Arthur Greville Collins
{{short description|American film director}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Arthur Greville Collins
| image = The Fox (1921) - 6.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Arthur Greville Collins and Betty Ross Clarke on the set of The Fox (1921)
| birth_date = {{birth date|1896|09|05}}
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1980|09|01|1895|09|05}}
| death_place =
| occupation = Director
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Betty Ross Clarke (1921 - ?)
Rhoda Shepherd (1934 - ?)
| children =
}}
Arthur Greville Collins (September 5, 1896 – September 1, 1980) was a British-born film director.
Career
Collins was born in London, and began directing for the stage, including productions of Fata Morgana, No Man's Land, and Tarnish.
In 1921, he married actress Betty Ross Clarke{{cite news|title=D. Cupid makes double play and wedding bells now ring for four |newspaper=The Seattle Sunday Times|date=June 19, 1921}} and accompanied her in her theatrical career in Great Britain, the United States, and Australia.{{cite news|author= Eriksmoen, Curt|title=Successful Hollywood actress came from Bismarck|newspaper=Bismarck Tribune|date=April 4, 2009}} In 1934 he wed Rhoda Shepherd.
He moved to Los Angeles and directed some plays there, then moved into movie making as a dialogue director for Warner Bros. He worked in that capacity for two years then became a director, making several B pictures.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40891232 |title="GRAND GUY" OF FILMS. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=29 December 1939 |accessdate=22 March 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17621121 |title=ANTIDOTE TO NERVE-WARS. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 December 1939 |accessdate=21 November 2012 |page=29 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
He moved to Australia in May 1939 to make Seven Little Australians (1939){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17573115 |title=FILM PRODUCTION. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=31 May 1939 |accessdate=21 November 2012 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} and decided to stay there. He served in the RAAF during World War II, being discharged as a squadron leader. He also was stationed as administrative officer for two years at Port Pirie and Mount Gambier.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55925967 |title=Austns. should get film chance. |newspaper=The Mail |location=Adelaide |date=26 February 1949 |accessdate=19 March 2012 |page=35 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1043806 World War II nominal roll]
In 1947 Collins managed to source funding to make another movie, Strong Is the Seed (1949).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22519250 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=11 November 1947 |accessdate=22 March 2012 |page=16 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} He later announced plans to make a film about Cobb and Co but this did not eventuate.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22551670 |title=New Australian film for release soon. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=24 March 1948 |accessdate=19 March 2012 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} In 1950, Collins travelled to New Zealand where he produced the musical comedy Chu Chin Chow for the Christchurch Operatic Society to favourable reviews.{{Cite news |date=10 August 1950 |title=Chu Chin Chow |volume=LXXXVI |page=3 |work=Press |issue=26187 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19500810.2.26}}{{Cite news |date=5 October 1950 |title=Chu Chin Chow |volume=LXXXVI |page=3 |work=Press |issue=26235 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19501005.2.12}}
Partial filmography
- They Can't Be Snookered (1932 short) – producer[https://web.archive.org/web/20170305003317/http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Person%3A%22%2FPerson%2Fkey%2F17186-1%22;querytype=;rec=1;resCount=10 They Can't Be Snookered] at National Film and Sound Archive
- The Widow from Monte Carlo (1935) – director
- Personal Maid's Secret (1935) – director
- Nobody's Fool (1936) – director
- Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) – director
- Paradise Isle (1937) – director
- Shots and Shots (1937 short) – co-director[https://web.archive.org/web/20170305003403/http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=3;parentid=;query=Person%3A%22%2FPerson%2Fkey%2F17186-1%22;querytype=;rec=2;resCount=10 Shots and Shots] at National Film and Sound Archive
- Saleslady (1938) – director
- Seven Little Australians (1939) – director
- Strong Is the Seed (1949) – director
- Port of Escape (1960) – producer, incomplete
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0172151|name=Arthur Greville Collins}}
- {{IBDB name|14465}}
- [http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Person%3A%22%2FPerson%2Fkey%2F17186-1%22;querytype=;resCount=10 Arthur Greville Collins] at National Film and Sound Archive
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Greville Collins, Arthur}}
Category:British film directors
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