Dorothy Collins
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Collins was a Canadian/American
singer, actress, and recording artist. She was born Marjorie Chandler in Windsor, Ontario
, Canada
, and adopted her stage name in her mid-teens.
in Chicago
. Shortly thereafter, she became Scott's protégée. In early 1942, at age 15, she became a featured vocalist with Scott's orchestra, performing on radio and on tour. Scott groomed her for stardom, which included coaching her vocals (pitch, phrasing, and delivery) and mentoring her performance skills. In the late 1940s, she contributed vocals to the revived Raymond Scott Quintet, a sextet that released records on the bandleader's own Master label and served as house band on the radio program Herb Shriner
Time. In 1949, after Scott was hired to conduct the orchestra on the popular CBS Radio
program, Lucky Strike's Your Hit Parade
, Collins was trained by Scott to lead his sextet on tour in his absence.
In 1950, Your Hit Parade moved to NBC
television, with Scott retained as conductor. Shortly thereafter, at Scott's urging, Collins auditioned for a vocalist slot and was hired. She shot to nationwide fame as one of the show's featured vocalists, singing—and acting in costume—in sketches dramatizing popular songs of the day. After her absence from Your Hit Parade during the 1957–58 season (a new cast of singers replaced Collins and her fellow vocalists), Collins returned for the series' final season on CBS Television ending in April 1959.
Collins often appeared as spokeswoman/vocalist in Lucky Strike
cigarette commercials during the program and on their other sponsored series (including the Jack Benny radio show) via transcription disc, earning the title, "The Sweetheart of Lucky Strike." Her additional TV credits include The Steve Allen Show
, The Bell Telephone Hour
, and The Hollywood Palace
. On Candid Camera
, she was both a participant in the stunts and co-host with Allen Funt
from 1961–1963.
charts. A follow-up single, "Baciare Baciare (Kissing Kissing)," peaked at #43. In 1956 her single "Seven Days" peaked at #17. She recorded other singles and albums in the 1950s, with little chart success.
Collins sang a collection of educational tunes on an album entitled Experiment Songs, one of six albums in a set called Singing Science Records produced in the 1950s and '60s by Hy Zaret
and Lou Singer.
In 1979 she performed in concert at Michael's Pub in New York.
in The Municipal Opera Association of St. Louis production of The Wizard of Oz
, alongside Margaret Hamilton
reprising her movie role of the Wicked Witch of the West
. Collins was lead in The Saint Paul
Civic Opera Association's presentation of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
In 1971, Collins made her Broadway
debut in Stephen Sondheim
's Follies
, portraying Sally Durant Plummer,a one-time Ziegfeld-style showgirl
trapped in a disappointing marriage. Martin Gottfried wrote of her performance: "Dorothy Collins, 'Hit Parade' jokes notwithstanding, has a voice of impressive versatility and range." Her performance earned a Tony Award
nomination as Best Actress in a Musical, but she lost to co-star, fellow Canadian-born actress Alexis Smith
. When the production opened in Los Angeles
in 1972, Collins reprised the role of Sally.
At the summer stock
theatre, Melody Top, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, she starred in Good News
(1975), and she reprised her role in Follies (1977). In 1980 she appeared as Dolly in Hello Dolly at An Evening Dinner Theatre, Elmsford, New York
.
from 1952 until their divorce in 1965. They had two daughters, Deborah and Elizabeth. She married actor Ron Holgate
in December 1966, with whom she had a daughter, Melissa. They separated in 1977, and divorced in 1980 .
She died in July 1994 from respiratory distress
as a result of chronic pulmonary disease (asthma
) at her home in Watervliet, New York
. She was survived by her three daughters. Her first husband and musical mentor, Raymond Scott, passed away just five months earlier.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, actress, and recording artist. She was born Marjorie Chandler in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and adopted her stage name in her mid-teens.
Radio and TV
As a youngster, Collins sang on radio stations in Windsor and Detroit. In 1940, at age 14, she and her family were introduced to bandleader/composer Raymond ScottRaymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Shortly thereafter, she became Scott's protégée. In early 1942, at age 15, she became a featured vocalist with Scott's orchestra, performing on radio and on tour. Scott groomed her for stardom, which included coaching her vocals (pitch, phrasing, and delivery) and mentoring her performance skills. In the late 1940s, she contributed vocals to the revived Raymond Scott Quintet, a sextet that released records on the bandleader's own Master label and served as house band on the radio program Herb Shriner
Herb Shriner
Herbert Arthur "Herb" Shriner was an American humorist, radio personality and television host. Shriner was known for his homespun monologues, usually about his home state of Indiana...
Time. In 1949, after Scott was hired to conduct the orchestra on the popular CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
program, Lucky Strike's Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade, is an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1955 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During this 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or...
, Collins was trained by Scott to lead his sextet on tour in his absence.
In 1950, Your Hit Parade moved to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television, with Scott retained as conductor. Shortly thereafter, at Scott's urging, Collins auditioned for a vocalist slot and was hired. She shot to nationwide fame as one of the show's featured vocalists, singing—and acting in costume—in sketches dramatizing popular songs of the day. After her absence from Your Hit Parade during the 1957–58 season (a new cast of singers replaced Collins and her fellow vocalists), Collins returned for the series' final season on CBS Television ending in April 1959.
