Jose Collins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jose Collins | |
as Teresa in The Maid of the Mountains
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Born | Josephine Charlotte Collins May 23, 1887 London |
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Died | December 6, 1958 (aged 71) Epping, Essex [1] |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Music hall artist |
Spouse | Leslie Chatfield (m. 1911) [2] Lord Robert Edward Innes-Ker (m. 1920 div 1935) G. B. Kirkland (m.19??) |
Parents | Stephen Patrick Cooney and Lottie Collins [3] |
Josephine Charlotte Collins or Josephine Charlotte Cooney, also known as Josephine Charlotte Chatfield, Lady Robert Innes-Ker and Josephine Charlotte Kirkland (23 May 1887 – 6 December 1958) was best known as José Collins, an English actress and singer celebrated for her performances in musical comedies and early motion pictures.
[edit] Life and career
Collins was born in London in 1887 to her mother, music hall performer and comedienne Lottie Collins, who popularized the song "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!", and her mother's music coach, Stephen Patrick Cooney [3], who later married.
Collins got her start as a child performer, and by the age of 17 she had appeared in both pantomime and music hall as a singer and actress. She made her West End debut in a principal role in The Antelope (1908). On Broadway, she appeared in Vera Violetta (1911), The Merry Countess (1912), and (sharing a duet with Al Jolson) The Whirl of Society (1912), among others. Her revue appearances included the Ziegfeld Follies (1913), and The Passing Show (1914). She also starred in The Happy Day in London and Alone at Last on Broadway in 1916.
Collins played the title role of Teresa, the gypsy bandit maid, in the hit musical The Maid of the Mountains (1917) to great acclaim, and as a result became known by the nickname of "Maid of the Mountains". In that show, she introduced the songs "Love Will Find a Way" and "A Paradise For Two." Collins played throughout the long run of this show and in many revivals over the years.
Collins later appeared in Our Peg (1919), A Southern Maid (1920), Sybil (1921), The Last Waltz (1922), Catherine (1923), Our Nell (1924) and Frasquita (1925). She spent the remainder of her career in revues, variety and non-musical roles, as well as in films. In her film career, she starred as Bessie, the vengeful model, in The Light That Failed, (1916, based on Rudyard Kipling's poem), and she appeared in The Imposter (1915), A Woman's Honor (1916), and The Sword of Damocles (1920) [4], among others. Her only musical film was Facing the Music (1933).
Jose Collins was married three times: Firstly, in 1911, to Leslie Chatfield [2]; secondly in 1920 div 1935 to Lord Robert Edward Innes-Ker (brother of Henry John Innes-Ker, 8th Duke of Roxburghe) and thirdly to G. B. Kirkland.
[edit] References
- ^ GRO Register of Deaths: DEC 1958 5a 81 EPPING - Charlotte J. Kirkland aged 65
- ^ a b GRO Register of Marriages: MAR 1911 8d 286 MANCHESTER - Leslie Chatfield = Charlotte J. Collins
- ^ a b Descendants of Sir James Innes, 3rd Baronet (-abt 1700)
- ^ The Sword of Damocles (1920)
- Collins, José. The Maid of the Mountains: Her Story. The reminiscences of José Collins. With 60 Illustrations. (1932, Hutchinson)
- Gammond, Peter. Oxford Companion to Popular Music (1993, Oxford University Press) ISBN 0-19-280004-3
- Larkin, Colin Ed. Guinness Who's Who of Stage Musicals ISBN 0-85112-756-8
[edit] External links
- Jose Collins at the Internet Movie Database
- Jose Collins at the Internet Broadway Database
- Profile of Collins
- Books by or about Jose Collins
- Photo of Jose Collins
Persondata | |
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NAME | Collins, Jose |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Collins, Josephine Charlotte |
SHORT DESCRIPTION | Music hall artist |
DATE OF BIRTH | 1887-05-23 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | London |
DATE OF DEATH | 1958-12-06 |
PLACE OF DEATH |