Ray Collins

Ray Bidwell Collins (December 10, 1889 – July 11, 1965) was an American character actor in stock and Broadway theatre, radio, films, and television. With 900 stage roles to his credit, he became one of the most successful actors in the developing field of radio drama. A friend and associate of Orson Welles for many years, Collins went to Hollywood with the Mercury Theatre company and made his feature-film debut in Citizen Kane, as Kane's political rival. Collins appeared in more than 75 films and had one of his best-remembered roles on television, as Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Arthur Tragg in the CBS-TV series Perry Mason.

Life and career

a vaudeville team, in 1912

Ray Bidwell Collins was born December 10, 1889, in Sacramento, California, to Lillie Bidwell and William Calderwood Collins. His father was a newspaper reporter and dramatic editor on The Sacramento Bee. His mother was the niece of John Bidwell, pioneer, statesman, and founder of society in the Sacramento Valley area of California in the 19th century. Collins was inspired as a young boy to become an actor after seeing a stage performance by his uncle, Ulric Collins, who had performed the role of Dave Bartlett in the Broadway production of Way Down East. He began putting on plays with neighborhood children in Sacramento. Collins made his professional stage debut at age 13, at the Liberty Playhouse in Oakland.

In December 1912, Collins and his first wife, Margaret Marriott, were a vaudeville team, who performed at the Alhambra Theatre in Seattle. In July 1914, the couple and their young son, Junius, moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Collins worked as an actor. In 1922, he was part of a stock company, Vancouver's Popular Players, which enacted plays at the original Orpheum Theatre. He operated his own stock company for five years at his own theatre, the Empress Theatre, in Vancouver.

Collins worked prodigiously in his youth. Between the ages of 17 and 30, he was, it is said, out of work as an actor for a total of five weeks. In 1924, he and Marriott were divorced. That same year, he opened in Conscience, and after that, he was almost continually featured in Broadway plays and other theatrical productions until the Great Depression began. In 1926, he married Joan Uron. At the start of the Great Depression, Collins turned his attention to radio, where he was involved in 18 broadcasts a week, sometimes working as many as 16 hours a day. He also played parts in short films, starting in 1930, including the Vitaphone Varieties series based on Booth Tarkington's Penrod stories. Collins and Welles worked together on that series and others, including Welles's serial adaptation of Les Misérables (1937) He appeared in Welles's original Broadway production of Native Son (1941) His ongoing radio work included Welles's wartime series, Ceiling Unlimited and Hello Americans (1942), and the variety show The Orson Welles Almanac (1944). including Leave Her to Heaven (1945); The Best Years of Our Lives (1946); Crack-Up (1946); A Double Life (1947); two entries in the Ma and Pa Kettle series; and the 1953 version of The Desert Song, in which he played the nonsinging role of Kathryn Grayson's father. He displayed comic ability in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) and The Man from Colorado (1948), and played a supporting role in Welles's Touch of Evil (1958). In 1957, Collins joined the cast of the CBS-TV series Perry Mason and gained fame as Los Angeles police homicide detective Lieutenant Arthur Tragg.

In October 1963, Collins filmed his last Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Capering Camera", broadcast January 16, 1964. Death On July 11, 1965, Collins died of emphysema at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, at age 75.

Private life

Collins supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.

Theatre credits Ray Collins played 900 roles on the legitimate stage. Date Title Role Notes June 23 – July 5, 1924 The Blue Bandanna Gentleman Jim Delano Vanderbilt Theatre, New York September 11, 1924 – January 1925 Conscience Jeff Stewart Belmont Theatre, New York March 26, 1925 – Eve's Leaves Theodore Corbin Wallack's Theatre, New York September 28 – October 1925 The Bridge of Distances Captain Aylmer Herryot Morosco Theatre, New York August 30 – December 1926 The Donovan Affair Nelson Fulton Theatre, New York September 18 – October 1928 The Big Fight Majestic Theatre, New York November 9, 1928 – January 1929 On Call John Q. Smith Waldorf Theatre, New York September 16 – October 1929 A Strong Man's House Allen Ambassador Theatre, New York February 26–28, 1931 Paging Danger Kenneth Holden Booth Theatre, New York March 24 – June 28, 1941 Native Son Paul Max St. James Theatre, New York

