William "Buster" Collier Jr. papers

Catalogued by Johnson, Doug; Catalogued by Mallory, Mary; Catalogued by Ha, Christina
Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
333 S La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Published January 2023


Descriptive Summary

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

Access

Available by appointment only.

Publication Rights

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.

Preferred Citation

William "Buster" Collier Jr. papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Acquisition Information

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.

Biography

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.

Arrangement of the Collection

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

Indexing terms

Collier, William "Buster" Jr.
Actors
Producers
Talent agents


 

Manuscripts

 

Production files/Produced

folder 1

THE BUGLE CALL--scrapbook 1916--1917

Record ID: 71301316

Scope and Content Note

clippings and fan mail
folder 2

ENEMIES OF WOMEN--legal 1922--1922

Record ID: 71331567

Scope and Content Note

engagement voucher for William Collier Jr., September 15, 1922
folder 3

THE LIGHTHOUSE BY THE SEA--legal 1924--1924

Record ID: 71331568

Scope and Content Note

engagement agreement between the studio and William Collier Jr., August 14, 1924
folder 4

THE SHOW OF SHOWS--correspondence Circa 1929--1929

Record ID: 71331569

Scope and Content Note

letter from Darryl Zanuck inviting William Collier Jr. to appear in the film
folder 5

THE WANDERER--legal 1925--1925

Record ID: 71331570

Scope and Content Note

actor's agreement between the studio and William Collier Jr., March 10, 1925
 

Production files/Unproduced

folder 6

LAST MAIL TO HELLDORADO (Buster Collier)--miscellaneous 1950--1950

Record ID: 71331571

Scope and Content Note

synopsis [LAST MAIL TO HELLDARADO] by Ramon Romero, July 20, 1950, 1 page [annotated]; press release announcing Buster Collier's purchase of the story rights, and his intention to cast Mae West, July 21, 1950 [annotated]
 

Television files/Produced

folder 7

WHITE HUNTER [television]--correspondence 1957--1958

Record ID: 71331573

Scope and Content Note

correspondence with Bernard L. Schubert, the program's producer, October 24, 1957, through January 29, 1958
 

Production files

folder 8

AMBUSHED [television]--script

Record ID: 71331576

Scope and Content Note

teleplay by Ted Hatlen, undated, 37 pages
folder 9

DESPERATE IRWIN [television]--script

Record ID: 71331578

Scope and Content Note

teleplay by Ted Hatlen, undated, 37 pages [lightly annotated]
folder 10

HOT IRONS [television]--script

Record ID: 71331579

Scope and Content Note

teleplay ("The Ghost Steer") by Roy Hamilton, undated, 30 pages [lightly annotated]
folder 11

THE JOCKEY AND THE GENIUS [television]--script 1964--1964

Record ID: 71331580

Scope and Content Note

first draft teleplay ("The Fortnight Circuit") by Bill Morrow, June 1, 1964, 42 pages
folder 12

MISTER BROADWAY [television]--script

Record ID: 71331581

Scope and Content Note

teleplay, undated, 51 pages
folder 13

WOMEN OF THE BIG HOUSE [television]--script 1951--1951

Record ID: 71331582

Scope and Content Note

teleplay by Martin Mooney and Jack Preston, undated, with changes of February 5, 1951, 31 pages [annotated]
 

Stage files

folder 14

COLLIERISMS [stage]--clippings 1927--1927

Record ID: 71331583

Scope and Content Note

folder 15

EXTRA [stage]--miscellaneous 1923--1923

Record ID: 71331585

Scope and Content Note

clippings; flier; program
 

Subject files

folder 16

Co-Starring Records

Record ID: 71331586

Scope and Content Note

material regarding phonograph record along with which one can perform scenes from novels, plays, and films; two drafts of a prospectus by Stuart Jerome; partial script for "Wuthering Heights," 4 pages; script for radio advertisement of record, 5
folder 17

Collier, Buster--clippings 1910--1976

Record ID: 71331588

Scope and Content Note

"Find Me the Girl and I'll Marry Her" by Ruth Tildesley, "Photoplay" [?], undated [annotated by unidentified person]; "Un magnate del periodismo americano en Sevilla," "El Correo de Andalucia," June 7, 1934 [ab
folder 18

Collier, Buster--miscellaneous 1918--1967

Record ID: 71331589

Scope and Content Note

"Life Motion Photograph" of Mr. Collier; membership certificate of the American Defense Society, June 26, 1918; membership badge of the Boy Scouts of America, July 4, 1918; invitation to a farewell drink in honor of Marion Davies and William Ran
folder 19

Correspondence 1913--1949

Record ID: 71331590

Scope and Content Note

telegram from Al Jolson, September 25, 1927; telegram from Mary Pickford, March 25, 1931; telegram from Buster Keaton, March 3, 1933; telegram from Marion Davies, undated; two telegrams from William Randolph Hearst, undated, and May 15, 1934; note from Mr
folder 20

Correspondence--family Circa 1930--1940

Record ID: 71331591

Scope and Content Note

three handwritten letters from William Collier Sr., all undated; birthday card from Mr. Collier, undated; handwritten note from Buster Collier to "Govey" [Mr. Collier Sr.], undated
folder 21

