Constance Collier Begins Her Hollywood Career (1935) 🇬🇧
"If a moral were to be drawn from the life story of Constance Collier, the distinguished British and American stage star, who has just arrived in Hollywood to begin what she calls a "new life" in talking pictures, it would be this: —
"Concentration is the secret of success!"
For from the beginning of her thinking life, Miss Collier has concentrated heart and soul on her job. She was virtually born and bred in the theatre. Her mother, an actress, was on tour when Constance arrived, and the baby was christened after the character in Shakespeare's King John.
Now, after conquering the theatrical world for more than three decades. Miss Collier is beginning a long-term contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She showed to brilliant advantage in her first talking picture — "Shadow of Doubt."
"I can't truthfully say that I ever have thought of anything except my work," Miss Collier confessed recently. "Even as a little child my thoughts were not of school, nor of playmates; they were of things connected with the theatre." She made her first appearance on the stage when she was little more than a baby.
Beginning as one of the world-famous Gaiety Girls, the Ziegfeld beauties of their Day, Miss Collier rapidly outgrew the musical stage and became a dramatic actress. Her ability was first recognised in The Sign of the Cross, and a little later she scored her first big hit in One Summer's Day. After that came The School for Scandal, The Conquerors, Sweet Nell of Old Drury and others.
Sir Herbert Tree, not then knighted, demonstrated his faith in her ability by giving her the role of Pallas Athene in Ulysses, and she became such a favourite with London audiences that she remained at His Majesty's Theatre for many seasons. During this time she appeared in Ben Hur, The Eternal City, Trilby, Julius Caesar, Oliver Twist, Anthony and Cleopatra and many others.
At the height of her fame. Miss Collier decided to go to America and signed with Charles Frohman to appear as leading lady with William Gillette in Samson.
She added to her laurels, remaining in New "work for a number of years, making annual pilgrimages to England for the Shakespeare Festival. One of her greatest hits in that period was Peter Ibbetson, which still remains one of her favourites.
During the war she made her first venture into motion pictures, appearing with Sir Herbert Tree in "Macbeth" and three or four other films. But she remained faithful to the theatre, and when she returned to New York, again presented Peter Ibbetson, with John Barrymore as Peter and Lionel Barrymore as the villainous colonel. This was the play that turned John Barrymore from a light comedian, to the foremost romantic actor of the Broadway stage of that time.
In England and America, other plays followed, always with Miss Collier as star. Our Betters, The Rat, The Firebrand, Downhill were among them, and then she received another tremendous ovation for her performance as Carlotta Vance in Dinner at Eight. Turning to direction, she presented The Lady of the Camelias, Rebound with Ina Claire, and Cherries are Ripe with Vilma Bánky and Rod La Rocque.
Her wide acquaintance with Shakespearean roles and her distinct place on the stage led Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford to ask her to go to Hollywood again in 1929, and she gave special advice to them in connection with the filming of "Taming of the Shrew," in which they appeared together.
Later she returned to England and resumed her reigning position on the British stage.
Her acquisition by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is considered a distinct achievement for the company, but to Miss Collier it means the beginning of a new career.
A recent studio portrait of the famous stage artiste with her favourite Pekinese.
Constance Collier as the eccentric and wealthy lady in "Shadow of Doubt" astonishes her servants by deciding to go out for the first time in twenty years.
Another scene from Shadow of Doubt which marks the beginning of new triumphs for the famous dramatic artiste.
Collection: Picturegoer Magazine, April 1935