Lois Collier

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

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.
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Other namesLois Collyer
Alma materLimestone College
OccupationActress
Years active1938–1958
Spouses
Robert A. Duncan
​
(div. 1943)​
    Robert Jackson Oakley
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1945; div. 1956)​
      Paul Schreibman
      ​
      (m. 1957)​

      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 as a model in the 1935 romance-comedy "Women Must Dress". From 1940 through 1949, her career would be active and somewhat successful, with her playing mostly heroine roles in B-movies. Her best known film is probably A Night in Casablanca (1946) starring the Marx Brothers. During the 1940s, 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 Robert Jackson Oakley, an agent for actors.[10] They divorced in 1956.[11]

      Death

      Collier died of Alzheimer's disease on October 27, 1999, while living in a retired actors community in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. She was 80 years old.

      Filmography

      Film

      Television
      • Dick Tracy – Fluff (4 episodes, 1950)
      • Joe Palooka in Humphrey Takes a Chance (1950) – Anne Howe Palooka
      • Rhythm Inn (1951) – Betty Parker
      • The Unexpected – "Beyond Belief" (1952)
      • Boston Blackie – Mary Wesley (58 episodes, 1951–1953)
      • Letter to Loretta – "600 Seconds" (1955) (as Lois Collyer) Gloria Joy
      • Cavalcade of America – "Sunrise on a Dirty Face" (1955) – Marion
      • Damon Runyon Theater – "A Job for Macarone" (1955) – Mary Peering
      • Cheyenne – "West of the River" (1956) – Ruth McKeever
      • Screen Directors Playhouse – "The Sword of Villon" (1956) – Elaine
      • It's a Great Life – "Operation for Earl" (1956) – Nurse
      • Strange Stories (1 episode, 1956) – "Con Game" (1956)
      • Broken Arrow (1 episode, 1957) – Johnny Flagstaff
      • The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
        • "Ronnie Gets an Agent" (1956) – Devlin's Secretary
        • "The Plumber's Union" (1957) – Julie Ames
      • The Web (1 episode, 1957) – Easy Money (final appearance)
      • Missile Monsters (1958) re-edited feature version of the 1950 serial Flying Disc Man from Mars

      References
      1. Garvin, G.C. (January 14, 1953). "The Wagenerian . . ". Aiken Standard. Aiken Standard. p. 4. Retrieved August 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
      2. "Lois Collier Is Becoming Star For Television". The Gaffney Ledger. The Gaffney Ledger. December 14, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
      3. "Lois Collier To Spend Wednesday In City, College". The Gaffney Ledger. The Gaffney Ledger. April 24, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
      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 August 20, 2015.
      5. "'Dear John' in New Sunday Spot on Tenth Anniversary". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. August 15, 1942. p. 24. Retrieved August 18, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
      6. Wilk, Ralph (December 7, 1948). "Los Angeles" (PDF). Radio Daily. p. 4. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
      7. Fischler, Alan (May 7, 1949). "City Desk". Billboard. p. 10. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
      8. "Dusting Off Six Old Pix for Theater Use" (PDF). Billboard. November 21, 1953. p. 7. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
      9. "Film Actress Is Granted Divorce". Independent. Long Beach Independent. September 3, 1943. p. 27. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
      10. "Lois Collier Marries Hollywood Actor's Agent". Aiken Standard. Aiken Standard. August 29, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
      11. Carroll, Harrison (April 18, 1956). "Behind the Hollywood Scene". The Day. p. 7. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
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