Drawings 1923--1923

Record ID: 71331592

Scope and Content Note

two pencil drawings of Buster Collier, one signed by Walter Hoban; one pencil drawing of an unidentified woman
folder 22

Fan Club 1928--1928

Record ID: 71331593

Scope and Content Note

"Ye Club Dope Sheet" of the William Collier, Jr. Fan Club, October 1928; letter from Welty S. Earnest, president of the club, November 4, 1928; membership card of Sayde F. Coon
folder 23

Federal Television Corporation Circa 1951--1951

Record ID: 71331594

Scope and Content Note

information packet for production company owned by Harry Joe Brown, Randolph Scott, and William Collier, Jr.
folder 24

Filmography Circa 1990--1990

Record ID: 71331595

Scope and Content Note

annotated filmography compiled by Chatty Collier Eliason
folder 25

Friars Club 1911--1911

Record ID: 71331596

Scope and Content Note

book, "In Bohemia," by James Clarence Harvey (New York: H. M. Caldwell, 1905), which has been modified to serve as the program for "The Friars Complimentary Dinner to Mr. William Collier, Jr. and Father," April 23, 1911
folder 26

Gall, Charles F. 1911--1991

Record ID: 71331597

Scope and Content Note

photocopies of letters written by Mr. Gall and held by the Shubert Archives, March 23, 1911, through January 22, 1923; handwritten notes, "Recollections of Lillian Russell," by Mr. Gall, undated; letter from Maryann Chach, archivist of the Shube
folder 27

Ganesh Productions, Ltd. 1947--1949

Record ID: 71331598

Scope and Content Note

financial reports; memos; minutes of meetings; correspondence; information about THE BLUE VEIL (RKO, 1951), THE BRASS MONKEY (United Artists, 1954), DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (Paramount, 1948), JUST WILLIAM'S LUCK (United Artists, 1952), MURDER AT THE WIN
folder 28

Programs 1922--1927

Record ID: 71331599

Scope and Content Note

Rivoli, April 9, 1922 [with THE GOOD PROVIDER (Paramount, 1922)]; Piccadilly, December 27, 1924 [with THE LIGHTHOUSE BY THE SEA]; Metropolitan, February 7, 1925 [with THE DEVIL'S CARGO (Paramount, 1925)]; Roosevelt Theatre, March 20, 1926 [with GOD G
folder 29

Scrapbook 1909--1918

Record ID: 71331600

Scope and Content Note

inscribed and autographed picture of Harry Fox, undated; two notes from Joe Weber, February 17, 1912 and November 29, 1912; telegram from Mr. Weber, undated; three telegrams from Lew Fields, November 27, 19??, September 16, 1911, and October 11, 1912; thr
folder 30

Scrapbook 1909--1992

Record ID: 71331601

Scope and Content Note

photocopied pages of a scrapbook compiled by Lois Peyton
folder 31

Stage magazine 1932--1936

Record ID: 71331602

Scope and Content Note

"Stage," October 1932 issue; "Stage," August 1936 issue [bound; inscribed to Jimmy and Lucile Gleason from John and Billie Hanrahan, July 1937, reinscribed to William Collier, Jr. from Mr. Gleason, January 1952]
folder 32

Stevens, Marie 1921--1981

Record ID: 71331603

Scope and Content Note

contract for Ms. Stevens to appear in the Ziegfeld Follies, December 23, 1931; clippings regarding Ms. Stevens' career and her marriage to Buster Collier; two programs for the Ziegfeld Follies, 1931 and 1934; program flier for the Ziegfeld Follies, D
folder 33

Talmadge, Constance 1925--1967

Record ID: 71331604

Scope and Content Note

clippings regarding Ms. Talmadge and her relationship with Buster Collier; "Constance Talmadge" by DeWitt Bodeen, "Films in Review," December 1967
folder 34

Title registration 1948--1949

Record ID: 71331605

Scope and Content Note

title registration report of the MPAA, June 15, 1948; correspondence with British Film Producers Association, January 14, 1948, through July 11, 1949
folder 35

Writings 1952--1954

Record ID: 71331606

Scope and Content Note

untitled poem, December 11, 1952, 1 page; poem, "The Chicago 'T.' Party," July 1954, 2 pages; "How to Get Along," undated, 2 pages; "Star in the Desert," undated, 7 pages; untitled story, undated, 22 pages; untitled
 

Scrapbooks

 

Scrapbook no. 1 1922--1925

Record ID: 71331607

Scope and Content Note

clippings; programs; includes information on the following:; ENEMIES OF WOMEN - clippings and program;; THE GOOD PROVIDER - clippings and program;; THE SECRETS OF PARIS - clippings;; PLEASURE MAD - clippings;; THE LIGHTHOUSE BY THE SEA - clippings and pro
 

Scrapbook no. 2 1928--1928

Record ID: 71331609

Scope and Content Note

clippings regarding Constance Talmadge; information on the following:; WOMEN THEY TALK ABOUT - clippings;; ONE STOLEN NIGHT - clippings;; THE COLLEGE WIDOW - clippings;; THE FLOATING COLLEGE - clippings;; TIDE OF EMPIRE (MGM, 1928) -- clippings;; NEW ORLE