Bright (1961) ... Susan

 1961 The Brothers Brannagan (TV Series)

Murietta

- Mantrap (1961) ... Murietta (as Marion Collier)

 1960 Dan Raven (TV Series)

Suzanne

- The Empty Frame (1960) ... Suzanne

 1960 The Jim Backus Show (TV Series)

Laura

- The Patriots (1960) ... Laura

 1960 Bells Are Ringing

Minor Role (uncredited)

 1960 Pay or Die!

Phyllis, Girl from opera (uncredited)

 1960 Laramie (TV Series)

Jeanette Durand

- Midnight Rebellion (1960) ... Jeanette Durand

 1960 Bachelor Father (TV Series)

Witness

- Kelly: The Career Woman (1960) ... Witness

 1959 Congressional Investigator (TV Series)

- Teenage Gangs

 1959 Man with a Camera (TV Series)

Clara

- Eye Witness (1959) ... Clara

 1959 It Started with a Kiss (uncredited)

 1959 Mike Hammer (TV Series)

Receptionist at Embassy

- Doll Trouble (1959) ... Receptionist at Embassy

 1959 The Thin Man (TV Series)

Maid / Miss Bugglemocks - Blonde

- Cherchez la Sexpot (1959) ... Maid

- La sabre invecta est? (1959) ... Miss Bugglemocks - Blonde

 1959 Richard Diamond, Private Detective (TV Series)

Audrey Santell

- Family Affair (1959) ... Audrey Santell

 1959 Markham (TV Series)

Stewardess

- The Seamark (1959) ... Stewardess

 1959 Ask Any Girl

Bonnie (uncredited)

 1959 The Millionaire (TV Series)

Woman at Play Rehearsal

- Millionaire Bill Franklin (1959) ... Woman at Play Rehearsal (uncredited)

 1959 Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV Series)

Sally

- Littlest Client (1959) ... Sally (uncredited)

 1959 Peter Gunn (TV Series)

Katie Mears

- Skin Deep (1959) ... Katie Mears

 1959 Roadracers

Liz

 1959 Some Like It Hot

Olga (uncredited)

 1958 Steve Canyon (TV Series)

Secretary

- Operation Thunderbirds (1958) ... Secretary

 1958 Rock-a-Bye Baby

Secretary (uncredited)

 1958 State Trooper (TV Series)

Spa Woman

- Joker's Dead (1958) ... Spa Woman

 1958 Man Without a Gun (TV Series)

Waitress

- Reward (1958) ... Waitress

 1958 Darby's Rangers

English Girl (uncredited)

 1957 The Sad Sack

WAC (uncredited)

 1957 Young and Dangerous

Carhop (uncredited)

 1957 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (TV Series)

Edie

- Fighting for Happiness (1957) ... Edie