Collins often appeared as spokeswoman/vocalist in Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is a brand of cigarette owned by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco groups. Often referred to as "Luckies", Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States during the 1930s.- History :...
cigarette commercials during the program and on their other sponsored series (including the Jack Benny radio show) via transcription disc, earning the title, "The Sweetheart of Lucky Strike." Her additional TV credits include The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
, The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour is a long-run concert series which began April 29, 1940 on NBC Radio and was heard on NBC until June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television...
, and The Hollywood Palace
The Hollywood Palace
The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only three months...
. On Candid Camera
Candid Camera
Candid Camera is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
, she was both a participant in the stunts and co-host with Allen Funt
Allen Funt
Allen Funt was an American television producer, director and writer, television personality, best known as the creator and host of Candid Camera from the 1940s to 1980s, as either a regular television show or a television series of specials...
from 1961–1963.
Recording and concerts
In 1955, her single "My Boy - Flat Top," reached #16 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts. A follow-up single, "Baciare Baciare (Kissing Kissing)," peaked at #43. In 1956 her single "Seven Days" peaked at #17. She recorded other singles and albums in the 1950s, with little chart success.
Collins sang a collection of educational tunes on an album entitled Experiment Songs, one of six albums in a set called Singing Science Records produced in the 1950s and '60s by Hy Zaret
Hy Zaret
Hy Zaret was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer best known as the co-author of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody", one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.-Biography:...
and Lou Singer.
In 1979 she performed in concert at Michael's Pub in New York.
Theatre
In the summer of 1957 she played Dorothy GaleDorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
in The Municipal Opera Association of St. Louis production of The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
, alongside Margaret Hamilton
Margaret Hamilton
Margaret Hamilton was an American film actress known for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz...
reprising her movie role of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. Collins was lead in The Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
Civic Opera Association's presentation of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
In 1971, Collins made her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's Follies
Follies
Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
, portraying Sally Durant Plummer,a one-time Ziegfeld-style showgirl
Showgirl
A showgirl is a dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show. Showgirl is also often used as a term for a promotional model in trade fairs and car shows, etc...
trapped in a disappointing marriage. Martin Gottfried wrote of her performance: "Dorothy Collins, 'Hit Parade' jokes notwithstanding, has a voice of impressive versatility and range." Her performance earned a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination as Best Actress in a Musical, but she lost to co-star, fellow Canadian-born actress Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith was a Canadian-born stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in several major Hollywood movies in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972.-Life and career:...
. When the production opened in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1972, Collins reprised the role of Sally.
At the summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
theatre, Melody Top, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, she starred in Good News
Good News (musical)
Good News is a musical with a book by Laurence Schwab and B.G. DeSylva, lyrics by DeSylva and Lew Brown, and music by Ray Henderson.The show opened on Broadway in 1927, the same year as Show Boat, but its plot was decidedly old-fashioned in comparison to Show Boats somewhat tragic and daring...
(1975), and she reprised her role in Follies (1977). In 1980 she appeared as Dolly in Hello Dolly at An Evening Dinner Theatre, Elmsford, New York
Elmsford, New York
Elmsford is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. Roughly one mile square, the village is fully contained within the borders of the town of Greenburgh...
.
Personal
Collins was married to Raymond ScottRaymond Scott
Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
from 1952 until their divorce in 1965. They had two daughters, Deborah and Elizabeth. She married actor Ron Holgate
Ron Holgate
Ronald "Ron" Holgate is a American actor and opera singer. He is known for winning the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor as Richard Henry Lee in the original Broadway production of 1776.-Early life:...
in December 1966, with whom she had a daughter, Melissa. They separated in 1977, and divorced in 1980 .
She died in July 1994 from respiratory distress
Respiratory distress
Respiratory distress may refer to either/both:* Labored breathing, the physical presentation of respiratory distress*Shortness of breath or dyspnea - a sensation of respiratory distress-See also:*List of terms of lung size and activity...
as a result of chronic pulmonary disease (asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
) at her home in Watervliet, New York
Watervliet, New York
Watervliet is a city in Albany County in the US state of New York. The population was 10,254 as of the 2010 census. Watervliet is north of Albany, the capital of the state, and is bordered on the north, west, and south by the town of Colonie. The city is also known as "the Arsenal City".- History...
. She was survived by her three daughters. Her first husband and musical mentor, Raymond Scott, passed away just five months earlier.
External links
- Remembering Dorothy Collins, official website maintained by her daughters
- Tribute to Dorothy Collins, unofficial website maintained by two of her loyal fans
- Dorothy Collins page at RaymondScott.com
- Bell Telephone Hour: Designs in Music, spotlighting Dorothy Collins and Raymond Scott, December 8, 1961
- Dorothy Collins bio at Gala Records (Canadian singers)
- Dorothy Collins performs "Suddenly There's a Valley" on Your Hit Parade,
- Dorothy Collins in a commercial for Lucky Strike cigarettes from Your Hit Parade, 1950s