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
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
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]
folder 14
COLLIERISMS [stage]--clippings
1927--1927
Record ID: 71331583
folder 15
EXTRA [stage]--miscellaneous
1923--1923
Record ID: 71331585
Scope and Content Note
clippings; flier; program
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
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