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William "Buster" Collier Jr. papers
151
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Table of contents
Abstract: The collection contains clippings, correspondence, legal agreements, scrapbooks, and photographs. The photograph series consists
of biography and subject photographs.
Collector:
Collier, William "Buster" Jr.
Dates: 1909-1992
Dates: 1916-1934
Collection number: 151
Collection Size:
1.3 linear ft. of papers
1.5 linear ft. of photos
Repository:
Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Available by appointment only.
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Margaret Herrick Library. Researchers are responsible for obtaining all
necessary rights, licenses, or permissions from the appropriate companies or individuals before quoting from or publishing
materials obtained from the library.
William "Buster" Collier Jr. papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Gift of Chatty Collier Eliason, 1988-1993
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The William "Buster" Collier Jr. papers span the years 1909-1992 (bulk 1916-1934) and encompass 1.3 linear feet. The collection
contains clippings and correspondence from the period of Collier's greatest fame, but little production material. There is
a significant amount of material from Collier's years as a producer, although much of it concerns unrealized projects. The
clippings provide a comprehensive overview of the careers of Collier and his wife Marie Stevens, as well as of his romance
with Constance Talmadge. The correspondence is noteworthy for its inclusion of theatrical and vaudeville figures who were
also tangentially involved in cinema, including Joe Weber and Lew Fields, George M. Cohan, and Lillian Russell. There is also
a short note from Mark Twain that was given to Collier by a family friend. Legal agreements for THE LIGHTHOUSE BY THE SEA
(1924) and THE WANDERER (1925) are of interest. Several scrapbooks, including one with clippings regarding THE BUGLE CALL
(1916), provide further documentation.
William "Buster" Collier Jr. (1902-1987) was born in New York City, the son of Paula Marr, an actress, and Charles F. Gall,
a theater manager. He began acting early in life, appearing on stage under the name Buster Marr as early as 1909. In 1910
Paula Marr married the renowned stage actor William Collier. Collier adopted her son, who took on the new surname. The young
Collier soon began acting in his father's plays, and in 1916 was given his first film role as the juvenile lead in THE BUGLE
CALL (1916). Over the next two decades he appeared in more than 80 films and became one of the leading romantic actors of
the 1920s. He worked with some of Hollywood's most prominent directors, doing SO THIS IS LOVE (1928) for Frank Capra, THE
DEVIL'S CARGO (1925) for Victor Fleming, WINE OF YOUTH (1924) with King Vidor, and THE WANDERER (1925) for Raoul Walsh. Collier
was also known for his social activities and received much press coverage due to his relationships with William Randolph Hearst,
Constance Talmadge, and others. In 1934 Collier married Marie Stevens, a featured performer in the Ziegfeld Follies. After
THE PEOPLE'S ENEMY (1935), Collier retired from acting and began a career as a producer. Moving to England in 1937, he worked
at the Teddington studios of Warner Bros. and with the Rank Organization, for which he was the associate producer on LONDON
TOWN (1946). He also was a television producer in the United States in the 1950s, although only the short-lived WHITE HUNTER
seems to have been realized as a series. Collier worked sporadically as an agent.
1. Production files, subseries A-B as follows: A. Produced; B. Unproduced; 2. Television files, subseries A-B as follows:
A. Produced; B. Unproduced; 3. Stage files; 4. Subject files; 5. Scrapbooks; 6. Photographs
Collier, William "Buster" Jr.
Actors
Producers
Talent agents