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Lois Collier

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Lois Collier
Collier as the host of the CBS radio program "Hollywood in Person", 1937
Born
Madelyn Earle Jones

(1919-03-21)March 21, 1919
Salley, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedOctober 27, 1999(1999-10-27) (aged 80)
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles California, U.S.
Alma materLimestone College
OccupationActress
Years active1938-1958
Spouse(s)Robert A. Duncan (? - 1943)
Robert Jackson Oakley (1945-1956)
Paul Schreibman (1957-1999)

Lois Collier (born Madelyn Earle Jones; 21 March 1919 – 27 October 1999) was an American film actress born in Salley, South Carolina.[1] She was sometimes credited as Lois Collyer.

Early years

Collier's father was Ernest Jones, a pharmacist, of Salley, South Carolina. Chaperoned by her grandmother, she visited Hollywood when she was 15, later describing herself as "movie-struck" at the time.[2] She attended Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina.[3]

Film

Collier's acting career started in 1938, when she had a small but credited role in A Desperate Adventure, starring Ramon Novarro and Marian Marsh. From 1940 through 1949, her career would be active and somewhat successful, with her playing mostly heroine roles in B-movies. During that period, she often starred opposite western stars Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, and Dennis Moore. In 1950, she starred in the sci-fi serial The Flying Disc Man from Mars.

Collier was sometimes called the Fourth Mesquiteer because seven of Republic Pictures' The Three Mesquiteers movies featured her as the female lead.[4]

Radio

Collier played Carol in the soap opera Dear John, which ran on CBS in the 1930s and 1940s.[5] Beginning December 6, 1948, she was featured in You, a program on KMGM in Los Angeles, California.[6]

Television

In 1949, Collier co-starred in City Desk, a drama about activity in the newsroom of a newspaper.[7] From 1950 through 1957, she starred mostly on television series episodes. She played Mary, the hero's girlfriend and sidekick, in 58 episodes of the television series Boston Blackie,[8] which ran from 1951 to 1954. She retired from acting after 1957.

Personal life

Collier was married to bank executive Robert A. Duncan. She was granted a divorce from him on September 3, 1943.[9] On August 4, 1945, Collier married to Robert Jackson Oakley, an agent for actors.[10] They divorced in 1956.[11]

Death

She died of Alzheimer's Disease on October 27, 1999, while living in a retired actors community in the Woodland Hills area of Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

Film

Television

  • Dick Tracy .... Fluff (5 episodes, 1950)
    • "Chopper" (1950) TV Episode
    • "The Mole: Part 1" (????) TV Episode .... Fluff
    • "The Mole: Part 2" (????) TV Episode .... Fluff
    • "The Mole: Part 3" (????) TV Episode .... Fluff
    • "The Payroll Robbery" (????) TV Episode .... Fluff
  • Joe Palooka in Humphrey Takes a Chance (1950) .... Anne Howe Palooka
  • Flying Disc Man from Mars (1950) .... Helen Hall
  • Rhythm Inn (1951) .... Betty Parker
  • The Unexpected - "Beyond Belief" (1952) TV Episode
  • Boston Blackie .... Mary Wesley (58 episodes, 1951-1953)
  • Letter to Loretta - "600 Seconds" (1955) TV Episode (as Lois Collyer) Gloria Joy
  • Cavalcade of America - "Sunrise on a Dirty Face" (1955) TV Episode .... Marion
  • Damon Runyon Theater - "A Job for Macarone" (1955) TV Episode .... Mary Peering
  • Cheyenne - "West of the River" (1956) TV Episode .... Ruth McKeever
  • Screen Directors Playhouse - "The Sword of Villon" (1956) TV Episode .... Elaine
  • It's a Great Life - "Operation for Earl" (1956) TV Episode .... Nurse
  • Strange Stories (1 episode, 1956) - "Con Game" (1956) TV Episode
  • Broken Arrow (1 episode, 1957) - Johnny Flagstaff
  • The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show -
    • "Ronnie Gets an Agent" (1956) TV Episode .... Devlin's Secretary
    • "The Plumber's Union" (1957) TV Episode .... Julie Ames
  • The Web (1 episode, 1957) - Easy Money TV Episode (final appearance)

References

  1. ^ Garvin, G.C. (January 14, 1953). "The Wagenerian . . ". Aiken Standard. p. 4. Retrieved August 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Lois Collier Is Becoming Star For Television". The Gaffney Ledger. December 14, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Lois Collier To Spend Wednesday In City, College". The Gaffney Ledger. April 24, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ Magers, Boyd; Fitzgerald, Michael G. (2004). Westerns Women: Interviews with 50 Leading Ladies of Movie and Television. McFarland & Co. Inc. pp. 58–62. ISBN 9780786420285. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  5. ^ "'Dear John' in New Sunday Spot on Tenth Anniversary". Harrisburg Telegraph. August 15, 1942. p. 24. Retrieved August 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ Wilk, Ralph (December 7, 1948). "Los Angeles" (PDF). Radio Daily. p. 4. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  7. ^ Fischler, Alan (May 7, 1949). "City Desk". Billboard. p. 10. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Dusting Off Six Old Pix for Theater Use" (PDF). Billboard. November 21, 1953. p. 7. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Film Actress Is Granted Divorce". Long Beach Independent. September 3, 1943. p. 27. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "Lois Collier Marries Hollywood Actor's Agent". Aiken Standard. August 29, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ Carroll, Harrison (April 18, 1956). "Behind the Hollywood Scene". The Day. p. 7. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
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