Radio credits Date Title Role Notes 1930 – The American School of the Air Repertory cast February 9, 1931 – The Eno Crime Club Mystery drama series March 6, 1931 – The March of Time Repertory cast January 16, 1933 – Just Plain Bill Serial drama July 25, 1936 Five Star Theatre "Behind That Curtain", conclusion of a Charlie Chan mystery July 14 – September 22, 1935 America's Hour Repertory cast Patriotic documentary drama 1935–41 Cavalcade of America Repertory cast Weekly anthology drama series March 22, 1936 Terror by Night "The Bells" February 23 –September 16, 1936 Peter Absolute Augustus Crabtree Weekly dramatic serialCollins plays a strolling tragedian in this story of a boy's adventures during the early days of the Erie Canal June 1, 1936 – Wilderness Road Daniel Boone Frontier serial drama July 25, 1936 Columbia Workshop Repertory cast "Broadway Evening" August 1, 1936 Columbia Workshop Repertory cast "Cartwheel" September 2, 1936 – August 1937 The Heinz Magazine of the Air John Serial drama segment, "Trouble House" September 12, 1936 Columbia Workshop Repertory cast "A Voyage To Brobdingnag" August 30, 1937 Shakespearean Cycle "Twelfth Night" September 26, 1937 –September 11, 1938 The Shadow Commissioner WestonRepertory cast December 3, 1937 Grand Central Station Starring Martin Gabel December 23, 1937 The Kate Smith Hour "Blessed Are They" July 11, 1938 The Mercury Theatre on the Air Russian Captain "Dracula" July 18, 1938 The Mercury Theatre on the Air Ben Gunn "Treasure Island" October 27, 1938 –August 26, 1939 County Seat Doc Will Hackett Serial drama October 30, 1938 The Mercury Theatre on the Air Mr. WilmuthMr. Harry McDonaldAnnouncer from Broadcasting Building roof "The War of the Worlds" November 6, 1938 The Mercury Theatre on the Air Marlow "Heart of Darkness", "Life with Father" December 15, 1938 Columbia Workshop "A Trip to Czardis" January 6, 1939 The Campbell Playhouse "Counsellor-at-Law" "Contributions in Science" April 7, 1939 The Campbell Playhouse "Les Misérables" April 16, 1939 Americans All, Immigrants All "Contributions in Social Progress" January 28, 1940 The Campbell Playhouse "It Happened One Night" June 5, 1940 Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons "The Case of the Woman Who Wasn't Needed" (conclusion) December 22, 1940 Columbia Workshop "The Plot to Overthrow Christmas" May 9, 1941 Great Moments from Great Plays "Ceiling Zero" July 2, 1941 The Pursuit of Happiness Episode dramatizing John Peter Zenger's fight for freedom of the press" July 6, 1941 Columbia Workshop "Between Americans" August 24, 1941 Columbia Workshop "Job" December 1, 1941 The Orson Welles Show December 22, 1941 The Orson Welles Show November 9, 1942 Ceiling Unlimited "The Flying Fortress" November 23, 1942 Ceiling Unlimited "The Navigator" September 9, 1943 Suspense "Marry for Murder" August 17, 1944 Suspense "The Diary of Saphronia Winters" May 14, 1946 This Is My Best "Tugboat Annie Sails Again"

Film and television credits

Year Title Role Notes 1930 Scotch Love Short 1930 Short 1930 Short 1930 Masquerade Short 1931 Snakes Alive Mr. Schofield Penrod short 1932 His Honor, Penrod Mr. Schofield Penrod short 1932 Hot Dog Mr. Schofield Penrod short 1932 Murder in the Pullman Short 1932 If I'm Elected Short 1932 You're Killing Me Short 1940 Citizen Kane trailer Himself, Jim W. Gettys Short 1942 Jack Amberson 1955 Sheriff Masters 1958 Touch of Evil Adair 1960 I'll Give My Life John Bradford