Monte Collins

Acting

1898-12-02 · New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia Monte Collins (also credited as Monty Collins; December 3, 1898 – June 1, 1951) was an American film actor and screenwriter. He appeared in 167 films between 1920 and 1948. He also wrote for 32 films between 1930 and 1951. Dapper, pencil-mustached Collins starred in silent short comedies in the late 1920s. These were produced by Educational Pictures and often directed by Jules White. The coming of sound in movies had no ill effect on Collins's career; he was not as big a name as Buster Keaton or Laurel and Hardy, so Collins had no preconceived screen image that could be shattered by talkies. Although Collins took to talkies easily (he and Vernon Dent sing together in the early sound short Ticklish Business), he never established himself as a major comedy star. Throughout the 1930s he appeared in secondary roles (businessmen, butlers, soldiers, salesmen, etc.) in both feature films and short subjects. One of his last credits was supplying material for Laurel and Hardy's final film, Atoll K (1951). Filmed in France by French and Italian cast and crew members, the production was hectic and chaotic for the English-speaking stars. The finished film carries the unique credit, "Gags by Monty Collins." Collins was about to launch a career in television when he died of a heart attack in 1951, at age 52.